The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-09-13
A SIMPLE cATECHIsM.
Some Questions and Answers Found
in Bishop Bellord's Work.


Whatever Bishop Bellord writes is
well worth reading, but anyone who
has read his Religious Education and
Its Failures" in which he points out
the errors in our catechetical system,
will be anxious to read his new cate
chism Just published by the Ave Maria
press at Notre Dame, Ind. 1t contains
ninety-siX pages of questions and an
swers and eleven pages of prayers,
etc, to be learned by heart. Gram
marians will object to the way IN
which he handles words, his use or
them showing that he cares little for
what they may think and say-hls one
purpose to be understood. His SEN
fences are sometimes inelegant but on
the whole 1 know of no catechism
(says J. +. Sheehan in the Freeman's
JournaD in which the questions are
so clearly put and the answers SO
pointedly given. No such answers as
1.-The church is the congregation of all
the faithful,' etc. (Which no child un-
derstands-and very few adults, eitherl
are to be found in his book. / viii
give a few questions and answers,
from which the reader may be able
to see the difference between this and
the other catechisms on the market:
Tell me something that is like God?
The air.
Why?
Because it is everywhere; we can
not see 1t or hurt it ,and we cannot
live without it.
Some. people say that you cannot get
on well unless you tell lies and cheat
and treat others cruelty; what are you
to do then?
lOSa
soul.
Are angels dressed in long white
garments with wings?
No, not really.
What do the garments mean!
That they are pure and free from
sin
What do the wings mean?
Their swiftness in obeying God and
moving about.
Are there many angels?
Yes: millions and millions.
o
This was the original SIN, ana
# comes on all of us in this way:
Children take after their parents, just
as black parents have black children.
So the souls of Adam and Eve were
deprived of the beautiful life when
went with the tree of life, and all their
children and all Of US come into Ire
without it; all except the Blessed Nlr-
gin. This we call being in original
sin
What is scandal?
Leading others into sin. chiefly by
bad example.
he was dead?
To part of hell called Limbo.
What else was it called?
Abraham's bosom. Our Lord called
it Paradise.
Does not our Lord remain with us,
Notwithstanding CHis ascension into
Yes. but in different form.
What is that?
In the Blessed Sacrament He also
said. "Behold, I am with you all days,
even Ia the consummation Of the
world" Matt xviii 2O)
Did God make he'll?
No: sin makes hell.
What is prayer?
Speaking with God.
What does "sacrament" mean?
A ceremony which gives US grace.
What is the character Of the sacra-
ment of baptism?
Child of God, and member OF the
Catholic church. =,
fEanCIllAllE graz man.
dren Of Cod: the Blessed Virgin was
child Of God before she was baptized:
All those in heaven are children OF
God. even those who died before bap-
tigr was instituted. Sanctifying grace
conferred in baptism makes us chill
dren of God. but this is not the char
acter or special indelible mark OF TINS
Sacrament)
What happens to infants VINO ole
without baptism?
they will never enter heaven or see
God.
VIII they go to hell?
No: for they have done nothing to
deserve il.
Where viii they go?
To some place where they VIII suffer
nothing.
The treasury Of the church
What is that2
The merits of Jesus Christ, the
Blessed Virgin and saints, and all
good people.
The banns Of marriage
What is if for?
To show that all is proper md re-
spectacle.
What else?
To protect good people from being
deceived by rogues.