The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-05-21


OILS What Disturbs Protestants About Ca
tholics." In the next issue, under date of May
25, Mr.. John Cogley of Commonweol will pre-
sent Catholics views
There is an enormous error, implied and
outSpoken under any such discussion as this
one. 1t is error of supposng that Cathohcity
and Professionalism are two varieties of Chris
uanity, roughly par, and capable of being
modified in practice to achieve a generally
pleasing compromise
The instructed Catholic knows that his
Church. despite all the instances of unworth
ness tsome real, more fictionaD in those who
are TO represent the Church, lay and clerical,
is the only Christian Church there is.
This knowledge is not a proud mental at
titude. 1t is knowledge, not a view It is the
knowledge that comes supernsturally from
faith and naturally from the facts of history.
The Catholic believes that Christ is God; that
He founded Church, that He gave the Church
His authority and voice, promising to be with it
TO the end of time The Catholic knows that Christ
founded and guaranteed the Church to bring to all
mankind the fruits of the Redemption, and to give
necessary competence and aid in his essential
work of living virtuously and getting to heaven.
What God has founded and guaranteed must be
accepted as the institution required by all men.
No other Institution is of this character The
Church founded by Christ is not par with other
churches Other churches are not in position to bar
gain compromise with the Church to which God
Himself has said, He that heareth you, heareth
Me"
Therefore il is fundamentally and calamitously
erroneous TO suppose-as the Look discussion i'm
plicitly supposes,-that the Catholic Church its
faithful members are tree TO change their religion,
to water down the truths it teaches, to modify
It's essential practice IN view of what is called social
harmony but what really is indtferentism.
The title of the first Look article is unfortunate
1t Is also revealing Ii is unfortunate in its apparent
supposition that members of the true Church must
be careful not to disturb the feelings the atti-
tudeS of their neighbors The Apostles and the first
Catholics baptized and instructed by the Apostles
went through the world very disturbing force
indeed The pagan world was as unhappy as the mod
ern world but it wished part of the disturbing
religion which could bring il happiness. 1t wanted
submission of heart and mind and will TO God;
II abhorred the business of prayer and fasting;
1t rejected the Cross Truth is always disturbing to
people who want to mold compacently TO convenient,
If ultimately unsatistyna falsites and to the deter
mnation to have things their own way.
Thus the unfortunate title of What Dsturbs"
reveals the mistaken worldly attitude and view that
people 10 give God such recognition will not
interfere with Tree and easy life IL reveals the
modern conviction that people are 10 worship God
as they please" rather than TO worship God as God
peases. The pride that into the world with the
first sin is still the worlds most widespread and
most devastating evil Men are still trying TO take
Gods place: to have things religious in their own
way to make religion system of their own for their
own consolation But religion is objective factual
changeless. The Church founded by Christ teaches
that factua religion The world at large recents this
teaching,-for pride is resentment of God and Gods
works-and says in effect what certain prideful peo-
pie once muttered, This is hard saying, and
who can hear IT."
There is strange blindness in the man who with
apparent benevolence and fairmindedness, proceeds
TO discuss the relations of Catholics and non-Catho-
lies Ii permits the author of the first Look article
to utter such an absurdity this The great bulk
of Roman Catholic teaching and preaching is Com
Christian truth and morals. Protestants
glad that this teaching is being given =" Now,
as fact the great bulk Of Catholic teaching in
wolves these truths: the divinity Godhead OF
Christ; the Blessed Trinity; the Real Presence of
Christ in the Eucharist the Reality OF the Mass as
the identical sacrifice offered by Christ the
Cross the prestly power to forgive SINS the unique
sufficiency and necessity of the Catholic Church
With one or two OF these truths some on-Catholies
may agree; with all of them Protestant agrees
AS Chesterton once pointed out, Catholics and
FIOtchAdHNa uisdkItet Hot III hOI-eSstHlldls Dul III
essentials. If two papers magazines, wholly in
disagreement in the ends they serve, were to be
called alike because they are printed on the same
sort of paper with type of the size and style
child would laugh at the silly assertion The papers
differ essentially in the non-essentialS of mere
external appearance they may differ little not at
all. But II is mere idocy to say they the same
The Look article says that ProtesantS dis
turbed by Catholics the score of devotion to the
democratic ideal The word democracy is employed
to cover multitude of misconceptions; il is fog
term, blanketterm Certainly common-SenSe says
that if the democratic ideal (Which few if any per
sons can define accurately and nobody can define
IN manner satisfactory to alb does not agree with
dviney revealed truth so much the for the
democratic ideal, Are TO suppose that Protest
ants are offering democracy (however defined) as
substitute for Christianity And, practically. If
democracy means nnflinching patriotism, Catholics
can point to the rolls Of those who died glorously
for their country IN all its wars their numbers al
ways far exceed their proportion in the national
census
The true religion seeks first to serve God and
save souls. II also seeks social harmony in far
as this is consonant with its essential effort But