The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1913-04-26

exempt nom ne anathenAs Of %
holy one" on the Tiber. To sst their
minds az ease on this point We 70
print herewith an article from The
March Sth issue Of the Catholic IA.
vance. published az Wichita Kan. The
article IL taken from the Question and
Answer" column and should give you
light on the subject In hand. Take q
aqulnt az n. you fellows who belong 70
the X. P.'a or the "chain gang"
a.-Is % Po.sibIs fer a Catholic youns
man 60 belong 90 the societies of ths
KniEhts OF Pythias ana ths odd FeI-
iowsf ~ he belongs 90 these nay Ne
so % church aud attcnd the aacra-
mentsf DO their secrets On auy wav
Interfere With the Catholic ehurchI
Ave have answered this question
recently, but repeat the main poiutn
ent
! Among the secret societies condemn.
1 cd BY Rome In the decree OF June 10.
/ 1895, and January is. igse, are the
the Knights OF Pythias and the odd
| Fellowa The reasons against catho-
iies taking out membership cards In
these two organizations seem 90 Be ds-
/ rived from the un-Cathoiic tone Of their
ritual and the pledge OF secrecy which
II 90 arm as 10 forbid the tellinE OF the
secrets even 20 our eonfeasor, who
holds In our regard under the ruling of
Christ the place OF director Of eur
souls and 20 the confident OF ali our Sc
creta The evil that can be wrought
upon tho conscience OF some persons
through the agency OF an invioiabio
secrecy is great withheld from asking
the advice OF his eonfeasor a man may
be led 20 take up with views that are
against his divine faith ana with ao-
Na A..
Christian code OF morals. No society
that demands Of It's members the prom-
Use not TO consult their father eonfea-
sor on any point even though II may
seem 10 have a bearing on their re-
hgion and therefore OF Christa COM
mand must be submitted 20 the judg-
ment OF the priest can have the alie-
glance OF any Catholic who desires to
be faithful son OF the church. Such
an atmosphere tends TO rob him Of hia
spirit OF catholicity. which ia when
expressed In other words. the soura
tendency TO rely on the Divinely- ap-
pointed sources OF religious authority
for his faith and 20 bear towards the
authority an attitude OF obedienee and
respect A Catholic by entering into
such societies as the Odd Fellows or tho
knights OF Pythias sins In a grievous
manner by his action and renders him-
SELF incapable OF making a good con4
fession until he surrenders his mem@
bership. At times one meets with Cath
olics who profess there is nothing Of
opposition In such societies towards any
OF the tenents OF the Catholic church
and that Il IL TO the good OF their busi-
ness to wear the button OF these fra
ternal organizations. The principle
that holds us aloof from the maze OF
errors and contradictions that char
acterize our non-Cathoiics Is the prin-
eiple OF authority. In selecting our
lodges IL Is OF the highest Importance
that we allow that same principle ta
obtain and thus save ourselves from
an atmosphere that threatens TO ruin
our God-given gift OF membership in
Christs church. That principle de-
mands that we listen TO and obey tho
church when for reasons which appear
To her In her wide and sound wisdom
as forcible she speaks out 10 her chill
dren that they must not Join such and
such societies That speaking is suf-
hclent whether we see its wisdom or
not and the Catholic is proving him
self un-catholic II he flies In the face
OF such prohibition.