The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-03-29
llJbo Gan Fcrglve
me my Sins :?
Archbishop Christie Answers the OBJ
jections of Those Who Ask,
"Can Men Forgive Sin?"

At Portland, Ore, on Sunday last
Archbishop Christie delivered a re-
markable sermon. His theme was one
which is constantly thrust at Catholics
by our separated brethren, and is one
of their greatest objections toward en-
bracing the faith. Pity it is that such
a grand effort in pulpit oratory should
find place in the Oregonian of that
city in the form of synopsis only. We
reproduce the reporters account of the
sermon:
The sermon at high mass at st.
| Mary's Catholic church, Albfna. was
delivered by Archbishop Christie, who
selected as his subject, who Can For
give Me My Sins?" The service was at
tended by large congregation Ev-
! cry seat was occupied, and but for the
! attention of the usEers, quite a number
would have been compelled to stand.
! In addressing the congreSat ton, the
archbishop spoke of the Improvements
| which were recently made in the
| church, and he asked if they had been
paid for. If they had not been paid
for, steps toward liquidation should be
taken at once. A church once built
was gift of the parish to God. and
a gift encountered by a mortgage was
not a free gift.
Taking UP his subject, Archbishop
Christie said it was a most serious
question. The Master he said, in
part, came to deal with sin and sim
ners, and he tells us that the eternal
Father has given me all power Did
Christ. although he told us he came
with power, did he forgive sins? He
did You know the history of Mary
Magdalen, who used her beauty to drag
souls to sin. In her state of sinfulness, |
no doubt, she questioned her soul and
asked: How shall 1 be forgiven and
be once more a child of God?' She has
tened to Christ and told him about her
life of sin, that she had been instru-
mental in taking souls away from him.
Her contrition was deep and her con-
1ession heartfelt, and he said to her,
Arise, my child, and sin no more Her
stnfulness made her the despised of all. F.,
But the Master made her his compan-
ION. and the companion of his blessed ,
mother, Mary, queen of heaven. She
went to him sinner; she left him
saint.
Did he take the power of forgive
ness with him or did he delegate it to |
men on earth? He did invest men with |
that power, and men have exercised it |
since he left the earth, and will exer-
else it until the end. But here is a |
difficulty. Many persons, especially |
n-Catholics, do not understand the |
giving of power to man. They do not |
comprehend that Christ delegated his !
authority to man before he left the I
earth, and that if man has exercised |
that authority on his fellow-man it is !!
Gods power, not mans. Man can new |
er forgive sins. 1t is Gods power that !
forgives sins through the instrument
tally and agency of man"
The archbishop referred to doubters, !
past and present, and then referred to |
the separated brethren" Protestants
believed in baptism which made in
fants children of God and heirs of |
heaven. The same Protestants did not
believe in the confessional because they
thought the power of man should not
be placed between their souls and God.
Their belief was not consistent, be-
cause at the baptismal font man was
and by him was performed
part of the work which made the in
FAINT an heir to heaven.
In conclusion. the archbishop ad-
vised the congregation to fulfill the
usual duties of Easter