The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-01-04
Is IT HONEST
To Accuse Catholics of Believing Alb
surd Things.


The crisp. sharp and forcible deniais
which the Paulist Fathers give to lies
regarding Catholic belief are some
times put in this way:
Is it honest to say that the CatnoIiC
Church prohibits the use OF the bipie
when ANYBODY who chooses can guy
as many as ne likes at any "a ILL erst
book store and can see on the mrs.
nage of any one of them the approba-
tion of the bishops of the Cathollc
church. with the Pope at their head
encoura cling Catholics to read the BIZ
HE in these words: The faithful
should be excited to the reading OIL
the Holy Scriptures, " and that not ohly
for the Catholics of the United states,
but also for those of the whole Worlu
besides?
Is it honest to say that Catholics be
Iieve that man. by his own power, can
forgive sin. when the priest is regard
ed by the Catholic Church only as the
agent of our Lord Jesus Christ, acting
by the power delegated to hlm' ac-
cording to these words: Whose SINS
YOU shall forgive, they are forgiven
them, and whose sins you snall req % H.
thew are retained"'-St. John, XIX 20
Is it honest to repeat over ana oNe 81
again that Catholics pay the priest 10
is unheard of anywhere in the Cathonc
Church. when any transaction Oh the
kind is stigmatized as grleVous SIN
and ranked along with murder adult
cry. blasphemy, etc, IN every eau
chism and work on Catholic theology!
Is it honest to persist in saying that
Catholics believe their sins are 1or
given, merely by the confession OIL
them to the priest, without true
n tpl
quit them, when any child mas tne
contrary distinctly and clearly stated
in the catechism, which he is obliged
TO learn before he can be admitted TO
the Sacraments? Any honest man can
verify this statement by examining
any Catholic catechism-
Is if honest to assert that the cain
olic Church grants any Indulgence vi
permission to commit sin, When an
Indulgence" accordig to her ul! .Ne..s-
aIIv- received doctrine, was never
dreamed of by Catholics to imply, in
any case whatever, any person to com
init the least sin, and when an lndul-
gence has no application Whatever 10
sin until after sin has been repented
of and pardoned?
Is it honest to accuse Catholics of
putting the Blessed Virgin or the
Saints in the place of God or the Lore
Jesus Christ, when the Councli OIL
Trent declares that it is simply usetul
to ask their intercession in order TO
obtain favor from God, through his
Son, Jesus Christ our Savior ana our
Redeemer; when asking their pray
ers and influence with Cod is exactly
of the same nature as when CHRISTIANS
ask the pious prayers OF one announcer
Is it honest to accuse CathollcS OF
paving divine worship to images or
pictures, as the heather do, when every
Catholic Indignantly repudlates any
idea of the kind, and when the Coun-
oil of Trent distinctly declares the doc
trine of the Catholic Church IN re-
gard to them to be- that there is no
divinity or virtue in them which should
anpear to claim the tribute to ones
veneration;" but that "all the honor
which is paid to them shall be referred
to the originals whom they are de-
signed to represent ?'-Sess. 20.
Is it honest to make these and many
other similar charges against Catholics.
when they detest and abhor such false
doctrines more than those do who
make them, and make them, too, with
out having read a Catholic book, or
taken any honest means of ascertain
ing the doctrines which the Catholic
Church really teaches? Remember the
commandment of God, which says:
Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbor." Reader. would
you be honest and do no injustice?
Then examine the doctrines of the
Catholic Church.; read the works of
Catholics. See both sides. Examine
and be fair, for Americans love fair
play