The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-03-23
LARGE CROWDS AT
MISSION SERVICES
Intense Interest in Lectures Being
Given b. Paulist Fathers.

The mission services a: st. Mich
aeYs church were well attended last
evening. showing the intense interest
of the people in the lectures being
given by the Paulists, Rev. Fathers
Miller and Harden.
The subject of the sermon last eve
ming was 1.-THE Priest and the Confess
sional,' and was delivered by Father.
Miller in his usual forceful and con-
vincing style.
The speaker drew comparison
showing the character of the sacra-
ments of baptism and penance as
means of dealing with sin. Baptism,
he declared, was to remove the faint
of original sin, penance or confession
RENTS post baptism or actual sin.
Both sacraments being instituted by
Christ for their respective ends accom-
plish their effects through His al
mighty power.
Next, the missionary answered some
OF the common objections urged
against the practice Of confession.
Some, he said, contend that it is an
innovation of the church or of the
priest. Yet when these DIRECTORS are
confronted with the necessity of giving
sound proof for their statement, they
are totally unable to give the date of
the alleged invention, or the name OF
the country in which. it is supposed
to have first been foisted upon an I'M
suspecting people, or the name of So
called inventor. Certainly, if such a
thing were launched upon the world
any later than the first days of chris
tianity, the voice of history would not
be silent on the matter. Again some
maintain that confession makes sin
too easy. This objection must surely
be the result of ignorance or preJudace.
For when the teaching concerning con-
fession is known, the facts are quite
the contrary. 1t is important to un-
derstand that the mere telling OF the
sins in confession is not enough. Be-
sides telling the sins, the one seeking
dissolution must sincerely and interior
ly detest the sins and determine by
the help of Gods grace to avoid for
the future, not only the sins them
selves but also the occasions of sin;
those persons, places or things that
are liable to lead him astray. When
Justice has been violated, the sinner
must promise to make good the injury
and restore ill-gotten goods.
Continuing, the missionary main
tanned that the sacrament of penance
or confession is a divine institution of
Christ Himself citing in support of
this fact ST. John 20:21-23 when Christ
Who is God, says to the apostles, who
were mere men: Receive We the Holy
Ghost, Whose sins you shall forgive.
they are forgiven them; and whose
sins you shall retain, they are re-
turned" it can mean but one thing,
namely, that God gave power to man
to forgive sin in His name and by
His power. That power did not die
with the Apostles. Christianity itself
did not die with the apostles; the
power to baptize in the name of Christ
did not die with the apostles, and so
we say, too. that the power to forgive
sin through the sacrament of penance
did not die with them.
The solos were by Miss Dimple Nc
MILAN, who sang ooh, Lord, Remem-
Der Me-" by Caro- Roma, and Gerald
Quina, who rendered Herbert John
sons Face to Face" Miss Johnnie
Mae Dunn assisting with violin obli-
gatas.
The lecture tonight will be "The
City on the Hill" Services will begin
at 1880 and cordial invitation has been
extended to the public to be present.