The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-01-24
Are there not disloyaI Catholics just
as we'll as disIoyal Socialists?


as we'll as disIoyaI Socialists?
A disloyal Socialist is acting on
principle. To be a loyal Socialist one
cannot be loyal citizen. The official
utteranccs OF the Socialist party have
been condemned as dtst6yal. When a
Catholic is dislOyal to his country he
is acting contrary to he teaching of
his Church, which bids him show re-
snect for lawful authority and be loyal
10 his government. When the So
cialist is disloyal it is with the sane
ton Of his faith, while a disloyal Cath
Ollie is doing something which his re-
lioiOn condemns.
Why did God give command to
Adam which He knew he would break
and bring misery to the whole human
race?
As the Creator or Adam God had
perfect right to place any obligation
upon him. When God places an obi
cation un0n one eff His creatures the
duty of that creature is to fulfill the
obligation. When God created Adam
He gave him q free will. The human
race has not suffered because God gave
a law to man but because man by his
own free will refused to abide by that
law. We could not place the blame
on civil law if we deliberately violated
it and incurred the penalty. 1t is
equally Illogical to place the blame
on God for the evils that have fol
lowed the violation Of His law. Bear
in mind that God not only put an O5li-
station upon our First Parents. but He
promised them a reward for fidelity.
Although much misery came from the
sin of .\dam, all the misery that has
ever existed in the world would be
more than compensated by one
glimpse of Almighty God in His glory.
Are the Fathers of the Church in
spired or infaIIihie?
The Fathers Of the Church were
not inspired nor can their works be
placed upon equality with the Sacred
Scripture. The Fathers OF the Church
are not only reliable historians. but
are men who wrote for a definite pur-
pose and not merely to record a Sc
I,ies of events They are the Wit
nesses of the early teachings OF the
STRUGGLING Church. They give to Us
the traditions and customs that come
down from the Apostles. Many OF
them lived near the age Of the Apoa-
ties and were in position to knO"
what the Apostles taught and what
were the practices of the early
Church. The writings Of the Fathers
are valuable as trustworthy wit
npsses. When we find that all the
FATHERS agree in some particular doc
urine or practice we may safely be-
1ieye that this doctrine Or practice is
of Apostolic origin.
Is it true that Constantine changed
the observance of the Sabbath from
SATURDAY to Sunday?
The law by which the Christians
observe the first day of the week as
holy was made by the Apostles. We
know this from the constant tradition
of the early CCNturieS and through the
WRITINGS OF reliable historians Of the
first wears Of the Church, who speak
Of the observance Of Sunday as the
Lords Day. The change was made
20 commemorate the great mysteries
of the New Dispensation that were. &C
cOmDlished on the first day Of the
week. Sunday was known as the
Lords Day even in the time OF the
Apostles. The law Of Constantine SIM
DIV declared that Sunday should be
observed as d legal holiday through
out his kingdom. This is far differ
ent from the assertion that IS some
times made that Constantine ordered
that the first day Of the week be kept
holy instead of the Sabbath.
Why does the Church forbid US to
reao certain books?
1t is the duty of the Church to
Guard the faith and morals of her
children. Even the natural law re-
eluires us to protect ourselves, body
and soul, and since the books con-
demned by the Church and hateful to
God we are obliged by natural law
to avoid reading such books. We may
draw a comparison from the action OF
our government during the recent
war. Certain papers and magazines
were forbidden the privilege OF the
mail because they appealed to the dis
loyal element of the United States
and by insinuation attempted to de-
strOy the loyalty of the American PEG
pie. They were forbidden transmits.
sion through the mail for the good Of
all citizens and to destroy anything
that might endanger the stability of
our Republic. This was done to pro
teCt the people in temporal matter.
For far greater reason the Church
founded by Christ has the right to
make laws that will protect the faith
and morals of her children. The
state may rightly make laws to pro-
tect the people from contagion. To
do this they will quarantine an entire
family or even city. This some
times works hardship upon the indi-
Nidual but it is for the good of So
ciety. So the Church protects he1
children from the contagion of bad
reading. The moral contagion of in
fidelity and impurity is far more dan
gerous than the contagion that would
destroy the life of the body
How much must a Protestant know