The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-24
FATHFR RFISSEI DEALS
WITH THE HOUSTON

their indignation. It is plain that hon.
est men do not act in this way.
It is rot thus that history should
be written It should have no other
aim than that Of telling the truth It's
first law says Pope Leo Kill, Is TO
assert nothing false and to have no
fear of telling the truth" The Church
also only requires the truth, and we,
her defenders, do not intend TO use any
other weapon than that In her service
Let US, therefore. reason this matter
cut, and tell the whole truth concern
i.S the inQuisition, as muck at least as
can be done in three or four articles
OF this paper.
I. Origin and Nature Of the Ecclesi-
astical Inquisition.
Above all, n Is necessary TO dist;n-
guish carefully the Ecclesiastical In
QUESTION from the Spanish InQuisition-
Inquisition in general means the
searching for heretics, with the view
of REFRESHING their proselytism or Of
converting them. In this sense the in
! QUESTION dates from the very begin
ming OF the Church. II was always the
strict duty of the Popes and Bishops
| TO fight heresy. 10 prevent ats spread,
either by means of gentleness and per-
suasion. or. when these failed, by pun
| ishment.
However, by inQuisition is generally
understood a court of justice, called
the Holy Office. ecclesiastical and also
civil, established to enquire into the
| crime Of heresy and to punish the gull
| ty. This special tribunal only dates
from the beginning of the thirteenth
/ century, when Pope Innocent III.
founded it To repress the neresy of the
| Albigenses and the Waldenses- Reviv-
/ ing the heresy OF the Manicheans.
/ these sectaries spread with their err
/ rors the spirit Of revolt. and. with
weapons in their hands, they threaten
ed TO destroy both the Church and the
State Every effort was made to bring
them back to their duty by instruction
and persuasion, but in vain. Then the
| two powers thus menaeed united their
forces against the common enemy TO
the ecclesiastical power fell the duty
of ascertaining the crime, TO the other
| that of infiieting the penalty.
The principal aim Of the inquisition
was the preservation Of the faith by
the detection and condemnation of
| heresy. But here we must bear In
mind one important distinction az TO
the manner in which that tribunal was
| to deal with 1t. II there was question
/ of heresy, that contained nsa principle
at variance with morals and was
moreover professed withcaG tumult or
violence to the established rights OF
civil society, in other words, if the
hereticaI doctrine was secret and in
/ terror. the records of tbs world can be
| challenged TO produce a single instance
I Of intolerance on the part OF the Ca
tholic Church. In such a case the
] Church. which does not judge of tn
/ terror things-Ecclesia non judieat de
/ internis-lefI men to their own re-
sponsibiIity before God. their on1nis-
cient Supreme Judge. But on the other
hand, whenever there was question Of
heresy. that did contain OF. at least
/ implied principles at variance with
good morals and the established order
OF civil society. then, We freely admit
/ the Catholic Church was intolerant, for
/ she, the guardian OF faith. morality and
public peace, could not betTay the
trust confded by her divine Founder TO
/ her keeping for the welfare of man
kind
The very nature Of things called FOL