The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-05-07
Morning Star and Catholic Messenger.
Father Damen's Answer to Popular Objections to
the Catholic Church.
FEW ORLEANS. sUfDAY. MAY Z ls7l.

Father Damen's Answer to Popular Objections T.
the Catholic Church.
The lecture of Father Damen. at Weis.
eiger Hall, Louisville, on Sunday night,
ed nit, was q most interesting discourse,
and was listened to with profound atten-
ton by crowded audience.-The audience,
catching the inspiration of the speaker,
often gave vent to their feelings ia hearty
applause. The lecturer was a large, fine-
looking priest, about sixty years of age,
possessing q voice of great compass and
Power,and with much freeness of style and
case, made himself heard to the furthest
limits of the hall. His subject was in an
swer to popular objections to the Catholic
religion.
The first objection to which he alluded
was that the Catholic Church was opposed
to the people reading the Holy Scriptures.
that all Catholics throughout the world
were urged to read and study the Holy
Scriptures for their edi6cation and confirm
alton in the faith of the true Catholic
Church. OF course, by the Bible he did
not mean the Protestant version of it, for
IN conventional Protestant divines held
ct St. Louis Nv years ago, to consider
She inject of q new translation, the pres.
eBt Bible was said to contain no lees than
$1,000 errors. At another time, in the
same convention, it was asserted that up to
the present time the world was without
-tEue-version OF the Word of God. 1t was
this version of the Holy Scriptures that the
Catholics objected to. And of course they
could not recommend TO be read book
containing SO many errors. He could not
recommend this book to be read in the
schools, for the reason of these mistakes,
ami also because it was only part of the
Holy Scriptures, many books having been
left out altogether. Children should be
taught to reverence the Bible, and they do
not reverence their school books. They
mutilate, tear aud blot them.
The Catholic Church, he said, is charged
with being opposed to education. Is this
true7 There are perhaps hundred diff
ferant orders Of the Catholic Church even
in this country, who have taken upon them
the solemn vows to God to endure poverty |
and forego all worldly emolument and |
pleasure, in order to give their whole lives
60 the instruction OF youth. They have
colleges, academies and schools in all the
States of the Union, supported entirely by |
-eral patronage. Does ibis look like being
opposed to the cause of educationR For
1900 years the Catholic religion has been
foremost in every move to promote and
diffuse knowledge. 1t has produced the
finest scholars and the most eminent men
of letters. The great number of sister
hoods and brotherhoods that are and have
been long engaged in this work, furnishes
evidence of this statement. In regard to
the fine arts, he asked who had been the
patron of artists but the Catholic Church.
If a painter sculptor wished to make
himself perfect in his art, did he go to
London, Berlin or Capenhagenf No; he
went to Catholic Rome, to Catholic Munich
and to Catholic Paris, These are the cities
I'm which he found the finest specimens of |
his art. AS regards music, who are known
TO the world as masters but the Catholics (
Who were Mozart and Beethoven but Ca
tiosics3 And whose music is used in all
the churches but that of the Catholics
Hsve Methodists, Baptists, or Presbyteri-
ans. or Episcopalians produced any masters
saize the superiority of Catholic music 6y
it into their churches.
Again, he said that the Catholic Church
ss represented as opposed to republics.
This is false; it is lie. Every Christina
republic has been established under the
&sepoa, of Florence, and the other Italian
those of Switzerland, South
America aud Mexico, all were established
aad guided by Catholic genius. Nor were
the United States entirely dependent on
Protestant efforts for the establishment of
the Timely aid of Catholic Maryland and
Catholic France they, perhaps, would never
elssue broken the shackles of British tyran-
ny, and might to-day be u province, of
Great Britain. The influence of the Cath
~0itc Church is all that held in check the
feudal despots of tie middle ages. In the
late war for the preservation of the Union
che Catholics fought as bravely ard shed az
Aauch blood as did the representatives of |
Protestant faith. The Catholic Church has !
always been for the people, the common !
people, the poorest of the people, and !
hence whatever of honor or influence she !
possesses, is given for the defence and !
lnaintainence,of their rights and privileges
The reverend Father next spoke against |
the popular belief that Catholics worship |
He said that the wntfs of HE
s,huRoh we're hung with pictures represents
tag the S,Muts, the Blessed Virgin aud the |
Saviour, and served the valuable and holy
purpose of recalling to his mind the per-
sons represented. In this way the Catho-
.sice could honor the dead without worship
22g them. In the paror of my Pro-
eestant brother, said he, there are the
pictures of his mother, of his wife, and of
a beautiful fish. His mother is dead and
he asserts his belief that she is in heaven
Gfhs wife is living, and the fish is in tue
eaters under the earth. Now, in having
these naiHtfHHR h4 yioiatas he rn,rp,ap1-