Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1902-01-20

lie also quoted from the ancient coun-
cils OF Nice and Chalcedon, and showed
how the great missionaries of ancient
days, who set out for distant lands to
preach the Gospel, would first go to
Rome TO get the blessing of the Pope
upon their work. St. Patrick had re-
solved to devote his life to the preaching
of the Gospel to the Irish He went to
Rome to consult Pope Celes,ine. fhe
Pope approved of his design, himself
consecrated Patrick a Bishop, and the
latter set out for his distant missions,
fully assured that in getting the approval
OF the Pope, he dad secured the approval
OF Christ himself.
Pope Gregory sent St Austin to preach
the faith in England. and before ST.
Boneiace set out for Germany. ST. Ausgar
for Sweden, ST. Aysllus and Methodius
for Bohemi they asked and obtained
their commissions from the Pope. Hence
the Bishop of Rome was acknowledged.
theoretically and in practice as the legiti
mate successor OF ST. Peter and the head
OF the church.
INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPE,
The preacher then took up the subject
OF .nfallibility. mon. Catholics, said
he, "are apt to get confused about the
meaning OF this word. They imagine
Catholics to believe that the Pope cannot
commit sin; that he is improbable. The
church never held any such doctrine.
The Pope is a weak mortal like the rest
of mankind Like them he must work
hard to save his soul; like them he will
enter into sin il he does not guard against
temptation; like them he will be con-
demned TO eternal he'll fire if he dies
in mortal sin.
"ManY of the Popes have been extra
ordinary saints. most have been men OF
eminent virtue and learning; but some.
also. have been accused OF serious faults
Their sins have been, no doubt. exagger-
ated by the enemies Of the church. In
many cases there was no foundation
whatever TOR the calumnies of their enc
mics. but in the case of few Ponuffs.
it would seem that their lives were not
blameless. This is another proof, like
the fall Of St. Peter-of human weakness,
but it has nothing to do with the doc
trine OF infallibility. By infalliblity we
mean that special assistance, by which
God preserves the church and the Pontiff
for error in the discharge OF their duty
OF teaching mankind the truths of relig
ion. Now the doctrine of the church on
this point may be summed up in two
sentences
"I. The church as the teacher of re-
ligious truth is infallible. This means
that when the proper authorities in the
church-that is, the bishops, united with
their head, the Pope-decide any matter
of faith or morals, that decision is infalli-
bly, correct.
-. The Pope. speaking of Ca,hedra,
is infallible. This means that when the
Pope, performing his functions as pastor
and teacher of all Christians, by virtue
of his supreme and apostolic authority,
defines a doctrine OF faith or morals, he
cannot make a mistake. You will notice
that the Pope is infallible only in matters
of faith or morals, but in matters of his
tory, politics or science. also that he is
infallible only when speaking of Ca,he-
dra, that is, as supreme head OF the
church, not in his private utterances.
This ,wo-fold infallbility - of the
church and OF the Pope-rests on the
positive testimony of Holy Scripture. -
INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH.
The preacher tht proceeded to prove
the inialhbility of the church from the
commission Christ gave to His apostles,
Mat. ch. 2S). "Go and teach all nations
And behold am with you
all days, even to the eonsummaiion OF
the world.
"Christ, the Son OF God, commands
the church to lead, and promises that He
would be with her, that is. assist her in
her work Of teaching, to the end OF the
world. II then the church would teach
falsehood, Christ would be countenanc.
ing the falsehood Only blasphemer
could say that. Therefore. the church
cannot err.
"Again in the fourteenth chapter of
St. John. Chris says: i will ask the
Father and He will give you another
Paraeli,e, tha, He may abide with you
forever. The Paraelite, the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in My name,
He will teach you all things Christ
certainly kept this promise. He did
send the Holy Ghost upon the apostles
and upon His church. and the Holy
Ghost abides there forever Now the
Hol, Ghost is God, like the Father aud
the Son. He remains with the church
and teaches her all truth.
"Can she then teach error No. never
An individual may err, number OF indi-
viduals may err, but the church. as a
body, cannrt err, for the Holy Ghost,
the spirit of truth. abides with her.
INFALLIBILITY OF PETER.
"The infallibility of Peter and his sue
| cessor, the Pope, is also proved from
| Holy Scripture. Thou art Peter, the
rock, said Christ to the prince OF the
| apostles. II Peter is the rock on which
the church is built. be must be firm
and unmovable; so firm that he must be
able TO hold up and sustain the whole
building founded upon him.
TO BE Continued