Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-12-14
DELIVERS PLEA FOR
SANCTITY OF CHURCH
BISHOP CONATY BREACHES
THIRD ADVENT SERMON
Places Rule of Faith in Contradiction
to Principle of Private Judgment
Resulting in Weakening
of Belief

mrhe Sanctity of the Church" was
the tonic of the third in the series or
Advent sermons delivered yesterday
morning by Bishop Conaty at the Ca
thedral of st. Vibiana. The olshop
took for his text Ephesians XXV:25-zf -;
"Christ loved the church and delivered
himself I'D for it that he night make
If holv. cleansing it by the LAYER of
water in the word of life that he might
present it to himself a glorious church
NOT having spot or wrinkle or any such
thing. but that it should be holy and
without blemish." He said in part:
holiness of life in an individual is
the result of correspondence with the
grace of God and obedience to his pre-
cents. Holiness comes by union with
Christ. The spirit of God sanctities
human souls so that union with the
HOLY Ghost. through the redemption OF
Christ with that church which is his
mystical body, leads men into hollness
of life. The holiness which leads TO
salvation is the holiness or SUPER
natural life AS a mark of the church
of Christ holiness is Inherent In the
church as an organization founded by
Christ. so that, as his church, 1t should
he holy in him as it's author and foun-
der. Holiness should perVade all It's
doctrines, worship. sacraments ana as
cipline. for these are all means conduc-
i've TO lead men lIllO ulllOll wiz
that they may live the life of CHRIST
and he one with him as he Is one with
his Father. - 90 Tho
church. holiness should find itself IN
the aims and purposes of the church as
a visible corporate organization COM
nissioned to continue the work Oh
Christ on earth. 1t should have in 1t,
therefore, not only nothing contrary to
holiness, but should actually be pos
sessed of holiness, in the natural ana
supernatural order. AS mark of the
church it does not grow out OF the lVeS
of men, for men are not the authors OF
grace but merely the chanIleIs ior ~
The holiness Of the church is the re-
suit of Chrlst's life. and, therefore, the
badness of an individual, even though
he may be an apostle, does not initiate
AGAINST the holiness which belongs TO
the church. The love of God, wnlch is
one of the effects of holiness, IS the
mark bv which the disciples or Christ
arc IN he known, The love of Christ
leads to the perfect life so that the re-
deemed children of Christ may be able
to saw, I live; not L; Christ liveth In
me-
"The Catholic church traces its orr
gin in an unbroken line to the apostles
and tn Christ 1t maintains the mis-
sion Of preaching the gospel as handed
down to it from the apostles, and pre-
served its integrity through the ages
hv fine unity of authority. 1t maintains
tIe claim to be the divinely constituted
authority commissioned by Christ to
teach the truth, and thus establishes it
SELF as the rule of faith in contradic-
tion and opposition to the principle Of
private Judgment as the sole rule of
faith. Private judgment in religion
has resulted in the weakening of the
hold of the supernatural on life, and
consequently, having lost sight of the
certainty of belief in doctrine, has de-
preciated the sanctity of life. Ration
alism In religion is the logical conse-
quence of private judgment and con-
ity. Varying contradictions and dis
cords in doctrine, with growing ten