Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-10-26
DISCOURSEO ON
REAL PRESENCE
CATHOLIC BELIEF IN CHRIST BE.
ING PRESENT IN SACRAMENT
,. CHAMPIONED.

before ldTSS COIlSIcSdNioA many
of whom were non-Catholics, Rev.
Father William Clifford, in st. Pat
rick's church, discoursed last night on
the subject OF God on the Catholic
Altar" Prior to the lecture Father
Clifford answered a number OF ques-
tions from the question box. Among
these was the query as to why Latin
is used in the Catholic church. This
was said to be the official language OF
the church and not subject to change
in the progress of the centuries be-
cause Of being a dead language. 1t
was also pointed out that 1t was one
of seven tongues used in the cere-
monies Of the church. Another refer
red to whom the priests confess, and
was answered that priests, bishops
and even the pope go to confession to
priests and that all of these regard
less of their rank are priests and may
hear confessions.
Sublime Truth. "
The real presence Of Jesus Christ
on the altar Of the Catholic church
was said by the lecturer to be one OF
the most important and most sublime
truths of the holy Catholic church.
Continuing he said, eve, Catholics, be-
lieve that in the tabernacle is confined
Jesus Christ as he was when he came
to earth that first Christmas night;
as he was when he trod the earth and
performed the many miracles OF his
teaching career; as when he hung sus-
pended upon the cross. We believe 1t
on the very authority Of God himself.
when we Catholics tip our hats in
passing a church it is to the God on
our affairs we make the. salute. When
the priest gives benediction of the
most blessed sacrament 1t is with the
body and blood, soul and divinity OIL
Jesus Christ under the appearance oil
bread and wine. Any good Catholic
will readily sacrifice his or her very
life to save that holy species from
dissertation
Cites Authority.
Father Clifford then took a copy Of
the st. James version of the bible and
turning to the sixth chapter Of st.
Johns gospel, read the story Of the
Of the feeding of the multi
tude with the loaves and fishes; the
of Juses and his reap
pearance from no one knew where in
the boat as the disciples crossed the
sea to Capharnaum; his words I am
the living bread ETC., and again
the son OF man thou shalt not have
life in thee and still further, he that
eateth my flesh and drinketh my
blood shall have life everlasting and I
shall raise him up on the last day, ETC. |
The lecturer then dwelt at some length |
on the doubts of the multitude and OF
some of the disciples who said it is a
hard saying ETC., and he compared
these to the people today who will not
subscribe to the belief of Christ's |
presence in the sacrament of the
altar.
IF Jesus did not mean his own flesh |
and blood" said the missioner, why
did he not call the disciples back who |
left him saying it is hard saying etc.
He said it and he meant it. He asked
Peter if he too, was going to desert !
him and was asked by the chief of the |
apostles, to whom shall we go If not |
to thee
Are Believers Idolaters?
my friends if these words of Jesus
are not true, if they do not mean what !
they say, but are merely figure, do !
you realize what was started when |
those of his disciples who could not |
or would not accept it, left him? Do |
you not see that if he did not mean
these words he has made millions OF |
his people, his followers, the most alb. !
ject of all idOlaters because they wor. |
ship a small particle of bread and |
wine as his body, blood, soul and divin- |
ity? Did you ever stop to think that !
until the sixteenth century this was
by Christian people, that
the overwhelming majority of Christ.
ian people believe the words of Christ |
to mean just what they say? !
"Unless I was convinced that this
is true / would throw inns 7.1oss y
mine as far as l could cast it; would
trample it under foot, for ii Jesus did
not mean what he said he was the
of making millions of his be-
levers idolaters and was very unfair.
Further Authority. H.. !,
Father Clifford then read from the
same bible quotations from the Cos
pels Of Matthew and Luke having a
bearing on the same subject, and also
from the epistle of st. Paul to the Cor.
inthians, "drinketh judgment to him.
self if he discern not the body of the
lord"
How do you account for the words
this is my body; this is my blood?'"
asked the lecturer. The eloquent |
priest carried his hearers back to the
very early centuries in support of the
belief of the Catholic in real presence
Of God in the holy eucharist. He al. |
luded to the position of other denom-
nations on the subject and pointed out
the fact that even the schismatics who
seeded from the Roman Catholic
church hold to this belief as tenacious
ly as the orthodox Catholic. He chal-
lenged his hearers to cite with any
the changing of the teach. !
ings of the Catholic church in the be-
lief in the real presence and recited
instances in history where it was al.
legged the change had been made but
was later disproyed. He also claimed
that if the non.Catho1;c will give The