The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-01-13


the scapuIar? 2. Can Catholic be-
come an Elk or Woodman? 8. What
ls the usual offering for a Nuptial
High Mass, and why is it SO many are
married at Low Mass7 4. 10 Father
r. J. Finn living, and are his stories
true? 5. What is the Church's attl-
tude towards capital punishment?
/. Scapular medals can be obtained
at any Catholic bookstore. You will
find Catholic bookstores advertised in
The Catholic Bulletin. 2. The Elks
and the Woodman are not among the
societies which are specifically con.
demned by the Church. Absolutely
speaking, a Catholic may join them,
but a good practical Catholic will think
twice before doing SO. 8. The offer
ing for Nuptial High Mass differs in
different localities. Since there is no
obligation for Catholics to be married
at High Mass they are free to select
a Low Mass il they wish. Some Cath
olics, unfortunately, so far forget what
is due to themselves and the Church
as to get married without even Low
Mass. A. Father Finn is still alive
and, as far as we know, writing
stories. We do not know whether his
stories are founded on fact or not.
They may be. At any rate they are
wholesome reading for Catholics. 5.
The Church believes in capital punish
ment. 1t teaches that the State has
right to punish criminals with the in
fiction of death. This is expressly
conceded or clearly supposed in Holy
Scripture. Reason itself makes it evil
dent that the State should be endowed
with all the powers necessary to Sc
cure the temporal happiness of its citi-
zens and this involves the right to put
to death those who have been guilty
of great crimes. But in order that the
State may exercise this right it must
be proved that the crime was commit
ted by the person charged and judicial
sentence according to law must be
passed upon him. Private citizens
have no right to arrogate to them
selves the power of inflicting capital
punishment. Lynch-law, then, is
against the sound principles of moral
ity which the Church ever uphoIds and
enforces.
At the time of the trouble in the
Philippine. islands did the monks sell
the churches and monasteries to the
American soldiers to be used for bar
racks, and receive large sums OF money
for them?
No, the owners of whatever
churches and monasteries were occu-
pied by the American army as bar
racks we're not consulted in the seizure
of them.
Why was the Blessed Virgin the
mother of an only child If she was to
be the model and example that all
Christian mothers should follow? 2.
What kind of sin is it for a person
to pray that death will claim another
for vengeance?
1. The fact that the Blessed Virgin
was the mother of an only child does
not prevent her from being considered
the model and example which every
Christian mother should initiate. In
her fidelity to divine grace, in her love
for her husband and child and in all
those virtues that are characteristic
of the Christian family she is the
model without peer. 2. 1t is very
wrong for a person to pray for the
death of another person in order to be
revenged on that person and espe-
cially if this revenge is sought through
petty spite and meanness.
What is meant by the Seven Dolor
beads? What prayers are said on
them and how are they said?
The Seven Dolor beads are so called
because of the seven dolors, or sorrows,
of the Blessed Virgin which they COM
memorate. The beads resemble the
ordinary five decade beads, except that
tn so-called decades have only seven
beads. The prayers said on the ordi-
nary beads are recited on the Seven
Dolor beads--the Our Father followed
by seven Hail Mary's and ending with
the Glory Be to the Father.
1. What are the seven sorrows and
the seven Joys of st. Joseph? 2.
should the people strike their breasts
when the be II rings at the consecra-
ton and elevation during Mass?
L. The seven sorrows of st. Joseph
were those which he experienced,
nrst, when after the Annunciation he
thought of separating from his es-
poused wife; second, when he sought
refuge for the Blessed Virgin in the
cave at Bethlehem; third, when he
saw the Divine Infant shed the first
drops OF His blood at the time of His
circumcision; fourth, when he heard
it announced by Holy Simeon that the
Child was set for q sign which shall
be contradicted, and that a sword of
grief would pierce the heart of His
mother; fifth, when the angel babe
him take the Blessed Virgin and Child