The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-11-15

abIes" condemned by the Church? If
so, for what reason? have read
parts of it and think the character of
one of the priests therein is one Of
the nobIest | have ever read about.
have heard so much of the book that
would like to read it. Was Victor
Hugo an atheist? 2. To what Church
did Shakespeare belong? Are his
works approved by the Church? 8.
Is Goethe's play of Faust" condemned
by the Church?
1. Yes. 1t presents the teaching
and practices of the Church in very
unfavorable light and calls in question
her authority. There are some splen-
did passages in the book considered
from a literary standpoint but that
only serves to make more insidious
the introduction of it's poison into the
minds of those who are carried away
by these classic features. It's author,
Victor Hugo, was to all intents and
purposes an atheist, and one can
readily believe that his works do not
make good reading for Catholics. To
Church in a matter of this kind would
be to run the risk of committing sin,
for, according to theologians, the read
ing of a forbidden book, or of a con-
siderable part of it, is a mortal sin.
2. The question of Shakespeare re-
ligion is involved in great uncertainty.
There are those who maintain that
he was Catholic and adduce passages
from his writings to establish their
contention. They assert that the
religious disturbances of his age made
it unwise for him to Obtrude his re-
ligious views on the public. However,
it seems impossible to arrive at any
accurate conclusion on this point. His
works have not been condemned by
the Church. 8. No.
What books are on the Index of
condemned books and their authors,
or where can one get this list?
1t would take more space than we
can devote to it to give even partial
list of the most important books which
the Church has condemned and placed
upon the Index of forbidden books.
You will find as complete list as is
necessary for the ordinary individual
in work entitled "The Roman Index
of Forbidden Books" by Rev. F. S.
Betten, S. j., which can be procured
through any Catholic bookseller.
ne&A as
tiers in certain place take a Sister
from their order and erect an order in
another place with full rights of the
order? 2. In what order do they ad-
NIT elderly women?
1. We presume the meaning of this
question is whether an established
community of Sisters can send some
of their members to open house of
the same Order in another place.
There is nothing to prevent their do
ing this, if they have the proper eccle-
siastical appreciation for the extension
of their order. 2. AS a general rule,
religious Sisterhoods do not care to
admit elderly women to their ranks.
We do not know the name of any
community which accepts women of
mature years.
1. May person judge for himself
whether a sin is mortal or Venial
before he commits it? 2. What must
one do when he is in doubt as to
whether a thought, word, or deed,
NuouId h. = VooH%aI ein ~ = elm ~ aII7
3. Is a person supposed to act &C
cording to the dictates of his con-
science, whether it would make him
appear odd or not? How may one
cultivate a right conscience? How
may one overcome being scrupulous?
4. Must we judge what would be oc-
casions Of sin for others from our own
experience? 5. If one forgets a NOR
tai sin In confession must he 90 to
confession again before receiving Holy
Communion If he has an opportunity?
6. 10 1t a sin to teach as true that
about which one is in doubt? z: Is
it sin not to comply with the wishes
or requests of temporal superiors? 8.
Would 1t be wrong to have a Mass
said for oneself If a erieVous sin were
on ones soul?
/. We are told in the Catechism
that three things are necessary to
make a sin mortal, namely, grievous
matter, sufficient reflection, and full
consent of the will. If any one of
these be wanting the sin is not mortal
Before one can be guilty of mortal
sin he must know that the act which
he is about to perform is grievously
sinful. This requires him to form a
judgment in regard to the sinfulness
of the act, and if, with that knowl-
edge, he performs the act, then he
is guilty of the malice involved in it..
2. If this doubt arises before he acts,
he should go no further until he arrives
at some decision as to whether it is
sinful or not. If he is unable to do
this the safest course for him is not
to perform the act at all. If he has
already acted and is in doubt whether
or not he is guilty of mortal or of
a venial sin the proper thing to do,
in practice, is to confess it as doubtful.
8, A person is always obliged to act
according to the dictates of his con-
science, otherwise he runs counter to
the monitor which God has given him
for practical guidance in the perform
ance of his dutieS IF his eonScinnaA