St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-03-08
Pere Hyacintsle.

| The Rev Hyacinthe Loyson, who
having married, was accommodated
by the Roman Catholic Church, is
preaching on his Gown hook" He re-
Gently lectured in Donaldsonville; the
Chief of that place gives the following
report of his lecture:
In entering church the first thing
which attracts attention is the baptis-
NAL font, where we are baptized and
| become Christians, make our profession
of faith and declare our belief in the
holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
It is not necessary, in order to be a
| Christian, that a firm belief should exist
in all that is taught by the Apostolic
and Roman Catholic Church, the word
"RomanT not occurring in the baptis-
NAL service, which is Apostolic. The
words sand Roman" were added by the
Popes, the authority for which they as
sumed without right, as they have as
sumed through many ages the preroga-
! tives Of masters of the wOrld,D in at
fairs spiritual and temporal. Had they
contented themselves with matters
properly within their sphere-the ex-
pounding of doctrines OF the simple
religion"-they would always have COM
manded the respect and obedience OF
the faithful, but in their pride they
have ceased to say "the Church alone is
infallible in that which she teaches"
and now cry aloud, 81, the Pope, am
alone infallible, and you must believe
! all say and obey me, under penalty OF
| excommunication.n This the enlight-
enment and education of the people of
| the nineteenth century will not allow.
| This it is that is driving the people OF
France, the intellect of Paris into atlle-
| ism and deism, a disbelief in God and
the scriptures.
The pulpit, from which the truths of
| religion should alone be explained, Is
occupied by too many men who, forget
ting their holy Office OF priest and the
Drecepts of priesthood, seem to have
only the ideas of making money and
satisfying their own desires or passions.
The pulpit should be purged, and to ac-
complish this independence should be
given to priests and bishops by allowing
the laity to select priests for ordination
and the laity and priests together to
choose bishops. The people would not
then be held, as they now are, in seryl-
tude by the priests, nor the priests by
the bishops, nor the bishops by their
superiors. The privilege of marriage
should be allowed the clergy, and the
lecturer cited many instances where it
had been permitted. going as Tar pack
as the time OF st. Peter.
Forced confession should be abolish
ed. Through it's influence on women,
children and those deficient in intelli
eence or enlightenment, the clergy have
gained mnch of their haneful power.
The paterfamilias should be the priest
| and first master of the household; his
will should be the will OF the family,
his orders sacred, and his Interpretation
of religious points the guiding rule OF
his wife and children, who, following
the precepts of Christian husband and
father, would be yirtuOus and cOnse-
auently happy. The wife should con-
| fess to the husband and the husband to
the wife; the child to the father and
mother, that they be united each to
his neighbor should acknowledge his
fault and contritely repair the hurt
done: confess each to himself-tO his
conscience, which is judge, fully avow
ing wrong without attempt at excuse,
and then to God, asking for pardon.
Should you wish it, having slnned OF
being in doubt, seek out your priest, he
who is the mediator between yourself
and our heavenly Father. Would you
hesitate if the priest were married, and
say, with old women, that your confess
sion would not be kept secret? The
priest in the state of matrimOny is I'M
der no more temptation than it q cell
bate. His exhOrtati0ns are then truly
those of a father. Read, and you will
find that in the Greek Church at Rome
married and single priests exercise their
functions at the same alter and have
the same privileges. Can it be said that
q lawyer, notary or doctor would be
more secret than priestg Is not their
state less sanctitied.
Priests would be more sincere and
feryent if the mass were celebrated IN
the national language, instead OF Latin,
which the people do not understand.
Were the Church at Rome reduced to
Apostolic simplicity it's affairs would be
the palladium where Christians would
unite to receive the "bread and wine"
consecrated by worthy priests, and
peace. good will toward man would be
established forever.
The only reference made by tie lee
turer to the difficulty among the Catho-
lies OF this parish was the remark that
the church was closed and that it seem
ed to be question of land, the people
being told, in effect, "Give us the land
and we stay take the land from
us, we co."