The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-10-11
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE.
THE SINS OF A DRUNkARD.

1. Whosoever deliberately drinks to
such an extent as to lose his reason,
commits a mortal sin.
2. Whosoever knows by past exper-
fence that certain quantity of liquor
has rendered him intoxicated, if he
again drinks to the same degree,
whereby he does, can, and ought to
foresee that drunkenness will ensue,
commits a mortal sin.
3. Whosoever continues to drink,
notwithstanding his probable belief
that intoxication will be the result,
and notwithstanding that he foresees,
or ought to foresee, this danger, COM
mits mortal sin.
4. WhosoeVer knows by past ex-
perience that when drunk he is accus-
toned to blaspheme, or utter i'm
proper language, or to strike other
individuals about him, besides the
mortal sin of drunkenness, is guilty
of those other crimes, either mortal or
Venial, committed during the state of
intoxication.
5. Whosoever knows by past ex-
perience that by frequenting ale
houses, ginshops and taverns, or by
going thither in company with others,
he is generally accustomed to fall into
drunkenness, is obliged under mortal
sin to avoid the proximate occasion of
sin, that is, to abstain from frequent
ing such ale-houses, gin-shops or
taVerns, or from going thither with
such company.
8. Whosoever goes to Confession,
and has no true and firm resolution
| of abstaining in the cases aforesaid,
cannot be absolved and, should he re
ceive absolution, it is not only of no
avail, but he becomes guilty of sacri-
legious Confession.
T. Whosoever does not adopt the
proper means for the correction of
this vicious habit of drunkenness,
commits another mortal sin, distinct
from the actual sin of drunkenness,
and, moreover remains in a continual
state of sim
| 8. Whosoever entices and urges
another to excess in drinking, whom
he foresees will be intoxicated, com
mits a mortal SIM
9. Any seller of liquor who con-
tinues to supply it to an individual
whom he knows will become in
toxicated Herewith, commits a mortal
sin, because he deliberately cooperates
in the grievous sin of another.
10. Whosoever is guilty of intern
perance in drinking, even though not
to intoxication, but thereby causing
great distress to his family, squander-
ing away by his intemperance that
which should serve for their support,
commits mortal sin against charity
and justice. In like manner, whose
ever thus renders himself incapable
of the payment of his debts, although
he may not drink to intoxication, COM
mits mortal sin
1t should be sufficient argument with
any reasonable man to know that this
evil, as an enemy of man, wounds him
wherever he can be wounded.
Sickness is an evil, but it wounds
only his health; misfortune may take
away his property, but it wounds only
his possessions. SANDER may take
away his good name, it wounds only
character Blindness may take away
his sight and deafness his hearing, and
so with all his senses, but these
affections touch not his true man
hood.
Death may take away his life, but
he dies sound of mind and in the hope
of heaven, and thus it is throughout
the whole catalogue of natural and
social ills, they all come singly and
alone.
Intemperance strikes at the whole
man, it wounds him in time and for
eternity. 1t takes away health, prop
erty, friends, manhood, character,
liberty, brutalizes all moral instinct,
degrades the intellectual faculties,
natural affection, destroys every talent
for good, takes life and destroys the
immortal soul.
BY accident, man may die of poi
son, but he dies sane The drunkard
dies fool. In this country alone at
least 100000 die annually of strong
drink.
In the United States of America
about $4,000, 100000 are spent annually
for intoxicating liquors. How much
misery and crime and woe are con-
nected with this awful sin! How
many tears and curses of despairing
mothers and wives and desolate
orphans! At least half of the crimes,
three-fourths of all poverty and a
large percentage of the insanity are
caused by this worse than useless, de-
PRAYED appetite.
Total abstinence is the only safe
guard against the devastating plague
of intemperance.
Become a total abstainer for the
love of God and the good of your soul
and body, and you will never regret
it, especially not in the hour of death.
From THE Echo, adapted
bD Rep James Watcher