The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-21
REGULATIONS FOR LENT
BISHOP CHATARD ADDRESSES THE
DIOCESE OF vINCENNEs.
Little Need to Fear the So-CaIIed
Higher Criticism of the
Bible, He Says.

are not counted in the forty-six days fast
which the faithful are expected to OBJ
serve. During Lent in the Catholic
churches. missions will be conducted each
Wednesday evening and the service Of the
stations Of the cross an impressive and
beautiful celebration Of the passion, on Fri
day night. Yesterday in all the churches
of the diocese Of Vincennes a pastorate
from Bishop Chatard and the regulations
for Lent prepared by the bishop in virtue
of the indult of the Holy See were read.
Portions of the pastorate and the regula-
lions in full are given below. The pas
torate begins:
Dearly Beloved Brethren of the Clergy.
Beloved Chlldren of the Lalty-Ine priv
legged season OF Lent is about TO begin;
truly privileged because it is time of
grace ard benedction. For through the
wholesome thoughts ii fosters, the truths
it tnculcates, and the spiritual aid it brings,
we are brought nearer to God, and made
prepare for the inevitable end that awaits
us on Ash Wednesday: Remember man
thou art dust, and into dust shalt thou re-
turn During this time the spirit of Chris
tian modification is enforced by the exam
pie of Christ the innocent ard holy one,
suffering and dying for US. Two days in
the week are set apart to commemorate
phases Of His passion. Everything leads
up to the most impressive ceremonies of
holy week, in which we see Christ pay the
nailed to a cross and dying upon it. What
thoughts are revealed TO us as we con-
template this scene. How we are led to
understand the Importance OF our saliva
ton, since the Son of God made man judged
it necessary to give Himself as the price
of i.
much, was to the Jews stumbling block
and to the Gentiles folly. The world has
not changed so greatly We still have the
Jews among us, and the place of the Cen
tiles has been taken by the cultured unbe-
levers Of to-day, who multiply books to
explain what they do not understand. Hav-
ing cast aside the belief in the divinity Of
Christ, they Scrutinze and analyze Him as
a mere human being who did not under
ency, and who, in state of mental exalta-
ton, made himself out to be what He was
not"
NO FEAR OF HIGHER CRITICISM.
Concerning the so-caled higher criticism
of the Bible, the bishop said there was little
need to fear it. 1t was a good Catholic
scholar, John Astruc, of Montpelier, who,
nearly 80 years ago, published his con
lectures about the original sources that
Moses made use of in composing the book
of Genesis when such questions are
mooted and earnestly discussed by schol-
ars,' said the bishop, lit is no longer the
book but the manner and makeup of the
book that is in question" The bishop pre-
Bible only serves to make more evident the
reliability of it's historic accounts, as the
facts it relates are daily corroborated by
discoveries in archaeology and unexpected
documentary sources are discovered. Trac-
ing the history of the book, he showed why
confidence should be had in tho Vulgate
edition The work of rationalistic biblical
scholars among them Tischendorf, who
published seven editions of the Greek text,
all goes to prove that they admitted the
substantial integrity of the Bible, and be-
levers need not trouble themselves at the
cavils which even the most cultured may
venture to bring forward in their assault
on the belief in the divinity OF Christ. The
testimony of Jesus Himself was quoted as
showing His divinity. I'm every part of
His life Jesus proclaims Himself God, but
at the same time He calls Himself man,
for, while He was one and the same person,
He had His two natures the divine nature
of His Father in heaven and the human
nature He had received from His mother
through the power of the Holy Ghost, as
the angel told Mary" and continuing, the
bishop says:
1--WE shall celebrate in few weeks the
divine tragedy of Calvary; we shall see our
Lord dead on the cross; we shall appreciate
somewhat the mental condition of the
apostles and the unbelief Of the Jew and
of the gentle. But this is succeeded by
the glories OF the resurrection, after a
death legally recognized by the public au-
thority, and made more certain by fearful
gaping wound in the side inflicted after
death with the broadhead of the Roman
spear, that could not escape the vital or
gans in the breast of Christ, a wound so
large that after His resurrection Christ
made Thomas put his hand into it. The
third day He rose again from the tomb.
His disciples saw Him again and again;
hundreds saw Him, and in their presence,
as lie had foretold, He assembled into
heaven; Those who saw Him risen pro-
claimed the fact, maintained it, suffered for
1t, died for 1t, and their blood was the fer
tile source OF the life of the church. San
gus Martyrum Semen Ecclesiae,' exclaimed
Tertullian ('I'he blood of the martyrs is the
seed of the church.)
In the spirit of the firmest faith let us
prepare ourselves for the coming great
week Of the year by a faithful observance
. of the Lenten season. Fasting and prayer
obtain for us greater light, a stronger and
gain helps us to appreciate better the ex-
ample of our Master, and to follow In His
footsteps. Let us remember that in moth
ing did He show Himself more anxious than
in this that We should initiate Him in
prayer. Pray always, and do not fail to
do So. These are His words. He tells us,
too The Spirits willing, but the flesh is
weak. Vigilate ct orate-Watch and pray.
Those hose who ~ this r, lose the faith
light of the faith becoming fainter, and,
finally, not unfrequently the dim light flick
efS dIlQ Iuen suddenly goes out, never to be
relt. May God preserve us from such
fate, for as without faith it is impossible to
please God it's loss means exclusion from
Gods presence forever-everlasting rejec-
ton.
Not so with those who watch and pray
and believe, Their life., like Christ's, has
its trials, often bitter like His. But they
are sustained as were the martyrs in the
catacombS, who, as they looked on the rep
reSentation which was figure of ChristS
resurrecton-tke prophet Jonah swallowed
by the sea monster and then thrown out
the walls Of their underground hiding place
rose up, nerved with a courage from
above. to die nobly for Christ as Christ had
died for them and to rise gloriOusly one
day, as He did. May this holy faith con-
sole US in adversely, brighten our days in
every act of our life; may it be our supreme
consolation at the moment Of our death"
LENTEN REGULATIONS
the observation Of the fasts. The rules fol-
low:
The following are the regulations for
Lent in the Diocese of Vincennes for this
year, in virtue of the indult Of the Holy
See, dated Aug. g. 1887
All the faithful over twenty-one ana
under sixty years of age are, unless legltl-
mately dispensed, bound TO observe the fast
''They arc to take but one full meal q
day, Sundays excepted. which meal should
be taken about noon.
Both fish and flesh are not to be used
at the same time, even by way or sauce
or condiment, Sundays included
"A collation. is allowed in the evening.
No general rule as to the quantity of food
permitted at this time is or can be made;
I - . fhn Aut f1sfa