The Catholic bulletin., 1919-02-22
page
BISHOPS LENTEN PASTORAL


ever increase among sectarians owing
to their principle of private judgment.
The Catholic Church, the sole official
and God appointed custodian of Holy
Scripture, being abandoned, each one
! interprets in view of his own partic-
ular interest or views. Absence of
unity, therefore, characterizes the
sects. The true Church must possess
the distinguishing mark of unity, as
truth is one, Interchangeable and in
divisible. Division spells death, and
union means life. Union was Christ's
one Shepherd" John 10, 16. God, in
deed, is essentially one; so must His
Church be "One body, one spirit, one
faith, one baptism" proclaims ST. Paul.
Eph. 4, As. Oneness of doctrine and
oneness of authority is the renowned
mark of the Catholic Church. One
God, one truth, one Christ, one Relig-
ion. Catholics the world over, be-
lieve one and the same creed, follow
the same moral principles, receive the
same sacraments, and belong to the
same Church not of a single nation,
but of the whole world. The ever
living voice of authority decides which
teachings are essential, and which are
not. Catholics throughout the Uni
verse, are united to their priests, the
priests to their Bishops, and the Bish-
ops to the Pope of Rome, Christ's
Vicar, without the acceptance of
whose authority, disunion and dissolu-
ton evidently reign supreme. Hav-
ing no definite creed, Professionalism is
rapidly falling into rationalism, inf
deity and materiaIism. Modern Prot
estantism differs greatly from past
Professionalism.
The Pope as Temporal Prince.
The Pope's authority is both spirit
ual and divine. The spiritual, how
ever, excludes not temporal means.
The Pope is also temporal monarch,
though not by divine right. Catholic
princes as Pepin, Charlemagne and
Lothair attached principality to the
Apostolic See, called the patrimony of
Peter. These possessions have rem
dered profitable service in the exer-
else of the papal spiritual power The
Church, similar to the State authority
being intended for the government of
men, must truly possess exterior
/ means of action. Unscrupulous rulers
are apt, moreover, to persecute the
int ~
of his spiritual power, should he be
their subject, instead of being free
and independent monarch. For many
ages the Pope was an earthly monarch
of a small kingdom under the title of
the States of the Church as we'll as
| the supreme ruler of the Church of
God. Almighty God thus provided
during many centuries for the free
! government of His Church. Some
years ago an impious king, in defiance
of all justice robbed through force OF
arms, the Holy See of its legitimate
possessions and established his own
| government in the city of Rome, the
time honored home of the Papacy
| Owing to this sacrilegious spoliatior
the Holy Father is obliged to depend
on the voluntary offerings of his faith
full children throughout the world tC
meet the vast expenses of the govern
ment of the Universal Church. Cath
olics the world over will ever contrib
ute generously to the Peters Pence as
a token of their obedience and affec
tion and will ever protest against this
nefarious usurpation, till the Pope has
gained his pristine liberty and neces
sary independence.
The Papacy and the State.
No Pope ever pretended that the
distribution of kingdoms and empires
was at his pleasure. The Pope sol
| emnly maintains that the strict dut!
of every citizen is to pay due ODE
dience to the reigning powers in al
port the State and maintain the eXis
tence thereof even unto the sacrific.
of life. Both to the Papacy and Stat,
is due submission in their prope
spheres. State authority, indeed
comes in directly from God to the peo
pie, while papal authority proceed
directly and Immediately from God
Civil allegiance need not fear TIT
i Church in this matter, for her princi
pie is embodied in the words of th'
Divine Master: Render, therefore, t,
Caesar the things that are Caesars
and to God the things that are Gods.
Matt. %, 21. Should the State, how
ever, order anything plainly contrar.
to the natural or revealed law of GOD
then no binding force would exist
For we must obey God rather thai
man." says ST. Paul.
During the middle ages the Roman
Pontiffs were regarded as the bes
benefactors of Nations, the defender
of civil and natural rights, and uI
: holders of true liberty. So preciou
were deemed their counsel and assist
!; ance that international laws bestowe
on them extensive powers in civic al
!; fairs, which powers the Popes n
longer possess nor claim. The Pa
: acy protected Europe from barba1
ian invasion. Italy was saved iron
the ravages of the Huns and Vandal
through papal Intervention. The Pal
i. acy assisted Austria in her struggl
against the plumbers of the Turks. u
Pope aroused the Nations of Europe t
rescue the holy places, and the re