South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-10-22
THE HEREAF TER"
WILL Be subject
Father Conway to Treat on
Corairg Future Life-Many
Questions Answered. :

a.
although the lectures are themselves
Of Great interest. exceptional interest
is being displayed I'm the question boX
Father Conway received 80 questions
Thursday night and occupied an hour
last evening previous TO the lecture IN
answering them.
The Catholic church has always
maintained the inviolability OF the IN
dividual conscience. The only reason
of her. existence is to teach men their
individual responsibility TO the truth
taught by Christ. so that following a
rightly instructed conscience, they
might enjoy forever the presence OF
God"
such was Fr Conway's definition
of the position of the Catholic church
in its enforcement Of its teachings
and practices given last evening IN
his lecture on Religion in Spirit ana
in Truth"
DR. Thomas ]. Dehey introduced the
speaker and a vocal number was
given bv Miss Josephine Decker, ac-
ccmpanfed by Miss Helen Guihoyle-
EFT is often stated" said Father
Conway "by nOn-CathOlIcs that Ca
tholicism is a vast eXternalism en-
forcing rigid belief and practice by
strong central authority. which insist
uuOn a creature worship, that oD-
controls mems consciepces in the con-
fessional and weakens their character
by a pseudo pardoning power, ana
makes too prominent the external side
of religion in the excessive pOmp OF
liturgy and ceremony
II Is true indeed that the church is
an external visible society instituted
by Christ among men, but all IT'S eN-
ternals. papacy, hierarchy, priesthood,
mic
etc. have but one aim, TO make men
love God with their whole mind an
soul and strength, and their neighbOr
for Gods sake.
Not Blind Obedience.
$The submission Of the Catholic TO
his church is not a blind degrading
obedience to an arbitrary human au-
fhority. but the obedience by divine
commandment unto a divine authority
speaking in the name OF Jesus christ
the Son Of God. When the pope speaks
as infallible teacher to all the Hock
OF Christ, he gives not his own prl-
vate views on the gospel. but sets
forth the teaching cf Jesus and the
II on questions OF faith and morals
"The love that Catholics bear the
Virgin Mary and the many sanity men
and women who on earth followed IN
the footsteps OF Christ, does not in
any way hinder their love OF Jesus
Christ They no more interfere Win
our access to Christ than the pipe
which carries water from the reservoir
prevents that water from entering into
our houses. We worship God only.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit We love
the saints as creatures of God, prals-
ing God for the graces and privileges
lie has bestowed upon them. All love
for them is really ultimately directed
to God on whom their sancuty de-
pended. God is no more jealous OF
our love for His friends, than paint
pr or author is jealous OF the praise
YOU give his work.
The Catholic church has always
maintained the inviOlability of the in
dividuaI conscience. The only reason
of her existence is TO teach men their
individual responsibility to the truth
taught By Christ, SO that following a
rightly instructed conscience, they
might enjoy forever the presence or
God. She teaches that conscience is
ever the interpreter of the moral law
TO the individual; it must needs be
obeyed. for its power TO command
comes from the fact of its being the
voice OF God. Pope Innocent III taught
plainly: Whatever is done contrary
to conscience leads to hell
ContritiOn Necessary.
THE confessional in the Catholic
church does not imply that man IS
pardoned of sins merely IVY telling
them without contrition, or sorrow
and detestation of sin, with a firm
purpose of SHINING no more, no for
giVeness is possible. The Catholic must
have a true. intense sorrow for each
and every mortal sin he has COM
mftted. Moreover this sorrow must be
supernatural, resting not on the nat
ural consequences of his sin, but on
the fear of hell. the loss of heaven, or
the love OF God. lie must detest sin
as the greatest evil in the world, and
sincerely promise 20 avoid il and the
occasions thereof I'm the future. He
must De ready also TO make good the
past by repairing any injury he may
have done his neighoOr in his cnarac-
ter or I'm his property. and satisfy God
IN union with the Infinite satisfaction
OF Christ by performing the penance
enioined by his confessor.
I'VE could perhaps worship God
without ceremonies, but only by going
contrary to human nature. the Sacred
Scriptures and the tradition of ,he
Christian church from the very be-
ginning Ceremony may well be styled
the clothes OF religion. We might
worship God without external POmp,
II we were living ON a lonely island OF
the HdCluc. bUl Tor ClNlllLtu tolu-
munities ceremony becomes necessary
indeed IL is natural 90 man. We are
not disem bodied spirits. but creatures
made up OF body and soul. Ii is a
fact that I'm everything else we give
expression Outwardly 20 what we feel
interiorily: why. then. should re-
ligion be the one exception?
Christ l. Present.
Why should ceremony be the law
in all things human-in society, in
the court room, in the army and navy
in the lodge-and yet be debarred
from things divine
we believe that Christ is present
on our affairs. and that our churches
therefore are in "a true sense temples
OF God. Ther 'are. silver gold. flow
ers, incensr Isshted candles archi-
lecture. - .aHre. painting music. al
these extern things vie with one an
other 20 Sha1s respect 10 the Lord God