The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-03-31

Orthodox, 7 bodies), etc?
The catholic Apostolic" Church is
a stranger TO us. Its title, however,
must be a MISSIONER, for if it were
either Catholic" or "Apostolic' it
would belong to the catholic Church.
The Eastern Orthodox and West
crn Orthodox represent the Greek
Church with its several branches. The
Eastern orthodox in this country, COM
posed of seven nationalities or bodies
has no central authority. Each OF
these seven bodies being governed by
the Synod of its native land. II is not
properly called Catholic because it has
not all the faith nor all the authority
that Christ gave 10 His Church.
II is said that the Episcopal religion
is much like the Catholic; but, is not
the Lutheran more like it? Did not
Luther biect only to the authority OF
the Pope, lndulgences and Confession?
The Episcopal religion in it's outward
forms is somewhat similar to the Cath
Ole. 1t has so-called bishops, but they
really do not rule, witness their last
and previous national conferences in
regard to divorce, and in it's high
church branches" dress and rituals
that initiate the Catholic. 1t requires
very little intelligence, however, to dis
cover the imitation. One Of their min
listers some years ago in ST. Paul
dressed as a Catholic priest and wish
ed 10 be recognized as one of them.
Walking near his home one day, some
small boys saluted him as Mr. He
corrected them, telling them that they
should call him Father" They an
swerod him. "G'wan, you amt no
Father you got children This an
swer pierced the mans disguise.
The Lutheran religion originally held
more Catholic tenets of Faith than the
Episcopal does today. But what the
Lutheran religion holds today, we
would not dare to say. We doubt even
il one Of themselves could give sum-
mary OF faith that would be accepta-
bic to all Lutherans, unless he would
limit the summary TO one article, that
each one may believe what he pleases.
Do all Lutherans today believe that
the Bible with all its parts is the Word
of God? We greatly doubt.
Please give verse and chapter in the
Bible that speaks of wars and rumors
Of wars.
In the oath chapter of st. Mathew
the disciples asked Our Lord for sign
OF the end of the world. In His an
swer Wv. and He says: You shall
hear of wars and rumors Of wars.
See that We be not troubled. For these
things must come to pass, but the end
is rot yet For nation shall arise
against nation. and kingdom against
kingdom, and there shall be pestilences
and famines and earthquakes in
places; now all these are the begin
nings Of SORROWS"
Is the Catholic religion based wholly
on Faith? For instance, you hear 1t
said that some religions may be ex-
planned by science, everything proved,
while other religions are based on
Faith
RELIGION means the relationship eX-
listing between man and God. TO say
that everything in religion can be
proved by science implies that the orr
gin, life and end Of man can be proven
by science and that the attributes OF
God, his infinite power, wisdom, good
ness, Justice, etc. besides the relation
ship existing between man and God,
can also be proven by science. This
makes mans knowledge, or science
equal to the infinite, which is absurd.
The Catholic religion does not pre-
tend to do the impossible. 1t accepts
the mysteries Of the Infinite, and the
mysteries also in the finite 1t gives,
however,, a reason satisfactory to any
opcn-minded inquirer for accepting the
mysteries of faith, and it gives the
clearest evidence Of the trustwOrthi-
ness of the Teacher of these myster-
les. Jesus Christ is this Teacher. His
claims, His life, His doctrines, His
miracles, particularly His resurrection,
browning all His works, give cOnvinc-
ing evidence of the truth of His mes
sage. If this teaching contains mys-
teries, and every religion must have
mystery, we are acting reasonably in
accepting these, because of the truth
fulnesS Of the teacher. We believe
what we cannot understand because
we believe that God would not sane
ton falsehood by His own positive
acts. This He would be doing if Jesus
Christ were not q truthful Teacher.
In the sense, then, that we hold our
religion on the faith that we put in
Jesus Christ, our religion is founded
on Faith. But, Jesus Christ has given
evidence sufficient, as we have said, to
convince any reasonable mind of the
truth of His teaching. Our faith then
is not a blind faith, nor unreasonable,
but the highest act that man can per-
form, the submission of his mind to
the truth of God.
In the absence of mortal sin, how
often should a weekly COMMUNICATE
90 to confession?
So long as there is no mortal sin
there is no obligation to go to con-
fession, in order worthily to receive
the Holy Eucharist. To confess once
n Ieor ic all that the law rp0uireS