The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-07-03


Holy Communion always means the
receiving of the Holy Eucharist, the
sacrament which contains the Body
and Blood, the Soul and the Divinity
of Our Lord Jesus Christ under the
appearances of bread and wine. An
act of such dignity deserves solemn
ity. The Church encourages all the
solemnity that may be attached to the
reception of the Holy Eucharist. Be-
fore the child is admitted to such pub
lie and solemn reception OF Holy
Eucharist some considerable knoWl-
edge of the catechism is required.
This the ordinary child attains about
his ninth or tenth year. 1t is not &C.
cording to the mind of the Church as
recently expressed by Plus x OF
blessed memory that children be with
held from Holy Communion for SO
long a time. He has insisted that
children who have attained the age OF
reason are subject to the general law
of the Church on this matter and
must be admitted to Holy Communion
even though they may have but a
meagre knowledge of the catech1sm
He saws further that the father and
mother should bring their child to
Holy Communion. 1t is this recelV-
ing of the Holy Eucharist which is
called Private Communion. Before
Private Communion the child must
be instructed for some days on what
he or she is about to do.
What is the latest official estimate
of the Catholic population (a) of the
United States, (b) of the world, (c)
the percent of increase since the
former census, (d) of the. Protestant
denominations?
(a) The latest official record gives
the Catholic population of the United
States to be 16,909,S10; (b) the in
crease in the number of Catholics in
the United States during the. year
1914 is 241,325; (c) the estimated
number of Catholics in the world is
292, 787,OS5; I'D Protestant communi-
cants, 21,663,24S; Protestant Gnclud-
ing all denominations who are not
Catholic, Jew or heathen), 65,00O,O0O;
(e) in the world, 1S6,055,624. Total
number of Christians in the world, in
GLIDING Russian and Oriental Schis-
matics, 617, 972,918. We can state with
certainty that the number of Catholic
in the United States is considerably
larger than the figure given above.
The defect in the statistics comes
from various causes.
Please explain the nine Fridays and
how to perform the same?
The nine Fridays refer to promise
made to Blessed Margaret Mary Ala
coque in a vision of Our Lord with
which she was favored Our Lord at
this time promised to Margaret Mary
among other things that all who
would receive Holy Communion
worthily on the first Friday of each
month for nine consecutive months
would not die without the sacramento
necessary for his salvation. By com
plying with the condition specified we
secure the fulfillment of the promise
Where can purchase a Child's
illustrated History of the Bible?
Any Catholic church goods house
will supply you. There is a number
of such books published in this coun
try and if you apply to your pastor
he will be very glad to procure one
for you.
viii there be retreat for womer
in st. Paul or vicinity during the
month of July?
AS far as we are aware no retreat
for women will be given in st. Pau
or vicinity this summer.
Were the Roman Catholic priests
allowed to marry in the early illness
When was cefibacy introduced, and by
what Pope? Is there small commun
ity living in the mountains of the Holy
Land, in union with Rome, whose
priests marry?
In early times, married men were
ordained deacons and priests, as the
rapid spread of Christianity rendered
such a course necessary. These dea
COILS, pTl6SIS anu uiSnOpS WCAC oAlO"
ed to retain their wives, but were
not allowed to marry again, in case
their wives died. On the other hand
no deacon, or priest, or bishop could
marry after ordination. The first
enactment in favor of celibacy was
passed by the Spanish Council of FL
vira about the year 800, which de
manded deacons, priests and bishops
to separate from their wives, and to
make vow of perpetual confluence
A similar decree was passed by a
Roman council under Pope Siricius in
$50.
In the Eastern Church, although nc
marriage was allowed after ordina
ton, married men could be ordained
and retain their wives This is still
the custom in the East for the secular
clergy. The higher clergy, bishops
archbishops and patriarchs, must be
celibates. These are usually chosen
from the regular clergy. The Uniat
Churches, that is, those in communion
with Rome, are gradually enforcing
celibacy upon all the clergy. Priests
do not marry in the East, including
the Holy Land.
What is the proper manner of assist
ING at Requiem High Mass?
Kneel from the beginning of the Re
n,,iov,a ,,pfil fho roo dino 0r cinCiue M