Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-24

III SUPPRESS CERTAIN CON
TENTIONS THAT HAVE WORK
ED TO THE DETRIMENT OF
MANY SOULS.
Baltimore, Md, February 23.-The
following is the full text of an approved
translation of the letter of Pope Leo
XIII. to Cardinal Gibbons on American
ism, the Latin original having been re
ceived here recently by Cardinal Glib
bons, to whom it was forwarded by Car
dinal Rampolla, the papal secretary of
State:
To our Beloved Son, James. Cardinal
Gibbons, Cardinal Priest of the Title
Sancta Maria, beyond the Tiber,
Archbishop of Baltimore:
Leo Kill, Pope-Beloved Son, health
and apostolic blessing.
We send to you by this letter a re-
newed expression of that good will
which we have. not failed during the
course of our pontifcate to manifest
frequently to your colleagues in the
episcopate and to the whole American
people, availing ourselves of every OPP
portunity offered us by progress of your
church or whatever you have done for
safeguarding and promoting Catholic
interests. Moreover we have often con-
sidered and admired the noble gift of
your nation which enable the American
people to be alive to every good work
which promotes the good of humanity
and the splendor of civilization. AL
though his letter be not intended, as
preceding ones, to repeat
THE WORDS OF PRAISE
SO often spoken, but rather to call at
tention to some things to be avoided
and corrected; still because it is con-
ceived in that same spirit of apostolic
charity which has inspired all our let
tiers, we shall expect that you will take
it as another proof of our love; the
more SO because it is intended to sup
press certain contentious which have
arisen lately among you to the detri-
ment of the peace of many souls.
1t is known to you, beloved son, that
the life of Isaac Thomas Hecker, espec-
tally as interpreted and translated in
a foreign language, has excited not a
little controversy, because therein have
been voiced certain opinions concern
ing the way of leading Christian life.
We, therefore, on account of our
apostolic office, having to guard the
integrity of the faith and the security
of the faithful, are DESTROYS of writing
to you more at length concerning this
whole matter.
The underlying principle of these
new opinions is that, in order to more
easily attract those who differ from
her, the church should shape her teach
ings more in accord with the spirit of
the age and relax some of her ancient
severity and make some concessions to
new opions. Many think that these
concessions should be made not only
in regard to ways of living, but even
IN REGARD TO DOCTRINES
which belong to the deposit of the
faith. They contend that it would be
opportune, in order to gain those who
differ from us, to omit certain points
OF her teaching which are Of lesser i'm
pGrtance, and to tone down the mean
ing which the church has always at
tached to them. 1t does not need many
words, beloved son, to prove the falls
ity of these ideas if the nature and
origin of the doctrine which the church
proposes are recalled. to mind The
vatican council says concerning this
point:
For the doctrine of faith which God
has revealed has not been proposed,
like a philosophical intentional, to be
perfected by human ingenuity, but has
been delivered as a divine deposit to
the spouse of Christ to be faithfully
kept and infallibly declared. Hence
that meaning of the sacred dogmas is
perpetually to be retained which our
holy mother, the church, has once de-
clared, nor is that meaning ever to be
departed from under the pretense or
pretext of a deeper comprehension of
them. "-Constucio de Eide Catholica,
Charser ".
We cannot consider as altogether
blameless the silence which purposely
leads to the omission or neglect of some
Of the principles of Christian doctrine,
for all the principles come from the
same author and master. the only Be-
gotten Son, who is in the bosom Of the
Father. John l. IS. They are adapted
to all times and all nations as is clearly
seen from
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
to His apostles, Going. therefore,
teach all nations; teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever l have
commanded you, and behold, am with
you all days, even TO the end Of the
world. Matt xviii. IS.
Concerning this point the vatican
council says:
"All those things are to he believed