Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-05-10
" What Catholics do not Believe"

the City Hall on Tuesday evening
last The speaker commenced by re-
ferring to the false ideas which exist
in regard to the belief held by Catho-
lies, and said that there were thou
sands and thousands OF persons who
knew no more about what Catholics
believed and taught than did the
smallest child of the Church. The
Catholic Church was misrepresented
through ignorance and prejudice III
very many ways. Among other things
which the Catholic Church does not
hold or teach, the speaker would men
ton:
1st. The Catholic Church does not
teach that outside of her communion
there is no salvation. And while she
claims to be the only true Church
of Christ, it would be presumption
in her to dictate to Almighty God
whom he should save and whom he
should not save. She does not believe
that God will condemn to hell all those
who, by accident or otherwise, are
not born in the Catholic faith.
I'd. The Catholic Church is basely
misrepresented in her belief Of the
infallibility of the Pope. She believes
that the declarations Of the Pope are
infallible only when treating OF mat
tiers of faith and doctrine. The Pope
is subject to like passions us other
men are. He is liable to sin, to com.
NIT crimes even, and Catholics believe
him to be lnfaliable only when sitting
upon solemn occasions, he declares the
belief of the Catholic Church. The
speaker sale that q few months ago
upon the death of Plus the tx, the
whole Catholic world mourncd his
death; bells were rung and the Faith
ful iiocked by thousands to offer up
prayers for ,he benefit of his soul. If
Catholics believed that Plus lX could
not sin, would it not be ridiculous for
them to pray for his soul? But they
believed him subject to sin. Plus X
was "a great a good and holy man, and
was beloved not only by Catholics, but
by millions who were not of his faith.
81. In nothing else is the Catholic
Church so misrepresented and ira
duced rs in 5lc matter Of Confessions.
There is not even IL child in the
Church who believes that the Priest
possesses unlimited power to forgive
sins. 1t was base and maliciouSly
false to say that the Priest forgave sins
for money,and thereby gave license to
sin again. The Priest could only for
give such sins rs Had been forgiven by
God in heaYen In his priestly Office
no ratified HE forgiveness of the peni-
tents sins, and the penitent must
frat hp found worthy of forgiveness.
The speaker said that the Catholic
Church had its ,Judases, but never yet
has there been found in it Il Priest
who would sell his sacred office for
money. The speaker did not see how
any one could be so foolish as to
believe that the Catholic Church
claims that it's Priests have unlimited
power to forgive sins.
4th. Catholics do not believe i'll the
worship of saints, pictures and relics.
They do not worship them. The
speaker could prove the charge that
they do worship them to be false and
without any foundation whatever.
He did not think they possessed any
power or intrinsic worth of them
selves. 1t WAS not tho picture they
thought of, but the saint, As TIE
FRIEND OF COP; and the saint was
to be revered SO far rs he had proved
himself the friend of God in works of
mercy. piety or love of God. This
point the speaker illustrated by say
ing il lie should hold in his hand
before the audience at that moment
the pen with which President Lincoln
had signed his immortal name for the
last time, would not every one in the
audience look upon il with awe while
contemplating the words and deeds
Of the savior Of our country. Would
not contemplation Of his acts
strengthen MS in our resolutions to
emulate his virtues md follow his
eNample2 But could anyone be found
50 foolish NJ to say, that we therefore
worship the the pen D. the martyred
president who used it.
9Th. The fifth and last error to
which the speaker referred was