The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-03-24
The Papal International.

Under this heading our neighbor, the
Presbyterian, makes a rather feeble attack
upon the ".Catholic Militant Union," as it
views it in the light Of the Archbishop's
remarks on q recent occasion.
1t says, speaking of his Grace's allusion
to Adhesion of the Union" to the dogma
of the Infailibility:
This dogma is to be held as superior, more
binding than sectional or national feeling"
Now our neighbor has, in the same issue,
republished the Bees account of the pre-
liminary meeting where the remarks re-
ferred to were made, and therein we find
proof that it has entirely misunderstood
the expression criticised. That expression
was undoubtedly contained in the follow
ing words of the Archbishop:
We should lay aside all sectional and nation
al feeling, and I recommend that in such a
cause ali members should be Catholics alone,
without regard to aught else, in any manner
of form.
Does this language raise any presump-
ton of antagonism between the Feelings"
spoken Of and the great dogmai Wo see
no contrast whatever made between the
authority of the Church and the influence
Of nationaiism or sectionalism. There
can be no doubt that the dogma of
the Infallibility of the Pope, like every
other dogma of the Church, is to be main
tanned by every Catholic under every con-
tingency that can possibly arise on the
earth. If national feeling or sectional
feeling should come in conflict with any
one of them it must be sacrificed instantly,
| but we cannot see any special conflict be-
tween national OF sectional feeling and the
particular dogma referred to. AS to tho
language of the Archbishop commented on,
it probably meaas that this community was
composed of q mixed population from
many countries and of different races and
that, in order to form close Catholic
Union, the "feeliDgs" alluded to must be
ignored, so far Us they arouse foolish pre-
JUDGES or useless antagonisms.
The Presbyterian goes on:
| He does not specify what is meant by "na-
tionM feeling" but We suppose it is only a
| fair inference, that it implies whatever
principles privileges or obligations grow out
of or belong to our relation, rs citizens of the
| community or of the State.
If this ia q fair specimen of Presbyterian
fair differences, then we must request our
AcsS2uOE " &ANo a VI WudU IL
would consider an unfair one. We cannot
suppose that anybody living could sus-
pect for a moment that our Archbishop
would counsel us to lay aside whatever
principles, privileges OF obligations grow
out of or belong to our relations as citizens"
and yet such is the candid inference drawn
by the Presbyterian, and presented to its
charitable and pious readers.
Again:
If the Pope's infallibility is to he upheld in
spite of every consideration of National rela-
| tionship or obligation, then of course the in
| functions of that Infallible authority dispepse
| o man from all political duties, divest him of
| all political rights, vest his citizenstip in a
| society of which the Pope is the head and for
which his will is the only political authority
and civil law.
Here we have the same old thing. The
Pope is infallible in faith and morals, there
fore in politics; on spiritual questions, there
fore on temporal ones in religion, therefore
in statecraft. This is a distinction which
the Presbyterian finds it impossible to COM
prehend, but we do not hesitate to leave
it in the hands of all others MS being self
| evident.