Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-09-04

-
ern Romanism Examined
Cardinal Newman says: THE
translated Bible is the stronghold
of heresy. Page SO, Lectures of
Council of Trent.
The British and Foreign Bible So
ciety for 1911 gives incidents how
Bible distribution is looked upon by
Roman Catholic authorities in vari-
Gus lands: Last year Tamil and
Cingalese Bibles were denounced
as poison and burned by Roman
Catholic priests in Ceylon. At Ro-
sario (Argentina) a priest sliced a
Bible from the bedside of a dying
man, tore it up, and thrust it into
the fire. In Salvador a priest told the
colporteur that he was worse than
yellow feves.'
An agent Of the society in Europe
reports: "A man bought a Polish
Bible from me. I met him a few
days after, and he told me that he
had taken the Bible home, and read
to his family the story of Joseph's
being carried to Egypt, and Of his
making himself known; and they all
wept. But the priest heard that he
had the book, and ordered him to
burn it: 1t is a Protestant book.
and Catholics must not read it
What shall I do?' asked the man.
I am afraid to disobey the priest"
Another incident from this report
shows how one Of the pueriIe and
disgraceful money getting devices of
Rome was turned to good account
for once: IN the Sicilian village of
Maletto, merchant, before buying,
consulted the priest, who dissuaded
him, saying: The reading of the
Bible is prohibited. The merchant
was about to hand the book back
to the colporteur, when his student
son reminded him that he had paid
sum of 4.35 Ira for a permit from
the Pope to read any book whatever
| (COlpOrteur Greco saw the curious
document with his own eyes, The
merchant said that his son was quite
right, and thereupon bought the
Bible. Other people were present,
longing to buy, but they had not
paid for such permits. Prot. Mag
azine, Jan 1913.
Pope Leo XIII issued a decree
concerning the prohibition and cen
sorship of books in which he did
away with former DEGREES which
were not in harmony with his own.
Under Chap. 2, Article 5, We read:
Editions of the original text and
of the ancient Catholic versions of
Holy Scriptures, as well as those
of the Eastern Church, if publish
ed by Catholics, even though
apparently edited in a faithful and
complete manner, are allowed only tC
those engaged in theological and
biblical studies, providing also that
the dogmas of Catholic faith are
not impugned in the prolegomena or
annotations.
Under Chap. 8, of the Vernacular
Versions of Holy Scripture, Articles
7 and 8, we read: CAS- it has been
clearly shown by experience that,
if the Holy Bible in the vernacular
is generally permitted without any
distinction, more harm than utility
is thereby caused, owing to human
temerity; all versions in the yer
nacuIar, even by Catholics, are al
together prohibited, unless APPROX
cd by the Holy See, or published,
under the vigilant care of the bish-
ops, with annotations taken from
the Fathers of the Church and
| learned Catholic writers.
All versions of the Holy Bible, in
any vernacular language, made by
non-C Catholics are prohibited; and
Especially those published by the
Bible societies, which have been
more than once condemned by the
Roman Pontiffs, because in them the
wise laws of the Church concerning
the publication of the sacred books
are entirely disregarded. Neverthe-
less, these versions are permitted to
students of theological or biblical
science, under the conditions laid
down above (No. 5)."-Pages 412,
Alb, Great Encyclical Letters Of Leo
| XIII
| It is not enough for one to say
that in the United States the Catho-
lies are exempted from these de-
crees for Leo, himself, declares
| concerning the general application
of his DEGREES as follows: Eve have
decided to issue the following Gen
era1 DEGREES appended to this Con
stitution and the aforesaid Sacred
Congregation shall, in the future,
follow these exclusively, and all
Catholics throughout the world shall
strictly obey them. Page Ali, Great
Encyclical Letters of Leo XIII.
I might show abundance of proof
| from Protestant authorities concern
| ing the practice of the Roman
Church regarding the spread of the
Bible in the yernacular Of the people
l will quote, however, from three
Catholic authorities in regard to this
matter which should have more
weight with the Catholics than what
we quote from Protestant authorit-
| les. Pope Plus VII wrote to the
Archbishop of Poland, June %, 1916,
as follows: Eve have truly been
shocked at this most crafty device,