The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-02-28
WHAT KEEPS PRoTEsTANTs OUT
OF THE CHURCH?
Pride of Human Reason and Ignorance
of Catholic Belief and Practice,
Says Archbishop Mannix.


tralia, preaching recently from the
text "and other sheep l have that are
not of this fold; them also | must
bring, and they shall hear My voice,
and there shall be one fold and one
Shepherd" John X, 16), said:
"The Church of God was to be one
fold. But outside the Catholic Church
there exists, not the unity of a single
fold under one Shepherd but the chaos
and confusion of shepherds innumer-
able, calling to sheep that will not fol-
low l speak not merely of the con-
fusion and discord between the differ
ent sects of different nations, but of
that existing between the sects of the
same country and between those who,
because they were born into the same
sect rather than from any unity of re-
ligious conviction, sit side by side
upon the benches of church or chapel.
They may be, and many of them are,
earnest, Jealous, pious people, but they
are other sheep who are not of the
fold of Christ That pride which pre-
vents people from accepting the in
fallible authority of the Church instead
of their own private judgment is one
of the chief, if not the greatest OBJ
stacle, to conversion from Protestant
ism.
"Of course, there are other OBJ
tacles, and very serious ones. There
| is among Professionals an appalling ig-
norance of what Catholic belief and
practice is. We live in the midst Of
them, and for the most part they are
good neighbors, as we say, and friend
ly. But they know very little about
our religious belief. They see that
we go to church more regularly, in
deed, than they do, and that we alb
stain from meat on certain occasions,
! and that we are, therefore trouble
some guests to provide for on a Friday
or a fasting day. They know very
little else about our faith. With many
of them, almost all, the rest is mere
suspicion and error. They have an
uneasy feeling that we give divine
worship to the Blessed Virgin Mary,
to the saints and even to images; that
we buy pardon for sin in confession;
that we can take out license to
commit sin by paying for indulgences;
that we immune nuns in prisons which
we call converts and keep them there
against their will; that we believe
that the Pope cannot commit sin, and
that he can bind us to accept any
teaching he pleases, in religion,
astronomy, politics or any other sci
ence. Is it any wonder that they do
not flock into the Church? If the
Catholic Church we're what they think
it to be, they would assuredly be
bound to keep far from it.
Born with Them, as it Were.
But, you will ask, why do they not
seek information? Why do they not
open their eyes to facts around them
on every side? In many cases, not in
all, it is because prejudice against the
Church has been born with them, as
it were. From their very earliest
years many of them have been taught
!, to distrust and hate priests and nuns
and to abhor what they think to be
Catholic faith and practice. Very
often, apparently, that is the only re
, ligious instruction, the only spiritua
capital, with which children are start
ed in life. That is a definite creed
easy to teach and 20 learn. Othe!
| teaching in the sects is not so readil!
: formulated or assimilated. Whe1
/ these children grow up the cas'
against the Catholic Church is alread!
) prejudiced, and finally decided. /
: seldom occurs to them to examine tn
ground Of their preconceived view, o
! to hear what the Church has to sa,
t for herself Or, If such thought doe
enter their minds, they at once ban
5 ish it as temptation or a foolish sue
e gestion. For us we can only pray tina
e the fitness of time may be FASTENED
e that the light may shine in darkness
/: that the Church may be seen In ne
q own colors and that within her fol
!. all those who seek the truth may a
/ length find the peace and joy an
e rest that belong to the true believes
The Protestant Mind Rebels Agains
/ Authority.
e Even though the mists OF pref
dice and ignorance regarding tn
n Church were dissipated, there woul
v still remain the difficulty Of submit
d ting to the authority OF the Churcl