The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-20
CATHOLIC SERVICES
LARGELY attended
Part ofWeber'S Mass Rendered
by Choir
FATHER C0YLE breaches
Discusses Statement Frequently Made,
zone Religion Is AS Good Az
Another"-Ahout Intolerance
and Bieotry.
FATHER C0YLE breaches

o'clock service the choir sang the Kyrle
Eleison and the Agnus Del from weber's
mass in g. Miss Van Merkestyn. solo
soprano, was In exceptionally fine voice
and Mr.. Herbert, the solo baritone, was
also In excellent form.
| The Rev. Father Coyle, pastor of the
church. was the celebrant and preacher.
After reading the notices for the week
and the epistle and gosple for the day he
announced the following text:
Brethren, I make known to you the
gospel which I preached to you, which
also ye have received, wherein also We
stand, by which also ye are saved: q
Corint. XIV I'D.
Father Coyls spoke in part as follows:
! A few Sundays ago, when we celebrated
the feast of all the Roman pontiffs, we
considered that Christ, who came to re-
deem our race, established an infallible
teaching society to perpetuate and con-
tinue His work till His second coming:
| that He appointed a head for that society;
| that that head was the rock. on which the
structure rested; a head to whom He gave
| the keys of the kingdom; to whom He
gave power to bind and loose; to whom
He committed the entire flock; for whom
He prayed that His faith fail not; that
| this visible head once converted might
strengthen the brethren. He appointed
Peter head, with primacy of honor. but
not of honor merely, but with primacy of
| jurisdiction Also This prerogative was
recognized by the other disciples. After
Peters crucifxion in Rome. his successor
inherited that prerogative. a provocative
recognized even during the life time of
some Of the apostles.
IntoIerant and Bigoted.
Today, then, we shall go a step further,
and consider two statements that are fire.
quently made-the statements, namely,
"One religion Is as good as another" and
''the Catholic church is intolerant and
bigoted."
Is one religion as good as another? Is
heaven, as some assert, a great union
depot to which various roads converge,
In which various trains arrive? Granted
for arguments sake that heaven Is a
union depot, still the statement begs the
questions; assumes as proved statement
that remains improved The Catholic
church we assert h the direct train by
Christ established, with all accessories and
helps for safe and secure journey. 1t is
headed direct. Other faiths ultimately,
perhaps, get there, but by various round
about devious journeyings Who, heading
for Chicago, would go south or east or
west. by New Orleans Savannah, or San
Francisco. Would not the traveller take
a due north train. A truer simile, how
ever, one with scripturaI warrant since
railroads are of this age and generation
is that heaven is the haven to which all
are sailing. Life is a troubled sea. The
church is the bark of Peter, with tho
Master aboard, seemingly slumbering be-
times. but still aboard, and ready when
waves roll high, to calm the storm and
bid the seas be still.
Other faiths are various crafts more or
less skilfully fashioned by man. They
have not the Master aboard. Some of
these conveyances scarce deserve the
name Of vessels. They are rather lumber,
RATS and logs. Therefore the statement,
lone religion is as good as another" is
absolutely false. God established but one
religion. 1t holds truth. Truth is undi-
vided. The religion Christ established is
divine. 1t cannot for an instant be COM
pared with the fallible institution of even
the cleverest Of men,
Regarding Intolerance.
The Catholic church is intoerant and
bigoted. Intolerant? Yes, thank God 1T
is. 1t is very intolerant. What does this
| intolerance mean? 1t means that 1t cam
not countenance error. Holding TRUTH 1t
condemns, in terms unmistakable and
stern the slightest deviation from the
same. Intolerant? Yes, the church Is in
tolerant, as the science of mathematics
is intolerant Two and two are four. "All
the angles Of any triangle are equal to
| two right angles" These are truths. VIII
q professor of mathematics for an in
slant countenance any reasoning that
tends to destroy these established truths?
viii he put up with statements that are
contrary? So the church, holding truth,
will not allow the same to be minimzed,
or lessened, or attacked
About Bigotry.
1.-THE church is bigoted." No. the church
Is most liberal; more liberal far than
those outside her fold believe or give her
credit for. But does she not say, Out
side the church there is no salvation?''
Yes, and truly; but who are members of
the church? All baptized Catholics. all
who are loyal subjects Of the old his
torfc church, who, united under the WIS.,
ible head the supreme pontiff. partake of
4 the seven sacraments. Yes, but more.
| These are the body Of the church. The
| church has also a soul; 1t has many I'M
visible members. Many who, not know
| ing they are members of the church.
are yet reckoned such. All who believing
| themselves In all sincerity to be right,
lead blameless lives, and fulfill as far
as possible the law of God according to
the light and the knowledge they have,
| they also are members of the church;
for them also is salvation. Yes. many in
mid-Africa, many in remote recesses of
| Asia, and amid the wilds of the Austria
Han bush, many who never heard of
| Christianity or Christ, who yet live In
accordance with the natural law, who
| lead blameless and honest and upright
! lives, they too, belong to the soul OF
the church--for them is salvation
| Those Who Waiver.
Remember, however. that If any such