The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-16

were, a challenge to the world. This dogma
of infallibility has been a cross to many
outside the church, and been used as
tool by men who wished to put the church
in bad light.
"Many people believe that when we say
the Pope is infalllble we mean that he is
without sin. Infallibility is not sinless-
ness. 1t does not in any sense mean that
the Pope is without sin. We will frankly
acknowledge that bad men have been
foisted into the church, but history will
show that there have been only three or
four what may be called bad Popes out of
the entire number who have been at the
head CT the church. Was there not
Judas among the twelve ApostlesP By in
fallibility-let me EN- phasize tive do not
mean sinlessness. The Pope is like unto
US all "a human being. He, like us, has to
receive absolution.
Religion to the Christian means revela-
ton. 1t means that God has spoken to
man. All men will acknowledge that
there is great first cause. Dealing with
our life as 1t is we ask ourselves if God has
ever spoken to man. Every adherent of
religion believes that God, or the great
First Cause, ha spoken to him. He has
sent US mess age and outlined rules for
ligion. All mankind acknowledge this.
Suppose that we have revelation and
that God has given US that revelation, we
will then ask ourselves what that revela-
ton really is. Each man must make it
out for imself. This, say, is the Chris
tan religion"
Father Yorke then spoke OF the scores
upon scores OF different religious sects
there are now IN existence; OF how one
man says that ''Ye must be baptised or We
shall not enter the kingdom of heaven,
and how another says that Ye must have
Bishops and priests"
'It.has been this way always" he said.
"It does not stand to reason that all these
things are true. Ali these theories cannot
be correct at the same time. The theory
then that God has given us the Bible so
that we can search out our own religion
falls to the ground of its own weight
The second theory is that of the Catholics
He has laid down certain doctrines and
certain rules for US to follow"
Father Yorke drew a parallel between
the Supreme Court of the United States,
the decision of which is final in all cases.
and the supreme power OF the Catholic
church.
ave cannot have final jurisdiction such
as the Supreme Court has, neither can we
have the same revelation which comes to
the Pope" he continued. 'As there can
be no error in the decision of the Supreme
Court of this country, SO also can there be
no error in the decisions OF the Pope. The
Pope is the Supreme Court of Christen-
dom. His decision then is final for we
cannot go back upon it. If there be the
slightest reason for believing that the reve-
lation is false then it is not infallible.
When the Pope speaks as the supreme
teacher of all, when he has revelation
through Jesus Christ, then and then only
is his word infaIlible. When he states
what Christ says to him it is iEfallible.
When ne speaks of matters of faith and
morals then and then only are his words
infallible."
The speaker declared that the reason
that the Catholic church had come down
through the centuries of war, uprising and
political instability, and had remained a
compact body, was because it was founded
upon rock.
Protestant Christianity to-day" he
said, sis the laughing stock of the infidel.
The 200 or 300 different denominations in
their state of opposition to one another
furnish food for ridicuie. 1t is hard to-
day to separate the Unitarian from the in
fidel. There is only one church, only one
definite body of Christians that can say
Thus saith the Lord and Il believe. and
that one is the one connected with the
chair OF Peter, whose church was founded
on rock.
This is what is meant by infallibility.
1t means that God has given us definite
truths which are the same universally.
Amid all the chaos of worldly affairs
the clear strong voice of the Pope has been
heard to say, This is So Truth it is
which makes man what he is. and truth it
is that makes the foundation of this
Catholic religion infallIble."