The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-11-11
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS :

! QUESTIONS And ANSWERS !
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Salt Lake City, Utah. Nov. 6, 1899.
Editor Intermountain Catholic:
Whilst being a member of many diff
ferent churches since my boyhood, and
at present not holding a certificate OF
membership with any one in particular,
L would like to ask what / have been
always taught and learned from books
regarding the hostile attitude of the
Church of Rome towards liberty and
science. The condemnation of Calico
as a hereto and his Imprisonment are
sufficient proofs for the above charges.
A LOVER OF TRUTH.
p. 81 enclose card.
The importance of the questions pro-
pounded cannot be lightly estimated,
nor can full justice be done to the hon
est opinion of our esteemed correspond
ent in a newspaper article. We have
heard in public lectures and read in
books and magazines these and similar
charges from our childhood days.
Brought up in New England states,
where allegiance to the spiritual au-
thority of the Holy Father was treason,
and where we have been hearing such
stuff the greater part of our life, we
can appreciate the honesty and good
Will of any clover of truth" To the
question, the Roman Church has been
hostile to liberty: Liberty is a very
broad term; may be applied TO liberty
of thought, freedom of the press, or
liberty of action. Liberty OF thought,
if confined to the minor workings
of the soul, could not be suppressed by
any power, civil or ecclesiastical, not
even by the thinker himself.
.
If the thoughts, expressed in action
be contrary to the well being of So
ciety, they are suppressed by the civil
The anarchist, thinking hon
estly that he has right to a part of
his neighbours property, may try to APP
it, but the law will not re-
spect his free thoughts and will soon
suppress it
The church opposes religious liberty
by eXalting obedience to religious au-
thority, thereby enslaving the mind. She
does not oppose religious liberty. One
of the first instances of absolute civil
liberty, as far as religious faith is con-
cerned, was to be found in Maryland,
which was a Catholic colony, and
founded by Lord Baltimore who was a
Catholic. The Catholic church is a di-
vine institution founded by a divine
teacher, and authorized in his name to
teach truth. This teaching of truth is
confined to faith and morals, and is in
no wise connected with scientific, po-
itical or mathematical truths Only
regarding the former does she teach
M ~ Foil T.. 10
she leaves the human mind free to
search and defend truth. Outside the
fundamental principles of religion and
morals she does not express herself. Is
more liberty needed?
Has she opposed the liberty of the
press? Not prior to the sixteenth CEN
fury, for there was no press as we have
It today. Before printing was invent
ed, the only intimation or forerunner
Of the modern press was the pulpit,
and does not history bear witness to the.
fact that often some secluded and ESSsu,-
ole priest arraigned kings and emper-
ors for their tyranny, greed and other
wise sinful lives. They spoke as free.
f not frcer, than any press.
Printing was a Catholic invention,
md the first printers were patrons of
he Pope. In England, CaXton, who was
he first printer, was encouraged by the
Bishop of Hereford, Thomas Milling.
Who was also Abbott of Westminster
Abbey, where the first printing press
vas established. Into the frozen north
was introduced by a Catholic prelate.
Who invited and encouraged Mathieson
With his printing press to come to Ice
and.
These facts and many more show
hat the Catholic church encouraged
ather than opposed, the spread of
The index is brought forward as a
reat bugbear of papal opposition to
reedom of the press 1t is a well
nown fact that the expurgatory in
eXes are simply matters of discipline,
OF intended to encroach upon the free
ON of the press; but to protect her
hildren from the baneful influence of a
centious or immoral press. Would
ot prudent parents discriminate as to
he books they wished their children to |
cad All religious denominations are
qually strict in this matter, l. e., in ex-
urga ting from their catechism and !
Their religious works any idea or SEN
ment not conformable TO their stand /
I'd of orthodoxy Had not our CORE |
pendent J before he was affiliated to /
ny of the churches to which he claimed |
first to make profession |
f faith?
The Church of Rome had it's censor /
f the press in the past. This sweeping !
barge is also denied When the pope |
eigned as temporal sovereign in Rome |
ne Court of Rome, and not the Church |
Rome. had its censorship Being a |
emporal prince he could do so in his |
Wn territory with rs much grace as tbs |
ller of Germany Even in England. I
-hlch boasts Of absolute freedom, and |
o censor by law, a former editor of /
ne New York Herald-George Houston /
was imprisoned in England for %
ears for publishing an infidel work.
nown as 'Eice Homo" In Boston
fly years ago Abner Kneeland was |
Imprisoned for writing a certain news
aper paragraph. In the Philippines
he censorship of the press today is Gre
ting no small share of criticism. All
eligions and all countries have their
ldex and censorship.
The Churchs hostility to science is
disseminated by reference to Galileos
inflammation as a hereto. and his inn
The first charge is false.
alileos leliocentric theory was taught
Rome by one of its OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
as Cusanus-100 years before Calico
as born. 1t was taught by Coperni-
IS, a Catholic dignitary. and a pro-
ssor of astronomy at Rome in the
ear 1900 In the year 1910 Leonard de
Incl connects the theory of the fall
bodies with the earth's motion, as a
ling then generally received" Was
usanus condemned for asserting that
he earth moves, the sun is at rest?r
o, but was made Cardinal by Pope
icholas Y. Cppenicus received marked
and was asked to assist in
forming the calendar because of his
ientific discoveries. There is no in
nation of heresy in their case. and /
/