John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton
From Philosopedia
Acton, John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton [1st Baron] (10 January 1834 - 19 June 1902)
Although Lord Acton was a nominal Catholic, this Cambridge University teacher of history had two of his books added to the Catholic Index Librorum Prohibitorum in 1871: Zur Geschichts des vaticanischen Concils and Sendschreiben einen deutschen Bischof des vaticanischen Concils.
By opposing Pius IX’s Syllabus of Errors, Acton illustrated his distaste for all forms of absolutism. However, rather than risk excommunication he accepted the dogma of papal infallibility.
Secular humanists, who are against all forms of religious absolutism, often quote Lord Acton’s 1887 statement to Bishop Mandell Creighton,
- Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.
They also cite his statement,
- The principle of the Inquisition was murderous. . . . The popes were not only murderers in the great style, but they also made murder a legal basis of the Christian Church and a condition of salvation.
