The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-26

upon indiscriminate pastures. We are told
to-day that the science Of medicine can do
very much TO prevent disease. but little TO
cure it, And so the great benefit derived
from boards OF health is that they eliminate
the causes which produce or spread con-
tagious diseases. The Index is a remedy
against contagious literature. The church
from the beginning has always taken great
care to point out TO her children all those
false or pernicious doctrines that are CAL
culated to impair or blight her faith. Many
modern thinkers realize that IL Is a very
difficult thing 10 cure minds afflicted with
anarchiSm, and are beginning 20 recognize
the great wisdom of the church in doing all
she can TO prevent such infection from TAX
ing hold of the individual and of society.
The cardinals and consultors comprising
the Congregation of the Index represent
nearly every language and every country OF
the civilized world, so that Rome may keep
in close touch with the publications OF the
different natfcns. The congregation takes
be referred to Rome by some bishop or other
ecclesiastic having jurisdiction in the
church. The work is assigned for examina-
ton to some conSultor familiar with it's
matter and language. The consultor an
alyzes the book, draws UP his conclusions
and presents them for approval TO the Board
of Consultors, who prepare a final state
ment, which is presented to the general
meeting of the cardinals. The latter deter
mine first of all whether the work merits
condemnation, and secondly whether under
the circumstances such condemnation is ops
perfume. Sometimes IL happens that the
cardinals, whose judgment has been ma
tured by long years of study and expert
received the unanimous condemnation Of the
Board of Consultors.
CONGREGATION OF RITES
The Congregation of Rites was created by
Sixtus v to regulate the ceiebration of the
divine Offices, to preserve the ancient rites
of the church in all their purity, to revise
and correct lturgical works and finally TO
settle all questions relative TO the canoniza-
ton of saints A characteristic OF this
congregation is that one of its members is
called Familiarity the Devils Advocate"
whose Office is to set forth with all possible
skill the reasons why a certain person
should not be formally declared saint by
the church.
1t would take a whole volume to describe
adequately the process followed by the
CONGREGATION OF Rites in the canonization
of saints. An English Protestant, while
conversing with a preiate attached to this
congregation, deprecated the facility with
which the church recognized certain cures
as miraculous without satisfactory evil
dence. The prelate sent him two volumes
Dendinr az Rome ssr reanS the
attentively he returned the books. declar-
ing that If all the miracles proposed to the
proved as those in tbe nrocess he had inst
read, he was willing to retract what he had
said and become a Catholic. VERY WELL"
replied the preiate' the very miracles
which you consider so exclusively proved
were rejected by the Sacred Congregation
The Congregation of Studies provides for
the various courses Of study in Catholic
universities, directs the examination and
confers the degree of doctor on those who
have satisfied the authorities OF their abil-
ity to expound the doctrine of the church
and confute the errors opposed to it.
This congregation watches over all
branches OF secular as well as ecclesiastical
knowledge, and hence among its members
we find some of the most eminent Catholic
laymen, who have rendered great service To
the church by their scholarly attachments.
Such were Alibrandi.. the eminent authority
on Roman law, and j. 3. de Rossi, the
founder OF Christian archaeology.
THE SACRA PENITENTIERA-
The Sacra Penitentiera, the supreme tri-
bunal for the remission of sins to which
the Jurisdiction of the ordinary confessor
does not extend, the Cancelleria Apostoiica,
or apostolic chancery, which draughts and
expedites the bulls and briefs OF the SOW
ereign Pontiff. and keeps a record of all
pontifcal acts, and. finally, the Dataria for
the concession Of favors asked of the Pope
these, with the Biblical Commission re-
Gently appointed by Leo XIII to study the
effects Of higher criticism on the traditional
view Of the Scriptures, constitute the most
important bureaus into which the vast and
Church is divided.
No organization in this world has SO
many and such boundless resources of hti-
man wisdom the Catholic Church. The
traditions OF twenty centuries are hers and
she has A precedent for every emergency
She meets the new situation in the Philip
pine islands and the recent prosecutions In
France with the same CAIN dignity and
courage with which she encountered dim
culties in the past, and she will solve the
former with that sagacity which has AL
ways characterized her course in the his
tory of the ages.
The prelates and clerics attached Ia the
thorough training. Educated in the Roman
universities, they have won distinction there
and as reward are assigned TO the lowest
places in the administration of the church.
Some pass their entire lives in the Eternal
City, and are promoted from one post 10
another until they become chief secretaries
or the most important congregations, and
finally are created cardinals
others are sent to foreign nunciatures
nuncios and delegates in organizing and
directing church affairs in the different
countries of the world. Nuncios are sent TO
nations having diplomatic relations with
the Holy See, while delegates are assigned
TO missionary countries. The former are
appointed from the secretariat OF state, the
latter from the propaganda
After some ten years or service the au-
ditors are transferred elsewhere as inter-
nuncios for six years, as nuncios of the
second class for six years. and finally as
nuncios or the first class for six years. at
the end Of which period they are created
cardinals and assigned TO rhe congregations
best suited for the exercise of their talents
and experience.