The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-02-19
POPULAR APOLOGEnCS
Adapted from the German Of Rev. Pc
ter Mikes, S. j., by Rev.
- James Watcher.
Catholics Despise the Bible.


Objection: The Catholic Church
thinks little of the Bible, forbidsi the
reading of the Bible and disiikes its
spread by the Protestant Bible Socie-
ties.
Answer: The Catholic Church es-
teens the Bible very highly, encour-
ages her children to study ii diligent-
". and only disapproves abuses.
l. Even the apostate Boulrier has
to confess The Gospel is considered
by the Catholic Church divine book,
such book that she bends the knee
before it and offers incense to it Cat
high Mass)."
But if he then continues: But she
forbids to touch it, and especially TO
open it, for an apOstate priest that is
a daring assertion, for one who for
merly every Sunday sang the Gospel
ut the altar, who read it to the peo-
PIE and explained it from the pulpit
who as Il seminarian was admonish-
ed to study it assiduously, who had to
teach the children the Bible History
who had daily to spend about an hour
reading the Scriptures in his breviary
for such man, we repeat, this IS
a daring assertion, which specGlates
on the total ignorance Of PrOtestants.
and which looks very much like tn
fling with the truth. a..
2. Out OF reverence for the Bible
and to guard against wrong interpre-
tations and abuse, the Church de-
loft init "a
vernacuIar be approved by the prop
er authority and have explanatory
notes. Or should every ignoramus
know how to explain passages on
which the most learned men among
Protestants are divided? That would
demand great miracles. Such mira.
cles the Holy Ghost, on whom Prot
estants depend when reading their
Bible, does not work as the many dis
agreements among Protestants plain
" show. Every Catholic is allowed to
read the Bible in the original Ian
guages without notes, for then the
Church supposes that such a person
has the necessary theological train
ing. d. z,.. $685.
That. not all parts, especially of the
Old Testament, are fit for everybody,
especially for the young, and that
more harm than good is done, is &C
knowledged not only by Catholics but
by intelligent Protestants, who ap-
prove the pedagogical tact, of the
Catholic Church.
3. The Bible of the Bible Societies
and all non-Catholic Bibles are forbid
den because they are incomplete (the
deuterocanonical books are Wanting),
they are without explanatory notes
and are full of erroneous translations.l
A. How high the Catholic Church
holds the Bible, often so badly treated
in Protestant polemics, we can gather
from the Encyclical Of Leo XIII on
Holy Scripture.
The English Protestant Ignatius of
st. Anthony-Abbey writes to the Cath
Ollie Times on the mighty impression
this Encyclical made on him:
Permit me as non-Roman Catho-
lie to confess with what deep joy,
with what consolation and gratitude
read this panal Encyclical in the col
umns OF your paper This grand, I'M
bending. brave and divine confession
Of the faith in Holy Scripture before
the whole world Of science and in
fidelity is simply brilliant. The re-
neWed assertion of the fact at the end
of the Nineteenth Century that Holy
Scripture is without error because it
is written by the inspiration of the
Holy Ghost, has God as its author, is
alone already a shining act of faith
and must challenge the admiration
and gratitude OF the whole Christian
world.
Every Protestant and Anglican, ev-
cry Roman Catholic and Orthodox ORR
entail must thank God that He has CIV
en- Pope Leo XIII the courage for
such glorious deed. was speech
less from JOY as l read on. 1t was
only the Holy Ghost who strengthened
the mind and hand of the second Leo
the Great to pour forth this stream of
faith, courage and defiance over the
world for the good of all upright dis
ciples of Jesus Christ, be they Cath
Ollie or Protestant.
the ldUISS are lulHcu. IIot-
estants of all shades degrade the BIZ
BILE and do their utmost to destroy
ali faith in it, and the Pope of Rome
steps up before the world and through
his plain words brings hope to the
hearts that would break from grief
over the doctrines OF dissenting pro-
fessors and Anglican dignitaries
Have our spiritual leaders lost faith
in the Bible, thanks to the work OF
modern criticism? Do they fear to
confess and confirm anew the old
faith in the Bible?"
If that is the case, he thinks, the
exodus to the Church of Leo XIII will
be much greater than heretofore.
1t is well known that in Germany
the reverence for the Bible as the in
spired Word of God is much less than
in England.
1t is the Catholic Church that holds
the Holy Scriptures in high esteem.
Cardinal Sarto (Pius X was one of
the principal promoters of the society
in Italy and France to spread the New
Testament among the people. The
Italian edition at twenty centesimi
Give cents), published by the Vatican
Press, was spread in several hundred
thousand copies.