The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-12-07

one of the most important ana inter-
esting features of a successful non
Catholic mission is the public answering
each evening of the questions of nom
Catholics through the medium of the
question box.
At the Congress of Missionaries to
non-Catholics held at Winchester.
Tenn, Father Conway. {. :. p, said:
I'VE often fail - realize that possibly
one question answered of an evening
was the staring point of a converts
return to the true fold. Father Bart
lett of Baltimore-himself a convert
from Quakerism-told me that it was
the mailing of one lie regarding the inn
morality of the nuns and clergy that
led him, young man of 81, to study
the Catholic Church. The question box
nails many a lie and answers many
difficulty. thus practically giving many
a convert his first glimpse of the truth
and beauty of the Church of God.
Until tonight, said a Campbellite
minister in southern Illinois to me one
evening. L had always thought that in
fallibility implied the POpes power to
declare new dOgmas by inspiration. I
was sure that Catholics adored the Viz
gin Mary and that they believed the
Pope could do no wrong said college
bred woman to me in Richmond, Va. l
was glad to hear your statement said
a fairly intelligent Protestant of Chi
cago, that the Secreta MOnita Of the
Jesuits was indeed a forgery. Many
of the immoral principles that I as
cribed to Catholicism | read in that
book Why the prayers of your morn
ing service are indeed beautiful l
must apologize, indeed. for calling its
symbolism mummery. merely because I
was ignorant of it's meaning thus an
other after listening to the reading of
the liturgical prayers"
| Following are a few queries asked at
a recent mission to non-Catholics in
New York:
May Catholics read all parts of the
Bible and take it as they understand it,
or do they have to take the priests in
/ depreciation of it?"
Catholics may and do read all parts
of the Bible. Concerning it's interpret
alton and it's meaning. they must hear
and accept the meaning of the Catholic
Church in all matters of faith and of
morals. Catholics do not have to take
( the Interpretation of the individual
/ priest, since he has no more right to in
! terpret the Bible for the faithful than
the layman The infallible voice of the
! Church, expressed either in a general
council or by the Pope himself as the
representative of Christ is the only au-
: thoritative Interpretation of scripture.
Does the Catholic Church teach pre-
| Destinations
! We must understand first what is
meant by predeStinatiOn. If by pre-
destination is meant that God creates
some souls to be damned, no matter
what they do, the Catholic Church does
not hold such a doctrine. God certain
/ ly knows all things and fOresees them.
/ Nevertheless, He creates men free. God
will not deprive them of this great gift
| If He did, they would cease to be men.
| The constitution of our country guar
antees liberty to all citizens. No doubt
| its signers fOresaw that some would
! abuse this liberty but no one can say
| that their fore knowledge is the cause
of crimes against liberty We may
draw Il comparison with God. This
/ fOre-knOwledge does not move a man
one way or another. 1t leaves him en-
/ tire'y free.
What is the meaning of the infalli-
/ bility of the Pope?"
| The supreme judge in all disputes as
! TO the teaching of Christ is the head of
His Church. The successor of st. Pc
! ter is the head of the visible Church on
earth. There must be a supreme court
] Of final appeal if unity of faith is to be
possibility; a house divided against
itself must fall. When that court
speaks the Church is committed to it's
/ decision by the very nature of things.
! If that court of final appeal ever
/ teaches as Christ's gospel what is not
part of that gospel, then Christ's
word fails Christ has said to His
( apostles and their successors-.who have
always constituted the teaching au-
/ thority of the Church: He that hear
! eth you heareth Me" If at any time.
when we listen to the voice of that
/ teaching authority we listen to an err
ror, then Christ has failed and has
| Himself led us into error by His pre-