The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-12-30


~ with the Democratic party, conse-
quentiy everything that is ignoble and
pase is, according to the author of
Used by the Catholics of New York,
VINO are Democrats because they are
maze 10 vote the Democrats ticket by
the church authorities. To be sure,
thIs statement is absurd, but what mat
lers II TO King if he can strike a blow
at the political party whose enemy he
In MS dealing with politics in New
ork Mr.. King makes Archbishop Cor
rIsah the especial object of his venom
Gus attack Archbishop Corrigan
heeqs no defense against the attacks of
such men as King, but lest his position
may be misunderstood because of the
Misrepresentation made by King and
otners II is We'll to state that the Arch
plsnop OF New York, above all the &C.
cIeslaStlcs of the country, has ever
peen careful, by his every action, to
aVolu anything that would tend to de-
grace the sacred character of his office
IN matters political. Catholics have
Iouno tauIt with him because of the
CONSISTENCY with which he has refused
TO De drawn into the political affairs
OF the city of New York. We believe
" III SllOW that ny Keeping
aloot from politics Archbishop Corri-
gan mas served his Church and his
state better than if he had allowed
hlmself TO be drawn into the political
vortex.
The Archbishop of New York has had
occasion to state frankly his position
and the position of the Church with
reference to the attacks Of such men as
James M. King.
we cannot do better at this time
than to produce a letter published two
years ago by the Archbishop of New
York:
Archbishop's House,
New York, Oct. Is, 1897.
Rev. Dear Sir: According to the
Second and Third Plenary Councils of
Baltimore, collection is to be taken
up annually in all the dioceaes of the
united States for the support of the
Holy Rather, and the statutes
OIL TINS diocese, in particular.
specify that this collection is to be
made during the month of October. In
compliance with this rule, hereby des-
lgnate the. last Sunday of October as
the date for collecting the Peter-pence
this year in all the churches.
Inc reasons for this appeal have been
so often explained that it is unneces-
aarY to state them anew, but I avail
myself of this occasion to aIlude to
some mlsapprehenSi0n or miSrepresen-
tatIon9 regarding the office of Sover-
e1Sn Pontiff, which are continually re-
peated to our discredit in periods of
passing excitement, or on the eve of
popular elections. In this way circu-
lars nave been insidiously distributed
containing wild statements, such as
the following: "Politico- ecclesia sticism,
.a1r, -,
ais of men, reaching every rational or
intentional act. including the act of
voting must not be allowed
to undermine the great republic, whose
perpetulty depends upon individual SOW
ereignty''
This modest sentence contains the
three following propositions:
Flrst-The Catholic Church, as To-
cuaed in its infallible head, extends its
sweeping claims over every human act,
lnCIudlng the act of voting.
Second-The Catholic Church is a
danger to the republic.
IhTd-The perpetuity of our free in
stltutions depends on Individual sover-
eighty.
In view of the first proposition. it will
not be without interest to recall what
the Church really teaches regarding
papal infailibility Nothing can be
clearer than the definition of the Vati-
can Council. The Roman POntiff. when
ne speaks ex cathedra, that is to say,
Wnen IN the exercise of his Office as
pastor and teacher Of all Christians, he.
IN VIRTUE of his supreme authority, de-
fines that doctrine on faith and NOR
ais is to be held by the whole Church,
by the assistance. OF God, promised to
him in the person OF blessed Peter, has
that infallibllity With which it was
the will of our Divine Redemmer that
his Church should be furnished in de-
lining doctrine Oh faith and morals,
and that, therefore, these definitions of
the Roman Pontfff. of themselves. and
not through the consent of the Church,
are irreformable.o
According to this decree the Pope is
when he STEAKS ex cathedra.
that is, when he exercises his office of
teacher defining some point
or faith or morals to be held by the
whole Church. The privilege of infal-
libil1ty is restricted therefore, to an
act OF teaching; it does not extend to
an act OF government, nor even to an
act of teaching if performed by the
Pontlff as a private teacher. Should he
order the Catholics to vote particu-
lar ballot, his action, by its very ma
not be shielded by the mantle of infal-
Utility. Again, should he, by any pos
sibility, direct Catholics to support for
instance, one or other of the several
now in the field for the may
oralty of the Greater New York. his
action evidently would not be an act
Of teaching regarding faith and NOR
ais, much less an act tending to bind
the universal Church. Faith and NOR
ais are the object of the Church's
-eaching office, not science, nor history.
nor politics. The Church, it is true,
md the Roman Pontiff, as successor
20 ST Peter, have received from our
Lord power to decide questions of
iaith, and to offer sure and unerring
guidance in the field Of morals. For in
giving Peter the command to feed his
entire flock, Christ necessarily imposed
IN the flock the burden of obedience.
Both duties are correlative; and mu-
uaily imply each other If the flock
De bound to hear and obey the SheD-
lerd'S voice, he, in turn, must necessar-
ly be safeguaIded from error; must
De able, consequently, to distinguish
rood from uIrwholesone pastures; 9TH
irWlse, the Lord Himself, the supreme
Shepherd, would be responsible for the
oss of His sheep by making them sub
ecI 70 a nllellng, who might expose
hem to the fury of the wolves, or lure
hem on to destruction. If the Church
annot fail, because the Lord has made
the pillar and the groundwork of
ruth, neither can Peter fail, for he is
he cornerstone on which the immov-
bile superstructure rests. Thou art
Peter, and on this rock 1 will build nv
,hurch." If other teachers might, per-
iaps, falter in the faith, yet Peter may
lct, for the Eternal Truth and Omnip-
,tence itself has said Il have prayed
or thee that thy faith fail not, and
hou, being converted confirm thy
rethren." But, while the Church and
he Pope are. supreme judges of faith
nd morals, the light of conscience is
ur guide in individual acts The gift