The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-10-30


hospitals in st. Paul and Minneapolis?
st. Josephs Hospital, ST. Paul,
Ninth and Exchange Streets; St.
Mary's Hospital, Minneapolis, 24l6
Sixth Street s.
NY nephew was given a Christian
name in baptism, but he has always
been called by another name. When
he is ordained, which he looks for
ward to, will it be lawful for him to
be called to orders by his common
name or, must he be called by his
Christian name.
He will be called to orders by his
Christian name.
Did the Church at any time during
its history sanction slavery?
The Church has always taught the
Gospel of her divine Teacher, Jesus
Christ. In this Gospel as st. Paul
tells us, LAS many as have been bap-
tized in Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek; there
is neither bond nor free; there is
neither male, nor female. For you are
all one in Christ Jesus" The Church
administered the same sacraments to
all. The slave or the freeman re-
eeived the same baptism, had his sins
pardoned in the same sacrament of
penance, was nourished with the same
Holy Eucharist, was united in mar
riage with the same sacrament OF
matrimony. In doing this the Church
taught in the strongest way the essen
tial equality of men. Nevertheless, the
Apostles in carrying this gospel to all
nations did not issue to slaves in each
nation a public proclamation of their
enfranchisement. This would have
been futile and worse than foolhardy
It would have led to revolution and
have accomplished nothing. Besides,
the Church was not to be established
by public legislation. The Kingdom OF
God is within you. It was preached
to the individual. The little leaven had
TO enter into the heart of each before
the whole mass could be leavened
Neither in the first days of Christiani-
ty, nor today, nor at any other time
could morality be legislated into man
The individual must repent and be
baptized. BY word, also, the Apostles
taught that the law of justice rested
on the STAKEHOLDER as well as on the
slave. st. Paul tells the slaves to
serve their masters as they would
Christ, doing the will of God from the
heart, land you masters he says
(Ephes. VI, 81, do the same things to
them, forbearing threatening, knowing
that the Lord both of them and yor
is in heaven, and there is no respect
OF persons with Him." Again in Col
III and ", he gives the same com
mand to servants and masters; to the
latter, Masters do to your servants
that which is just and equal, knowing
that you also have a master iI
heaven" st. Peter bids the slaves be
subject to their masters: mot only tC
the good and gentle; but also to the
froward. This is thanksworthy if fol
conscience toward God a man endure
sorrows suffering wrongfully."
By his own example st. Paul gave
to manual labor dignity that pre-
viousIy it had not possessed in thu
pagan world. He worked with his owl
hands as a tent-maker and in doint
so, he elevated to a place of respec
the office itself that the slaves held
It is true that this was novelty t
the Greeks and Romans; but it wa
the leaven that has leavened the Who'll,
lump. The whole world now respect
manual labor.
To our well founded horror 0
slavery, it may seem strange that tn
Apostles would admit into the Churcl
shareholders and allow them to re
tain possession OF their slaves. TIL
Church followed this course becaus
slavery in itself does not necessaril
violate the natural law. A man is fire.
to make a contract with another TO
his time and labor for period of on
year, or several years and even If h
chooses for his whole life time. Thi
would be to make himself a slave t
another. Slavery of this type, tn
Church, when circumstances made
a lesser evil, tolerated. In her Who'll
history, however, she never sane
toned any more intimate possession
of fellow-being than would extend t
his time and labor. To the pagal
mind the slave was not person" h
had no rights He could be abused ur
mercifully, his life could be taken b
his master and no wrong was done
The Church from the beginning, as W
have seen, condemned this practice.
She went further. She not only les
sened the evils attached to slavery
but tried to abolish it in every form
Christians very often gave freedom t
their slaves as an aims. Even in tn
first centuries the Church used it
common resources to purchase the Ell
REIMBURSEMENT of slaves. (cf. st. Igns
tins ad Polyc. and Apost. Const. ~
ILL Some Christians sold themselve
into slavery to deliver others. Is
Clement, Cor" IV) Palladius tell
us of one Christian (Melania) VIII
freed eight thousand slaves, TIL
Church at different times in her hi!
tory founded congregations of me
whose whole purpose in life was I
secure the Acknowledgement of slaves
Ito become a hostage in the hands {
Infidels if that is necessary for tn
deliverance of Christ's faithful" Fc
this purpose the "Trinitarians'' wer
orsanize1 in 1893. the tsMercadarians