The Catholic bulletin., 1920-09-18

When baptized Lutheran becomes
\ Catholic does he have to go to con-
fession before receiving Holy Corr
municE?
The Sacrament of confession was
instituted for the remission OF SINS
committed after valid baptism. IN
the case Of 4 convert from some
Protestant sect il is always uncertain
.ly 10 whether the Protestant baptism
may have been valid or invalid. For
rItis reason such person is always
rairizcd by the priest. cOnditiona!ly.
Since. however, it is possible that the
first baptism may have been valid
4uch \ person would. moss probably,
nayn a number Of sins committed
since baptism. For this reason con-
>,rt of This kind usually is required
to go to confession before receiving
HOLY Communion.
Can any other church but our
Church claim to be Catholic?
It would require a great stretch Of
5maginution to apply the term Catho'
Tic to any other church. The term
Catholic has always been understood
10 applv to that body Of Christians
who claim the pope as their Spiritual
Head. In the early centuries there
was a common saying: "Christian is
1ny name Catholic my surname. Go
into a city where there are churches
1pl aCl<
for the Catholic Church. You will not
Le directed to Protestant church.
Aside from that the fact that the
Catholic Church is the only church
shat is really Catholic. the title Of
Catholic Church belongs to it by the
common consent of all peoples.
If the DEGREES of Constantine were
forceries does not that set aside the
claims of the Pope to temporal power!
While it is generally admitted that
the decretals Of Constantine, now
called the False DecretalS," are for
"tries. the claim Of the Pope to tenn
yulul power does not depend upon
the commences of these decretalS.
Protestant historians eXaggerate the
Importance which Catholics attach to
these decretalS They seek to make
It appear that the fabric Of Catholic
teaching depended upon their genu-
oneness. They do not in any way. eff
feet. an essential change in ecClesiaS-
tical discipline, nor do any Catholic
apolOgiNts in our day attempt to
prove the right of the Pope to tenn
poral power by use of these deere
tails.
Does the new marriage law make it
Obligatory for a Catholic young couple
to enter into the solemn eopousass
1t is the wish Of the Church that
the solemn espOusals should precedc
The marriage This has always been
,he practice in Catholic countries
The Church urges these espOusals be-
cause they lessen the danger Of a
hasty marriage by giving greater de
liberation to the contract. It also pro
1ects the betrOthed from the injustice
of an unfaithful partner. Though the
llNl I'll CiNN lStS II, tlIClC 10 nv StI III
obligation for Catholics to make the
engagement promise in writing.
Can a widow receive the nuptia
blessing?
If she has received the nuptia
blessing at her first marriage she can
not receive it at the second. ThOugf
she may not receive the nuptial bless
ing, she may be married at a Nupta
Mass on those days which the Rubric:
permit.
DO we know from the Bible tha
the Blessed Virgin was married t
Saint Joseph?
In the Gospel of Saint Luke w,
read: The Angel Gabriel was sen
from God into a city of Galilee, called
Nazareth, to virgin espoused to ;
man whose name was Joseph, of tn,
house of David and the name of tn,
virgin was Mary" We also read il
the Gospel of Saint Matthew tha
Mary was espOused to Joseph and sh
is called his wife. The espousa
among the Hebrews was a solemn
contract of marriage made before wit
nesses and the couple were considere,
legally husband and wife. To breal
an espousal required the same cere
mony as a divorce. Besides telling u
that Mary was espoused to Saint Jc
seph we read that the Angel said t
Joseph: Fear not to take unto the
Mary, thy wife, for that which i
conceived in her is Of the Hol
Ghost"
Is a Catholic forbidden to marry
Mason, and why?
A Catholic is strictly forbidden t
marry any one who is not Catholic
and this of course includes Mason'
What you mean is, is there a specia
ampediment forbidding the marriage G
a Catholic and Mason? There is no
But before the Church will grant dis
pensation for mixed marriages tn