Waterbury Democrat., 1902-01-18
FOOLISH AND PERvERsE.


 A subscriber sends us a clipipng rom paper published in his locality. winch states that several prominent catholics in that city are also promin- ent Knights of Pythias The men in question may be prominent citizens, if you will, but they cannot be promin- ent Catholics and prominent Knights or Pythias at one and the same time.
 TOT purely financial reasons. the church has made it possible for certain members of the prescribed societies to escape the full rigor of the condenna tlon When grave pecuniary loss would be sustained by the abrupt abandoning of any one of the organi- zat1ons in question, the Catholic so menaeed is suffered, after due examin- ation, to retain a sort of silent mem- bership. The express condition upon which he is allowed to remain affiliated is that he should cease to be promin- ent in the organization, and should hold no overt communication with if. He remains member solely because he cannot afford to forfeit the benefits to which he is entitled because of his long previous membership. His re- lations with the condemned order are entirely pecuniary and he is even re- quired to pay his dues, if possible, through a third party.
 He is cut off even from this silent membership if scandal is likely to en- sue. The Catholics who are said to be prominent in the prescribed soci- cities violate condition of membership and give scandal, too, as is sufficiently proved by the newspaper clipping be- fore us.
 Now Catholic who Is active and much in evidence as an Odd Fellow>>or Knight of Pythias cannot be admit ted to the sacraments of the church. This is the express ruling of the Holy See. No priest will attempt to gain say 1t. The layman who presumes to do so is, knowingly or unknowingly, fighting against the constituted author ity of the Catholic church, and is, as every sensible man must admit, fight ing losing battle. If he cares to re- ceive the sacraments he must hold him. self i'll readiness to sever his relations with the societies which the church condemns. Nor can he or anyone else retain covert membership therein, if such an alliance will prove a scandal to his Catholic neighbors.
 The prominent Catholics spoken of above are evidently, and because of their utter disregard of the conditions laid down by the Holy See, a source of scandal to certain members of the church, and must either cease from membership altogether. or submit their case for adjudication to the proper au- thority. If suffered to retain mem bership, they must remain absolutely inactive.
 Considerable criticism has come to the church for her leniency in this matter. Had she obliged all members of her communion, at whatever pecun- iary loss. to sever forthwith their rela- tions with the condemned societies, she would be just as roundly taxed with heartlessness and the charge would probably be brought by the same critics. Now because she is so considerate as to suffer some to re- main in affiliation for the money bene- fits only, the hyper critical affect scan- dal, and others, who are strangers to consistency, would torture this act of benevolence so as to make it count against her authority. The perverse- ness of both these classes is patent, and 1t will infallibly prove it's own and US uICluS T0W8fQ. I He SdluOllC WnO is ever ready to point out inconsisten- cies in the teaching and practice of the church will bear watching. Nor will you have to go far afield before finding something in his life and con- duct which will refuse to square with the undisputed canons of correct Christian living.
 No man, let it be insisted, is in position to say whether he can retain membership with the condemned or derS or not On this side of the At lantic there is but one tribunal com petent to judge of this question, and that is the apostolic delegation at Washington. The advanced or reck- less Catholics who decide this question for themselves Haunt their defiance of the authority of the church. They will have to repair the scandal or re- main forever cut off from the sacra- ments. Weak Catholics who choose such men for their guides place them selves in q position as ridiculous as It is dangerous. They are as foolish as they are perverse and when they strive to justify their course at the ex- pense of the hierarchy of the Catholic church they sink beneath contempt. They will have to reckon with their own conscience In any case. they will not have to answer for the incon- sisteneies which they so laboriously lay at the door of the Catholic church. at the door of the Catholic church, Catholic Transcript