The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-05-20
OUR HOLY FATHERS ENCYcLI
CAL,
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I
practice virtue
We are aware that the office of cat
echlst IS not much sought after be-
cause, as d rule, it is deemed of little
account. as it does not lend itself easily
TO the winning of applause. But this, III
our opinion is an estimate born of van
ity and not of truth. We are quite
willing 10 admit the merits of those
pulpit orators, who. out of genuine zeal
for the glory of God, devote themselves
TO either the defence and maintenance
OF the faith or to eulogiZing' the heroes
of Christianity, But their labor pre-
supposes labor of another kind, that of
the catechiSt. Where the latter is want
ing the foundations are wanting, and
they labor in vain who build the house.
Too often it happens that ornate SER
mons which win the applause of crowd
ed congregations serve only to tickle
the ears. and fail utterly to touch the
heart. Catechetical instruction. on the
other hand, plain and simple though it
| be, is that word of which God himself
speaks in Isaias: And as the rain and
the snow come down from heaven and
return no more thither but soak the
| earth, and water it,, and make it to
! spring and give seed to the soWer and
bread to the eater: so shall My word
be which shall go forth from My
mouth; it shall not return to Me void,
| but shall DO whatsoever | please, and
shall prosper in the things which for
sent it," We believe the same
! may be said of those priests
who devote much time and la
! Dor to the writing of books to
! illustrate the truths of religion. They
are worthy of great commentator for
! their activity. But how many read
! these volumes and derive from them
fruit that corresponds in any way to
| the toll and the wishes of those who
| wrote them? Whereas, the teaching of
| the catechism, when performed as it
should be, never fails to be of profit to
those who listen to it.
In order to stimulate the zeal of the
ministers of the Sanctuary we must
| repeat that there are today vast num-
bers continually recruited by fresh ac-
! ceSsions, who are either utterly ignor-
ant of the truths of religion. or who.
at most, possess only such knowledge
| of God and of the Christian faith as
to lead the life of idolaters How many
are there, not only among the young,
but among adults and those tottering
with age, who know nothing of the
principal mysteries of faith who on
| hearing the name of Christ can only
ask: "Who is He's that may
believe in Him." (John ix:36) In
consequence of this ignorance they re-
gard it as no crime to excite and to
cherish hatred against their neighbor,
to enter into most unjust contracts, to
give themselves up to dishonest specu-
IatIons, to possess themselves of
the property of others by enor-
nous usury, and to commit other
lniquities not less reprehensible. Fur
thermore, they are unaware that the
law of Christ not only forbids i'm
moral actions, but condemns deliber-
ate immoral thoughts and immoral
desires; even when they are restrained
by some motive from abandoning them
selves to sensual pleasures, they with
out any kind of SCruple feed on evil
thoughts, multiplying sins beyond the
hairs of the head. Again we deem it
necessary to repeat that such persons
are to be found, not only among the
poorer classes of the people or in coun-
try districts, but among those in the
highest walks of life, and even among
those pulled up with knowledge who.
relying upon vain erudition think
they are at liberty to turn religion
into ridicule and to 'baspheme that
which they know not Judges 100
Now. if it is vain to expect harvest
where no seed has been sown. how can
we hope to have better-liVing genera
lions if they be not instructed in time
i'm the doctrine of Jesus Christ? 1t fol-
lows. too, that if faith languishes in
our days, if it has almost vanished
among large numbers. the reason is
that the duty of catecheticai teaching |
is either fulfilled very superficialIy or
altogether neglected. Nor will ii do |
to say, in excuse, that faith is free t
gift bestowed upon each one at bap- |
tism. Yes all baptized in Christ have |
infused into them the habit of faith; |
but this most divine germ, left to it |
self ana unaided. so to speak. from |
outside sources, does not develop or |
put forth great branches" mark iv: I
52) Man at his birth has within him |
the faculty of understanding, but he |
has need also of the mothers word to |
awaken it, as it were, and to put it |
into act. So, too. the Christian, born !
again of water and the Holy Ghost. |
has faith within him, but ne requires
the word of the Church to fecundate it |
and develop it and make it fruitful
Hence the Apostle wrote: Faith comes
from hearing, and hearing by the word
of God (Romans KID. and to show
the necessity of teaching, he adds:
How shall they hear without
preacher" Qbid.)
Il
Now. if what we have said so far
demonstrates the supreme Importance
Of religious instruction, it follows that
we ought to do all that lies in our pow
er to maintain the teaching of cate
ehism and where the practice of so do
ing has fallen into disuse there should
De revival of the teaching of cate
chism, which Benedict XIV has
described as the most effective means
If Speeding the glory of God and secur-
ng the salvation of souls. (Const..
3lsi MINNIE 49,
We, therefore, Venerable Brothers.
lesirous of fulfilling this most import
ant duty which is imposed upon us by
he Supreme ApostCate, and wishing
o introduce uniformity everywhere in
his most weighty matter do by our
authority enact and strictly
,rdain that in all dioceses the following
receipts be observed:
1. On every Sunday and feast day !
zone excepted. all parish priests and .
speaking, all those who have
he care of souls, shall. throughout the
ear. with the text of the catechism in
truct for the space of an hour the
-oung of both sexes in what they must
'elieve and do to be saved.
IL They shall, at stated times dur
ng the year, prepare boys and girls by
continued instruction. lasting several
avs, to receive the Sacramento of Pen
nee and Confirmation,
III E'VpTv daU in ont and If ,,acao