The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-22
THE PRIEST To
THE LAY WRITER
Father Beissefs Reply to an
Anonymous Critic of
Yesterday.

Editor Advertiser: An article signet
Just a Layman" takes me to tasl
| for the many ineongruities he finds IL
the Catholic Church and her teaching:
as laid before the public in my dis
eussions of the past weeks. | am sat
isfied with his good will and knowing
that there are many more people OF
| fair mind which think as he does, 1t
is worth while to rectify his many mis-
apprehensions.
The whole of the article reminds me
| of certain gallant knight who, when
travelling in a country village, noticed
on a hill a certain machine with four
very long arms on one side going up
high in the air and on the other side
coming down with great might to-
wards him, so as if dealing out terri
BILE blows (at least in the air) to our
travelling knight. He thought they
were just teasing him and he was not
in mind of standing any gratuitous
insults. OF course, he drew his sword
and defended himself and our Lay
man. will say that he was right, was
not he7 Yes, but if he had been less
hasty and inquired first about the
nature of this strange TEASING
MACHINE, he would have found out
that it was nothing but harmless
windmill
The word Primary of the Pope, or
infallibility of the Church affects many
well-meaning souls exactly as that
windmill affected our travelling knight.
Like this militant gentleman they form
themselves of an innocent, useful thing
such an exaggerated absurd idea, that
they must naturally start fight
against it.
Ny dear Layman, let me tell you that
we are as fair-minded as you are, and
only little more so. You talk about
thing which you do not know, and
we tell you what we know and be-
cause we know it.
On account of the general ignorance
that reigns in the Protestant world on
Catholic matters and principally on the
above mentioned subjects, l deemed it
necessary to write series of articles
in the Star, in order to give to all
people of good will a chance to be in
formed OF Catholic things not as Pro-
testants say they are-they generally
misrepresent us-but as Catholics that
know, say they are.
If you had read those articles care
fully, you would not try to throw again
in my way lot of absurd stuff as you
do. Please read the Star of Jan. IL
and inform yourself about the Catholic
teaching of the Pope's infallibility
Read it twice and then compare it with
the Protestant principle of PRIVATE
What greater absurd
ity can anybody commit than claim
with the Protestants that everybody in
reading the Bible is protected by God
stand it the right way, i. e., that he is
infallible in reading the Bible each for |
himself. But for this gratuitous as |
sertion they do not even try to bring
In shadow of proof. 1t was in
vented by Martin Luther, the religious
(not evolutionist as was /
enormously printed.) 1t was NEW, /
brand new. and till then unheard Of
and therefore it was false. With Christ
and the apostles finished divine revela-
tlon. The one, holy Catholic (i. e.
universally apostolic Church is the
divinely instituted guardian. the Off
,ial interpreter, the infallible teacher
IF this divine Revelation. Nothing will
De added to it and nothing lost till the |,
end of the world. ,
Did it ever occur to YOU that in
ienylng the Papal acknowledgements
stood, of course, as 1 explained it in
ne above mentioned issue of the Star
they exclude just the Pope alone from
nat protection which the principle of
private judgment attributes to every
'ooy, men. women and children? Now,
MS is simply absurd and the reverse
Il truth. No texts OF Holy Writ can
'e found to uphold this principle. 1t
las led down-hill in rapid steps from
aith to infidelity, as / asserted in my
dvice for doubling soul. AS to the
exits in favor of Infallibility please
cad them in the Star.
1 will quote just one paragraph to
estroy the absurd notions many peo-
lie have of this necessary attribute of
he true church of Christ. This doc
rinal infallibility does not exempt the
'ope from the weaknesses incidental
o human nature, does not make him
does not prevent him from
errors every day in a hun
red different manners. The only thing
laimed is infallibility in deciding
oints either of faith (truths revealed
y God and not invented by men) or
morals, but not in other matters. In
ractice it comes TO the answering of
question formulated as follows: Ia
UGH a point of doctrine (for instance.
hat the Blessed Virgin Mary in the
ir-=N 4