St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-11-02

ideals. Stripped of her gorgeous SYM
bolisms the Catholic church would not
appeal to the finer senses OF our nature.
''You have worked hard to erect this
temple; you were brave band. In the
future You must cling together with
hearts single and true, remembering that
YOU belong to the church that in all ages
has never met with defeat.
at is right and fitting to extend thanks
tonight to those members of other con-
gregations who have aided US in the cree.
ton OF this house of worship. The old
church was not intended TO be thing OF
beauty and it never would be joy for
ever. God speed you in the future and
grant you peace and prosperity
Father O'Sullivan's Lecture.
Father o Sullivan announced that the
subject of his lecture was THE Papacy,
or the Pope of Rome" and in an hours
talk gave scholarly and eloquent adj
dress, speaking somewhat as follows;
There is no person in history concern
ing whom people entertain such conflict
ing opinions. In the minds of some the
pope and papacy are the greatest evils
that have afflicted the world. He is con.
sidered man of sin, the beast OF
the apocalypse, truculent tyrant who
would ensave the whole human race.
According to others, but not lew, tor
they number 200, 100000 souls, the pope
is the representative oil Almighty God,
the corner stone OF the church, the key
stone OF the arch that upholds the divine
superstructure of the church OF Jesus
Christ. Whether we be among the friends
or the enemies Of the papacy we cannot
as intelligent people afford to ignore the
papacv. 1t is too powerful factor in
our civilization. Although practically
prisoner in his palace there is no man
TODAY who sways the human race as ne
does; no one listened to with more pro.
found respect and obedience; no man who
can shape human thought and human
action and mold human hearts the way
the pope can.
"As Roman Catholics we have one
grievance of which we can very legiti-
mately complain, even in this country OF
freedom and enlightenment. We do not
receive fair treatment and fair hearing.
Very frequently we are condemned un.
heard. Those who differ with us, instead
of going to eminent Catholics or to au-
thentic and reliable authority, question
some person utterly ignorant OF the
Catholic church or believe some book
which has been written maliciously
against the church. make bold to say
that there is not one single book or news
paper published with the assent and ap-
proval of any one in authority, which
contains anything that confirms any OF
the statements that are published by our
detractors. We have been most maligned
in our acceptance of obedience to the
pope Of Rome. Some have even ques-
| toned our loyalty and fealty to our
country and thrown aspersions upon our
patriotism by saying that we could not
retain our allegiance to the pope and
keep our patriotism.
81 come here not in the spirit of con-
troversy, but to explain the doctrine and
belief of the church with reference to
papacy and the pope. The power of the
pope on the one hand and the obedience
of the Roman Catholic to him on the
other hand constitute the distinctive
mark of a Roman Catholic. Other
Christians approach us in doctrine and
practice, but they do not accept the pope.
ALL Christians believe that Jesus Christ
came upon earth to work out our saliva
ton. All believe he is the author and
finisher of our faith. Christ came to
teach people what they should know;
to teach them what to do; to teach them
the means they should take to obtain
grace; to teach them how they should
offer to God worship pure and unde-
filed. For this four-foli purpose Christ
came upon Garth and laid down his Lille.
To accomplish this he sent his apostles
or bishops throughout the world. To
preserve that faith in all its purity, in all
its unsullied sanctity, we Catholics claim
there should be some representative OF
Christ's on earth. Such one must be
the preserver of the faith, the defender Of
the sacraments and the custodian OF the
sacrifice. This is the logical reason oil
the necessity of the existence of the
pope. There must be one man who will
not be dictator or tyrant, not necessa'
rily vested with any temporal authority
not destined to be king, but to act as
a teacher, a de6ner OF the true faith o.
Jesus Christ. Such man must be 6
Judge OF morals as we'll as of faith; hi
must define what are the things that ar
just, holy, pure and true. He must b.
the custodian Of public worship-th'
"6rstness" among the bishops.
Another prerogative Of the pope ii
found in the doctrine Of the infallibility
of the pope. The existence of papacy
necessitates the preservation of the relig
, ion OF Jesus Christ in all it's purity. TIL
( pope, in performing this Office and speak
. ing as the de6ner and judge of the tru
. doctrine, is infallible owing to specia
help and guidance from the Holy Spirit
,, In the Interpretation of doctrines tn
pope cannot err and that is what
meant by the intallbility of the pope
! 1t is necessary and logical deduction
2 from his position as the primate Of tn
n church. But when we speak of an infal
! lible pope we do not mean sinless pope
! The pope kneels before the humblest fra
. in the Vatican and confesses his sin
, along with every other Catholic tn
a world over. A belief in the personal II
n fallibiity OF the pope is no doctrine c
; the Roman Catholic church.
!. Another prerogative which is not onl
# absolutely but morally necessary for til
. existence of papal authority is paps
9 independence. We claim that the POP
e should be tree. When we come to TIL
!. point there is no people on the cart
4 more open to this truth than the Amer
can people. The pope must not
influenced by any political party or an
government. He must be free from an
g. national influences or environments. "
l. shall always fight for the rights of ind