The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-08-25

Can you kindly tell me if it is true
that permission has been granted by
the Holy See to use an electric light
in the sanctuary lamp instead of olive
oil where it is very difficult to procure
this oil or where the price of it is
aIT ost prohbitive?
A decree was issued by the Sacred
Congregation of Rites on February
%, 1916, bearing on this very question.
The decree recites that representa-
tions had been made by several Bish-
ops that owing to peculiar circum-
stances, ordinary and extraordinary,
olive oil has become scarce and costly
and in some places can not be OBJ
tanned without great difficulty, and
the decree then goes on TO state that,
in view of the peculiar conditions and
while they last in place of olive
oil, vegetable oils, or beeswax pure or
mixed or in the last resort an electric
light, play be used in the sanctuary
lamp. The question, however, is re-
ferred to the prudent judgment of
the Bishops and faculties in the mat
ter are granted to them.
From the wording of the decree it
is plain that the substitution of any
other material in the sanctuary lamp
in place of olive oil is not matter of
prCmiscuous permission. The per-
mission is granted under certain eX-
traCTdinary circumstances, but condi-
tional on the Bishops permission, to
whose judgment the matter must be
submitted.
belong to the order OF the Macca-
bees; many non-CathoIics also belong.
The other evening we had an argu-
ment about the books of the Macca-
lees in the Bible. Please tell me
som othing about them.
Non-Catholics generally reject the
books Of the Maccabees on. the plea
that these books were not to be found
in the canon of the Bible recognized
by the Jews of Palestine. Catholics
accept the books on the authority
of the Church. empowered by Christ
to teach us in faith and morals. In
cur favor we have arguments both
of d general andSof a particular ma
ture. The books of the Maccabees
are to be found in the canon of the
Bible compiled at Alexandria, and it
is precisely that canon, or list of
biblical books, that Christ and His
apostles used. 1t is computed that
IN the New Testament there are $50
citations, or texts, from the Old
Testament; of these $50 citations at
least 500 are taken from the Alex
andrian version as opposed to the
Palestinian canon. The gospels of
st. Mark, st. James and st. Peter
and, almost always, the writings of
st. Paul, favor the AleXandrian
canon; where there were discrepan-
cies between the two canons, the New
Testament as a rule, follows the
canon of Alexandria, which contained
the books of the Maccabees. st. John
tx, 22) refers to feast that was in
trOduCcd by Judas Maccabaeus q
Mace, ", 54). The early Christians
used the books which modern non
Catholics reject and placed them in
the same rank with books admitted
by all; the catacombs of Rome are
adorned with pictures representing
events of biblical history to be found
solely in the books rejected by Protes-
tants; in the liturgical exercises the
Church took lessons from the same
books. The early italia version of
the Bible contains the books in ques-
ton; the first Christian writer's
Clement Of Rome, Tertullian, ETC.
all quote from the books. The canon
of Melfto (about 200 A. d. and that
of Origen (1S4254) contain the
deutero-canonical books, and the
Maccabees are expressly mentioned.
Many Protestant scriptural students
are agitating for the re-admission of
the deutero-canonical books, includ-
ing the Maccabees, into the Protes-
tant version of the Bible.
How old must person be before
she can be sure of her vocation?
1t is impossible to determine with
precision that age. Usually years
are given in a general way to the
thought of religious vocation; and
at the present time few young ladies
apply for entrance to convent be-
fore the conclusion of the high school
course. This would make them IS
or 10 years old. AS rule the per-
suasion that one is called to the re-
ligious life comes slowly and is the
result of prayer and reflection extend
ing over years. A girl of Is can be
just as certain of her vocation as a
woman of %.
A pIenary indulgence removes all
the punishment due to sin; why then
should we gain number of such in
duIgences?
To gain a plenary indulgence COM
pletely, we must be free from all
venial sins; the presence of, venial
sins hinders the plenary efficacy of
the indulgence, so that several such
plenary indulgences may be received.
Plenary indulgences may be applied
to the souls in purgatory, and pity, if
not justice, should prompt us to re-
member the poor souls. Finally, it
would be extreme folly to slight the
hountv Of a oood Cod and when He