The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-02-07
THE PAULIsT MISSION.

The mission conducted By Father Burke at
St Jose rs Cnapei was we'll attended. Ooe
of the most INTEREST," features OF the niis-
sioa was the @ Qlesuon Box A great many
o1e-tcns were answered in an lnse'ligeat
nanuer oy Father Burke We prior beio"
his remarks 10 reference to the infalibiliiy of
The Pope: also as 10 why be was Catsolic
sDoes be lufalib:lity of the Pope raean
that be caDbot co0mit sin Father burke
replied in substance as follows:
Such question coaid arise only from
mistaken notioo OF wbat IS the Catholic doc.
trine OF infa,liti.i:y. In the 6sst place let
M tell you what it s not. Wren ~essy The
none is infaiiiale we do DOT mean that he Is
in oeccaole we do not maan that be csonot
commit SIN 1t would be lst as reasonable
to say that Judge o. the suprene court: in
virtue Of his ice, could moi, IN bis private
life. be guilty of breach OF t5e Law as TO
say that the pope. because be is lnfal!ib!e,
cannot comnit sin. What, tnen, is inTalli-
bility (? LIE: US come to j, ~ this way Sup.
pose you happeoed to ee travelling IN Rcme
and you met the pope You asked bin sone
question abcut belief or moral conduct. he
answered you Would bis word be iotalll-
BILE No, it would not. Suppose again, you
upon some point OF faith or morals, would
bis utterance be iofollole? No, it would
not. Suppose toe pope wrote letter 10 you,
or wrote book, would the opinions or be-
llefs there set down be bis infallble decislors!
No, they would DOT.
Again, suppose you were to ask the Pontitt
bis opinion. let us say, aeout south African
politics, or about blmetalliem, or any ether
question, would rot the Pope's words on
any of these points be ufs!lble? Most assur-
edly not The infslIibility of the Pope does
not, therefore, meao that be is inspired as
Holy Scripture is Inspired, or thu! he caa re-
cave or give to men new doctrine other
than thoee taught by Christ aud His apostles:
it does GOT mesn that be can decide matters OF
science or fact entirely Independent OF doc
tripe; it does oot mean that be cannot err
whep be writes or talks or breaches on nat
ters Of religion.
The Pope is nfalHbe only wbeu, as
teacher Of the who's church, be pronouoces
that certain dociriue of faith or morality
is contained in the deposit Of faith "
"Ws.g I an Catholic" The discourse
dealt with the fundamental reasoos why
Catholic gees in his church the means of
salvation. IL one portion, dwelling upon
the necessity of living, lnfailiole teacher,
Father Burke said:
stUoparaileIed as the Biole.is as written
work, divlnely inspired as no other word is,
the object CT the deepest reverence of all
Catholics there is ooe thing which it s not
anG canno; te, that is the sole guide 10 our
faith.
Jesus Christ DID rot leave one sicgle doca-
meny behind him Cbristieci,y existed for
nearly Ten years before the first word ct the
New Testament waa wri,:ea 1t existed for
uearly sixty years before the last ooos wss
written; i, existed for nearly, four hundred
sears before The Canon of the Scriptures was
fixed. Ii existed for oearly fifteen hundred
wears tefoye tn. invention of pri,ting, 1p to
wo,cb ,ine it was impossible TO spread the
wr;t,eu wo.d sufficiently to make it the
teacher cf men We mus: have aoother guice
to religions trlsh therefore and inst We nnd
in living. infa!llbIe Church, divicely guided
TO lead Geo, and wEen necessary 10 inter-
pret The Scriptures themselves