ABSTRACT
on the bright cold morning of October 29, there was tension in the air as the Council Fathers gathered for the morning session. They were met on the steps of St. Peter's by several Ukrainian bishops who were passing out petitions urging them to vote against including the schema on Mary in the schema on the Church. One of the Australian bishops, thinking, perhaps, of Cardinal Ottavianfs objections to periti who passed out such petitions on the diaconate, approached the desk of the Secretariat and asked whether it was permissible to pass out such petitions before a vote. He was told yes that it was perfectly legitimate to pass out petitions outside St. Peter's, but not inside. Satisfied, the Australian bishop resumed his place. He had reason later to remember this reply.
