The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-12-24
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or lneonsidsrsis

We cannot tell you how big town 1t is, Tor our
only source Of information about it is list in
the 1910 World Almanac. This is list of us.
cities of population of $500 and Coster just
made it, The population of the town was 2502 in
1940 But much has happened in the past fourteenn
years Closter may, for aught we know, be roaring
100000
Whatever the size and the hustle Of Closter, the
pastor of the Reformed Church there, one Or.
Thomas Boslooper has found time to do piece for
the Christian Century upon the ominous portent Of
the Marian Year just ended And NeWSlDeek, that
alert reporter of Facts That Matter finds the
Century article worthy of a 23-line squih in its De
partment of Religion Thus is the world at large
made cognizant of Closter; and of Boslooper.
DR. BoslooDer is agated no end about what he
calls Catholics "new devotion to Mary" He feels
that the Marian Year is a manifestation of the
"Earth.Mother complex" and that il has thrown
Christianity back TO the Dark Ages. Should this
trend continue presumably this MEANS should the
impact of the Marian Year throw Christianity
further back-perhaps even back to the Age OF
Christ HmselD "Protestantsm will be the sole
heir 10 the faith once delivered to the saints"
To be sure. we should be grateful TO DR.. B.
for the implied admission that Cahocity has been,
until now coheir with Professionalism to the faith
once delivered TO the saints This is itself surpris-
ing thing; for Professionalism could not exist, nor
have its name if the Catholic Church were not there
to protest against ii surprising to find recog-
nized as a coheir that institution which, for over
400 years, Professionalism has been trying to boot
out of the inheritance.
One wonders Just what sort Of people the Bos-
loopers of this troubled world can be. Do they ever
sit down even in a busy town like Closter and
ponder upon what they really are; upon what they
actually know or only think they know upon the
spirit Of honesty and charity which should char
acterize the heirs to the faith delivered to the
saints; upon what that faith is in point or plain
teaching not of foggy generalities And the Chris
tdu Century might do some editorial pondering
itself We suggest an earnest halfhours meditation
upon the meaning of the word Christian, with Incl
dental notice of the completely non-Christan char
aeter Of distortion, misrepresentation, and bearing
Of false witness.
First Of all, DR. Boslooper is wrong in referring
to the Marian Year time of new devotion
to Mary The Marian Year marked strong general
effort of Catholics under the urging of the Sover-
egn pontiH to put renewed life into the very old
devotion TO Mary devotion that is cid as Chris
tianty itself Professionalism (what ever that very
vague name may convey to Or. Bosooper and 9th
ers) is certainly familiar with the business of re
vivals" and "evangelists" of the Moody-Sankey-
Sunday-Graham type. Protestants everywhere con-
fess in words and deeds the need of seasonal actvi-
ties to stir up awareness and appreciation of what
PooAesAs
Indeed il is mere common sense to realize the
Importance of keeping important things clear and
unclouded great truth may, in a distracted world,
become obSeured in the hubbub of material acuVi-
ties. That is why Catholics have missions, retreats,
days Of recollection And the Church provides con-
tinuouS spiritual stimulus to religious remembrance
and appreciation by her recurrent seasons-Advent,
Lent Paschatide, the Pentecostal Time,-and by
the conservation of every day of the year to special
devotion TO God in His saints or in great mysteries
Of the Faith
There is nothing new in the Marian Year. II is
normal expression OF Catholic life. And alas, there
is nothing new in the Boslooperian reference to
'ihe Dark Ages" Someday the clichehistorian is
going to be challenged effectively to exl lain what
he means by his loose references to events or sea-
sons or institutions of the past Someday he is going
to be faced with the necessity of defining terms, or
explaining allegationS-suc things as the Dark
Ages" "the Reformation" "the InquiSiton," "the
Quarrel OF Religion and Science" "the Era of
Ecclesiastical Domination, and the rest of the un
differing generalities that now spark the speeches
and writings of many university graduates And
when that challenge comes, are going TO listen
TO the largest and most impressive silence that ever
gave come-uppance TO ignorance, cheapness, and
chicanery
Does Dr. R know when the true Dark Ages
clouded history? DO he and his kind, have even the
slightest notion of what the despite the
distressing deeds of certain Enthusiastically
means, and what ii was for, and what justified it?
Do they know that the quarrel of religion and
science is non-Catholie myth2
Says DR.. b. ~Ihe essence OF Christianity is that
redemption is in Christ lone" Good words, well
pronounced Certainly no Christian ever doubted
the fact. But the sole Redeemer came TO do the
work of redeeming which He alone could do by
using human instruments. He came by way OF
human mother. whom He honored in His coming
above all the children of men. And His redeeming
work continued in its fruits to the generations
of mankind by the Church which He established on
Peter and the Apostles If DR. wishes to stress the
word alone in his suecinet definition of the essence
of Christianity he must omit from Christianity, not
only the Blessed Mother and the Church, but he
must also strike from the rolls of significant nstru
ments Of Christianity the name of Or, Thomas Bos
looper of Closter, New Jersey.
Christ alone is Our Redeemer. And come
most effectively TO Christ as Christ came effectively
TO us-through His own Mother No Catholic ever
puts Mary in the place Of Christ Her whole place
and glory is her relationship TO Christ and her
example and intercession which leads men to Christ.
Our Lord urged the unbeevers TO believe His works
if they would not believe His words. And Mary is
His noblest human work, for He Is her Creator as