St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-13
POPE'S ENCYCLICAL.
Important Document Upon the
Study of the Bible.


Correspondence Associated Press,l a
ROME, Nov. 29.-The pontifcal en-
cyclical upon Bible studies, some details
of which have already been cabled, is
attracting considerable attention in
ecclesiastical circles from the fact that
1t is a document of the most capital i'm
portance. The Latin text is very eX-
tended. and does not occupy less than
twenty columns of a large-siZed news
paper. Even from a literary point of
view, the encyclical has great value. for
1t is written in choice Latin of the most
elevated tone, and it can procure most
intense intellectual treat to all those
capable of approaching text whose
purity and distinction recall the finest
pieces of classic literature.
In order TO appreciate the scope of
this encyclical, it is necessary to revert
to the causes which have rendered it
necessary. This recalls the controversy
caused by pamphlet written by Mgr.
d'Hutst, rector of the Catholic Institute
of Paris, in which it was sustained that
the points Of the sacred books which
should be considered as inspired are
only those which concern the dogma
u
was written in defense of the doctrines
which had already been propounded i'll
the same sense by NJ. Loisy concerning
the teachings Of the sacred books in the
same institute. nj. Loisy claimed IN
brief that the object of church is to
teach moral ideas, to turn man towards
that which is good, and to conduct him
to salvation. In consequence, one can
accept as parallels, able TO contribute to
the spread Of religious truths and of
morality, the portions of the Bible
which from the chronological point of
view and from the astronomical point
of view do not agree absolutely with
historical truth, or with scientific truth.
What would it matter, for example, for
US to state that the deluge. could not
have happened scientifically under the
conditions described in the Bible, so
long as the Biblical description had as
a result the improvement of man and
the spread of morality. 1t seems use
less to give more development to the eX-
PLANTATION of this controversy. What is
certain is that, after the noise which it
made, it was indispensable that
THE POPE
should pronounce himself eX-cathedra.
Doubt had arisen on the points of the
Genesis, and on more than one of the
pdIIS vi Tue DlUllCdl COSIlOSOuy WHICH
are no longer in accord with physical
truth or with scientific facts recently
acquired. The professors of theology
experienced the need of hearing
an authorized voice which would
indicate to them the path to follow.
Mgr. d'Hutst was almost accused of
heresy, and deemed it advisable to go to
Rome in order to plead before the pope
the cause which he had sustained in his
pamphlet. The pope resolved TO end
the debate by the encyclcal. the sub
stance of which has already been cabled..
He has dissipated all doubts expressed
by the rector of the Catholic Institute Of
Paris, Mgr. d'Hutst, and by the protes-
sor of that institute. NJ. Loisy, in de-
claring that the sacred books are in
spired in the whole and in the detail,
and that if, in certain points, they seem
to be out Of accord with science, this is
either because these points them
selves have been badly interpreted, or
because science is mistaken.
1t would not be impossible that this
encyclical will reopen the controversy
instead of closing it.