The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-11-17
PLAINLY STATED.
a wen-Prepared Paper on "Wfy
Do Catholics Believe the Pope
to Be InfallibleT
WHAT A LAYMAN HAS TO SAY

L, \
On Subject Which Protestants. as
Well as Catholics, VIII Find
Interesting Reading.
The following paper prepared by Capt.
NJ. Whelan, and read by that gentleman
before a recent meeting of the Holy
Name society of North Minneapolis, is an
excellent production in a literary way,
containing so much, as it does, both new
and of q meritorious nature bearing upon
this important subject, that The IRISH
STANDARD gladly makes room for the
same in this issue. It is clear and
concise statement of the matter in hand
and shows a goodly amount of study and
research in it's preparation, all of which
recommends it for publication. The
writer says:
"Why do Catholics believe the Pope to
be- Infalllble?" This is the subject as.
signed me to prepare paper on t, the
meeting this afternoon. Our non Cath
.Olic friends labor under the idea, many
of them wilfully so, that our civil and
religious allegiance is due to the see of
Rome, and is of such nature that we
must obey the mandates OF the Pope IL
all matters even if we violate the laws Of
the land in which we live, and also that
it is impossible for practical Catholic to
be- q 10, III citizen III this or any other
country.
It would be useless waste of time to
cite proof against the latter charge. For
the rivers of blood that was shed and
countless lives that were lost in defense
of this glorious country by practical
Catholics is sufficient proof of our 10y
atty In all wars, foreign or civil, at any
time that this nation was in peril, Cath
olics were in the forefront on land and
sea in her defense. History teens with
the heroic deeds of the faithful sons OF
the Church in defense of the civil and
religious liberty which we enjoy; anyone
who will read history must know how
baseless is the charge.
We will endeavor to explain in what
we believe the Holy Father to be in
tallible and why we believe it. There
are many articles of faith which we
Catholics believe that have not been pro-
claimed in council as such. The Church
does not proclaim each article of faith In
council, for all Catholics believe, and
have faith to believe all that the Church
believes and teaches. 1t is only when
an article of faith is III dispute or it's
meaning mis-, construed in any portion of
the universal Church, or sch!sm threat
ened that the Church IN council through
the Pope, the successor Of st. Peter, pro
claims and defines that article of faith.
After such definition and proclamation
the doubters are convinced as to what is
tho Church's attitude on that particular
article Of faith and morals. Non-Catho-
lies claim that until the Vatican council
in 1879, we Catholics did not believe the
Pope to be infallible, and that it was
first proclaimed at that council. Never
was there greater mistake, for the doc
trine of infallibility was an article OF
faith from the very foundation of the
Church by our Blessed Lord, when He
said, "Thou art Peter and upon thls
Rock will I build my, Church, and the
gates Of hell shall not prevail against it. =
Again when He said, s'Go therefore and
teach all nations whatsoever / have com
manded you, whose Sins you shall for
give they are forgiven them, whose sins
you shall retain they are retained them"
That was when the Church Peter) be-
came infallible and his legal successors
through 1000 years have retained that
samegift from our Blessed Lord, and all
Catholics believe it. The Church has
from time to time reiterated this doc
trine in council and the last time was in
1878. All Catholics and any non Catho-
lie who will read history must believe
that no new doctrine was proclaimed by
the Church in 1873, although no less q
person than the great commoner, Glad
stone thought SO seriously on the sub
ject that he wrote bulky pamphlet to
prove that the British Empire was IN
DANGER. and that practical Catholic
could not be loyal British subject. In
Germany on account of the decree, the
Church underwent an awful persecution
!, By the enactment Of the Falk Laws.
! Religious societies were driven from the
II empire, church property was confscated,
It was 9 crime to be priest or bishop,
they were suspended from their Offices
and many imprisoned. The leader in this
h a illnnoyemsnt was Dr. on Dollinger, once
NJ bright and able son the Church,
IS rho started v creed call led old Catholios
EI N 8 e 'deaarsf but