The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-12-21

you TalleQ TO see the lnTeIlSCTuaI I'm"
provement in playing billiards and
pool. Will you kindly tell me where
the self-improving faculties of card
playing and dancing are to be found,
and why it is that so many of our
people seek for nothing more uplifting
and enlightenine?
We have no recollection of having
made the statement attributed to us in
the foregoing paragraph. But, no
matter. Apart from the recreation and
relaxation afforded by playing billiards
and pool there is a certain amount of
intellectual training involved in these
games in as much as only those who
are mentally expert can make a sue
cess of them. One needs good judg-
ment and intellectual application, as
we'll as physical fitness, to play good
game of billiards or pool. The same
is, in measure, true of card playing
and dancing. While they afford physi-
cal relaxation they also require GER
tain amount of intellectual concentra-
ton to enable the participants to at
tain proficiency. Even if there was no
great intellectual improvement con-
nected with card playing, dancing,
and similar games, nevertheless we
should not condemn them absolutely.
There is no more harm in a game of
billiards, pool or cards than there is
in dancing, as such. The danger lies
in the abuse of these games and re-
laxations, the conditions under which
they are carried on, the opportunities
they offer to the wicked and evil
minded to pervert them to base uses.
People need physical and mental re-
taxation, and innocent games and
amusements are entirely proper pro-
vided they are carried on under prop
er conditions. If they are not, they
cease to be innocent amusements and
legitimate pastimes and are subject
to the same rules that apply to any
other occasion of sin for the in
dividual.
1. Is it a sin to read 1.-THE Men,
ace?" 2. Is it true that when priests
and Iaity 90 to see the Pope they
kiss his foot? If so, please state the
reason? 8. How old must man be
before he can be ordained to the Holy
Priesthood? 4. How many Catholics
are there in the United States?
1. We would not go so far as to
say that it is sin to read "The Men
ace," but we would not have a very
high opinion of the intelligence of any
one who would read it habitually and
pay any attention to the statements it
makes. 2. Etiquette requires that
those who are received by the Pope
in private audience salute him by bow
ing down and kissing the golden cross
upon his right slipper. This is an act
of respect not so much to the Pope as
to the crucifed Saviour, Whom he rep
resents. The custom is very ancient
one, and was not originally confined to
the Pope. Emperors, kings and
bishops were formerly honored in this
way. Even friends and benefactors
received this mark of generation in
ancient times. Mary Magdalen kissed
the feet of Jesus. He Himself is some
times pictured kissing the feet of His
Apostles, especially those of Judas.
1t was a more marked act of venera-
ton than that of kissing the hand or
the hem of ones garment. This cere-
mony is performed by the Cardinals
Immediately after the election of a
Pope, by the subdeacons during a
solemn Papal Mass, and by lay people
in a private audience, unless the Pope
refuses to permit it, which is often the
case at present. Great kings, like
Pepin and Charlemagne, paid this
mark of respect to the Vicar of Christ.
Emperor Justin kissed the feet of
Pope John l (523-26), later on JUS
tinian II gave like honor to Pope Con-
stantine. Charles V is said to have
been the last king to do obeisance in
this way. Since his time sovereigns
have been exempt by papa1 etiquette
from this ceremony. Pope Innocent
III tells us that this ceremony indi-
Gates the great reverence due to the
Supreme Pontiff as the Vicar of Him
Whose feet were kissed by the woman
who was a sinner. 8. The canon law
of the Church requires that young
man must have entered upon his
twenty-fifth year before he can be or
dained to the priesthood; but the
Bishops of the United States have fac
ulties enabling them to grant dispense
tions from this law so that candidate
can be ordained to the priesthood as
soon as he has attained the age OF
twenty-five years and six months. A.
According to the Official Catholic
Directory there were at the beginning
of the year 15,015,569 Catholics in the
United States. Some maintain that
this underestimate rather than over
states the number of Catholics, and il
is not improbable that such is the
case.
S@
I. Were Popes, Bishops, priests OIL
any of these ever Free-Masons? 2
Why was Giordano Bruno burned tc