The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-04-29
FAITH AND SINS AGAINST 1T.

or to do or say anything which is
equivalent to denial of it, or which
shows that We are ashamed of it,
says writer in the Providence Wis
ltor.' For he that shall be ashamed
of Me and of My words, of him the
Son of Man shall be ashamed, when.
He shall come in His majesty, and
that of His Father and. of the holy
angels" However, the obligation of
protesting the faith is affirmative and
so always binds, but not for always
In other words we may never deny
the faith, but we are only bound to
profess it openly when the divine, or
natural, or positive law require it.
A man might travel for months among
heathens or heretics without making
his faith known to any one. AS a
rule it is better openly to profess ones
religion so that all may know we are
Catholics; but under certain circum-
stances it might be lawful to conceal
ones conversion to the faith for a
time.
A Catholic who on being asked de-
MES that he is one, does not neces-
Sarily deny the faith. Such an answer
might merely be a fitting reply to an
impertinent question 1t will, how
ever, be a denial of the faith when the
circumstances require that an open
profession of it should be made. A
Catholic who flies from persecution, or
disguises himself, or eats meat on days
of abstinence in order to avoid detec-
tiOn, does not thereby deny the faith.
1t is better never to enter non-Cath-
Ollie places of worship, or to be present
at non.Catholic religious functions and
this is of obligation whenever such
acts would be interpreted as counte-
nancing false religion. or as showing
spirit in indifferentism, or whenever
there would be a scandal or danger
of perVersiOn, or whenever lawful au-
thority forbids them. Otherwise, mere
ly to enter an heretical place of wor-
ship or to be present at non-Catho-.
lie religious function, such as burial,
or a marriage without taking a part
in the ceremony, is not sinful and
may be permitted for good cause.
All communication with non-Cath-
olics in the religious rites and cere-
monies, is as rule forbidden to Catho-
lies. To take part in such rites and
ceremonies, is to take part in a form
of religious worship which is not ap
proved by God and by the Church, it
is a virtual adhesion to false form
of worship, or it shows appreciation of
it. A Catholic, then, may not act as
a sponsor in non-Catholic baptism,
or take an active part in a non-Catho-
lie marriage or funeral On certain
rare occasions, as when in danger of
death and a Catholic priest cannot be-
had, a Catholic may accept the min
istrations of schismatic or heretical
priest, as was done by some Catholic
Japanese officers who were captured
by the Russians and shot in the Russo
japanese war.
In as much as heretics and schis-
MATES are accommodated, the
Church forbids prayers, suffrages or
masses to be publicly offered for them
Experience shows that very little
good and much harm may come from
disputes and controversies about re-
ligion. Ordinarily such disputes leave
the parties concerned more obstinate
than ever in their convictions. Grave
scandal, too, and great dishonor to
God result from the public and con.
temptuous denials of sacred truths
and the ridicule thrown on them in
the heat of controversy The mind of
the Church is that, as far as possible
and except for the necessary defence
of the faith, such disputes should be
avoided whether they be public or pri-
Vate.
The chief sins against faith are in
fidelity, heresy and apostasy. All who
have sufficient knowledge of the Cos
pei are bound to embrace and believe
it. "He that belieYeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that belieyeth
not shall be condemned" A grave
sin, then, by one who rejects the faith
when it has been sufficiently made
known to him with adequate grounds
for believing and this grave sin is
called infidelity. This positive infidel
ity is distinguished from private and
negative infidelity. One who has the
opportunity of knowing the faith and
recognizes the obligation of making
inquiries about it, but neglects to do
so, commits the sin of private infidel
ity. This is also grave sin if the
degree of negligence be grave. One
who has no opportunity of learning
the faith, or who does not advert to
the obligation of making inquiries, is
in negative infidelity. This is not sim
full, but ST Thomas teaches that it is
the penalty of sin, in as much as if a
man were faithful to the light that he
has in natural reason, God would take
care that he should have an opportun-
ity of knowing the faith, even if it
were necessary to send him a special
messenger or an angel from heaven,
to make the Gospel known to him.
If. then, the Gospel is not preached to
every man, not God, but men are to
be blamed for it. tbf sri
Heresy is the rejection by one who
has embraced the faith of some por-
ton of revealed truth, which is pro-
posed by the Church for our belief
If the rejection is voluntary and ac-
companied with full knowledge that
what is rejected is proposed by the
Church as an article of faith, the here
sy is formal Otherwise it will only