The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-06-22
The Hail Mary.

Our friend OF the ffeemdnS oouF""'
makes it necessary to recur to it once moro.
First he charges US with incorporating
bis statements. In this he certainly mis-
represents rs. If We are younger than he
is, our good name is precious to us; and
we appeal to the fairness and Catholic
conscience of our elder brother. We do
not wish to irritate with unpleasant quota
lions we ask him to read over his own
paper Of April 18th, p. 4. col. g, paragraph
beginning: "And in fact" If after read
ing that, he still thinks We misrepresent
him, then let him reprint that paragraph
with its italics, and with it reprint our
statement; and then let his readers form
| their own opinion.
1t will enhance the value of this act of
fairness if he will also reprint the compar-
ison that he made concerning Cardinal
Wisemap, and our statement of the same.
His readers will then see that tue low
estimate lie made of the Cardinals author
ity, was made exactly in reference to this
matter thcn under discuesion-tle prayers
of the Liturgy including the Hail Mary.
When our'friend intimates that he was
speaking not of the Hail Mary, but of the
Canon of the Mass, we answer by borrow
ing his own words, With whom does he
ti.niia a.l. he is dsputing 2"
With regard to the ,i0iJJ Eathers: we are
not responsible for all the possible errors
into which the Freeman's Journal fears that
our youth or negligence might lead US. That
the great my stery of the Incarnation was
the work of the Adorable Trinity, any Ca
tholic can learn from the catechism of tie
Council of Trent, and from other large
! catechisms and books Of instruction., ex-
planning the third article of the Apostles
Creed. We do not know that any instruct
ed Catholic ever questioned it.
What we are responsible for is the asser-
ton that the Angels words to the Blessed
Virgin, Dominus fecum, had been explained
by the Fathers of the Church, both Of the
eternal Godhead, aud of G cd made man for
our redemption. We did not say that any
explanations nor did we say whether we
regarded both as equally good. We said
that the Fathers give both.
We showed this by citations from St.
Jerome and St. Bernard. Our friend gives
his own translation-and according to his as
we'll as ours, these Fathers understand the
Angel to have said gratia plcna and Domi-
aus fccum, because of our Lord conceived by
her which was the statement we made. If
he thinks he can explain the words in some
other way-he is welcome to do So. We
know that even the ciearest texts of sacred
Scripture, may be Interpreted in various
senses.
When he mercifully acquits us of all
fault in making these quotations, except
negligence-we do not " see the point"
But if he turns US out as careless boys be-
cause we understand the matter in this
sense, there are some others he must turn
out with u.s. and their company will be
some comfort to US. There is Jesuit Fa-
ther named Maldonatus, and another
named Cornelius a Lapide. They studied
the Fathers not thirty years ago, but about
three hundred years ago. They tell us
that rot only st. Jerome and st. Bernard,
but likewise st. Ambrose, st. Augustine,
st. Athanasius, st. Thomas of Acquin,
and others, understood the words Dominus
tecum of the Conception of Christ. Maldo
natus does not agree with those Fathers.
He thinks that these words have reference
to the Godhead being with her to prepare
her by grace; but he testifes that those
Fathers held different opinion from him.
self: I" As if it ,cere said the Lord ,Uas with
Mary, because Christ ,cas ,cith her either al
ready concerted, or soon TO be conceived"
And now we conclude by summing up
the matter of the original question.
We undertook to vindicate the liberty of
good Catholics to recite the Hail Mary
with the words " Or Lord is with thee"
We have shown that the Church does not
condemn some degree of freedom in tho
translation of the public prayers of her
Ltu-gy-such as the Hail Mary, the Lita-
MES, etc.
She has not condemned it in translating
Kyrie eleison-Lord hare mercy on as in
stead of Lord hare mercy.-If in some other
prayers she says MiSerere nobiS, 30 likewise
in other prayers she says DOminus moSter.
e.