The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-11-11

patient in awaiting their turn for
answers.
What is the foundation for the fol-
LOWING statement: "Rev. Francis Ma
hony (Father Prout) was ordained
priest, but gave up his calling to
write?
For thirty years before his death
at Paris on May IS, 1866, Rev Francis
Sylvester Mahony never exercised
the privileges of his priesthood. Only
two years after his ordination he had
a misunderstanding with his eccle-
siastical superiors, with the result
that the remaining portion of his life
was given over to journalism and
literary pursuits. He read his Divine
Office every day and was ever
staunch in his adherence to the
Church. He departed life with the
blessing of the last Sacramento on
him.
Was Martin Luther great edu-
Gator? And did any Pope ever sell
induIaences? Our education teacher
in High School taught US Eyes" to
both these questions?
Luther had too little time and prac-
tically no quietness of life to foster
or encourage any great educational
movement His ideas and actions
were revolutionary and the times in
which lie lived and played a part
were full of turmoil and strife. His
only claim to be an educator lies in
the fact that he popularized the YER
nacular language of the people. The
charge that any Pope sold indulgences
is a detestable lie and you have
right to demand that your high
school teacher make a satisfactory
retraction. He prostitutes his office
as teacher when he instills insidious
lies into the minds of his pupils who
are apt to accept as gospel truth
every statement of their professor.
An indulgence can not be sold. A
part of the work required for gaining
an Indulgence may be the perform
ance of some laudable and charitable
deed such Fas the giving of an aims
to the poor, or the offering of money
for some pious purpose. There is
nothing offensive or revolving in this.
Christ Himself said, That glass
of cold water offered in His name
should not go without its reward If
a glass of water, why not money offer
ed for the purpose of building a
church to the honor and glory of God?
We are not denying that Individual
preachers may have been misled by
a false zeal, into over-emphasizing
the necessity and value of the offer
ing. But this mistaken zeal was not
approved by ecclesiastical authority;
it was frowned upon and condemned.
A friend of mine said that the
Bible does not contain all that Christ
said and did. When | demanded
some proof, | was told that the priest
said so. How did the priest know
this?
The priest Knew it from the Bible,
from Christian history and from the
practice of Christian people. There
is nothing in the Bible indicating
that it contains Gods full and COM
plete revelation the Apostles were
never commanded to write the Bible,
the people were never placed under OBJ
legation to read the Bible; the Apostles
were commissioned to teach the
people were commanded to accept
this apostolic teaching. st. John dis
tinctly states: But there are also
many other things which Jesus did;
which if they were written every one,
the world itself, | think, would not
be able to contain the books that
should be written" John XXI-25)
st. Paul teaches this same truth a
score of times. Hold the traditions
which you have been taught whether
by word or by our epistle." e Thess.
H-14). Here st. Paul expressly men
lions both the written (Bible) and
the unwritten (Tradition) word of God
and commands us to receive them
both, and both equally. He com.
mands the Christians not to associate
with those who walk "disorderly and
not according to the tradition which
they have received of us" e Thess.
III-6). Addressing the Corinthians
he says: Now l praise We that We
hold fast the traditions even as l de.
Itvered them to you" Q Cor. KID
But why multiply texts and scriptural
arguments? The doctrine of the
Bible alone the sole rule of faith is
an innovation in Christian belief. The
first Christian teachers constantly
urged the people not only to accept
the Bible, but to hold fast to the ira.
ditions which the apostles had left
as priceless heritage to the Church
AS a matter of fact, Professionals dc
not practice what they preach Why
do they observe Sunday and not Sat
urday if the Bible alone suffices
From this principle of the Bible as the
sole rule of faith, how do they know
that they have the genuine Bible? The
Bible alone can not give them any
assurance. A doctrine that the Bible
condemns, that Christian history re
iects and that the practice of Chris
tian people refuses to sanction does
not appeal to the Catholic
After receiving Holy Communion, is
it better, during the remainder of the
Mass, to follow the ordinary move
ments of the congregation, or to re
main kaeeIing?
AS rule it is better to stand OF
lyuoaI diir;n0 tho 1oftar mort 0f AZ