The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-04-12
MORNING STAR AND CATHOLIC xzssz1aER.
NEW ORLEANS, SUNDAY. APRIL II. isss.
our ROWAN CATHOLIC HRErzRxx.


OUR ROMAN CATHOLIC ARITKRKN.
We continue our extracts from tho Atlantic
Monthly, with the above caption. "Out of the
mouths of infants and Of sucklings thou hast
perfected praise"
Protestants who visit Catholic institutions
have charge of them, are surprised to find how
little good Catholics differ from other good
people. These teachers of the St. Stephens Sun
day school, for example, their tone, manner. feel
ing, cast of countenance, remind you continue
ally of Protestant persons engaged in the same
calling. They are as candid and open as the
day They arc as truly and entirely convinced
of the truth of their religion my Protestant
ever was of his, and their hnbitual feeling
toward Professionals decomposition. They think
their religion il altogether sweet and engaging,
full of comfort and hope; and they yearn to
see oil the world partaking Of its joys and con-
solutions. Jnst as we, in our ignorance, pity
them SO do fhsy their pity us
Protestnnts, sometimes Bpise or hate those
who differ from them ON sshjects which are far
beyond all Human Gempshsnsion But the
toward US is q tender and. warm desire that we
should Immediately abandon our gloomy and
abortive religion, and csne back to the true
fold, where al! is cheerfslness certainty, and
love,-especially, certainty! There is nothing
they pity us SO much for q. the doubt and
certainty in which they stppose many of Ills nre
A Catholic cannot doubt for the instant he
doubts he ceases to be q Catholic. His church
is "infallible;" hence his doctrine must be
soul he has but to obey lfs direction. Thus
good Catholic has intenccbnal satisfaction and
peace of conscience both Within his reach and
darkness, and carry the burden of their sins,
without the possibility of ever being quite sure
they are forgiven. Thspriest says q l absolvc
thee" but 1T is on certain conditions named,
en- Wit
which he can kno'c he has complied.
There il an impression among Professionals
that the Catholic priests are not believers in
their own creed but that, being convinced
of the necessity which exists in uniformed minds
of believing something al,su!y. and fictitious,
they recognize that necessity, aud have organ
lied superstition without sharing it. We some
times hear Professionals parOtlying the ancient
remark concerning the Roman augurs, and
wondering whether two priests can ever look
one another iii the face without laughing. That
there are Catholic statesmen and mOnarchs who
take this view of the religion they profess is
probable enough.
the Catholic priests1of the United States with
out becoming aware of the entireness and
strength of their faith in the doctrines they
teach,-withont being convinced of their itlcl-
ity to theTows they have taken. Why remain
priestsm they cease to believe { 1t is not the
1ife>d false man would choose in this country.
of services, the daily and nightly calls to the
bedside of the dying, the labor and anxiety Of
hearing confessions, the deprivations of domes-
tic enioyments, the poverty (the Archbishop Of
New York has but four thousand dollars u year
and his house, and what with the social gina
which in sO0.c communities the very name of
Catholic carries with tt,-there ore few Oca-
lions in which a ferveat believer would find
more joy, and in which a hypocrite would suffer
80 much weariness aad disgust. In one sicldy
time, two years ago, an assistant priest of y
populous New York parish was summoned
sxty-five times in eight days to administer the
communion &c dying persons, and f0rty-tive af
those times we've SetweeA sunset and sunrise.
The salary of m assistant priest, in these dear
times, is four hundred dollars q year, room
and portion of the fees he receives for lpar-
riages, baptisals aud masses for the dead,-the
whole being Il bare subsistence, averaging
about eight hundred dollars year. The pastor
of church receives six hundred dollars year,
house and a portion of the fees just mentioned.
In q few very extensive city parishes the priest
may get n little more money than he really
needs; hut the great majority receives inst
enough for the three necessities,-food, clothes,
and charity.
The manner in which Roman Catholic
brethren select and train their priests insures
mt Least sincerity: 1t is a training which, in
favorable cases. develops every noble trait of
human nature except one,-the sceptical, ques-
ton-asking faculty, to which all improvement.
all progress, is due. Some of the sweetest,
purest and loveliest human beings this
earth are Roman Catholic priests. I have had
the pleasure, once in my life of conversng with
an absolute gentleman one in whom all the
little yanities all the little greenhouses, all the
fety springing from imperfectly disciplined
self-loxe,-aH had been consumed; and the
whole man was.kind, serene, urbane, and ut
terly sincere This perfect gentleman was o
Roman Catholic bishop, who had spent thirty
years of his life in the woods near Lake supee;,
rior, trying (and failing, as he frankly owneD
to convert .rascaly Chippewas into tolerable
hiiman beings. make pretty good Christians
of some of them" said he; 4" but menf No: it is
impossible" But while 30 highly rate this ex-
suisite human being, must remember that his
task in life had been far easier than ours. The
two grand difficulties of human life he never
encountered, the difficulty of earning his sub
sistence, and the difficulty of rearing q family.
Thirteen years of temper in palace" says
Doctor Marigold, would try the worst of you;
but thirteen years of temper in cart would try
the best of you" The Catholic priest ought to
lof for ,tlnl.n md fhnn nfllar ane