The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-02-24

blessed candles and such like form no
essential part OF Catholic teaching. As
q Catholic am not bound to believe in
the wonders of Lourdes nor in the
OF the blood Of 81. Janua-
rius.
1T any church has the old historic faith
in all it's completeness it il the Catholic
Church. What other church can lay
full claim to the formula expressed in
these words OF the council of Nice: Il
belleve in one, holy, Catholic and apostle
lic Church?" History shows it's descent
fpom the church of the apostles to be un-
dsniable and uninterrupted. Christ
called together y little band Of mission
aries and formed a Christian corporation.
Now one member died, now another.
But others took their places. and the
corporation, retaining it's original char.
tor, has lived on. through all the ages.
The Catholic Church reaches back by
undoubted succession. to the days of
Christ and His apostles. IT 1t has lost
it's faith, or if that faith has become sub
stantially corrupt, then there is no Chris
tian church on earth. And how can we
suppose either one or the other? Christ
promised his protecting power for all
time even to the end Of the world. He
founded His church not for some gener-
ations, bnt for all ages. He made it the
ordinary implement by which mans sal
vation is worked out. If that church be
hot lndefectlble then Christ did His work
badly.
4 OF course there have been grave scan
dals and shocking cruelties and diarace-
ful quarrels and ambitious heartburnings,
but what of them? They are to be ae-
plored rather than defended. Yet we
must remember that Paul found it neces-
sary to reprimand Peter, that Rasil the
Great refused to be on visiting terms
tith Sc. Gregory, and that the divinity
af.Ghfist tianity dosa not crush ont mans
humanity.
III wore asked for a reason for our
saoramental doctrine other than those
congruous ones Of Thomas Aquinas or
than the scriptural and the historical ar
gunents of all our theologians, should
answer by accommodating to the ques
tion in hand the following words of a
learned American prelate when asked to
justify his. position regarding papal IN
fallibility. II have always" said he, ''be'
lieved in the infallibility of general
council. A general council has solemnly
defined the doctrine of the Pope's infalli.
bility. Therefore, my principles, even
when in opposition, oblige me to &C.
cept and assent to the definition; that is
ALI"
The Catholic Church offers the same
sacrifice all the world over, ''from the
rising of the sun to the going down
thereof 1t is the sacrifice Of the mass
1t is thus called from the Latin word
mittere, to send, the idea being that in
the mass sacrifice is sent or offered to
God. There are different rites in differ
ent parts OF The Church, but the mass is
substantially the same in Egypt and in
Rome, in Kamtchatka and in Milan.
Perfect sacrifice or the highest form oi
sacrifcial worship implies the existence
of priesthood. The priesthood means
that there must be an eplscopate, and
the episcopate that there must be a su-
preme spiritual head or Pope. OF the
limited space put at my disposal I have
no wish to take UP any part with the
consideration of cardinals, archbishops,
patriarchs, prlmates, moneignors and
such like. They are merely OF ecclesias-
tical OF human growth, and I need not
stop to discuss them. But the hier-
archical idea, with Christ the Invisible
Head in heaven and the Supreme Pom
tiff the visible head on earth, and the
bishops ruling all the world over and the
priests ministering to millions of souls is
far too beautiful conception for the un
aided human mind to oonjure up.
The third and last essential Of 3 Cath
.oiic is to be found in the bond of spiri-
tual rule. Every Catholic owes fealty in
spiritual matters to the head Of his
Church, the bishop Of Rome, the success
scr OF st. Peter. Let NE say in passing
that the question, WAS st. Peter ever in
Rome?'ieometimes 90 furiously discussed
By Protestsnts and Catholics, is hardly
worthy Of junior debating society
Stratford,on-A Avon is not moro redcleut
Of the memories OF Shakespeare thar
Rome is Of the chief Of the apostles. The
obedience in affairs spiritual which
Catholics owe to the head OF their Church
has nothing whatever to do with thei1
duty toward the civil powers. The
former looks entirely to spiritual good
ths lstter g temporal advancement.
4. The characteristic intelligence ani
prudsncs the people of the United
einnsd o Eislth Pags. s'5 81