The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-02-09

Isn't it true that Professionalism has
brought far more prosperity to the
world than Catholicity?
1t is not true. Professionalism has
never yet produced men the equal OF
the Catholic genuises brought forth by
the Catholic thirteenth century No
country in Europe was more prosper
Gus before the present war than Catho-
lie Belgium. Protestants cannot claim
any of the present prosperity OF the
United States for their religion, be-
cause in many of the larger cities the
Catholics outnumber them. Take Bos-
ton, for example. More than 80 per
cent of the Americans are not mem
bers of any church. Protestants Of
ten claim that the era of progress that
followed the Reformation was due to
their religion. They make a mere
incident cause of this prosperity,
thus breaking one of the chief rules
Of logic Printing, the discovery of
America and one or two other clearly
defined things caused this prosperity,
which was religious in no sense, for
it affected Catholic Spain as we'll as
the Protestant nations. 1t was after
the Reformation that Spain rose to the
pinnacle of her glory. But, if prosper
ity is to be taken as a mark OF the
true religion, how can you explain the
fact that pagan Rome, Greece, Persia
Egypt and BabylOnia so far surpassed
Judea when they worshipped idols and
the Jews followed the truth? Christ
never revealed that we were to look
to worldly prosperity as a mark of
truth ChriSt's kingdom is not of this
world.
What should | do about sins al
ready confessed which return to
bother nc, especially at confession
time?
If you are foolish, you will continue
to worry about the faults of your past
life and you will continue to make
them matter of confession; if you
will listen to reason and common
sense, you will forget about those sins
and never again mention them in the
confessional. So you have very
clear and positive choice before you,
and you have the power of selection.
You have been warned time and time
again not to be tOrmented about those
sins.
May a person who is condemned to
death commit suicide? We under
stand that such is the law in some
countries and also in some States of
the Union.
This privilege, if it may be so called,
is accorded by some pagan nations,
but no such law has ever been passed
by any state in the Union.
A suicide is one who takes his own
life. To bring about ones death, even
if one be condemned to capital pun
ishment, is suicide No individual has
the right to cut one moment from his
life. Society in executing a criminal
is acting in self defense. God be-
gins and ends life. He measures its
span. The dreadful prevalence y of
suicide in our day is due to the fact
that men forget that God is the sole
proprietor of human life. Forgetful-
ness of this fundamental Christian
principle has permitted legislatures to
try and authorize the medical profess
sion to take the life of the incurably
sick or hopelessly insane. If men real
lied that God is the Master of human
life their view of the miseries that
sometimes surround them and those
ills that sometimes lead to suicide
would be entirely different
The pagan who sees nothing be-
yond the grave may drink the cup of
hcmlOCk when overwhelmed with trou-
bles. The Christian sees the silver
lining in the darkest clouds. Some
times the ways of God may be inscru-
table to him but he knows that God
is his Father and somehow will take
care of His children. The compensa-
ton of the next world will more than
repay for the shortcomings of the
present. The Christian therefore patti
emily waits Gods own good time. He
is willing to suffer, even as His Di-
vine Master did, until the Father calls
him home.
When was the Pope first said to
be infaIlibIe?
The first infallible Pope was Saint
Peter. The first Pope who was of
ticially proclaimed infallible was Plus
TX by the definition of the dogma in
the Vatican Council held in Rome in
1870. Many point triumphantly to the
formulation of this decree as proof
that the Church creates new articles of
faith.
1t is the teaching of the Church that
the public revelations which we are
bound to accept were brought to an
end at the death of the last Apostle.
The work of the Church is to state,
defend, promulgate and explain this
Revelation of God. In the decree OF
Papal lnfallibility the Fathers of the
Vatican Council expressly state that
they are not taking a new position
or teaching new truth but are sim.
ply adhering faithfully to the tradition
received from the beginning, truth
that lies at the root of ancient faith
md djSpinlinn Tho car1lo Y,roooce. fxxl