The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-02-08

=
: The Catholic Church has, for twenty
: centuries, asserted this authority, and
the positive assertion implies con-
| scious right. like that of the parent
who says to the child, You must obey
me-, or of the state which says en-
phatically to the subject, You must
obey me-.
The Catholic Church stands alone IN
asserting her divine authority and
claiming the obedience Of her children
by divine right. The obedience of a
priest to his bishop, or of bishop to
the Pope, is safeguarded by canon law,
as sacredly as that of the citizen is by
the constitution. The asserted author
ity and demand of obedience by reason
of this authority made and claimed by
the parent, the state and the Catholic
Church, are 50 closely analogous that
in all ordinary human matters they
would present hree-fourths of the vim
dication of the right to claim obedi-
ence.
The state claims allegiance and ODE
dience of its new-made citizen under
oath. 1t has the right to do so, be-
cause it represents the divine author
ity. Nor could the state admit to the
high privilege of citizenship an appI-
cant who belonged first to a society
condemned by the state nor secondly to
a society that plots openly or secretly
against the state. Here the church
and state agree. and our correspond
ent must admit that such societies are
-, : q nd
priest" maintains third, namely, all
societies which exact an oath of Sc
crecy as to their doings and plans, or
which demand a promise of blind obedi-
ence to future orders, not knowing
whether such orders may be opposed
to conscience-whether named or not.
Our correspondent will not condemn
the church for safeguarding her mem
bers- and exposing themselves to the
danger OF doing under oath what their
conscience would not allow.
To return to the analogy. Suppose
one joins a political secret oath-bound
organizat ton. and at a meeting it is
moved, seconded and carried by
small majority, that we make our
own laws, for the state has no author
| ity to command any compliance or to
punish any political hereto or schis-
matte" what will the loyal patriotic
minority do? Their consciences may be
severely tested. but their loyalty must
yield to the terrible oath of not di-
vulging the secret Vaccinations of the
society. That there are many such So
cieties is certain. Who. loving his
country, would not pronounce them
radically wrong? The state, divinely
authorized to enact laws for the good
of society and to perpetuate itself,
would interfere to protect the loyal
conscience of the dissenting minority.
Why not the church?
Now comes the answer to our CORES
pendent who accuses the church of in
consistency for tolerating the Knights
of Columbus and A. o. H, whose MEM
bers are bound by an OATH The sane
ton given to these societies is condi-
tional, namely. that they shall be al
ways loyal citizens of tie state and
faithful members of the church; that
in their lodges no business shall be
transacted that would conflict with the
laws of God or.the state; that the au-
thority of the church, as represented
by the pope or bishop. and that of the |
state, as represented by the president
or governor, are higher and come be- |
fore that of their highest lodge Off !
cial With these conditions and linn
itations, there is no inconsistency in
any sanction such societies may have |
received from the church.
Whilst the state would unite with |
the church in condemning societies in
the hypothetical case aforementioned, !
could it be accused of incon- |
sistency for having its secret |
service department" established for the |
detection of counterfeiting and other
offenses, civil or political, committed or
threatened by persons who operate in
secrecy? Our correspondent views the
Catholic church in a wrong light and |
after he studies her actions. laws and
regulations for twenty centuries he
will find that she is the most logical
and consistent institution, even from a
human standpoint, that has ever ex-
listed.
The Ashland priest mentions fourth
ly, all societies which have a ritual"
and our correspondent says that the
X. of c. and A. O. H. use a ritual"
That word ritual is variously defined.
First. Pertaining to, consisting of or
rite or. rites. Second A
book containing the rites or ordinances
of church or of any special service.
inel liz ~, u ]
church, the ritual is an office-book.
the offices to be used by a
priest in administering the sacramento
Baptism, marriage, penance, extreme
JUNCTION, communion out of mass), to-
gether with the offices for visitation
Of the sick, burial of the dead, benedic-
tons, etc. Third. Any ceremonial form
Or custom of procedure. (The Century
Dictionary. Using the word ritual"
in the two first senses, the, Church
could not tolerate same, as it would be
an interference with her divine right f,
10 prescribe religious rites. In the last :
sense only do the X. of c. and A. o. H.
use ritual, and to such the church
loes not object in any society Where, ]
hen, is the inconsistency?
The primary meaning of ritual and :
he one associated with most people. t
s religious rite, form or ceremony, '
md as these belong to the domain of
he Church. she could no more tolerate
my imitation of same, than could the y
state tolerate a counterfeit coin But c
f ritual is restricted to a mere cere- v
nonial form OF custom, such as the in c
luguration of a president, or the elab- ! :,
Irate nageantrv cnnnecfed with tbn