Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1901-11-21
POLLS Md THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 81. 1901
THE QUESTION BOX.
Father Mulhall Answers An In
teresting Question.
"SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY
FOR NUNNERIES..
Father Mulhall Quotes Scripture For The
Benefit Of Those Seeking Informa-
nation Concerning The
Roman Catholic
non4,.....

AatAOA SOHOcAuAnS 1uc
Roman Catholic
Doctrines.
A number OF questions were proposed
at the mission in ST. Mary's Church last
night and answered by one of the mis-
sionares. These questions and the an
swers to them aroused considerable in
terest in the audience. We will present
just ore of them to our readers.
"What scriptural authority !" asked one
inquirer alter the truth, sis there for
nunneTies and for people shutting them
selves out from the world r. This ques-
tion, said the Father, includes several
points, hence we will consider them sepa-
rately "ls there any warrant in Holy
Scripture for religious life Religious
life consists in the taking OF the vows OF
confluence, poverty and obedience, and
the living together under an approved
rule. Now certainly there is scTiptural
warrant for that.
"ln the nineteenth chapter of ST. Mat
thew's gospel it is related that young
man asked our Lord Good Master,
what must do that | may have ever
lasting life 2 The Lord answered III
thou wilt enter into life. keep the com,
mandments. When the young man in
quired which commandments the Lord
referred to, He said Thou shalt do
no murder; thou shalt not commit adul-
terry; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not
bear false witness; honor thy father and
thy mother, and thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thysef.'
"The young man said to Him 'Al
these have | kept from my youth, what
is yet wanting in me 7 Jesus saith to
him If thou wilt be perfect. GO sell
what thou hast and give to the poor, and
thou shalt have treasure in Heaven, and
come follow me- Hence there is a life
more perfect than the mere keeping of
the commandments, and it consists, in
Withdrawing from the ties of the world,
in renouncing earthly possessions and in
following the Lord in closer manner
by obedience.
"St. Paul says in his first epstle to the
Corinthians. chapter 9TH: He that giveth
his virgin In marriage, doth well, but he
that giveth her not, doth better Now
religious life is nothing else but the carry
ing out OF this advice of the Lord and of
St. Paul. But is religious life useful 7 1t
certainly is for the individual, because it
leads him to more perfect life. Il is
useful also to the community at large,
because religious makes it a special object
TO do good to others in some form or
shape. They seek to perform some work
OF corporal or spiritual mercy.
"Some devote themselves to the edu-
cation OF youth, others to the giving OF
missions and retreats, and still others to
the care OF the poor, the sick. the orphan.
We need only cast look at the work of
the last named class to see the useful
ness of religion, There is not on the
face of the earth grander spectacle than
that presented by the Sisters of Charity.
Reared, many of them, in wealth and
abundance, they sacrifice it all and de-
vote themselves and their goods to the
care of the poor and the unfortunate.
How many thousands receive aid and
assistance from them.
The poor leper, whose friends have
long LETT him, finds his only faithful
friend in the Sister OF Charity. The
victim OF a contagious disease, whether
It be smallpox, yellow fever or any other
form OF pestilence, whose very relatives
are afraid to 60 near him, because his
breath begets disease ard death, is assist
ed by the Sister OF Charity, who fans his
ievered brow, gives him a refreshing
drink and performs thousand and one
little offices with love as great and de-
voted as mothers, The prisoner in
his cell often receives his only consola-
ton and is kept from despair through the
kindly visits OF the Sister of Charity.
"The soldier wounded on the battle
field, with his life blood ebbing away,
often finds his only hope of bodily health
and OF spiritual assistance centered in the
Sister OF Charity at his side. Is there
any spiritual warrant for nunneries? This
question may also mean is there any
warrant for religious living together, that
is IN community Z Certainly there is.
Had the young man taken the advice
given him, the Lord would have asked
him TO live In community with the other
disciples. Besides, common sense tells
us the advantages OF community life. We
realize this in daily life and therefore
we are SO fond of associations. We have
associations for national, political, historic,
scIeniihc-benevolent purposes. Why
should we not have them for religious
purposes The religious living in com,
mon with those who follow the same life
| as he learns by their example, and in
turn helps them onward by his own
good life. They eventually Encourage
| one another.
beside, community life makes their
| efforts for the assistance of others more
successful. Take religious for instance,
who have charge of hospital. What a
a hindrance il would be for them to live
apart Is there any scriptural warrant
for religious shutting themselves out from
the world ? They do not, they cannot
shut themselves out from the world en-
tirely. They seek 10 seclude themselves
as much as their work permits, and for
this they have scrIptural warrant and the
| warrant of common sense. Did not the
prophets Of old prepare themselves for
| their work by seclusion Did not St.
John the Baptist live in the desert, away
from the world, to strengthen his soul
for the important task God had placed
on him Did not our Lord Himself
spend forty days and forty nights in the
desert, praying and fasting before He
began His public life Do you not find
by your own experience that living in
the world and having to mix up with it,
you must strive to seclude yourself oc-
-