The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-10-25
1T THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH SUNDAY
CONTINUED from Page One.)

Alabama, Mississippi, New Mexico and
Louisiana, than in any of the other
states of the union. He also stated
that in these states the percentage of
Catholics is smaller. He did not draw
the deduction that therefore this was
the cause of our illiteracy, because
the Bishop knew that would not be a
correct conclusion from the premises
stated: He is too good logician for
that, we take it.. Because he might
as well have concluded that the illit-
eraty was due to the fact that we
raise cotton, have hot climate, that
we raise chickens and hogs, or that
the mountains are in the Northern
part of the state. Nevertheless, he
made good case for the Catholic
church, though he did not tell us
about the illiteracy in Mexico where
the Cathoic church is predominant,
nor of Italy. ... .......>.
At the conclusion of his sermon he
administered confirmation. Here
again the Bishop was good preach
er. A Christian he told his hearers
must be a good soldier. And soldier
is expected to fight, not march around
in a uniform in times Of peace. He ]
must fight, first: The evil passions
within his own bosom; secondly, the
enemies from without, and among
those the people who in. all ages have
sought to embrarass and cripple the
church, but the fight must be by per-
suasion, he said: A man must give "a
reason for the faith that is within
him." There must be no angry argu-.
mentation, because if the church rep
resents Christ that is not necessary;
if it does not, the disputes between
people and churches will, not putt
Christ in the church. Thirdly: cad
minished his hearers that they must
fight the devil in all his phases. Re-
Eferring again to the persecution of
the church and to enemies without
and to traitors who. at times had been
within the church, he recited the
promise given to Peter that hell shall
not prevail against the church. The
promise had been fulfilled, he said, in
that although there had been bad
raen in the church at times, and per-
secutions from Without, the truth had,
nevertheless always been preached
Just as it was in the beginning. The
Word of God and His teachings had
not been. contaminated by association
with sinful men. -. . ...... =,
In the course of his remarks he told
his hearers something of the Vatican,
a huge building with some four thous
and rooms. In, these are the records
of the church from the earliest time.
:ie spoke of the historical value of
these, referring in his discourse to
recent statements that America had
been visited before it's discovery by
Columbus. In the Vatican, he stated,
there are reports from the e'NBishop of
Greenland which report a Western
trip where a strange land had been
touched, the preacher Judged about
the city of Providence, Rhode Island,
or in that neighborhood. From this
he illustrated the great historical
truths which are to be preserved by
the system Of reports of the Bishops,
to the Church ...I. ~.
The Bishop is man of perhaps
fifty-fve. He is rather stout, Of pleas
ant countenance and with pleasant
voice. He speaks we'll, using the did
actic style, with wonderful powers of
description. He is pleasant to meet
and has a kindly good word for all
and a goodly smile. His coming to
Abbeville has been greatly enjoyed