Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-05-01
THE TRUE POSITION
OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON
SUNDRY MATTERS

Discussed in the Last Standard
Father CIa ssens Views Matters
From Quite n Different stand.
point Than Father BOSche.
ED. STANDARD:
In last weeks issue OF your paper,
under the heading A Scathing Pero-
ration" you, in an honest but mistak-
en- criticism, find fault with the Cath
Ollie doctrine concerning hell in general,
and with the semper idem policy OF the
internal regions in particular. Among
other things you say:
But there is another thought crop
ping out Of this moral monstrosity, as
presented and taught by our Catholic
friends. 1t is well known TO be one OF
the fundamental tenets in the Papal
church that all adult persons who die
outside the pale of the Holy Catholic
church are lost, irretrievably lost, and
subject to all the ecclesiastical anath-
emas pronounced by the talented
Father Bosche. All those dying in in
fancy, also, whose parents are not
Catholics, are supposed to be predes-
tined to ~ similar fate"
Now, Mr.. Murphy, l know you are
not the man who would wilfully mis-.
represent the doctrines of the Catholic
church, or any other church, and /
therefore send you the little catechism
we put in the hands of our Sunday
School children, in order that you may
compare our doctrine with your own
statement. On page %, Lesson NJ,
e. s, you find the following:
q. Are all bound to belong to the
church?
A. All are bound to belong to the
church, and he who knows the church
to be the true church and remains out
of it, cannot be saved.
Does this sound as if our church
would send you and your children to
hell for no other reason than because
you are not member ? Weigh the
above answer carefully, and perhaps
you will agree with me, that your crit
icism was unjust, and that your state
ment, far from being fundamental
tenet OF the papal church, is a funda-
mental calumny, invented by our enc.
mics.
Next, you style our doctrine con-
corning hell, as "moral monstrosi-
ty, utterly at varience with all our
conceptions of an omnipotent and
merciful Creator" As Catholic priest
l am supposed to teach this moral |
monstrosity, hence l have right to |
defend myself. ] am not going to en-
ter into theological discussion on the |
subject, but l call your attention to a |
simple illustration. The laws OF the |
United States decree imprisonment for
life or even the death sentence as a
punishment for certain crimes. This |
punishment is certainly as eternal as
man can make it. This law is written |
in our statute-books; jails, with their |
gloomy cells and steel bars, loom up |
in every State OF the Union; gallows
are erected whenever the ssnctity of |
the law has TO be vindicsted, and all |
these instruments of justice act as q |
salutary restraint on every person OF |
the land who would be tempted to vio- |
late the law. But, Mr.. Editor, is the |
average citizen of Olympia, or any
other community. terrified at the |
sight No. And why not Because,
he says, have done nothing to be |
afraid OF them" Who are those who |
object to those severe statutes, who |
tremble at the sight OF an officer of the |
law, or at the very shadow OF prison or
gallows The real criminals and &C.
tual law-breakers, who when convicted
and sentenced have to admit that |
their punishment is richly deserved. |
Of course, they object to being sent to
prison for life, because they get SO
tired OF it; they object to hanging, be-
cause, you know. it works so quick |
that it takes ones breath away. But
in spite OF their objection, society in
general wants these laws to remain on |
the statute books and be in perfect |
working order. So much for human |
justice. Let us apply this illustration
to divine justice: God is our Supreme
Law.Giver. He has written his moral
code in the heart of man and engraved
his law on the statute books of Holy |
Writ. God by his very essence is om-
niscient; as such He knows our good
works and the motives that actuated
us. He also knows our transgressions
whether committed through ignorance
or through malice. God is infinitely
just and this justice demands adequate
reward and punishment for good and
evil. Hence: LIST, God cannot pun
ish man unless he deserves it, i. e.
has pilfuliy transgressed his conn.,
mands; I'd, God cannot infiict great.
er punishment than the crime de-
serves. From this it follows, that no
man, woman or child, be they Catho-
lie, Protestant, Jew or Pagan, will or
can be punished here or hereafter I'M
less they deserve it, in az much as they
deserve it and as long as they deserve
it. This is Catholic doctrine, Mr..
Murphy; you may call it moral mon.
strosity, call it common sense.
As to your sneering question: What
course are we poor sinners going TO
pursue2 I would say: Study your
catechism and post yourself before you
discuss Catholic theology, and leave
misrepresentation and calumny against
the Catholic Church to reformed no.
bos and clerical vagsbonds.
FATHER CHAs. CLAssENs.