The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-10-18

I. Why was Joan Of Arc executed?
2. Will you please publish the poem
In English entitled, "Ora Pro Nobis,"
of which the first verse beings "Twas
of a dark and stormy night, into the
church the fold had gone" 8. What
is the condition of the Church in Mex
leo? Is the present government In
sympathy with the Church? 4. What
was the nature of the conVent inspec-
ton law of Arkansas?
l.. The final charge upon which
Joan of Arc was found guilty, vas that
she was a relapsed hereto. Impartial
historians of her trial declare that
there was no foundation for such a
charge. The fact of the matter seems
to be that the English leaders to whom
she was sold after her capture at Com
piegne, determined on her death at
any cost, and in order to afford some
justification for what was otherwise
unjustifable, they charged her with
heresy and witchcraft. She vas sum-
moned for trial before a body of &C.
clesiastics, but was not allowed an adj
vocate to plead her ause. She had
been already prejudged and her con
demnation was a matter of course.
Her visions and dreams were declared
false and diabolical" and her retract-
alton was demanded under pain of be-
ing turned over to the secular arm
if she refused. This was equivalent
to condemnation to the stake, that is,
to death by fire. She was brow-beaten
by her and judges and she
finally subscribed to some sort of re-
tractation. But when she cas-
serted her innocence and pro-
claimed the divine origin of
the voice which babe her rescue
France from her enemies, she was
declared to be a relapsed hereto
and was burned to death at the stake,
May 80, 1431. How unjustified her
condemnation was is shown by the
fact that, t%wenty-four years later, she
was rehabilitated by the appellate
court constituted by the Pope to ex-
anime the process by which she was
condemned. This court reversed and
nulliied the first sentence and de-
clared the process illegal. It's
decision in regard to her innocence
was ratified in recent years by her
elevation to the rank of the beatified.
1t is not improbable that she will be
canonized in the course of a year or
two. 2. We find no reference to this
poem in any work to which we have
access. Perhaps some of u readers
may be able to locate it. We are in
clined to think that there is a mistake
in the lines given in the foregoing. 3.
The Catholic religion is still the state
religion of Mexico, the religion of the
great masses of the people. The lead
ers, however, have fallen away from
allegiance to the Church and have al
lied themselves with the Masonic fra
ternity, and they alone are responsible
for the deplorable condition which now
exists in that country. The decline in
Mexico began with the expulsion of
the Spaniards on March 20, 1929, and
was accelerated by the decree of the
ultra liberal Congress of 1888 which
expelled the religious orders and thus
deprived the people of moral and re-
ligious teaching. The rulers of the Re
public and the members of the cab
met are enemies not only of the Cath
Ole religion, but of Christianity itself.
No man who is known to be a prac-
teal Catholic can hope to attain to
any position of prominence in the gov
eminent of the country. In spite OF
this, the common people are faithful
to the Church and all the efforts put
forth by the Protestant sect have not
succeeded in weaving them from their
allegiance to her. 4. We do not re-
call the exact provisions of this bill
which, however, did not become a law.
It's general tenor was such as to en-
able any bigot to bring about a raid
upon the private homes of the sister
hoods for the purpose of ascertaining
whether or not they were guilty of the
crimes alleged against them by ire
sponsible parties.
What is meant by "The Truce OF
God?"
"The Truce of Cod was a law in
troduced by the Church to gradually
stamp out the continual wars among
the barons of Europe. After the in
vasion of the barbarians and their con-
version to Christianity they still re-
tanned much of their war-like nature,
and the lords, little and great, whose
strongly fortified castles crowned the
hills from one end of Europe to the
other, had continual ecour to arms
to avenge their real or imaginary
wrongs Everyone, but especially the
poor people who dwelt on the plains,
suffered much from these constant
battles. The Church, fearing to at
tempt to secure absolute peace, pro-
posed a truce for certain days. This
truce was preached by many, but espe-
cially by st. Odilo, Abbot of Cluny,
and the Blessed Richard, Abbot of
Verdun. The last days of the week,
as the most sacred on account of the
institution of the Eucharist, the death,
burial and resurrection of Jesus, were
selected as days of peace. Once this
truce was accepted the Church en-
forced it's observance. Several coun-
ellis commanded, under pain of excom
~munication, that all knights, barons
and lords must cease hostilities from
each Wednesday evening till Monday
morning and during all Of Lent and
Advent. This regulation, which did