The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-01-29
PASTORAL LETTER

mand. The Sovereign Pontiff will not
or cannot manufacture new doctrines,
nor invent new dogmas nor allow them
to find their way into the ancient
Church, nor increase or weaken what
Almighty God has deigned to reveal.
Though all the powers of earth and
hell rage against the Church, the Pope
must condemn error and keep the de-
posit of faith pure. incorrupt and I'M
mixed, which deposit must ever re-
main unchanged like God whose inn
mutable truths it contains. Jesus
Christ yesterday and today and the
same forever" (Heb. 1850
The Benefits of lnfaIIibiIity.
Infallibility constitutes the bond of
union and the source of Catholic unity.
Owing to her supreme, central and I'M
failing authority, the Church presents
to the world in disunion and trouble
her admirable unity and in this she
stands alone. Her infallible truth
keeps her in the indivisible unity of
the doctrine of Christ. No other
church possesses the promise of Di-
vine support. She alone legitimately
claims the magnificent and all-impor-
tant power of unifcation. The Church,
in her wisdom, obliges all her children
to be of one belief and allows no free
dom of thought in the domain of faith,
because she declares her belief to be
the certain, safe and definite express
sion Of the truths God has revealed.
Honest thinking men must confess
that the dogma of infallibility alone
can calm poor human minds in doubt
and effectively settle the religious con-
tentions so widespread in this sad day
of liberalism, agnosticism and athe-
ism. In the sects, which are the ar
bitrary creation of men, there is moth
ing to define and settle religious ques-
tons which are in dispute. No au-
thoritative tribunal is there among
them to decide and guide. Only opin-
ions, and little or no uniformity of
views on spiritual matters, reign.
Creeds, therefore, depending on falli-
BILE agencies, vary, divide, decay and
die. For want of an infallible inter-
prefer, the Holy Bible, under private
judgment and free inquiry, is made to
originate fallacious doctrines, fatal in
consistencies and absurd tenets, in the
hands Of the ignorant and unscrupu-
lous. An infallible book needs an in
fallible interpreter and a trustworthy
teacher to explain, as is proved by the
history of the sects with their divi-
sions, diversity and multiplicity. A
prudent and wise legislator, Christ
Jesus, establishes a tribunal to guard
and expound the Holy Scriptures,
which tribunal the world must confess
to be no other than the Roman Cath
Ollie Church. Where the Pope's au-
thority is Loyalty accepted and obey
ed, order reigns, and where his au-
thority is rejected, disorder reigns,
both in religious and in the civil
spheres. Destruction dominates in
| the present world because society has
lost authority. The rulers and the
ruled have mainly abandoned the SUI
preme authority of the one true
I Church, the authority of the Pope,
which does not destroy, but verify
civilizes, engenders order and builds
up.
Obedience to the Pope.
| Religious obedience to Mother
Church all sincere and loyal Catholics
should render, not only when the sub
ject-matter falls under the head of
Divine revelation, but also when the
exercise of ordinary ecclesiastical au-
| thority comes in question. When the
/ Pope speaks ex cathedra and defines
any articles concerning faith and NOR.
ais, Catholics are bound to receive his
teaching with the assent of faith. To
4 refuse obedience in this matter is to
be guilty of heresy, which excludes
from the membership of the Church
Any one limiting his submission to the
/ Pope's infallible utterances is no true
| Catholic. The law of God enjoins sub
mission to all lawfully constituted all
thority. Let every soul be subject te
higher power, for there is no power
but from God, and those that are, are
ordained of God" (Rom. 1919
| The ordinary ecclesiastical authori
j ty comprises the pastoral letters and
4 orders of the Bishops, whom the
Holy Ghost has placed to rule the
Church of God" (Acts 20:28) Oul
Holy Father Benedict XIV, now happily
reigning, in his first Encyclial says
, He who is not with the Bishop, is mo-
, with the Church" This authority in
, cludes also diocesan and provincial
, Councils, the announcements of tn,
; Sacred Congregations, and in a su
} perior manner many acts of the Su
T preme Pontiff, to whom all the Bish
, ops of the world show obedience a.
. the successor of ST. Peter, the vical
of Christ. AS rulers the Popes do no
sanction injustice, nor countenanc,
wrong in any way, but exhibit til,
highest wisdom, rectitude and knowl
edge in their words and acts. AL
mighty God, evidently, watches owe
: and directs the supreme government O
; his terrestrial Church with a specia
] Divine Providence. For nearly TWEEN
lily centuries has the Church condemn
5 ed numerous heresies, solved mani
3 fold doubts, and decided counties,
/ contentious.
IL Our Lord, who is the Way tn
Y Truth and the Life. uttered tha fol