The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-08-21
AVAILABILITY AND INSPIRA-
TON.

Strangers to our creed are contin-
ually thrusting upon us view of
Papal infallibility which we have al
ways rejected, and must reject, if we
would not falsify revealed doctrine,
writes William Canon Barry, D. D.,
in the London Catholic Times. They
seem to believe that we believe in
sort of Delphic oracle-I would even
put it loWer-in a bureau of general
information on all possible subjects at
all moments where, by a Midas touch,
every conceivable problem is turned
at our asking into divinely safe
guarded assertion. When the Pope
said (if he did say it, about certain
matters of fact in this war, II cam
not judge because do not know" the
yellow pressman wondered. But why
should the Pope know? In virtue of
his office? Then he might claim all
knowledge, not only political but his
torical, scientific, and the rest. Of
course, he makes no such preposter-
Gus claim. And if not in virtue of
his office, by what means shall he
learn AS all the world learns, by
common evidence submitted to cross
examination. Facts of this kind do
not belong to the same sphere as dog
mas and articles of faith. Some stand
in closer relation to religious truth
than others; the more complicated or
conflicting the evidence so much more
difficult will it be to reach conclusions
that are binding on the Church. In
multitude of cases no conclusions at
once certain and demonstrable can be
attained. Infallibility is not oIhnis-
cience. No doubt the Holy Father,
speaking ex-cathedra, is the supreme
judge of doctrine in faith and morals.
But the clearest vision of ethical prin-
ciples will not supply particular knowl-
edge concerning alleged facts. Nor
is there a divine promise that such
knowledge shall be given. Indirectly,
by virtue of the Revelation itself, we
can be sure that some facts which
are necessary to its truth and it's pres
ervation have indeed taken place.
But the events of this war do not fall
into the class of necessary dogmatic
facts. Whatever light anyone may
have upon them is the light of COM
mon day, accessible to all men, spe-
cial to none.
If the average journalist should
glance at the paragraph just written
can fancy his bewilderment. What
is it all about? What do / mean by
Revelation, dogmatic facts, the Pope
ex-cathedra? 1t is all Greek to him.
So it is; and he ought to be ashamed
of meddling with an art, science, a
language, completely beyond his
range. He goes to the Vatican as to
an inspired oracle. But we deny that
the gift of infallible teaching is the
same as inspiration. We do not
ascribe inerrancy to the Holy Fathers
private talk. We distinguish care
fully between the very documents that
he signs and seals. History brings
out great variations in the temporal
conduct held by different Pontiffs
How should it be otherwise? Govern
ment deals with action; the executive
is one thing; the legislative is some
thing else; the judicial is a third;
and the doctrinally ignorant inter
viewer melts all these functions into
a haze or fog, out of which the
Pope looms large as sort of super
natural monster from whom he ex-
poets to get copy. 1t is grotesque;
at is degrading; and FIVE minutes
meditation before the altar will warn
us how deadly might be it's conse-
quences. When Rome speaks, the
question on which in due form and
style she utters her judgment is de.
cided. But no editors chair, that
ever was or will be is the Chair of
Peter.