The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23
what IL Catholic Doctrine,

To THE EDITOR OF TIE SUN-Sir: Now that
q discussion as to what is really Catholic
doctrine 10 going on in the columns of THE
SUN, 1t seems to me an suspicious time and
quito relevant to the debate to ask some of your
learned readers, In or out OF orders. To inform
me and many others in my situation where I
can find or how I can know those dogmas which
the Catholic Church holds to be articles of faith.
the rejection of which. or Of any of them, consti-
tutes heresy and a forfeiture of salvationi
All Catholics complain of the practice. 30 com
mon In writing or discussion. of referring them
triumphantly to the works of q particular theo.
logian or Father OF the Church, whether he DO
Aurelius Augustinus of Hippo or Michael Au-
g~ustinus of Now York. on the unwarrantablo
notion that whatever is stated in such works is
Catholic doctrine beyond dispute. Hence the
common argument runs: "Your own st.
Thomas Of Aquinas. or n certain Pope, says"
&c. Every Catholic of ordinary intelligence
knows that the utterances OF no particular the.
~ologian, canonized though he may DO after his
the Church or the faithful In any way; and Imy,
self have until the past, fow years CONSIDERED
Catholic doctrine was only TO be found in
the canons and DEGREES Of the twenty
s sins at jor sH@nsla1 e 9aot .h' s Ghurs aasoS BEGIN smG
ending Mt thc Vatican, and in tho for;
that however undeniably Just. wholesome. and
reasonable might be the Views of saints. rhco,
logians. and even the Church generally on mat
teIs not included in such canons, SC, II was not
obligatory OH me to accept or believe such mat
ters. But in an odd number of the learned
! years ago. 1t was said that In an Encyclical Let.
ter OF Plus TX. he had declared that that WAS
Catholic doctrine which WAS commonly received
and taught by the ordinary mdDisteriun OF tho
Church throughout the world, and was 10 be nr-
cepted and believed as such. This utteranCr
quite unsettled my confidence in my ability 10
find for myself what i was required 70 believe
as a Catholic or 10 refer others to ~dogmatic
statements.
How is ono to know certainly what the mag.
isterium of the Church teach on many thiugsl
While i am not aware OF any great question
now unsettled as to which theologians or re-
ligious orders differ and contend as they dId
over the doctrines of tho immaculate COnCCp.
ton, Papal infallibility, &c, IL is not dinicult 10
find points left unsettled'by Popes or councils on
which conflicting views may he held. II Rom"
should speak On them, a Catholic could say with
st. Augustine. Roma iocWd est Rome lut
has not spoken how can he docidei Hence my
question at tho beginning.
Lot Inc ask another question. ! have repeat
eddy seen the statement made that the COunCI
OF Melt. held under Urban III. "a. D.. 1000, do.
clared IL impossible to exercise with II safe con.
science any traiiic or follow the profession of tho
law. have no doubt the statement Is true
while j have been quite unable TO verify IL and
ask what Is the attitude OF Catholic theOlOgians
respecting a councils utteranCCs Oh such
things. Are they not considered as hoTtItOry,
cantionarY. merely, and not "a positive DECLARE
ton ON a matter Of morals, 10 he observed BY
avoiding trade and law
NEW YORK. Jan. 1s.