The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-02-03

we FNaGllN agree VIII MN. y h'hP
MS the better to enter into the spirit
Of the festival, the obligation Of alb
atinence was removed and so we may
cat meat on such Fridays, for which,
OF course, we are duly thankful. Be
cause Friday, December s, 1916. was
the festival Of the immaculate Con-
contiou Of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a
holy-dav Of obligation, the law OF
abstinence did not apply on that day;
consequently, Catholics, if they chose
to do SO, were free to eat meat on
that day.
Are we allowed to give dances and
take the proceeds for church pur-
poses?
The Church does not approve Of
dancing. The end, even though as
good as to support the Church, will
not Justify the means. That such
methods over have been followed is
not to the praise OF the Catholic laity.
= busincsslike and manly way to sup
port the Church, is to do so directly,
not through suhterfuSe, graft, or fraud.
Wake, the support Of religion part Of
your living expenses and thereby re-
move all occasion Of giving dances
for church purposes. II YOU are sup
porting Yourself, in conscience YOU
are obliged to contribute to the sup
port OF religion, which is the most
essential part Of your living.
Is it true that the godfather and
oodmother of the same child cannot
lee united in marriage after they have
stood for the child?
The -odp&rcnts contract spiritual
relationship with. the child for whom
they are sponsors; but they contract
no relationship with each other.
Hence, so far as this Office Of sponsor
ship is concerned, the godparents are
free to marry each other.
II a person commits a mortal sin by
making known to others mortal sin
Of another, does not the publisher of
a newspaper commit the same sin by
Giving to the public the name of a
murderer or other criminal and the de-
tails Of his crime?
One is not free to iniure uniustly the
good name of another. To do so even
when the injury is based on facts is
to commit the sin OF detraction. 1t is
possible that the injury done ones
noighbor be insignificant and the sin
then would be only yenial. In the case
proposed. evidently weighty matter is
jim question The same law Of morality
applies to the publishers of neWspa-
pors as to all others. Is one then ever
free to make known the crime of an
other?
There arc certain circumstances
which UomoVe the injustice ordinarily
attached to The act OF making known
wothor's sin. For instance, if the
crime committed be already notorious;
if Il legal Judgment has been prCnounc-
ed. if thc person in question is a can
didato for some public Office. His lack
OF fitness for the Office should be made
known in justice to the public.
These cases we perceive do not APP
Iiy specifically to the one proposed In
the case cited, the news publisher most
probably presumes that he is doing a
public good BY holding up to criticism
and disgrace the one guilty Of some
crime: because he thereby discour-
ages others from following the same
path OF crime. II his surmises be cor
rect which we seriously question, the
greater good done the public lessons
on removes the right which the indi-
NidUal has to his good name The
sensational advertising of crimes Gull
tiyatcs really the baser appetites of
the common people and proves for the
degraded very often an incentive to
crime rather than a deterrent from
evil
We often read to-day about the part
the Pope may play in the re-estabIish-
ment Of peace. Have any Popes in
the past ever interviewed in the inter
csts of peace?
The Pope has used the influence of
his high Office so frequently in the
interests Of peace that it would be
tedious to attempt a complete enum-
Grafton. As early as the fifth century
Pope Leo ]. saved Italy from Attila,
King Of the Huns; Gregory l. in the
next century secured peace for the
Romans from Agilulphus, King of the
Lombards Pope Gregory VII. in the
stu century used his good offices to
placate another Lombard King, Lieut.
prond, innocent Ill. in the 18th cen
tWE interviewed and brought about
peace between King John of England
aud Philip Augustus of France. Pope
Nicholas in the same century effected
Toacc between the Emperor Rudolph
aud Charles of Aniou. But why
lcngthen the work of the Popes in the
cause of peace? Even in our own
days, Pope Leo XIII. was chosen as
arbitrator between Spain and Ger
many in the dispute over the Caro-
lines, and Plus X performed the
same service for the South American
Republics. In his efforts to secure a
lasting peace, Pope Benedict XIV. is
following the traditions Of the long
line Of Supreme Pontiffs, and, with
Gods help, he viii be equally sue
cessfully.