The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-11-30

Does person who is guilty of NOR
tai sin derive any benefit from the
Masses he attends, the prayers he re-
cites or the aims he gives to the poor?
Yes, he derives grace that may pre-
vent him from falling deeper into sin,
and may enable him to repent and
obtain pardon for all his sins. In
strict justice, God is not Obliged to re-
ward His enemies, that is, those who
are guilty Of mortal sin, for the good
works they may do; but His bounty
and His mercy are so great that He
will not allow good works to go unre-
warded. Hence great sinners often en-
joy great temporal blessings. Every
mortal sin extinguishes charity, but
the sinner who with some reverence
for God attends Mass, prays and gives
aims, has not severed entirely the
bonds of faith and hope, and may
therefore, receive from the bounty of
God, supernatural graces to enable him
to repent and obtain pardon. God
will give sufficient grace even to those
who have committed the greatest
number and the most grievous sins,
to enable them to save their souls,
if they pray, but that grace will be
efficacious only if they turn from
their evil ways and do penance and
sin no more. Hence all sinners should
be encouraged to pray, to assist at
Mass, and to give aims and perform
other good works, for in this way they
may cooperate with Gods grace and
save their souls.
crucifixes that have been removed
from the caskets of their loved ones,
would it be all right to use these cruel
fixes?
We see no reason why they may
not be used as ordinary crucifxes.
(1) Did Constantine the Great, after
the Edict of Milan, continue to make
public sacrifices to the pagan gods?
(2) Did chariemagne, at the Council
of Frankfort, in 794, declare certain
doctrines false which had just been
approved by the Pope? If so, with
what result?
(D By the Edict of Milan, in 313,
Constantine granted to the Christians
greater liberation than they had
Heretofore enjoyed. He showed them
special marks of his favor, but he did
not renounce entirely his connection
with paganism. There is, however, no
evidence that he offered public sacri-
fees to the pagan gods after this
time. In his capacity as Pontifex Max
linus, orr High Priest of paganism,
which title he still retained, it is not
improbable that he was present at
some of the sacrifices offered in pagan
temples Constantine must not be
judged by present-day standards. It
is not unlikely that Christianity ap-
pealed to him more as factor in the
social life of his people than as a re-
ligion. At any rate, he lived in the
period of transition from pagan prac-
pagans were largely in the majority,
he was not always aggressive in as
sorting his leaning toward Christian
ity, lest he offend them. Then, too,
we know that he built pagan, as well
as Christian, temples in Constantine
ople; and permitted pagan ceremonial
rites at the dedication of that city in
$50. At that time he was not formal
ly a member of the Church, as he did
not receive baptism until shortly be-
fore his death, in 337. (2) One of the
questions discussed at the Council OF
Frankfort was the veneration of i'm.
ages. The Iconoclasts, or Image
breakers, had been condemned at the
second Council of Nice, in 787, and the
condemnation was approved by the
Holy See. Owing to an error on the
part of the translator, or copyist, OF
the Greek original into Latin, it was
made to appear that the Fathers OF
this Council declared it proper to
"bestow service or alteration on Inn
ages of the Saints, even as on the Di
vine Trinity Against this, Charlie
magne and the Bishops of the Frank
ish Church legislated in the Council
of Frankfort. In so doing they did moi
brand as false doctrine approved by
the Pope, for the Council Of Nice had
declared the true doctrine regarding
the veneration of images, and thai
doctrine was approved by the Supreme
Pontiff.
What people are not allowed to be
buried in a Catholic cemetery?
The Roman Ritual lays down the
following regulations as to whom &c
clesiastical burial is to be denied:
Ecclesiastical sepulture is denied tt
pagans, Jews and all unbelievers; t.
heretics and their supporters; to apos
tates from christian faith; to schis
matics, and to publicly excommuni
Gated persons under major excommu
nication, to persons interdicted b!
name, and to those who are in al
ipfordinfod I0oaIifv whilst fho inter