The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-08
right or wrong, the man damns his soul if he
ObeYS the POpe.
v1-rHE POPE AND CIVIL ALLEGIANCE.

vI-THE POPE AND CIVIL ALLEGIANCE.
1. The Pope cannot come into collision with
He may, however, come into collision with the
civil authorities by his legislative or executive
acts.
2 AS he is not infallible in his legislative or
executive facts, in such collisions grievous
mistakes may have been made on both sides
8. The question, however, is not which side
is right, but what is the duty of q Catholic in
the case OF such a collision.
4 NO general answer can be given to such
question because each must be decided on its
merits
5. There are some cases in which Catholics
would obey the Pope and some cases in which
they would disobey him.
g. Suppose, for instance, q bill was passed in
Congress bidding Catholics attend Protestant
service every week, and the Pope told US not to
do so, we should obey the Pope.
Z. suppose the United States were engaged
in war with England or with Spain, and the
Pope should suddenly bid all Catholic soldiers
or sailors to desert we should not obey him.
g. The nearest approach to a general answer
which can be given in case the Pope came into
COLLISION with the civil authorities is TO say
That there is no duty laid upon US by our nat
ural status as citizens or the posi- live enact
ments of the United States constitution and
laws from which the Pope could free US.
IhlS then is my answer to Mr.. Bovard's
problem concerning the boundaries of papal
supremacy. The Government is just as SUI
preme to the Catholic citizen as it is to the
non-Catholic citizen. This is true whether the
Government be what DR.. Bovard calls
ment. The Catholic recognizes the Pope as
his superior in spiritual things, but in tenn
poral things he recognizes no superior but the
commonwealth. In those matters in which
the State may clash with the Pope the Catholic
IS IN similar position 10 the Methodist when
the State clashes with his conscience. In q
similar position say, but the Catholic is in
an infinitely better position. Both are thrown
back on their individual judgment, both are
compelled TO take sides. The Methodist, how
ever, is practically alone. He has neither
light nor experience nor the voice OF authority
10 aid him. The Catholic on the con-
trary has as behind him the experience OF
lubber suddenly thrown amid the ropes
ana spars OF great ship and left to work out
his own salvation. The Catholic is like a law
yer IN the midst OF a splendid library, who can
take down judgment and reference and know
what great and learned men thought of just
such cases as his 1t was to the advantage
Whlch the Catholic possesses in times of doubt
when men are thrown on themselves and are
compelled to take sides that Cardinal Manning
referred IN passage, mutilated version OF
winch has appeared in the A. p a. ash-heap:
The political conscience of Catholics is not
left TO the individual judgment alone. 1t is
guarded by the whole Christian morality, by
the greatest system of ethical legislation the
world has ever seen, the canon law and the
moral theology of the Catholic church. Not
only all eaprieious and willful resistances of
the civil law, but all unreasonable and con-
tentious disobedience is condemned by
its authority. 1t is a doctrine OF faith
that legitimate sovereignty exists, not
side OF the same; and not only among
Christian nations, but also among the
nations that are not Christian. Moreover, that
10 all such legitimate sovereigns subjects are
bound by the divine law to render obedience
IN all lawful things. 1t is certain, therefore,
that Catholics are bound TO civil allegiance by
every bond, natural and supernatural as abso-
lutely as their non-Catholic fellow-country-
men, and, l must add, more explicitly. And
further. that they can hardly be reduced to the
necessity OF using their private judgment as TO
the lawfulness of obeying any law. In all
matters OF ordinary civil and political life the
duty OF Catholics is already defined by n whole
code, which enforces obedience for conscience
sake. In the rare case of doubt which may
arise in times OF religious prosecution, political
revolution, civil wars or wars of succession,
Catholic and non-Catholic subjects are alike in
this-they are both compelled to choose their
side. But the non-Catholic subject mas hardly
law or Judge TO uid his conscience; the Catho-
lie has both. He has the whole traditional
moral law of Christendom, which has formed
and perpetuated the civil and political order
of the modern world, and he has a multitude
OF principles, maxims and precedents on which
toform his own judgment"
n a few days hope to answer Mr.. Bovard's
second objection about the alleged supremacy
claimed by the church over the state. Yours
truly, PETER C. YoRKE