The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-09-20

would like to have granted, Is it neces-
sary to mention the favor one wishes
to obtain? 2. II person thinks he
10 going to Communion unworthlIy
because he forgot a mortal sin in
confession, not willingly, does he make
an unworthy Communion and must
this be mentioned in his next confess
sion?
1. 1t is not necessary to make
known to the priest the favor which
one wishes to have granted through
the intercession of the souls in Purga-
tory for whom he asks the priest to
say Masses. 2. Yes.
Is it right that Catholics should
make their non-CathoIic employees
work on Holy Days of Obligation?
If the work be necessary and can
not be stopped without great incon-
venience or loss, then Catholics are
not only allowed to make their non
Catholic employees work on Holy
Days of Obligation, but they may do so
themselves. Of course, the obligation
of hearing Mass on such days binds
the same as on Sunday if it be at all
possible for a Catholic employer and
his Catholic employees to hear it.
If a heather can be saved without
baptism, why not the babe whose
mother earnestly desired baptism for
it, but who, through no fault of her
own, lost 1t before birth? | used to
suppose that the soul was given
at birth and that the mother
soon forgot the child she never
saw, but have been qrievinq
ever since the loss of my little one
because it was unbaptized. The
thought that it cannot suffer does not
comfort me. ! do not want to be the
mother of little ones shut out of the
kingdom of God.
In answer to this question it is nee
essary to state, first of all, that there
is a difference between the case of
the heather dying without baptism
and the infant who likewise dies with
out baptism. The heather has come
to the use of reason and is, therefore,
responsible for his actions. The child,
not having the use of reason, cannot
be charged with similar responsibility.
A heather who is guided by the light
of reason can obtain a knowledge of
God, sufficient to enable him to realize,
in vague way at least, the necessity
of serving his Creator He may not
clearly know God, but his natural rea-
son tells him that there must be a
Supreme Being. He desires to know
that Supreme Being and to do every
thing required for salvation. He en-
deavors to learn everything he can
about God, in order that he may serve
Him. He is determined to do any
thing God demands of him as far as
he can discover. But, in spite of his
best endeavors, he remains to the
end in ignorance of divine revelation
and of the positive laws laid down
by God. Therefore, he does not be-
long to the external communion of the
Church. Yet he belongs to the soul
of the Church inasmuch as in his heart
he has already embraced the truth.
Such person will be saved without
baptism, which he knows nothing
about, We do not know how God
will do this, but we cannot conceive
that God would exclude from heaven
a person who had not complied with
the requirements of the divine law
which he had no means of knowing
anything about God in His mercy
supplies in some way the absence of
baptism which, either in reality or
desire, is necessary for salvation.
The case of the child is far differ
ent. It's faculties are undeveloped. 1t
does not know God even in the natural
order as the adult heather does. If
it dies in that state, without baptism,
it has no right to heaven, no right
to enjoy the vision of God in which
heavenly happiness consists, because
it was not elevated to the super
natural life through baptism. The
fact that this was not it's own
fault, does not matter God has
made baptism the passport to
eternal happiness. The child who
dies without baptism, therefore, will
attain to some sort of happiness suited
to it's capacity. 1t will not be pun
ished because it has not committed
any personal sins, nor will it be sad
dened by the loss of eternal union
with God, because it knows nothing
about it. Even supposing that its in
telligence we're permitted to develop,
it could never conceive the possibility
of living with God in heaven. This
knowledge we receive only through
divine relevation. If the thought that
a child who dies without baptism is
free from suffering does not console
the mother for its loss, then she has
nothing else to take the sting out of
her sorrow. If she was in no way
responsible for her child's dying with.
out baptism, then she has no reason
to grieve over its death on that &C.
count.
What is meant by Gresoriar
Masses?
The so-called Gregorian Masses date
from st. Gregory the Great, who gov.
erned the Church from $50 until 6O4
and effected the conversion of the Eng