The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-01-11

y
and cast off the sweet yoke of
divine truth. The effects of this
separation from the God-ap-
pointed teacher of religious truth
is seen at the present time in the
ever-increasing multiplication of
sects that pretend to teach the
word of God in truth. The de-
plorable spiritual condition of
these aliens to the full heritage
t of divine truth and grace be-
queathed to them by the Goldman
has ever caused the deepest solicit
tude on the part Of the Church
which they abandoned. Pope and
Bishop, priest and layman. have
labored and prayed that all who
are in spiritual darkness may see
the light and that those who have
spurned the fullness of divine
truth may once more be united to
the Church of God, from which
they have been cast off by reason
of their failure to acknowledge
her divine authority in all things
that appertain to faith and NOR
ais.
Many efforts have been made in
the past and are being made at
the present time to bring about a
reunion of Christendom. Every
intelligent student Of the problem
of Christian unity knows that
there is the widest divergence
among the sects in regard to doc
trinal truth, and that if there is
to be union of all Christians in
one fold and under one shepherd,
it can be effected only by bring
ing back to the Church of Christ
those who have, during the ages,
wandered away from its shelter
ing roof. The sects have been
unable to agree on any basis of
unity acceptable to all They can
not expect that the Catholic
Church will yield to their impor-
tunities and eliminate from her
teaching all except what they con
slider "the fundamentals" in or
der that doctrinal unity may
be brought about. The Catholic
Church stands firm upon the
foundation laid by her divine
founder. She has not yielded one
jot or title of divine truth to the
opportunities of passion or the
vicissitudes of time. And, con-
sequently, if there is to be a union
among Christians, it can be
effected only by those who are
now outside the fold of the Catho-
lie Church accepting her teaching
and submitting to her authority.
No union is possible unless it be
the union of all Christians in the
fold Of Catholicism.
The Church has always labored
for the realization Of this much
to-be-desired unity Her prayers
have been offered up for this pur-
pose; her efforts have been di-
rected towards this end. Her mis-
sionaries in every age and land
have succeeded in bringing into
the fold many who were sitting in
the darkness of paganism and in
fidelity, as well as others who
possessed but a partial knowledge
Of divine truth. Missions to non
Catholics have spread abroad a
better understanding of the
Church, doctrine and has brought
about an accession to her ranks
from the most exclusive circles of
Professionalism Every day the
Church is adding to the number
of the faithful; and there is no
reason to fear that the bead-roll Of
conversions among the more in
telligent non-Catholics will de-
crease rather than increase as the
years go by.
The placing of the Catholic
Church in it's true light before the
world is a very important phase
of the general program ito re-
store all things to Christ" which
has been undertaken by our Holy
Father. To show his interest in
everything that tends to bring
about a union of the faithful he
has given his approval to move
ment which was started in this
country about six years ago for
the observance of what has been
called "Church Unity Octave, "
the object of which is to aid by
prayer, self-denial and united mis-
sionary effort in bringing about
union of Christians in one fold
and under one shepherd. This
movement was started about six
years ago by the members Of the
Society of the Atonement at Gray
moor, Garrison, N. Y. They were
at that time Anglicans; but they
have since been converted to the
Catholic Church. They publish
"The Lamp" a monthly maya
zine devoted to Catholic unity,
and are now much more interested
in the Church Unity Octave than
when, as Anglicans, they de-
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