The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-12-13
PREACHER DEFINES
CATHOLIC TEACHINGS
VI, On "Religion in Spirit and In
Truth"
NO VAST EXTERN Ais NJ
Says Church Is External Visible So
ciety Instituted BY Christ Among
Men, With But One Aim--to Make
Men Love God

''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 20 the truth
taught by Christ, so that following n
rightly instructed conscience. they
might enjoy forever the presence OF
God"
Such was Father Bertrand l.. Con
ways definition Of the position of the
! Catholic Church in its enforcement
OF its teachings and practices given
last night in his lecture on Religion
in Spirit and in Truth at Sacred
Heart Cathedral.
1T Is often stated" said Father
Conway. by non-Catholics, that Ca
tholic!snl Is a vast externalism en-
forcing rigid belief and practice by a
strong central authority, which insist
upon a creature worship. that OBJ
scures the perfect vision of the Christ,
controls mems condolences in the con-
fsssionalism and weakens their char
acter by a psuedo pardoning power.
and makes too prominent the external
side Of religion in the excessive pomp
of liturgy and ceremony.
TT is true. indeed. that the church
is an external visible society insti-
tutcd by Christ among men. but all
its externais. papacy. hierarchy, priest
hood, sacraments, liturgy. laws. cere-
monies. etc. have but one aim. to
make men love God with their whole
mind and 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-
fhnFtfy thu ahad{Arna INV dfv{ssa
commandment unto a divine authority
speaking in the name OF Jesus Christ,
the Son Of God. When the Pope
speaks as infailible teacher to all the
flock OF Christ, he gives not his own
private views on the Gospel. but sets
forth the teaching of Jesus and
morals.
The love that Catholics bear the
Virgin Mary and the many sanity
men and women who on earth fol-
lowed in the footsteps of Christ does
not In any way hinder their love Of
Jesus Christ. They no more interfere
with our access to Christ than the
pipe which carries water from tbs
reservoir prevents that water from
entering into our houses. We wor.
ship God only. Father, Son and Hol,
Spirit We love the saints as creature,
of God, praising God for the Eraces
! anu VltfbO8C9 x1H Has UG6kUWGu upOi
| them. All love for them IL really ulti.
mately directed to God on whom thei,
sanctity depended. God is no more
jealous OF our love for His friends
than painter or author il jealou.
OF the praise you give hts work
The Catholic Church has always
maintained the inviolability Of the In
dividual conscience. The only reason
OF her existence 10 to teach men their
/ Il r-S<l
taught by Christ. SO that following
rightly instructed conscience. the,
| might enjoy forever the presence O
| God. She teaches that conscience i,
| ever the interpreter Of the moral Law
to the individual; It must needs b
obeyed, for Its power to comma nd
comes from the fact Of Its being thu
| voice of God. Pope Innocent III taugh,
plainly: Whatever 10 done contrary
to conscience leads to hell
Contrftion Necessary.
''The confessional in the Catholic
Church does not imply that q man 1,
pardoned OF sins merely by teliins
them. without eontrition. or sorrow
and detestation Of sin, with O frT
purpose of SHINING no more. nc for
giveness In possible. The Catholic
must have true, intense sorrow fol
each and every mortal ain he has com
| mitted. Moreover this sorrow must b;
supernatural, resting not on the natura
consequences Of hts sin. but on tn.
! fear of he'll. the loss Of heaven, ol
/ the love of God. He must detest str
as the greatest evil In tho world. ant
| sincerely promise to avoid It and tn.
occasions thereof in tho future. HI
must be ready also to make good thu
| past by repairing any injury no may
have done his neiEhbor in his charac.
| ter or in his property. and satisfy Coo
| in union with the infinite satistacttor
OF Christ by performing the penAnc&
entoined by his confessor.
I'VE could perhaps worship God with
out ceremonies. but only by going con.
trary to human nature. the SAcre<