The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-03-24
THE CHURCH IN HOLLAND

the Real Presence shall win the al
legiance of these honest hearts.
Perhaps yet more slgnlncant eVl-
dence that times are changing in
that stronghold of Protestant Dlgotry,
is what has been printed by the
preacher, DIR. J. H. Cunning, in the
Protestant periodical OF which he is
the editor. About the practise of
sacramento confession he mas this
to say: What blessings would ac-
crue to us from the practlse or con-
fession followed by the impartlng OF
pardon! We are so indoctrinated
with the uttermost development OF
religious individualism, so absolutely
limited to self in our dealings with
God, and so excessively partial to
self, that if only once in While we
could have access to certain chosen
men to whom we could safely and
reverently disclose our burden OF
W1ckedness, our sins and our battles
with temptation, as we'll as our bitter
sorroW-O what a boon of relief it
would be; and then to hear from
their lips in Gods name the blessed
assurance: BE of good heart, son,
thy sins are forgiven thee!' How
sweet it seems, and how wonderful!
Indeed our Saviour, who knows what
is in man better than our own Protes-
tant teachers do, urges us through
His APOSTLE: Confess your sins one
to another Games V, 16) And, SO
tender is His pity, that He has given
power to men thus to become each
others consolation and help unto
eternal life by imparting absolution
in His name" John Xxx, 23).
With regard to the papacy the
same writer says: All honor to the
Roman Church for such an institu-
ton! Neither for this nor any other
OF her high Offices has she waited on
the great ones of the world. The
princes of the Roman Church are
sprung from all classes of human
society; spiritual qualifications are
held sufficient for fitting men to wear
the purple or the tiara. On this ac-
count the papal succession has come
down to our day fresh and potent,
which cannot be said of ancient
human dynasties. Not the quarter
ings on ones escutcheon but the
marks Of the Holy Spirits favor de.
slgnate Worthiness for a place among
the highest and best nobility of the
race of mankind"
Well does Father De Ham con
clude, that when such views as these
begin to prevail in honest Protestant
hearts, little remains but for Catholic
zeal to spread more and more widely
among Hollanders the teachings OF
their Church; converts, in due time
will become numerous. Meantime
Dutch Catholics are in the front rank
of the Churchs children in every
kind of spiritual achievement, but
especially in missions to the heather
Vacations to the priestly and relig
ious life are so numerous in Catholic
Holland that no part of the world but
is supplied by splendid priests and
Sisters who are the overflow of its
abundance
Many ascribe the favorable condi
ton of the mind Of Protestants there
to heavens graces granted in reward
| of the generosity of the Catholics in
sending their noblest men and women
| to make converts all over the
heather world. God loveth and re
Wardeth a cheerful giver. He is in
Ginning the hearts of non Catholics
towards His Church because theil
| Catholic countrymen are inclinins
| their hearts to the teeming popula
tons that are perishing in the super
stitions of paganism. AS many as
| eighteen institutions devoted to train
ing missionaries to the heather now
| flourish in Catholic Holland.