The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-02-01
THE POPE AND THE BIBLE.

olIlce che rellSlOuS revolution OF the
10th century one Of the stock argu-
ments against the Catholic Church
has been that she forbids the read.
ing Of the Sacred Scriptures to the
laity. Some sectarian ministers have
announced from their pulpits that the
Holy Bible is a sealed book to the
Catholic people and some have gone
so far as to say that there is no
Catholic edition of the Bible published
in the English version. Imagine the
surprise of highly educated young
Protestant gentleman who entered the
Irish Standard book store the Other
day to see for the first time an elegant
edition of the Bible commended by a
Pope and Cardinal and the hierarchy
of the United States.
Haydock's Bible in the English
tongue is dedicated to the Catholics
Of the. United Kingdom of England,
Ireland and Scotland" and IL an edition
of the Douay Bible and Rheims Tes-
lament. The American edition has
the appreciation Of the leading prelates
of the United States.
Besides the books of the Old ana
New Testament with notes and com
ments, it contains n history Of the
Holy Scriptures, the geography of the
Bible with maps and illustrations
and dictionary Of the Bible
alphabetically arranged. In addi-
ton, it contains the Stations or Holy
Way Of the Cross, n theological history
in miniature, being Il list Of the popes,
saints, martyrs, eminent Catholics,
writer's, councils, prosecutions, heretics
and schismatics from the earliest per-
iOd Of Christianity to the present time.
At the end of the volume is a space
for family portraits. Every intel
ligent Catholic has copy of this Bible.
1t is published for the use of Cathol-
les, and any Protestants in this city
who believe that Catholics are pro-
hibited from reading it can visit this
office and get disabuscd of their err
roneous notions.
AT this time when SO many agnOs-
tics and sceptics are abroad in the
world, and when Protestant doctors of
divinity deny the inspiration and au-
thenticity of the Bible and say 1t Is
full of myths and legends the Pope
of Rome, the venerable Leo NH, has
appointed a Biblical commission, COM
posed of scholarly men of different ma
lions, Ito ascertain the limits of the
freedom which is allowed to the Cath
Ollie exegetist in the Biblical questions
Of the day; to point out definitely con-
illusions that must be maintained in
the interests Of orthodoxy; others that
must Ike rejected rs incompatible with,
or dangerous to, divine faith, as well
as the debatable ground between the
two where each one is free to hold his
own VIEW"
The New York Sun devotes an ed
itorial to the papal commission and
declares that Protestants need 1t more
than Catholics, for the former make
the Bible their sole rule Of faith. while
Catholics do not. In its leading ar
ticle the Sum says in part:
Undoubtedly If Christian theology
is to stand at all, belief in the Bible as
supernatural inspiration must con-
tinue. Even for Catholics belief in
the miraculous authority of the can
onical Scriptures is essential for If it s.
destroyed the authority of tradition
also will be involved in the destruc-
ton. The assault is on all miracles,
all supelmaturalism. The present crit
ical method applies to the miracles
Il scientific test, or a purely natural
test which, necessarily, discards the
supernatural as scientifically undemon-
srable.
The resolution of doubts of super
natural Biblical authority, however, is
essential for Professionalism rather
than for Catholicism. The position of