The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-12-19
(San Francisco Monitor.l

The Catholic church is not she be the
enemy of science The truths Of natural science
cannot contradict the truths of revelation, Tor the
same God IS the author of both. Any apparent
conflict therefore between science and religion
arises from the fact that theoiogans have put forth
their own views for the doctrines OF the Church. or
scientists have either been Ignorant OF the Churchs
teaching or put forth improved hypothesis for un-
doubted truths On TINS subject the Vatican Coun-
ell saws (Sess ILL., ch. ", on Faith and Reason) ::
But although faith is above reason there can never
be any real discrepancy between faith and reason,
since the same God who reveals mysteries and IN
fuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the
human mind: and God cannot deny Himself. nor
can truth ever contradict truth. The false appear
ance of such contradiction Is mainly due, either
to the dogmas of faith not having been understood
and expounded according TO the mind of the
Church or to the inventions of opinion having
been taken for the verdicts of reason. We define
therefore. that every assertion contrary to truth
of enlightened faith is utterly false"
The Catholic church has direct mission to
teach the truths of astronomy, biology or geology,
or the revelation of God. Yet she claims the right
Ia prescribe all false scientific systems which are
opposed to the deposit of faith The true scien-
list as a rule. is the most modest Of men, never
claiming absolute assent to what he knows Is
ly working hypothesis for the advance of science.
Bat the popularizers of science. who reach the peo-
pie through the magazines and the lecture plat
form. are often the most dogmatic of men. demand
are incompetent to demonstrate, and declam1ng
against Christianity for refusing TO swallow whole
sale their theories of day. So the Vatican coun-
eli continues: "The Church, which together with
the Apostolic office OF teaching, has received
charge to guard the deposit of faith derives from
God the right and duty of prescribing false science,
lest any should be deceived by philosophy and vain
faIlacy' (Col. il, 81.
If men in the name of science. although with
out its warrant deny the existence of God and the
unity Of the human race, maintain the evolu-
tion of man. body and soul, from the monkey, the
nfalble Church of God in the name of truth de-
nuunces them as false teachers But If, for exam
pie men declare the six days of Genesis to be long
cpochs and not days of twentvfour hours each, the
Church has no quarrel with them. They have con-
tradicted none of her dogmas
As matter of fact. the Church has rendered
great services of science, see from the
fact that the great universities of Italy, France
England and Spain were founded before the Refor-
nation Indeed even in the seventeenth century
the great majority of scientists belonged to the
secular and regular clergy. vaughan, Science
and Religion; Zahm, Science and Religion;
Zalm. "Bibe, Science and Faith; Ronayne, Re
ligion and Science; Wiseman, Science and Re
vealed Religion; Brennan, "What Catholics Have
Done for Science Molloy, Geology and Revela
+ion."1
How can sin be pardoned by merely telling it?
Ii cannot be- according to the Catholic church
Judas was not pardoned, although he confessed his
crime (AIatt. xvii. y. Confession indeed is only
Que of the three parts of the Sacrament of Penance
and by no means the most essential, the other two
being contrition and satisfaction. Without con-
triton or SORROW and detestatiOn of sin, with
firm purpose to sin no more" Council of Trent),
there Is forgiveness possible The Catholic
must have true intense sorrow for each and every
mortal sin he has committed: the motive of his
row must be supernatural, resting not the natu-
raj consequences of his sin, but the fear of hell,
the loss of heaven. the love of God and Jesus
Christ. lie must hate and detest sin the great
est evil IN the world, and sincerely promise to avoid
il and the occasions thereof for the future. He
must be ready also to make good the past by re-
pairing any injury he may have done his neighbor
in his character or his property, and satisfy God
In union with the infinite satisfaction of Jesus
Christ by performing the penance enjoined by his
confessor Otherwise the mere confession or tell
ing of sin is of no avail for pardon, the absoluton
of Gods priest is null and void and the penitent
bat adds the guilt of sacrilege to his original
guilt
Is not confession degrading and opposed to Chris
tian manlness and independence?
On the contrary, it is the noblest act of a true
man and true Christian to conquer his lower and
sinful self by heartfelt acknowledgment of sins
committSl. IT is indeed humilating, but true hu-
mihty Is degradation, but a Christlike virtue:
Learn Of Ne because [ am meek and humble of
heart" (Matt. xi, 29) especially calculated to
quer the PRIDE OF SIN suppose you had two boys,
who had seriously violated your commands. One
gives no hint of his disobedence, and the other
cannot retire rest that night until he has sobbed
out everything. Would you consider this confes-
sion degrading! Nay, rather the common express
sion Is Gown up and be man." When a man con-
victed of murder confesses his crime, do you con-
slider him less the man for that reason?
The best proof however. is the fact that the
noblest and most perfect types of men in the world
are those seen frequently at the feet of Cath
olic priest. crying out to God, the publican in
the Gospel: 20 God, be mercful to me a sinner"
Guke XVIII 9-1D. The Savior indeed praised the
humble publican who confessed, rather than the
proud Pharsee who only boasted of his good deeds
"This man went down 10 his house justified rather
than the other"
have often heard that Catholics have to pay money
for confession. Is this true?
You ought not to believe all that you hear, for
the Scriptures say, "a faithful witness will not
lie" but a deceitful witness uttereth a lie prov.
xiv, y. | remember a Protestant in a country town
once saying that he had heard the regular tax for
confession was So. / told him / had in one week
heard upward of 500 confessions ($1,600) which
indeed would yield quite comfortable income. No:
it is not true, but calumny due either to ignor-
ance or malice. Protestant gentleman in New
York once told one of the Paulst Fathers that his
servant had demanded money from him more than
once to pay the priest in confession. "How then"
says he, "can you deny the fact" He never thought
Of the alternative that the servant In question SIM
ply lied as he could readily have found out had he