Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-15
CHURCH'S VIEW
OF 4CONFESS|ON"
Father Harvey Explains Cath
olic Doctrine of Forgive
ness of Sins.

Rev. John 3. Harvey gave his sixth
lecture last night in st. Bridget's
Church, Plane street, where a mission
Tor non-Catholics is being held this
week.
The priest discussed Confession"
Beginning with a reference to the
fact that the practise of confession
has always been looked on with sharp
suspicion by the world at large,
Father Harvey answered briefly two
of the Misunderstanding which he
claimed were responsible for most of
the opposition.
Many people," the speaker said.
imagine that the Catholic Church
claims to forgive sins. by.~virtue of
power independent of God. Now the
church does assert that her priests
have a real true power to. pardon
sins.
Their office is not merely interces-
sion--restricted to prayers that God
mercifully forgives-but 1t is also eff
Gent, consisting in the actual remis-
sion of sin.
This claim,' he explained. 'is not
derogatory to the rights of God 1t
is merely an assertion that God has
made men his agents in the blessed
work of forgiving sin. The priest is
simply conscious, intelligent, free
instrument in the hands of God just
as truly as a pen is an instrument
in our hands.
1.-THE second Misunderstanding was
concerning the conditions laid down
by the Catholic Church for the gain
ing of pardon.
Claims have been made that the
church demands nothing more than
the confession of ones sins to a
priest; that she does not require true
sorrow nor any resolve to lead a
better life
Five Things Essential.
How intelligent and fair-minded
people could hold such a view of the
church doctrine is hard to under
stand since the simplest catechism
states very clearly that one who
wishes to have his sins forgiven must
do five things: First, examine his
conscience; second, be truly sorry for
his sins; third, make firm resolu-
ton never more to offend God;
fourth, confess his sins to a priest;
fifth, accept the penance given to
him. Every Catholic knows (for 1t
is continually insisted on) that it is
worse than useless for him to go to
confession unless he sincerely repents
of his past sins and is honestly de-
termined to amend his life. What
church on earth makes the way out
of sin harder and more painful for
the sinner
"A true, clear understanding of
1 Gods holy law; wide, exhaustive
and reliable knowledge of ones self
Gre its first fruits. That knowledge
deepens ones sorrow for sin and
shows how sin may be more success
fully avoided in the future. The prac-
tise of confession has a restraining
AT1A nxyor oh ut,
sion, roots up vicious habits, and
plants in their soul the seeds of Chris
tan virtue
Catholics who continue to lead bad
lives, who do not become better as
the years go by, either do not go
regularly to confession or else do not
confess in the right way" he said
'It is impossible to go to confess
sion regularly, frequently and in the
right spirit without approaching more
and more closely the standard of
Christian excellence. A second line
of thought" he continued, suggested
in support of the Catholic doctrine.
Consists of an examination of God s
dealing with men.
Every good gift has come to us
from God. Life, health, strength,
prosperity, knowledge, friends, re-
ligious instruction, all these gifts in
their countless shapes and varieties
have come from our Heavenly Father.
Bounty of God.
But how? Through created chan
nels, through human agents, or has
God impaired these gifts directly, by
his own hand. independently of other
fellow creatures? For answer men
need only to look into their own lives.
Every gift, whether for body or for
soul, has come through our fellow
creatures. The world around us
sun, moon, stars, air, water, minerals
plants, animals, our fellow men-al
are channels and agents of Gods I'M
speakable bounty. Concerning one
gift there is a question tonight-the
gift Of oardon fer sin We all believe
that God grants it. How? In the
very way in which He bestows HIS
ofher favors," answers the Catholic
Church.
Through human agents. through
men whom He has made the dis
pensers of His mysteries the minis
tiers of reconciliation, No. that is
not the way answer the Catholic
world.
BY what argument do they sup
port this view? None is offered, none
can be devised. Reason working on
the facts of experience tells us that
the Catholic Church is RIGHT. That
assertion Of reason is backed up by
Scripture.
There in plain simple words we are
told that Christ, our Lord and God
actually gave HIS apostles the power
TO forgive sin. But that power died
out with Them some men answer.
How is that?' we reply Did Christ
die only for the generation that cruc'-
fed Him? His gospel we are bou~d
to accept. His law binds us, the
threats he uttered were meant for I'M
repentant sinners among us. How
then shall men say that we have no
part in His mercies that His good
ness and love have been cut short q
Such an assertion is an insult to
Christ, a denial that He is our Re-
deemer. His gospels, His laws. His
Of e..