A MANUAL OF
PASTORAL THEOLOGY
A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR ECCLESIASTICAL
STUDENTS AND NEWLY ORDAINED PRIESTS
BY
The Rev. FREDERICK SCHULZE, D.D.
Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the Provincial Seminary
of St. Francis, St. Francis, Wis.
5 0,
/j
B. HERDER BOOK CO.,
15 & 17 SOUTH BROADWAY, ST. LOUIS, MO.,
AND
33 QUEEN SQUARE,
1939
LONDON, W.C.
ALL RIGHTS RESERl-'ED
Printed in U. S. A.
NIHIL OBSTAT
Sti. Ludovici, die 20. Julii, 1927,
Joannes Rothensteiner,
Censor Librorum
IMPRIMATUR
Sti. Ludovici, die 21. Julii, 1927,
•i· Joannes J. Glennon,
Archicpiscopus
Copyright 1923
BY B. HERDER BOOK CO.
Tenth Impression
Vail-Ballou Press, Inc., Binghamton and New York
Sancto Francisco Salesio
Ecclesiae Doctori Optimo
Pastori Animarum Zeli Pleno
Seminarii Salesiani Patrono
AUCTOR
Hoc Opus Suum
Dedicat
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION
The newly ordained priest needs a guide to steer him
safely past the rocks and shoals which lie in his course
when he launches out into the open sea of apostolic labor.
This applies particularly to our own country, for here a
priest’s pastoral duties extend over a vastly wider sphere
than elsewhere, and we have none of the traditional
usages and laws by which clerical life is regulated abroad.
Often, the young priest, almost immediately after his
ordination, is sent to a mission where he is entirely alone.
Comparatively few are fortunate enough to be able to
serve for a while as assistants to experienced pastors, by
whom they are gradually introduced to parochial work.
Under these circumstances it is but proper that the
advanced classes of our ecclesiastical students be given a
course of lectures on Pastoral Theology before they leave
the seminary. This Manual is designed to serve as a
text-book in this branch of ecclesiastical learning.
The plan followed by such eminent authors as Benger,
Schuech, and others has been adopted also by us. The
subject matter is divided into three parts, treating,
respectively, of the Sacraments, of Preaching, and of the
Government of Parishes.
Possibly some will wonder why so little space has been
allotted to the second part. There is an external reason
for it. In the institution for which this work was pri
marily written—the Seminary of St. Francis de Sales—
special classes are given on homiletics, in which
VI
PREFACE
extensive rules on preaching and catechising are laid
down. If we are rightly informed, separate classes on
homiletics or sacred rhetoric are conducted also in other
seminaries. This, we think, is a sufficient reason for
shortening the matter in this section.
In all points of dogma, morals, liturgy, etc., we have
endeavored to lay down nothing but what is approved by
authors whose orthodoxy is beyond question, e. g., St.
Thomas, St. Alphonsus, St. Charles Borromeo, St.
Francis of Sales, etc. Among the more modern,
Lehmkuhl, Sabetti, Manning, Ullathorne, etc., have been
consulted.
Quotations are frequently made from the Councils of
Baltimore. The reason is obvious : these councils,
especially the second Plenary Council, form a standard
collection of ecclesiastical law for the Church in the United
States. Besides, they embody a vast amount of prac
tical wisdom and pastoral prudence.
The views given on matters are to be taken for what
they are—personal opinions of the author, who, before
assuming the office of teacher in the seminary, spent some
ten years in the practical ministry. Where the reader’s
ideas differ from ours we simply say : "In dubiis liber
tas.” The views expressed are intended only for the in
struction of young ecclesiastics—not as unseasonable
advice forced upon older members of the clergy.
Perhaps some will think that certain matters should
have been discussed more extensively, but we beg to re
mind them that the main purpose was to write a text
book for students. The teacher is supposed to interpret
the text and to add such explanations as he deems
necessary.
Since the second edition of this Manual was published
(1906) ecclesiastical legislation bearing on the practical
PREFACE
vii
ministry of the priesthood has undergone not a few
changes. The new "Code of Canon Law” has estab
lished altogether different forms regarding more than one
subject with which Pastoral Theology is wont to deal.
Having tried to bring our work up to date from time to
time by supplements and appendices, we have now deemed
it advisable to prepare an entirely new edition, which is
hereby offered to the public. The work has been thor
oughly revised, the necessary corrections have been made,
and some new matter has been added. We trust that this
third edition will meet with the same favor as its predeces
sors and that the little Manual will continue to contribute
its share towards the education of the junior clergy and
the sanctification of souls.
The Author
St. Francis, IVis.
PASTORAL THEOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
I.
OBJECT AND SCOPE OF PASTORAL THEOLOGY.—The
object of Pastoral Theology, as a special branch of theo
logical science, is to teach those practical rules which a
priest ought to observe in the faithful discharge of the
sacred ministry. “God,” says St. Paul, “has made us
fit ministers of the New Testament, not in the letter,
but in the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth
life.” 1 Whatever the various departments of theology
(dogma, moral, exegesis, etc.), contain in the line of wis
dom, such wisdom, if it is to benefit the Christian body
at large, must be applied properly and correctly, in due
time and season. Although a great deal must be left
to the individual judgment, yet it is well to have a guide.
This office of a guide, Pastoral Theology undertakes.
A priest engaged in parochial work needs two qualities
—prudence and charity. Charity makes him zealous,
prudence lights up the route along which his zeal may
operate. Pastoral Theology sets forth detailed norms
for both. These norms are based upon the principles of
moral and canon law, which through it find their illustra
tion. A living ideal is furnished by Christ Jesus, the
greatest Pastor of souls that has ever appeared on earth.
He has set the example. In the tenth chapter of the
1 2 Cor. HI. 6.
ix
INTRODUCTION
Gospel of St. John He specifies the duties and obliga
tions of a shepherd of souls and the qualities with which
he ought to be gifted. That chapter of Holy Scripture
is well worth reading. It constitutes, as it were, the
Magna Carta of pastoral art and discipline. The inspired
lessons contained in the Epistles of St. Paul to his disci
ples Timothy and Titus, also exhibit a great deal of
practical wisdom.
2.
LITERATURE OF PASTORAL THEOLOGY.—Although
there have at all times been books of instruction for those
engaged in the sacred ministry (cf. the decrees of
ecumenical or provincial councils and of diocesan synods),
formal treatises on this subject are of comparatively
recent date. The following list may serve as a guide :
English—
Stang, Pastoral Theology.
Dubois, Zeal in the Sacred Ministry.
Manning, The Eternal Priesthood.
St. Alphonsus, Dignity and Duties of the Priest.
Gibbons, The Ambassador of Christ.
Frassinetti, The Parish Priest’s Manual.
Mueller, The Catholic Priesthood.
Millet-Byrne, Jesus Living in the Priest.
A.
In
(e)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(/)
(g)
(A)
B.
In German—
(a) Benger, Pastoraltheologie.
(b) Amberger, Pastoraltheologie.
(c) Renninger, Pastoraltheologie.
(d) Schuech, Pastoraltheologie.^
(r) Melcher, Pastorationsbriefe.
(/) Jais, Handbuch des Seelsorgers.
(
Art. 2. Sacramental Exposition and Benediction . . 53
Forty Hours’ Devotion...................................... 5$
xiii
XIV
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAO»
Art. 3. Holy Communion.......................
Distribution of Communion . .
Preparation for Communion .
Frequent and Daily Communion .
The Paschal Communion .
Art. 4. The First Communion of Children .
71
Age for First Communion.................................. 72
Who Decides the Child’s Fitness to be Ad
mitted to First Communion ?............................ 76
Preparation for First Communion
· 79
Retreat before First Communion............................ 84
First Communion Day.............................................. 85
Preparing Children who do not Attend the
Parochial School.................................................... 87
Art 5. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.............................92
The Sacrifice of the Mass and the Priesthood 94
Preparation for Holy Mass...................................99
Observance of Mass Rubrics................................. 100
How Often Shall a Priest Celebrate Mass? . 102
Mass Stipends........................................................ 105
Binating.................................................................... 114
Hearing Mass........................................................ 118
Place for Celebrating Mass................................. 120
Materia Sacrificii...................................................126
Mass Servers......................................................... 129
Art. 6. Vespers
................................................................ 131
Art. 7. Church Music............................................................. 136
Pope Pius X and Church Music........................... 142
Ch. IV. The Sacrament of Penance............................... 149
Art. I. The Essence of the Sacrament and its Impor
tance for the Practical Ministry............. 149
The Priest as Confessor....................................... 153
Time and Place for Hearing Confessions . .157
Art. 2. The Different Offices of the Confessor . . 159
A. Officium Patris....................................................... 15g
B. Officium MediciSpiritualis................................... 164
Distinction Regarding Penitents........................... 167
C. Officium Doctoris'.................................................. 169
D. Officium ludicis....................................................... 172
Manner of Questioning Penitents .... 173
Absolution of Penitents...................................... 17S
Imposition of Penance............................................ 178
Art. 3. Confessions of Particular Classes of Penitents 180
A. Confessions of Children...................................... 180
Preparation for First Confession .... 182
B. Confessions of Women............................................ 187
TABLE OF CONTENTS
xv
PAO·
C. Confessions of Nuns......................................... 190
Special Faculty for Confessing Nuns . . . 190
Rights of Nuns Regarding Confession . . 192
The Decree ‘‘Quemadmodum"..................... 199
D. Confessions of Priests and Clerics . .
.201
Confessions of Clerics......................................... 205
E. Confessions of Pious Penitents........................ 208
Perseverance in Virtue...................................... 211
F. Confessions of Scrupulous Penitents . . .213
Causes of Scruples.............................................. 215
Treatment of Scrupulous Penitents . . . .218
G. Confessions of Habitual and Relapsing Sinners 219
How to Treat Habitual Sinners........................ 221
H. Confessions of Penitents Living in Proximate
Occasion of Sin.................................................... 224
Principles Regarding“Occasionarii" . . .225
Special Occasions of
Sin............................. 226
I. Confessions of Persons Who Belong to For
bidden Societies.....................................................236
Leo XIII against Freemasonry........................ 237
The Third Plenary Council of Baltimore on
Secret Societies....................................... . . 243
PracticalRules Regarding Secret Societies . 248
K. GeneralConfessions............................................. 256
Ch. V.Extreme Unction....................................................... 260
Art. I. Pastoral Visits to the Sick and Dying ... 260
SpiritualCare of theSick........................ 265
Art. 2. The Last Rites—Preparation for Death . . 270
A. Administering the Viaticum . . ■
270
Taking the Blessed Sacrament to the Sick . 273
B. Administering Extreme Unction........................ 277
How to Administer Extreme Unction .
.281
C. The Apostolic Benediction or PapalIndulgence 284
Art. 3. Christian Burial.................................................... 287
Place of Burial.................................................... 289
Ch. VI. Holy Orders.......................................................... 294
Sacerdotal Vocations......................................... 297
Ch. VII. Matrimony
.......................................................... 3imui” says: "Certis·
simum est huic Sedi Apostolicac in
: -buscumque ecclesiis etiam privileIJ.
92
THE SACRAMENTS
Article V
THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS
I. It is a dogma, “de fide tenendum,” that the Holy Eu
charist is not only a Sacrament to be taken as a spiritual
food in Holy Communion, but also a Sacrifice to be of
fered in the Mass. "3» quis dixerit in Missa non
offerri Deo verum et proprium sacrificium aut quod of
ferri non sit aliud quam nobis Christum ad manducan
dum dari, anathema sit.”1 Without entering into a de
tailed discussion of the particular way in which the sacri
ficial character manifests itself, such as is given in dog
matic theology or liturgy, we may briefly say this : It is
in and through the consecration that Jesus Christ, the God
man, offers Himself mystically to His heavenly Father,
there exists an intimate connection between this obla
tion and the one which took place on Calvary. The Sacri
fice of the Mass is a representation and reproduction of
the Sacrifice of the Cross, the greatest and most sublime
act of worship which has ever occurred on earth. "Una
eademque est hostia,” says the Council of Trent, "idem
nunc offerens sacerdotum ministerio, qui seipsum tunc
in cruce obtulit, sola offerendi ratione diversa.”2 In
Holy Mass we possess a most perfect and most wonder
ful means for rendering adequate homage to the Divine
Majesty, as both the victim and the offerer are none
other than He of whom it has been said: “This is My
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 3
We must not be surprised, therefore, that from the
very beginning of the Church the greatest care has been
1 Cone. Trid., Sess. XXII, c. t.
2 Cone. Trid., . . .
3 Matt, iii, 17.
THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS
93
taken to have the holy mysteries celebrated with a zeal
and devotion worthy of their dignity. The early Chris
tians considered it the highest favor and happiness to be
present at this act of worship. All the trials, sorrows
and afflictions their enemies heaped upon them, all the
joys, pleasures and gratifications the world held out to
them, appeared as nothing in their sight when they knelt
in silent adoration before the King of kings, hidden under
the species of bread and wine, and laid on the altar as a
Lamb slain for the salvation of men. No persecution,
fine, or punishment could prevent them from flocking to
the hidden and secret places where they were allowed to
take part in the Eucharistic Sacrifice. And as it was at
that early age, so it was ever afterward, when the Catholic
Church was persecuted and her members were pro
scribed, as, for instance, in England during the Refor
mation; in France during the revolution; in Germany
during the "Kulturkampf” ; and so it is to-day in heathen
and barbarous countries. There is a wonderful power of
attraction in the Mass, drawing the hearts of Catholics
towards the altar and the church. We may, indeed, at
times be astonished that the justice of God permits men
to live and prosper in spite of the numberless horrible
crimes committed every day. Why, we may feel tempted
to ask, does not a universal deluge destroy this impious
generation or sweep whole nations from the face of the
earth ? The answer lies in the words of the prophet :
"In that day there shall be an altar of the Lord in
the midst of the land of Egypt.” 4 And again : "From the
rising of the sun even to the going down, my name is
great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is
a sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean oblaI·. XXX. ig.
94
THE SACRAMENTS
tion.” The most atrocious crimes and the most loath
some sins committed by human malice find their expia
tion in that continuous act by which the Son of God offers
Himself ever anew to His Father on the altars of the
Catholic Church. Woe to this world if the powers of
hell should ever succeed in abolishing the Sacrifice of the
Mass, or in reducing its influence to a minimum !
The Sacrifice of the Mass and the Priesthood
2. Where there is a sacrifice, there must be a priest
hood. In the Old Law, God was pleased to entrust
one tribe, that of Levi, with the right and duty of offer
ing victims in the sanctuary and thereby keeping the fire
of devotion burning in the hearts of His people. In the
New Law, not everyone is permitted to ascend the altar
to make oblation to the Most High, but only those whom
the Holy Ghost has chosen, who have been properly or
dained, and to whom, in the rite of ordination, the words
have been duly addressed: “Receive the power of of
fering sacrifice to God and of celebrating Masses both
for the living and for the dead, in the name of the Lord.”
Whence do the priests of the Catholic Church derive
their dignity, that sacred character so loved and revered
by pious souls, so hated and ridiculed by the enemies
of our religion? The answer is, from the Eucharistic
Sacrifice. In the heavenly light which goes forth from
the altar the minister is enveloped with a celestial splen
dor. Bishop Ullathorne in a sermon said : “Consider, my
brethren, what this priesthood is, what a call, what a gift,
what a sublime communication of the sacerdotal character
of Christ. It is the prerogative of mercy, which the
Incarnate Son hath won over the justice of the Eternal
Father, yet, without defeating justice; it is the power
THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS
95
which God exerts over God for the pardon of the human
race; it is the very function of grace and mercy and it
is committed to human keeping. The acts of this power
are efficacious even unto the portals of hell and even to
the gates of heaven ; nay, they go beyond the gates and
reach that golden altar which is before the face of God, on
which stands the Lamb forever slain and forever plead
ing mercy. The priest is the agent of the Incarnate
God and the dispenser of His grace, His truth and life.
‘Let a man so account of us,’ says St. Paul, ‘as the minis
ters of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of
God.’ ”B
3. The intimate union into which the priest enters
with the Divine Saviour, when he stands at the altar as
His representative, the sublime act performed in the
holy Sacrifice, imposes upon every priest the obligation of
leading a life worthy of his calling. “The title alter Chri
stus" says Cardinal Manning, “is both a joy and a re
buke.” It ought to be for us a constant impulse to a
higher degree of perfection. The very thought of a
priest committing a mortal sin is too revolting to dwell
upon. A priest is set apart for God’s glory, and upon his
whole person, both soul and body, are written, as it
were, in golden letters, like on the diadem of the High
Priest, the words “Sanctum Domino." Can it be possi
ble that the ordained minister of Christ and His Church
should ever lose sight of his end and destiny? We
should certainly not believe it if sad experience did not
prove the contrary. Priests may by mortal sin sully
the robe of virtue and innocence in which they should
always be clothed. The worst thing, however, is that
in this unfortunate state they sometimes dare to ascend
61 Cor. iv, i.
96
THE SACRAMENTS
the altar, touch the Holy of Holies, and offer the Immac
ulate Lamb of God with hands polluted and hearts de
filed by grievous sin. All the outrages our Lord suffered
from His enemies did not hurt Him so deeply as the
treacherous kiss impressed upon His lips by the apostate
Judas. “If my enemy had reviled me, I would have
readily borne it,” Jesus could say with David, and He
can say the same of a priest who has the hardihood to
offer the Holy Sacrifice with mortal guilt on his soul.
After this sacrilegious crime has been committed once, the
way is too often paved to final impenitence and utter re
probation. To such an unfortunate man nothing is sacred.
St. Alphonsus, commenting on the passage of Holy Scrip
ture which says that “The wicked man, when he is come
into the depths of sin, contemns,” declares : “This wicked
man is the priest who sins through malice; he contemns
and despises chastisements, admonitions, the presence of
Jesus Christ, who is near him on the altar ; he despises all
and blushes not to surpass in malice Judas, the traitor.”
What will be the end of such a renegade priest? “In the
land of the saints he hath done wicked things, and he shall
not see the glory of the Lord.” The end will be, first, aban
donment by God, and then hell.0 If you should ever
have the misfortune to fall into a mortal sin, hasten as
quickly as you can to go to confession, wash off the
stain, no matter what sacrifices you may have to make,
how much money, time, and humiliation it may cost you.
Better all this than to say Mass in that state. Do not
be satisfied with mere contrition, for the law of the
Church is clear and evident. “Probet autem seipsum homo.
Ecclesiastica autem consuetudo declarat, eam pro
bationem necessariam esse, ut nullus sibi conscius pecβ Ullathorne,
Ecclesiastical
Discourses.
THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS
97
tali mortalis, quantumvis sibi contritus videatur, absque
praemissa sacramcntali confessione ad sacram Euchari
stiam accedere debeat.. .Quod a Christianis omnibus, etiam
ab iis sacerdotibus, quibus ex efficio incubuerit celebrare
haec sancta synodus perpetuo servandum esse decrevit,
modo non desit illis copia confessoris. Quodsi necessi
tate urgente sacerdos absque praevia confessione cele
braverit, quam primum confiteatur.” ’
4. "Hodie celebravi, cras celebrabo." These words
ought to ring continuously in a priest’s ears as a warn
ing to avoid whatever is not in accordance with the posi
tion he holds as mediator between God and men. The
purity with which his soul should be adorned does not
consist simply in freedom from mortal sin. He must
also strive to avoid venial sin as far as human weak
ness allows. Do you wish to have a proof for this?
Just think of the washing of the feet performed by our
Divine Redeemer previous to the institution of the Holy
Eucharist at the first Mass ever celebrated. When the
Apostles wondered at this strange action of their Master,
they were given to understand that it symbolized the purity
of heart required in those who desired to partake of the
Holy Mysteries. “Let no one,” remarks St. Bernard,
“disregard little faults, for it was said to St. Peter that,
unless Christ purifies us, we shall have no part in
Christ.” The life, the whole exterior and interior of a
priest ought to be such as to inspire those with whom
he comes in contact with a love of virtue. This is beau
tifully expressed in the Roman Pontifical, in the exhor
tation which the bishop gives the candidates before or
dination : "Itaque, filii dilectissimi, servate in moribus
vestris castae et sanctae vitae integritatem. Agnoscite
7 Cone. Trid., Sess. XIII, c. 7.
98
THE SACRAMENTS
quod agitis, imitamini quod tractatis; quatenus mortis
Dominicae mysterium celebrantes mortificare membra ve
stra a vitiis et concupiscentiis omnibus procuretis. Sit
doctrina vestra spiritualis medicina populo Dei. Sit
odor vitae vestrae delectamentum ecclesiae Dei, ut prae
dicatione atque exemplo aedificetis domum, id est fami
liam Dei." To comply with this warning, a priest should
cultivate especially those virtues which are his professional
ornaments, viz.: charity and chastity. “The pastor’s of
fice is the highest discipline of charity,” says Cardinal
Manning; “between the beginning and ending of his life
charity is the urgent motive which constrains, sustains,
and spends all his living powers. He knows himself to
be vicarius charitatis Christi.’* As to chastity, Cardinal
Gibbons in his book The Ambassador of Christ observes:
“Chastity is the most glorious, the most distinctive, and
the most indispensable ornament of a priest. There is
no vice which people more abhor, which they are less dis
posed to condone, than clerical incontinence. All trans
gressions have a peculiar malice in a priest, but inconti
nence is a moral leprosy that not only renders him loath
some in the eyes of God and man, but dulls the sense of
decency and self-respect in himself. He has little regard
for his reputation, for a healthy public opinion, for the
scandal he brings to the Church and her members. All
these considerations he sacrifices on the altar of passion.”
The Son of God, when living on earth, admitted to his
company only chaste and pure souls. His Virgin Mother,
St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist, the Apostles, above all
the Beloved Disciple, were persons of unblemished purity.
Can it be otherwise now? Can the same Son of God per
mit a priest who is a slave of sensuality to rest upon His
breast in the Holy Sacrament? Certainly not. Pure
must be the hands that hold the virginal Flesh, pure the
PREPARATION FOR HOLY MASS
99
lips that are reddened with the Sacred Blood, pure the
heart into which enters the Immaculate Lamb.
Preparation for Holy Mass
5. How should the priest prepare for the celebration
of Mass? "'Instante celebratione totis viribus [joccrdor]
curare debet, ut in ara cordis ignem divini amoris succen
dat, actusque eliciat diversarum virtutum qui heroici sunt
et tanto sacrificio quantum fieri potest convenientes." ’
When Jesus Christ, the High Priest of the New Law, was
about to enter the Holy of Holies, that is, to offer up the
bloody Sacrifice, He first communed with His heavenly
Father in the Garden of Olives. Thus also the priest,
before he ascends the altar, should awaken in his heart
such thoughts and emotions as are in accordance with the
sacred act he is about to perform. This is done by med
itation, for "in meditatione mea exardescet ignis." St.
Alphonsus bitterly complains that so many priests neglect
this powerful means of sanctification. “How can the
priest,” he says, “celebrate Mass with devotion unless he
has first made mental prayer ? I should be satisfied with
half an hour, and in some cases even with a quarter of an
hour, but a quarter is too little. There are many beau
tiful books containing meditations as a preparation for
Mass, but who makes use of them? It is through neg
lect of meditation that we see so many Masses said
without devotion and irreverently.” These words of the
Holy Doctor are but too true. It is a pity to behold priests
never engaging in mental prayer, except during a re
treat, on the pretext that they have no time for this
spiritual exercise, or no skill and taste for it. Do not
follow their example. Rise early enough every morning
8 Card. Bona, De Missae Celebr., c. 5.
100
THE SACRAMENTS
so that you may have ample time to prepare yourself for
the Holy Sacrifice by half an hour’s meditation. Do not
allow anyone to disturb you. Lay aside all profane and
worldly reflections, drop all your cares and troubles. The
first-fruits of the day belong to God and your soul. The
collection of oral prayers called “Praeparatio ad Missam,”
contained in the Missal, will come handy, as it is very
apt to arouse the proper emotions in a priest’s heart. If
you cannot recite the whole of it, say at least a part, such
as the orations, or the one or other psalm. Last but not
least, see to it that you have finished Matins and Lauds
of the Office for the day, for this is obligatory, though
only “sub veniali”; hence, if possible, “anticipate” the
evening before, as you may not have sufficient time in
the morning. Your meditation and preparation being
over, slowly walk to the church, wearing your clerical
garb, ie., the cassock. Do not stand around and chat
with members of the congregation, whom you may chance
to meet on the way, but go directly to the sanctuary.
The sacristy is a holy place. It is an abuse to talk there
on profane subjects, to laugh, to joke, to read newspapers,
especially before Mass. Your devotion and attention, if
you had any, will surely evaporate if you engage in such
practices. Do not allow anyone to accost you in the
sacristy when you are ready for celebration. Immediately
after you have entered, vest yourself, and while putting
on the vestaments say the different prayers which are of
obligation. The specific formula of the Mass should be
arranged before you go to the altar. Look up the Ordo
every day, lest you make mistakes.
Observance of Mass Rubrics
6. In the celebration of the Mass the rubrics must be
observed to the minutest detail. They bind under sin.
OBSERVANCE OF MASS RUBRICS
ιοί
By setting them aside, or carrying them out negligently,
you will bring punishment on yourself; by observing
them you perform so many acts of obedience by which
you will acquire merits and eternal recompense. "In his
[riii&i/i] sane vel minimum apicem adiicere, tollere aut
ullo modo immutare nefas est. Nullus enim in peragendo
hoc sacrificio ritus adhibetur, nulla caeremonia quae inanis
aut supervacanea citra impietatem existimari possit.” ·
The tone of your voice, the position of your hands, the
movements of your head, your genuflections must all be
exactly as the rubrics prescribe. Do not offend the pious
worshippers by giving a bad example. Thus, for instance,
it is improper to become uneasy when something is not
in order, to scold the servers, to give commands with a
loud voice, to look around at every little noise in church,
to turn and move more like an actor than like a sacred
minister, or to proceed in a slovenly way, to yawn or
groan, to pronounce the words too fast,10 to mutilate syl
lables. A priest in celebrating the Holy Sacrifice takes
the place of Christ; everything in and about him, there
fore, should breathe devotion, holiness, and charm and
inspire faith and respect for the Sacred Mystery in all
who are present. “Sacerdotium in terris peragitur, sed
instar caelestium munerum est computandum,” says St.
Chrysostom. Especially that part of the Mass called the
Canon should be performed in all its details with the
greatest reverence and attention. "Cum perveneris ad
sacrum canonem,” St. Bonaventure exhorts, "recollige
mentem, ne per diversa vagetur, appone diligentian ma
gnam in signis et actibus, maiorem in verbis, maximam in
intentione.”'
e Cone. Pl. Balt. II, n. 357·
10 St. Alphonsus is of the opin
ion that a priest saying Mass in
less than a quarter of an hour com
mits a mortal sin. (Theol. Mor.,
c. VI, n. 400.)
102
THE SACRAMENTS
7. After Mass follows a suitable and proper act of
thanksgiving. The Missal and Breviary contain a series
of prayers adapted for this purpose. They are not of
obligation, but merely directive. Any form of prayer,
whether oral or mental, suffices. As to the length of time
which should be spent in thanksgiving, no rule exists.
The rubrics only say “aliquantulum,” but we think it is
by no means too strict to maintain with St. Alphonsus that
at least a quarter of an hour should be devoted to this
act. It is advisable to perform it publicly in the church
or sanctuary (not in the sacristy), so that the people may
witness it and be induced to do the same after Holy
Communion. In some places, especially in country mis
sions, a priest is often disturbed in his devotion after
Mass. Affairs of all kinds, temporal and spiritual, claim
his attention. If they do not take too long, it is best to
settle them at once; if they require some time, tell the
people to wait till you have finished your prayers. The
Eucharistic Lord in the celebrant’s heart has at least
as much right to be heard and attended to than any one
else.
How Often Shall a Priest Celebrate Mass
8. How often shall a priest celebrate Mass? Priests
who have charge of souls are obliged sub gravi to celebrate
Mass on all Sundays and holydays of obligation in order
to give those who are entrusted to their care an opportun
ity of complying with the ecclesiastical precept.
According to the new Code (Can. 216) every diocese
must be divided into distinct territorial parts, each part
having its own church with the people assigned thereto
and a rector as pastor (parochus proprius) placed over
them. These parts are called parishes; within an Apos
tolic Vicariate or an Apostolic Prefecture, quasi-parishes.
OBLIGATION OF SAYING MASS
103
The obligation incumbent upon the pastor of applying
the fruits of the Mass to his people is specified in Canon
466:
§ i. Applicandae Missae pro populo obligatione tenetur pa
rochus ad normam Can. 339 [omni&Mj diebus Dominicis et festi
vis de praecepto, etiam suppressis], quasi-parochus ad normam
can. 306 [diebus ibi enumeratis].
§ 2. Parochus qui plures forte paroecias aeque principaliter
unitas regat aut, praeter propriam, paroeciam aliam vel alias
in administrationem habeat, unam tantum debet Missam pro
populis sibi commissis diebus praescriptis applicare.
§3. Ordinarius loci iusta de causa permittere potest ut paro
chus Missam pro populo aha dic applicet ab ea qua iure adstringitur.
§4. Parochus Missam pro populo applicandam celebret in ec
clesia parocciali, nisi rerum adiuncta Missam alibi celebrandam
exigant aut suadeant.
§ 5. Legitime absens parochus potest Missam pro populo ap
plicare vel ipse per se in loco in quo degit, vel per sacerdotem qui
eius vices gerat in paroecia.
[It has been decided that pastors in the United States are real,
canonical pastors (parochi), having all the duties and obligations
pertaining to such an office and according to canon 466 and 399
are specifically bound to apply the Missa pro populo on Sundays
and on feast-days of obligation (including those that have been
suppressed), this obligation binding them in conscience unless
dispensation or commutation be received from the Holy See.’’]
What about priests who are not engaged in parochial
work ? Are they free to say Mass or not, as they please ?
The Code says that all priests, irrespective of an office
which they hold or the particular obligation they have as
sumed, are bound to say Mass several times a year. Bish
ops and religious superiors are admonished to see to it
that the priests under their jurisdiction celebrate Mass
on all Sundays and holydays of obligation:
"Sacerdotes omnes obligatione tenentur Sacrum litandi
T04
THE SACRAMENTS
pluries per annum; curet autem Episcopus vel Superior re
ligiosus ut Udem saltem singulis diebus dominicis aliisque
festis dc praecepto divinis operentur.” (Can. 805).
What about Mass on zueek days? Apart from an of
fice or benefice or any other special obligation, there is no
law commanding a priest to celebrate on these days. How
ever, priests are exhorted to offer the Sacred Mysteries
every day unless there be some reasonable cause to
prevent them. The author of the Imitation of Christ
says: “When a priest celebrates Mass, he honors God,
he rejoices the angels, he edifies the Church, he helps the
living, he obtains rest for the dead, and makes himself
partaker of all that is good.” St. Thomas remarks:
“Quidam dixerunt, quod sacerdos potest omnino a con
secratione licite abstinere, nisi teneatur ex cura sibi com
missa celebrare. Sed hoc irrationabiliter dicitur, quia unus
quisque tenetur uti gratia sibi data quum fuerit opportu
num, secundum illud {2 Cor. VI, Γ): ‘Exhortamur ne in
vacuum gratiam Dei recipiatis.’ Opportunitas autem sacri
ficii offerendi non solum attenditur per comparationem ad
fideles Christi, quibus oportet sacramenta administrari, sed
principaliter per comparationem ad Deum, cui consecra
tione huius sacramenti sacrificium offertur.” 11 A work
which is of infinitely more value to God and man than all
the works that the angels in heaven and creatures on
earth taken together could perform, certainly should not be
omitted without serious reasons. Such a work is the Eu
charistic Sacrifice. “Tantum valet celebratio Missae,
quantum valet mors Christi in cruce,” is a sentence attrib
uted to St. Chrysostom. The faithful have a keen per
ception ; they are scandalized when they see a priest mak
ing little of the daily celebration of Mass and looking for
ease and comfort. And what shall we say of the priest
11S. Theol; IHa, qu. 82, art. 10.
MASS STIPENDS
Io5
himself? Has he never heard of the "fructus specialissi
mus" awarded exclusively to the celebrant? In the Holy
Sacrifice we possess an inexhaustible fund of grace for
our own sanctification. The solitary position of the sec
ular priest in many of the missions of the United States
is fraught with great dangers. Worldly business and
innumerable external affairs are likely to make him lose
that first love of which the angel in the Apocalypse speaks
to the bishop of Laodicea. The daily celebration of Mass
is the best means to keep the fire of love burning in his
soul.
Mass Stipends
9. A particular obligation to offer the Holy Sacrifice
arises from stipends given by the faithful. From the
moment you accept a stipend you are bound sub gravi
to say Mass according to the intention of the donor, and
within a reasonable time. Hence do not accept more sti
pends than you are able to dispose of within the period
permitted by the regulations of the Church, or tell the
parties that you cannot comply with their wish until after
several months. If they are satisfied, you may keep the
stipend and postpone the Mass to a time which suits you.
Several decrees regarding Mass stipends have come
from Rome within the last three decades (May 25, 1890;
May ii, 1904; May 22, 1907; July 15. 1908). They have
been somewhat overhauled and modified by the new Code.
The rules as they are now in vogue may be summed up
thus :
(a) No priest should collect or accept more stipends
for himself than he can dispose of within the time the
law allows. He may, however, go in quest of stipends or
receive such to a somewhat large and extraordinary
amount if his intention is to distribute them among other
io6
THE SACRAMENTS
priests who, he is sure, will say the Masses in due time.
In particular may bishops and religious superiors gather
stipends for the priests who are under their jurisdiction.
Stipends should not be given to totally unknown priests
or to such as for some reason or other are unreliable.
“In ecclesiis in quibus ob fidelium peculiarem devotionem
Missarum eleemosynae ita affluunt, ut omnes Missae cele
brari ibidem debito tempore nequeant, moneantur fideles
per tabellam in loco patenti et obvio positam, Missae obla
tas celebratum iri vel ibidem, cum commode poterit, vel
alibi." (Can. 836).
"Qui Missas per alios celebrandas habet, eas quampri
mum distribuat, firmo praescripto can. 841; sed tempus
legitimum incipit a die quo sacerdos celebraturus easdem
receperit, nisi aliud constet." (Can. 837).
"Qui habent Missarum numerum de quibus sibi liceat
libere disponere, possunt eas tribuere sacerdotibus sibi
acceptis, dummodo probe sibi constet eos omni exceptione
maiores vel testimonio proprii Ordinarii commendatos."
(Can. 838).
(b) Regarding the time when the Mass must be said,
the rule is that, if the donor of the stipend has expressly
stated the day on which he wants to have the Mass cele
brated, or has appointed some kind of a term, the Mass
must be said within the period agreed upon. If no agree
ment was made, the Mass must be celebrated within a
reasonable or moderate time. The larger the number of
Masses ordered by one and the same person, the longer
one may wait with the celebration of those Masses. Ac
cording to the decree "Ut debita," of May 11, 1904, 100
Masses should be said within six months, one Mass
within one month, and others in proportion. However, this
is not to be taken mathematically but only as a sort of sug
gestion. Indeed, if the donor of the stipend, either of
MASS STIPENDS
107
his own accord or upon a hint from the priest, leaves
it entirely to the latter to decide as to when and where he
will say the Mass, the priest may wait until he is free,
provided the Mass be celebrated within a year from the
day on which the stipend was accepted.
§ r. Missae pro quibus celebrandis tempus ab oblatore ex
presse praescriptum est, eo omnino tempore sunt celebrandae.
§2. Si oblator nullum tempus pro MissariAn manualium ce
lebratione expresse praescripserit:
l.° Missae pro urgenti causa oblatae quamprimum tempore
utili sunt celebrandae ;
2.0 In aliis casibus Missae sunt celebrandae intra modicum
tempus pro maiore vel minore Missarum numero.
§ 3. Quodsi oblator arbitrio sacerdotis tempus celebrationis ex
presse reliquerit, sacerdos poterit tempore quo sibi magis pla
cuerit, eas celebrare, firmo praescripto can. 835·" (Can. 834)·
"Nemini licet tot Missarum onera per se celebrandarum reci
pere quibus intra annum satisfacere nequeat." (Can. 835).
(c) The precept contained in the decree “Vigilanti,” of
May 25, 1893, an(l inserted into the Code, commanding all
persons, lay or ecclesiastic, men or women, who may have
Mass-stipends on hand which are overdue, to send such
stipends to the Ordinary at the end of the year, is inter
preted to mean that after the lapse of one year from the
date of acceptance all surplus stipends must be transmit
ted to the bishop of the diocese within which the “pia
causa” mentioned in the canon is situated or the person
happens to live. Only when the donor of the stipend or
stipends has expressly granted a longer term, may the
stipend be kept.
§ i. Omnes et singuli administratores causarum piarum aut
quoquo modo ad Missarum onera implenda obligati, sive ec
clesiastici sive laid, sub exitum cuiuslibet anni, Missarum onera
quibus nondum fuerit satisfactum, suis Ordinariis tradant secun
dum modum ab his definiendum.
io8
THE SACRAMENTS
§2. Hoc autem tempus ita est accipiendum ut ί>ι Missis ad in
star manualium obligatio eas deponendi decurrat a fine illius anni
intra quem onera impleri debuissent; in manualibus vero, post an
num a dic suscepti oneris, salva diversa offerentium voluntate.
(Can. 841).
(d) Whoever gives mass intentions, received either di
rectly from the first and original donor or at second hand
from some other party, to others, with a request to say
the Masses according to such intentions, remains responsi
ble for them until he is notified that the stipends have
been received and the obligation assumed. I f money sent
by draft or check or in any other way is lost, the sender
must bear the loss. In the decree "(7/ debita,” of 1904,
an exception had been made with regard to stipends sent
to a bishop or to the Holy See, relieving the party from
further obligation. The Code does not mention this ex
ception. Therefore, also in this case the sender cannot
consider himself free until he has been informed that the
money was received and the obligation accepted.
Qui Missas a fidelibus receptas aut quoquo modo suae fidei
commissas aliis celebrandas tradiderint, obligatione tenentur us
que dum acceptatae ab iisdem obligationis et recepti stipendii
testimonium obtinuerint. (Can. 839).
Licet sine culpa illius qui onere celebrandi gravatur, Mis
sarum eleemosynae tam perceptae perierint, obligatio non cessat.
(Can. 829).
It is strictly forbidden, as it was heretofore, to bar
gain in Mass stipends by handing them over to booksellers,
publishers of newspapers and periodicals, or merchants
and traders of any kind, even if they happen to be priests
or religious, with the tacit or express understanding that
they may keep them in exchange for goods sold to priests,
who in consideration thereof oblige themselves to say the
MASS STIPENDS
too
Masses. The proceeds of such a transaction must be
looked upon as “turpe lucrum.”
"A stipe Missarum quaelibet etiam species negotiationis wl
mercaturae omnino arceatur. (Can. 827).
(e) In accordance with the same principle it must be
held as a rule that the stipend and the obligation arising
therefrom are inseparable; the total amount in its origi
nal form, without commutation or reduction, must be
given to the priest who celebrates the Mass. However,
this rule admits of certain exceptions. Thus, if the orig
inal donor of the stipend gave the priest a sum of money
larger than the usual rate, or with the express or at least
implicit understanding that the excess was to be a kind
of personal gift, then that priest, if he cannot say the
Mass himself, may engage another priest to do so by giv
ing him the ordinary stipend and keeping the rest for him
self. Again, if it is customary (with the consent of the
Ordinary) to give the pastor or rector of a church or
sanctuary a somewhat larger stipend on certain occa
sions (funerals, anniversaries, weddings, etc.) this may be
considered as part of that pastor’s or rector’s income,
and if the Mass is celebrated by another priest, the latter is
entitled only to the usual stipend.
The Code says :
§ i. Qui Missarum stipes manuales ad alios transmittit, de
bet acceptas integre transmittere, nisi aut oblator expresse per
mittat aliquid retinere, aut certo constet excessum supra taxant
dioecesanam datum fuisse intuitu personae.
§2. In Missis ad instar manualium, nisi obstet mens funda
toris, legitime retinetur excessus et satis est remittere solam elee
mosynam manualem dioecesis in qua Missa celebratur, si pinquis eleemosyna locum pro parte teneat dotis beneficii aut causae
piae. (can. 840).
no
THE SACRAMENTS
(f) If a stipend has been accepted for a Mass to be
celebrated for an urgent cause (pro felici partu, pro in
finito, etc.), that Mass should be said at once, or at least
early enough to secure the effect desired by the donor.
Likewise if certain stipulations are added with regard to
date or place, (c.g., that the Mass be celebrated on a par
ticular day, in a certain church or chapel, at a privileged
altar) such stipulations must be complied with titulo
iustitiae.
Praesumitur oblatorem petiise solam Missae applicationem;
si tamen oblator expresse aliquas circumstantias in Missae cele
bratione servandas determinaverit, sacerdos, eleemosynam ac
ceptans, eius voluntati stare debet, (can. 833).
(g) The stipend for each kind of Mass (low Mass,
high Mass, solemn Mass) is fixed by the diocesan statutes
or by legal custom. A priest is not allowed to ask more,
but he may accept any amount as a voluntary
and spontaneous gift. It is not wise to go below the
established rate because other priests are apt to be in
jured thereby.
§ i. Ordinarii loci est manualem Missarum stipem in sua dioe
cesi definire per decretum, quantum fieri potest, in dioccesana
Synodo latum; nec sacerdoti licet ea maiorem exigere.
§2. Ubi desit Ordinarii decretum, servetur consuetudo dioe
cesis.
§ 3. Etiam religiosi, licet exempti, circa stipem manualem
stare debent decreto Ordinarii loci aut dioecesis consuetudini.
(can. 831).
Sacerdoti fas est oblatam ultro maiorem stipem pro Missae
applicatione accipere; et, nisi loci Ordinarius prohibuerit, etiam'
minorem, (can. 832).
(g) In order to keep an accurate account of the sti
MASS STIPENDS
pends one ought to have a special book in which all
the Mass intentions are entered. The following items
should be noted : the date on which the stipend was ac
cepted, the amount paid, the intention of the donor to
gether with his name, the date on which the Mass should
be said (in case of a special agreement), the day
on which the Mass has been celebrated. When one
keeps a record like this, there will be no danger of for
getting Masses or of unduly postponing them.
§ i. Rectores ecclesiarum aliorumque piorum locorum sive
saecularium sive religiosorum in quibus eleemosynae Missarum
recipi solent, peculiarem habeant librum in quo accurate no
tent Missarum receptarum numerum, intentionem, eleemosynam,
celebrationem.
§ 2. Ordinarii tenentur obligatione singulis saltem annis huiusmodi libros sive per se sive per alios recognoscendi, (can. 843).
§ i. Ordinarii quoque locorum et Superiores religiosi, qui
propriis subditis aliisve Missas celebrandas committunt, quas
acceperint Missas cum suis eleemosynis cito in librum per or
dinem referant curentque pro viribus ut quamprimum celebrentur.
§2. Imo omnes sacerdotes sive saeculares sive religiosi debent
accurate adnotare quas quisque Missarum intentiones receperit
quibusque satisfecerit, (can. 844).
(h) To encourage the faithful to give stipends, the
pastor should publish every Sunday the various intentions
for each day of the week. Sometimes parties wish to
make a foundation for a Mass. This means that a cer
tain sum of money is deposited, to serve as a capital
or principal yielding a certain amount of annual inter
est which is used as a stipend for a Mass to be celebrated
according to the intention of the donor or founder, and
this either in perpetuum or for a fixed number of years.
No priest can accept such a foundation without the ex
press consent of the Ordinary, who must point out the
THE SACRAMENTS
mode according to which the sum deposited by the founder
should be invested to secure the celebration of the Masses.
It may be doubted whether under present circumstances
here in the United States, where ecclesiastical matters
lack stability in more than one diocese, foundations of the
kind mentioned can be safely accepted. No priest can
accept them without the express consent of the Ordinary.
§ i. Stipendia quae a fidelibus pro Missis offeruntur sive ex
propria devotione, veluti ad manum, sive ex obligatione etiam
perpetua a testatore propriis heredibus facta, manualia dicuntur.
§2. Ad instar manualium vocantur stipendia Missarum fun
datarum, quae applicari non possunt in proprio loco, aut ab
iis qui eas applicare deberent secundum tabulas fundationis, et
ideo de iurc aut Sanctae Sedis induito aliis sacerdotibus traden
dae sunt ut iisdem satisfiat.
§3. Alia stipendia quae ex fundationum reditibus percipiuntur,
appellantur fundata seu Missae fundatae, (can. 826).
(i) A priest who binâtes is not allowed to accept more
than one stipend for either the first or the second Mass.
Moreover, if he is bound ex iustitia to say one of these
two Masses for a certain purpose, he is not allowed to
take a stipend for the other Mass. Thus a pastor (paro
chus) who by virtue of his office is obliged to apply to
his parishioners the fruit of the Mass which he says on
a Sunday or holyday, whenever he binâtes on that day,
cannot receive a stipend for the other Mass. This other
Mass may be said for any intention, provided only no
stipend is accepted for it. An exception is made for
the three Masses said on the feast of Christmas. A
priest who is under no obligation of justice may take
a stipend for each of these three masses.
§ i. Secundum receptum et probatum Ecclesiae morem atque
institutum, sacerdoti cuilibet Missam celebranti et applicanti li
cet eleemosynam seu stipendium recipere.
MASS STIPENDS
n3
§2. Quoties autem pluries in die celebrat, si unam Missam ex
titulo iustitiae applicet, sacerdos, praeterquam in die Nativitatis
Domini, pro alia eleemosynam recipere nequit, excepta aliqua
retributione ex titulo extrinseco. (can. 824).
(j) It is strictly forbidden to say a Mass according to
the intention of a person who is not yet known, but
who it is presumed will offer a stipend afterwards and
then also fix or determine the purpose for which he wants
to have the Mass celebrated. Again, a priest must not
accept two stipends, one for the celebration of the Mass
and another for the application of its fruits.
"Nunquam licet:
i.° Missam applicare ad intentionem illius qui applicationem,
oblata eleemosyna, petiturus est, sed nondum petiit, et eleemo
synam postea datam retinere pro Missa antea applicata;
2.0 Eleemosynam recipere pro Missa quae alio titulo debetur
et applicatur;
3·° Duplicem eleemosynam pro eiusdem Missae applicatione
accipere;
4·° /Illeram recipere eleemosynam pro sola celebratione, alte
ram pro applicatione eiusdem Missae, nisi certo constet unam
stipem oblatam esse pro celebratione sine applicatione, (can. 825).
(k) If a certain amount of money has been left by some
body with the request that it be used for Mass stipends,
without determining the number of Masses to be said, the
diocesan regulations or local customs governing Mass sti
pends must be taken as a basis.
Si quis pecuniae summam obtulerit pro Missarum applica
tione, non indicans earundem numerum, hic supputetur secun
dum eleemosynam loci in quo oblator morabatur, nisi aliam fuisse
cius intentionem legitime praesumi debeat, (can. 830).
(1)
In parishes with several priests (pastor and assist·
114
THE SACRAMENTS
ants) a large number of stipends is usually offered by the
faithful. It is proper that these stipends be distributed
first of all among the clergy connected with the parish,
even if the donors did not express any wish to this
effect, or made no request to have the Masses said in
their own church. Mass stipends constitute part of a
priest’s income. Regard should be paid to this, and sti
pends not be given to outsiders, until the clergy of the
parish has been supplied. The people ought to be in
structed not to take their Mass offerings elsewhere if their
own priests need them.
The faithful should remember that the Church con
siders the manual alms or offerings (perquisites) made
on the occasion of the holy Mass or of certain Sacraments
(baptism, marriage) or functions (funerals) as part of
the material support given to her ministers.12
Binating
io. As a rule only one Mass can be said by one priest
on the same day. However, by virtue of a universal
privilege, all priests are entitled to say three Masses on
the feast of the Nativity of our Lord (Dec. 25th) and on
All Souls’ Day (Nov. 1). Again, on Sundays and holydays of obligation the rector of a congregation is allowed
to binate if a considerable portion of his flock would
otherwise have no opportunity to hear Mass. This is apt
to occur when one priest has charge of two parishes, the
members of which, on account of the distance of the
churches from each other, cannot attend Mass at the
same church, and also when the church is too small to
hold all the people at the same time. In either case, the
Ordinary of the diocese may grant the faculty to binate.
12 Cfr. Handbook of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, p. 52.
MASS STIPENDS
”5
§ i. Excepto die Nativitatis Domini et die Commemoratio
nis omnium fidelium defunctorum, quibus facultas est ter offer
endi Eucharisticum Sacrificium, non licet sacerdoti plures in die
celebrare Missas, nisi ex apostolico induito aut potestate facta'
a loci Ordinario.
§2. Hanc tamen facultatem impertiri nequit Ordinarius, nisi
cum, prudenti ipsius indicio, propter penuriam sacerdotum die
festo de praecepto notabilis fidelium pars Missae adstare nonpossit; non est autem in eius potestate plures quam duas Mis
sas eidem sacerdoti permittere, (can. 806 )
This faculty is a personal privilege granted to the in
dividual priest and cannot be subdelegated. Several prel
ates having expressed doubts about the extent and ob
ject of the power conferred upon them, questioned the
Roman authorities on bination. Thereupon the Con
gregation of the Propaganda issued an instruction (24th
of May, 1870).13 It appears from this document that,
owing to various circumstances, no definite and universal
rule can be assigned:
"Tot tamque varii sunt casus, qui de hac materia in mission
ibus possunt contingere, ut praevideri facile haud possint, mul
toque minus reduci ad determinatas regulas; de iisdem enim
iudicium variari potest iuxta dispares locorum, temporum per
sonarumque concurrentes circumstantias. Haec est ratio, cur du
biorum pprticularium resolutio, quae hac de re sunt proposita,
plerumque remissa est prudenti superioris missionis arbitrio."
Manifestly there must be a grave cause, and it is left
to the Ordinary of the diocese to decide whether such a
cause exists or not. He is expected to examine each
particular case in order to satisfy his own conscience.
Not only the distance from church and the number of at
tendants, but other circumstances also ought to be taken
18 The full text of this instruetion can be found in the Appendix
to the complete edition of the De-
crees of the Third Plenary Council
of Baltimore.
Ii6
THE SACRAMENTS
into consideration. It is safe to assert that if from thirty
to fifty people would be deprived of Mass, the faculty
may be made use of. When the number is smaller, some
other grave circumstance (such as scandal, great spiritual
need, etc.) must concur to render bination permissible. It
seems to be an abuse for a priest to duplicate for no
other purpose than to give a few nuns in an adjacent
convent the opportunity of an early Mass, if these
nuns are not strictly cloistered and may without much
trouble come to the parish church to assist at the Holy
Sacrifice.
The privilege of bination always implies that there is
but one priest in a place. If another priest (e. g., a vis
itor) should happen to be there, who is willing and able
to say Mass at the usual hour, so that the people can
be accommodated, the privilege ceases. This is evident
from the famous bull of Pope Benedict XIV, ‘‘Decla
rasti Nobis," and from a decision given May io, 1898,
by the Congregation of the Holy Office. The question
had been proposed: "An liceat episcopo, licentiam binandi concedere presbytero unam missam celebranti in ora
torio suburbicario vel rurali, aliam vero in civitate vel
loco ubi etiam adsint alii sacerdotes Sacrum facientes?"
The reply was : "Non licere."
How is a priest to act when he binâtes? As a matter
of course, he must remain fasting for the second Mass
and not take the ablution in the first Mass. If he took
the ablution through forgetfulness he cannot say another
Mass on the same day, even though the people would
thereby be deprived of the opportunity of assisting at
the Holy Sacrifice. To prevent this misfortune, it may
be well to instruct the servers to remove the cruets with
the wine and water immediately after the offertory.
What rubrics must be observed in binating ? The Ro
MASS STIPENDS
117
man Ritual directs that after the Communion, when both
species have been consumed, the celebrant, standing in
the middle of the altar, should recite with his hands joined
the "Quod ore sumpsimus.” Thereupon, moving towards
the epistle side, he should wash his fingers in a clean
vessel and wipe them with the purifier, reciting the prayer,
"Corpus tuum, Domine.” Then he should return to
the middle and cover the chalice in the ordinary way,
except that the corporal should be left spread under the
chalice. Then the Mass is continued as usual. Having
finished the last gospel, the celebrant should, before leav
ing the altar, uncover the chalice once more and con
sume the few drops of the precious Blood which may
in the meantime have collected at the bottom, because
they belong to the same sacrifice.
What is to be done with the chalice? We must dis
tinguish. The second Mass will be said either in the
same church, or in another, situated at some distance.
In the first case the chalice, well covered, should be re
moved to the sacristy and put in a safe place, or be left
on the altar. The corporal, however, should always be
spread under the chalice. When the latter is used again
in the second Mass, care should be taken not to remove
it from the corporal or pall, and not to wipe it with the
purifier at the offertory. If the other Mass is to be cele
brated elsewhere, the same rubrics should be followed
regarding the consuming of the species in and after
Mass; vis., the few drops of the precious Blood that
were left should be consumed. Thereupon as much water
should be poured into the chalice as it had contained
wine. After this water has been emptied into a clean
vase, the chalice should be wiped with the purifier. If
need be, it may then be carried to the other church. The
ablution, both of the fingers and the chalice, should be
ii8
THE SACRAMENTS
kept in a safe place and taken in another Mass, for in
stance, on the next day, after the Communion. If this
is impossible, it should be absorbed by some raw cotton,
which is burnt after the sacred particles have been dis
solved.
Hearing Mass
ii. Only the duly ordained minister of Christ, the
priest, is entitled to ascend the altar to offer the Holy
Sacrifice. But it would be wrong to conclude that lay
men cannot participate in this act. On the contrary, they
are urged to assist and unite their prayers and inten
tions with those of the sacrificing priest. Thus they will
have a particular share in the fruits of the Sacred Mys
tery. “Necessario fatentur," says the Council of Trent,
“nullum aliud opus adeo sanctum ac divinum a Christi
fidelibus tractari posse, quam hoc ipsum tremendum my
sterium." Because to assist at the Holy Sacrifice is
a holy and meritorious work, the Church commands the
faithful who have attained to the use of reason, to hear
Mass on all Sundays and holydays of obligation. This
commandment binds under pain of mortal sin ; only a
grave cause can excuse a person from this duty. We
are sorry to say that the importance of the obligation
is not always well understood by Catholics. They some
times hold themselves excused on vain grounds and
through mere illusions. We grant that in rural dis
tricts, where people live at a considerable distance from
church and the roads are in poor condition, it is frequently
impossible, or at least very difficult, to come to Mass.
But not so in cities and towns. Still quite a number,
especially young people, stay away from Mass on Sunday
through mere neglect. Let the pastor spare no effort to
stop this abuse.
HEARING MASS
π9
Moreover, the faithful should be admonished to as
sist at Mass also on week-days. Not all are able to do
this. However, a good many could and would do it if
they were properly instructed. "Vehemcnter cupimus,
ut animarum moderatores commissos sibi greges moneant
et cohortentur, ut singulis quoque si fieri possit per heb
domadam diebus et praecipue in festis Domini nostri et
beatissimae Virginis ubi nulla adest legis obligatio Missae
sacrificio devote intéressé velint.” 14
There are diverse ways and means by which this pious
custom of assisting at daily Mass can be introduced.
First of all, the priest should stay at home as much as
possible and celebrate every day at a fixed hour, which
is convenient for the people. To neglect this is equiva
lent to depriving the faithful of a great benefit. If
there is a church bell, let the sign be given at least twenty
minutes before the beginning of the service.
Above all, make the children of the parochial school
attend Mass every day. If you wish to train these chil
dren in solid piety and to cultivate in them the habit of
attending Mass devoutly, you must in this, as in every
other good work, accustom them to it whilst they are
young. “Adolescens iuxta viam suam, etiam quum senu
erit, non recedat ab ea.” 15
The children, when in church, should be watched and
looked after by their teachers, because if left to them
selves they are apt to become restless. To fix their at
tention, it is necessary to engage them in singing or pray
ing.
Finally, the rector of the parish should not fail to
explain to his flock in sermon and catechism the great
value of this Holy Sacrifice, the proper way of assisting
14 Cone. Pl. Balt. Il, n. 365.
15 Prov. XXII, 6.
120
TITE SACRAMENTS
at it, its wonderful effects, etc. This ought to be done
repeatedly, for, "Udes ex auditu.” A parish in which
quite a number of adults, men and women, attend Mass
on a week-day morning, furnishes an edifying example.
It shows that the people are not altogether absorbed
by wordly affairs, but solicitous for their eternal salva
tion. The zeal and patience of a pastor, therefore, should
not stop short until he has obtained what he wants and
what, under the existing circumstances, he may reason
ably expect.
Two more remarks: First, whenever a holyday of
obligation happens to fall on a week-day, at least in
cities where several Masses are said, one Mass ought to
be said early in the morning (at five or six o’clock), to
give those who have to work a chance to comply with
their duty. Secondly, if there is a concourse of people
for confession, particularly on Sundays, when the hour
for Mass has arrived, stop hearing confessions at once,
no matter how many are waiting. It is better that some
should wait and go to confession after Mass, than that
the whole congregation should be delayed and become
impatient, some perhaps leaving without having heard
Mass.
Place for Celebrating Mass
12. Where may Mass be celebrated? According to
a universal law, the Eucharistic Sacrifice cannot be licitly
offered except in churches and public oratories which
have been erected and set apart for divine service
and consecrated or at least blessed for this purpose.10
Bishops may permit the celebration of Mass also in
chapels and oratories of convents, hospitals, seminaries,
and similar places in which a community, lay or religious,
lives, not merely private individuals or families ; these
io Cone. Trid., Sess. XXII.
PLACE FOR CELEBRATING MASS
121
chapels are called semi-public oratories. Religious with
solemn vows are eo ipso entitled to have Mass in their
own oratories, likewise bishops in their domestic chapels.
When traveling, the latter have the right of carrying a
portable altar with the privilege of saying Mass at it any
where.
The Ordinary of the diocese (or, in case of exempt
religious, their higher superior) may grant permission
to celebrate Mass outside of a church or oratory whenever
there is some good and reasonable cause for it. But this
permission can be given only for the occasion (per modum
actus).
Loci Ordinarius aut, si agatur de domo religionis exemptae,
Superior maior, licentiam celebrandi extra ecclesiam oratori
um super petram sacram et decenti loco, nunquam autem in cubi
culo, concedere potest iusla tantum ac rationabili de causa, in
aliquo extraordinario casu et per modum actus, (can. 822, § 4).
It is not allowed to celebrate Mass in the temples and
meeting-houses of heretics or schismatics, nor in the
dwellings of Jews, infidels, Protestants, etc., nor in the
halls of Freemasons, Odd Fellows, and other secret
lodges; nor in taverns, saloons, dancing and gambling
houses ; nor, finally, in apartments used as bedrooms,
whether some one actually sleeps there or not.
Whenever you are compelled to celebrate in a private
house, first investigate and see whether it really be a
“locus decens'" in the sense that the law demands. Usu
ally you must carry with you everything needed, such as
altar-stone, vestments, missal, chalice, etc. Therefore
make out a written list of the various utensils and com
pare it with the different articles packed in your valise
or traveling bag before you leave home, lest you forget
something, the absence of which would prevent you from
122
THE SACRAMENTS
saying Mass and would thus put yourself and the people
to great inconvenience.
During the cold season our churches, as a rule, are
heated, but if this should be too expensive on week-days
and the temperature is too low, the bishop may permit
Mass to be celebrated in the sacristy or in a schoolroom.
It will be best to have a special apartment, a so-called
winter chapel, set aside for this purpose in the basement
of the church or elsewhere.
13. The rector ecclesiae should see to it that the
various requisites for the celebration of the divine mys
teries are in proper condition, suitable to the dignity of
their purpose, and in accordance with the rubrics. The
altar ought to be either of stone (not brick), so as to
constitute one solid structure (altare fixum et immobile),
or of wood, in which latter case a stone large enough
to hold the chalice and the host (altare portatile) must be
inserted in the mensa.
Both kinds of altars have to be consecrated before
use. An altare fixum loses its consecration whenever
it is removed from its original place, or when the mensa
becomes loosened from the lower structure. An altare
portatile ceases to be consecrated when the little scpulchrum containing the relics is opened.
This sepul
chrum must be in the centre of the lapis altaris, not
on the edge. It must be closed by a small stone, well ce
mented. not by plaster of paris. The total structure of
the altar ought to have a somewhat elevated position on
a platform with at least one step.
Canon 1197
§1. Scmsu liturgico intelligitur:
1. ° Nomine altaris immobilis seu fixi, mensa superior una
eum stipitibus per modum unius cum eadem consecratis '
2. Nomine altaris mobilis seu portatilis, petra, ut plurimum
THE ALTAR FOR THE MASS
uj
parva, quae sola consecratur, quaeque dicitur etiam ara portatilis
seu petra sacra; vel eadem petra cum stipite qui tamen non fuit
una cum eadem consecratus.
§2. In ecclesia consecrata saltem unum altare, praesertim
maius, debet esse immobile; in ecclesia autem benedicta omnia
altaria possunt esse mobilia.
Canon 1198
§1. Tum mensa altaris immobilis tum petra sacra ex «nico
constent lapide naturali, integro et non friabili.
§2. In altari immobili tabula seu mensa lapidae ad integrum
altare protendi debet, et apte cum stipite cohaerere; stipes au
tem sit lapideus vel saltem latera seu columellae quibus mensa
sustentatur sint ex lapide.
§3. Petra sacra sit tam ampla ut saltem hostiam et maiorem
partem calicis capiat.
§4. Tum in altari immobili tum in petra sacra sit, ad nor
mam legum litufgicarum, sepulcrum continens reliquias Sancto
rum, lapide clausum.
Canon 1200
§ I. Altare immobile amittit consecrationem, si tabula seu
mensa a stipite, etiam per temporis momentum, separetur; quo
in casu Ordinarius potest permittere ut presbyter altaris conse
crationem rursus perficiat ritu formulaque breviore.
§2. Tum altare immobile tum petra sacra amittunt consecra
tionem:
i.° Si frangantur enormiter sive ratione quantitatis fractio
nis sive ratione loci unctionis;
2.0 Si amoveantur reliquiae aut frangatur vel amoveatur sepul
cri operculum, excepto casu quo ipse Episcopus vel eius delega
tus operculum amoveat ad illud firmandum vel reparandum vel
subrogandum, aut ad visitandas reliquias.
§3. Levis fractio operculi non inducit exsecrationem et qui
libet sacerdos potest rimulam cemento firmare.
§4. Exsecratio ecclesiae non secumfert exsecrationem alta
rium sive immobilium sive mobilium; et viceversa.
Three different pieces of linen cloth, which have been
i24
THE SACRAMENTS
blessed beforehand, must be spread over the mensa,
the upper one so that it hangs down to the floor at each
corner.
Candles and candlesticks, at least during Mass, ought
not to be put on the mensa, but on shelves at both sides
of the tabernacle.
The platform and steps leading to the altar should be
covered with a rug or carpet. “Gradus omnes altaris in
feriores cooperiantur aliquo amplo et pulchro tapete."17
It is proper to have the altar and its surroundings
ornamented according to the season. “Igitur habenda est
ratio in iis [ecclesiis] ordinandis temporis et loci ac per
sonarum. Decet enim ut in diebus festis splendidior ap
pareat, quam in aliis non festivis, eoque magis, quo ipsi
dies festivi erunt solemniores."18 The most becoming
ornaments are flowers. Natural are to be preferred to
artificial flowers. Of the natural plants holds good what
the canticle says: “Benedicite universa germinantia in
terra Domino" Artificial flowers easily come in contact
with lights and are consequently dangerous; they are
but a poor substitute for the products of nature. With
a little care you will be able to have natural flowers al
most throughout the whole year. During the Advent
and Lenten seasons, whenever the Mass is of the day
(Dominica seu feria), the altar should be left bare; like
wise at Requiem Masses.
For the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice you need
proper vestments. Let them be neat and clean. “In
divino sacrificio celebrando detur opera diligenter, ut
omnia altaritim ornamenta et sacra vasa sint munda; non
foeda corporalia, vel purificatoria; non vestes lacerae, vel
indecentes; industria vero privati apparatus sub amictu et
it
Caerem. Epis., 1. I, c. ia, n. 16.
18 Op. cit., 1. I, c. ia, n. i.
VESTMENTS FOR THE MASS
alba lateant, ita ut non indecoro vel mundano more ap
pareant.” 19 See to it that the vestments are made of the
prescribed material. The amice and alb must be of linen,
the chasuble, stole, etc., of some material not inferior to
silk.20
For Sundays and holydays you should have a few
more costly vestments. Take care, however, that they
be strictly liturgical in regard to both shape and color.
Every mission, even the poorest, we believe, should have
at least one set (five colors) of sacerdotal vestments.
Vestments must be blessed before they are used.
The chalice must be consecrated. It may be made
either of gold or silver or tin (stannum), perhaps even
of brass or copper. In the latter case, however, it should
be gilded or silver-plated. The inside of the cup must
always be gilded. The plating wears out in course of
time; therefore have it renewed occasionally. Keep the
chalice and all other sacred vessels clean and bright.
The cruets for the wine and water should be made of
glass ; metal cruets are not forbidden, but less practical.
The candles for Mass and for all other liturgical func
tions must be of wax. It is wrong to celebrate Mass
with other than wax candles.21 Bees-wax has a symbol
ical meaning : it is a type of virginity, of the pure body
19 Cone. Pl. Balt. II, n. 360.
20 Wapelhorst, Comp. S. Lit.,
6.
21 According to a decree of the
S. Cong, of Rites the larger amount
or at least a considerable quantity
of the material of the candles used
on the altar must be bees-wax:
"Episcopi pro viribus curent ut
cereus paschalis, cereus in aqua
baptismati immergendus et duae
candelae in Missa accendendae
sint ex cera apum saltem in maxima
Parte;
aliarum
vero
candela
rum, quae super altaribus ponendae
sunt, materia in maiori vel nota
bili quantitate ex eadem cera sit
oportet. Qua in re parochi aliique
rectores ecclesiarum et oratoriorum
tuto stare poterunt normis α respectivis Ordinariis traditis, nec
privati sacerdotes Missam celebra
turi de qualitate candelarum anxii
inquirere tenentur." (Decreta duthent., n. 4147).
126
THE SACRAMENTS
of Christ, the fruit of the pure and immaculate Virgin
Mary. Wax candles can now be obtained at a moderate
price; it is poor economy to buy, on the plea of poverty,
a large amount of stearine and other candles, instead
of the required number of wax candles.
Materia Sacrificii
14. Nothing deserves greater attention and more care
ful vigilance than the materia sacrificii. The sole mat
ter allowed and prescribed iure divino for the holy
Sacrifice of the Mass is bread and wine.
The bread must be baked of wheat flour, be of
round shape (forma orbiculari), and unleavened, at least
according to the Latin rite. The best way to get pure
flour is to buy it at the mill, not in a store, for thus
you have greater assurance that you are getting the un
adulterated article. Do not buy too much at once and
have it stored in a dry place. In baking nothing but
water ought to be mixed with the flour ; no milk, butter,
grease, etc. The priest should carefully instruct those
who have charge of this task. The hosts should be cleancut, and adhering fragments be removed as far as pos
sible. Let the plates with altar breads, after they are
baked, remain for a few days in a place neither too dry
nor too damp. Hosts which are older than two or three
weeks are unfit for Mass, and at least materia illicita, if
not invalida.
The wine used for the Holy Sacrifice should be natural
vinum de vite. In order to deserve this name it must
be made from ripe grapes, it must have gone through a
natural process of fermentation, and it must not contain
any artificial or foreign ingredients. Only for sweet
wines a little allowance has been made. The bishop
MASS WINE
127
of Marseilles (France) asked whether it was proper
to add a small quantity of spirits of alcohol to cer
tain sorts of wine which are difficult to keep. The
Roman authorities answered: ''Dummodo spiritus ex
tractus fuerit a genimine vitis, et quantitas alcoholica ad
dita una cum ea, quam vinum de quo agitur, naturaliter
continet, non excedat proportionem duodecim pro centum
et admixtio fiat, quando vinum est valde recens, nihil
obstare quominus idem vinum in Missae sacrificium ad
hibeatur.” 22 Everybody knows that in the manufacture
of wine a great amount of adulteration takes place. Per
haps fifty per cent, of what is sold under the name of
wine is either no wine at all, but an extract of black
berries, lemons, etc., or contains not enough of the suc
cus vitis to render it fit for sacramental purposes. Nor
is it easy to discover whether wine has been adulterated.
Indications of adulteration are an unnatural sweetness
and a burning taste, and, in red wine, a strongly colored
froth on top. The only sure way, however, of detecting
falsification is by chemical analysis, and even this may fail
when the fault lies not with the ingredients, but with the
process of extracting the juice. To obviate the danger
of using for the Mass a wine which is materia illicita,
or even invalida, have the manufacturing done by an
expert according to your instructions. Ordinarily rec
tors of churches will be compelled to procure their Mass
22 S. Offic., July 31, 1890. Later
on a special and a more extensive
allowance was made for sweet wines
because these wines, as had been
stated in the petition to the Ro
man Congregation, could hardly be
kept without a strong addition of
alcohol. The decree says: "Dum
modo spiritus [alcohol} extractus
fuerit ex genimine vitis, et guanli
tas alcoholica addita, una cum ea
quam vinum, de quo agitur, natu
raliter continet, non excedat pro
portionem septemdecim vel octode
cim pro centum, et admixtio fiat
quando fermentatio tumultuosa de
fervescere inceperit: hoc vinum li
cite adhibetur m Sacrificio Missae."
IS. Off.. Aug. 5, 1896).
128
the sacraments
wine from public dealers. There is no objection to this,
provided the necessary precautions are taken to obtain
a genuine vinum de vite. Here we feel inclined to
make the following suggestions :
(a) Do not buy your wine from a merchant who is not
a practical Catholic.
(b) Do not take for the Mass wine that is sold for
table use, and hence do not buy the wine from a common
liquor-dealer or druggist.
(c) Do not send your orders to some unknown firm
in a distant place.
(d) Do not take foreign wines for Mass, nor, if you
can get other sorts, red or sweet wines ; the latter are
liable to be adulterated in a manner which is hard to
discover.23
(e) Do not use wine which is either very cheap or
very expensive. If quite cheap, it is probably too fresh,
or not substantial enough ; if expensive, it may not be
genuine.
(f) The safest procedure is to buy the wine for Mass
either from a monastery or an ecclesiastical institution
which makes it, or from a reliable Catholic firm, which
either makes the wine itself or gets it from another Cath
olic firm as the original producer.
Care should be taken not only in procuring genuine
Mass wine, but also in preserving it. Here, again, we
may be allowed to give a few practical hints:
(a) Have the wine sent in a solid, hermetically closed
keg or barrel and examine it well after it has arrived.
(b) Do not tap it at once, but let it rest quietly a
week or two to settle.
23 Cfr. Cone. Pl. Balt. II, n. 373.
MASS SERVERS
129
(c) Do not tap it when the weather is damp or rainy
and there is too much moisture in the air, because this
will affect the wine, so that you can hardly get it clear.
(d) Have the bottles well cleansed beforehand; do not
use old corks.
(e) The bottles, after they have been filled, must be
laid horizontally on soft ground (in sand or sawdust)
and be kept in a dry cellar.
(f) Have the bottle which you actually use always
corked and keep it under lock in the sacristy.
(g) Clean the small glasses or cruets before and after
use.
By observing these simple rules, all danger of cele
brating Mass with a materia invalida or illicita, as far
as the wine is concerned, will be avoided and the pro
priety due to the Holy Sacrifice will be observed.
Mass Servers
15. In saying Mass, the priest needs a server, partly
to answer the various prayers as representative of the
whole congregation, partly to assist in what cannot be
performed conveniently by the celebrant himself, such as
the carrying of the missal, the fetching of the wine
and water, etc. It is an abuse for a priest to say Mass
without a server if he can easily have one.
Only male persons, clerics or lay, are allowed to serve
at the altar. Women, in accordance with the rule of
St. Paul (1 Cor. xiv, 34) are excluded. However, when
it is hard to get a male server, a woman, especially a re
ligious, may answer, but she is not allowed to lend any
assistance to the priest at the altar, and must remain out
side the sanctuary.
*3°
THE SACRAMENTS
Canon 813
i. Sacerdos Missam ne celebre! sine ministro qui eidem in
serviat et respondeat.
§2. Minister Missae inserviens ne sit mulier, nisi deficiente
viro, iusta de causa, caque lege ut mulier ex longinquo respon
deat nec ullo pacto ad altare accedat.
The servers ought to be selected with care, because
not everyone is fit for the position. Take only such
as have a good reputation and show some practical talent.
We often hear it said that boys who serve at Mass arc
the rudest boys in the parish. There is some truth in
this, and the blame in most cases lies with the pastor
because he does not reprove the servers for their im
proper conduct. Do not leave the boys alone in the
sacristy. If you cannot watch them yourself, have an
elderly person, teacher, sexton, trustee, etc., do so. Do
not allow them to talk, wrestle, play or commit mischief
in the sacristy. They must be made to understand that
the sacristy is a holy place, and that the office entrusted
to them is a sacred office, which they must perform
properly. We may say also here, “quotidiana vilescunt.''
It is not advisable to keep the same servers too long, be
cause they will gradually lose respect for the sanctuary.
Therefore the servers should be changed, say, once a
week, or at least once a month. Of course, in small towns
or rural districts, where there are only a few servers,
they must be retained for a longer season. But always
watch them and never tolerate any unseemly conduct.
Priests sometimes take boys to board and employ them
around the parsonage. We cannot recommend this prac
tice. Such boys are liable to be spoiled, because they
acquire a habit of idleness and see and hear things which
their minds cannot yet bear.
VESPERS
U*
As to actual service at Mass, we suggest the following:
First of all, the young scholars must be well drilled, so
as to do everything just as the rubrics prescribe. They
ought to know the responses by heart and pronounce
every word slowly and distinctly. They should wear a
clerical garb, a sort of cassock, red or black, covering
the whole body and not only the upper part like a shirt.
Over the cassock a short surplice should be worn. It is
also well to have special shoes or slippers for the servers.
See to it that they handle their wearing apparel carefully,
that they hang it up in a separate place, and do not throw
it on the floor. The same rule applies to vessels, cruets,
censers, furniture, etc.
The servers must be accustomed to punctuality and
decorum. Tell them to come to church in a decent
dress, not with torn coats or trousers; their face washed
and their hair well combed. Paltry as such things may
seem, yet they are of importance, for "sancta sancte trac
tanda.”
Finally, do not overburden the boys. As a rule, they
should not serve two or three Masses in succession, be
cause it is apt to fill them with disgust for their office
and for religion. "Qui altari servit de altari etiam vivere
debet,” may be applied here, too, though only on a small
scale. Remunerate your servers occasionally, let them
have a little feast or entertainment, make an excursion
with them, etc. This will help to foster an honorable
pride and ambition among them and render them alert
in attending to their duties.
Article VI
VESPERS
I.
The Catholic Church, not content with honoring
132
THE SACRAMENTS
the Lord of Heaven and earth in the morning by the
offering of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, also has a solemn
evening service, called Vespers. The people of the Old
Law were ordered by God Himself to offer two gifts
a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. In the
book of Exodus we read : "Hoc est quod facies in altari,
agnos anniculos duos per singulos dies iugiter, ununi
agnum mane . . . alterum vero agnum offeres ad ves
peram iuxta ritum matutinae oblationis et iuxta ca quae
diximus in odorem suavitatis.” 1 The object of this ar
rangement was to indicate that the first and last fruits of
the day belong exclusively to the Most High. The cere
monies and rites of the old Law were but a fore
shadowing of the things that were to come. The new
religion founded by Jesus Christ, destined to supersede
and perfect the covenant made through Moses, could
not, therefore, be left without an evening service. Ves
pers, in some form or other, existed from early times.
The Apostolic Constitutions earnestly exhort the faith
ful to come to divine worship twice a day: "Ab ec
clesia Dei ne absis, surgens ad eam mane, antequam ullum
opus aggrediaris, et rursus ad eam vespere, ut gratias agas
Deo de iis propter quae vitam tibi largitus est.”2 A
similar passage occurs in one of the sermons of St. Au
gustine: "Veniet ergo cuicutnque possibile sit ad ves
pertinam celebrationem et oret ibi in conventu ecclesiae
pro peccatis suis Deum; qui vero non possit, saltem in
domo sua oret.” 8
For a number of centuries the daily evening service
was an important religious function and a common wor
ship in which the whole congregation, both lay and cler
ical, took part. Later on the people ceased to attend,
lEx. XXIX, 37, 4t.
2 Const. Apost., 1. II, c. 36.
3 Scrm. de Temp., 251.
VESPERS
’33
and only the clergy, those that led a vita communis,
continued to celebrate Vespers, as is still done in cathedral
chapters and religious houses. However, on Sundays
the old custom of having an evening service for the whole
congregation remained in vogue and has not yet been
abandoned. Diocesan synods and provincial councils
held in different parts of the world up to a recent period
have urged the faithful to sanctify the Sunday, not only
by hearing Mass in the morning, but also by meeting
for public worship in the afternoon or evening. Thus
the Fathers of the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore
say: “Vesperae integrae ut decantentur diebus Domi
nicis Festisque in omnibus ecclesiis, more ecclesiae Ro
manae, quatenus fieri potest, volumus ct mandamus.” *
2. Are rectors of congregations obliged to hold Ves
pers in their churches ? We hear it said sometimes that,
as there are no regular parishes in the United States, this
obligation does not exist here. However, the words of
the Baltimore Council, just quoted, leave no doubt in
this matter. And indeed, we may ask, is not a priest
who has care of souls bound to furnish them with
the ordinary means of sanctification? Certainly, you will
say. Now facts without number prove that in congrega
tions of cities, towns and villages at least, where Vespers
are not held, there is always much disorder and many
profane the day of the Lord by drinking, dancing and
other sinful dissipations. Only a reasonable and just
cause can excuse a pastor from not celebrating Vespers.
Thus, in a country mission made up exclusively of
farmers, who live several miles away from church, it
may be impracticable to hold a service in the afternoon.
The people, having been at a late Mass in the morning,
* Cone. PI. Balt. Il, n. 379.
134
THE SACRAMENTS
cannot be expected to come back a second time on the same
day. Again, in many a small parish there is no choir and
no way of organizing one. All this naturally furnishes a
sufficient excuse. Still we cannot help indorsing what
a zealous American bishop8 said in the instructions for
his clergy :
“We have known clergymen to omit Vespers from one end
of the year to the other, on the plea that they had no choir and
could not get up one. This may be possible, but it appears very
strange that both predecessors and successors of such clergy
men were able to get up a choir and to have Vespers regularly.
Where there is a will there also will be found the means.”
Some priests object to Vespers because, as they say,
the people do not appreciate these services, since they
are sung in Latin. They prefer to hold devotions in the
vernacular, in which the whole congregation can take
an active part. We believe that without the special per
mission of the Ordinary this cannot be done. “Hae qui
dem [Vesperae] nunquam omittendae sunt,” says the
Second Plenary Council of Baltimore, “ob alia exercitia
pietatis. Cultus enim solemnis Ecclesiae Pontificibus
probatus, et per tot saecula vigens Deo gratior censendus
est.”0 No pastor is authorized to substitute a service of
his own for that prescribed by the Church. Certain
usages and customs existing in European countries cannot
be transplanted to our soil without proper sanction.
3. Are the faithful obliged to attend Vespers? They
are not obliged strictly and sub gravi. But we do not
agree with those who say that there is no obligation what
soever. A divine law commands all to sanctify the
Lord’s day, and this means the whole day. Therefore
6 Bishop P. J. Baltes, of Alton, Pastoral Instruction, Part II, n. 80.
0 Cone. Pl. Balt. II, n. 379.
VESPERS
ι35
those who habitually stay away from Vespers for ap
parently no reason, simply under the pretext that there
is no ecclesiastical precept commanding them to attend,
fail to understand what the divine law demands of them.
They give scandal by their conduct and can hardly lay
claim to the name of model Catholics. A congrega
tion where you see only the school children and a few
pious women at Vespers, deserves the rebuke of the Holy
Ghost: “Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold
nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth.”7
If perchance you are sent to a place of this kind, use all
means possible to effect a change. “Argue, obsecra, in
omni patientia et doctrina.” 8 “In patientia,” that is, do
not scold the people, but bear with them at first; every
reform needs time. Inquire into and try to remove the
causes of the existing neglect. One reason perhaps
is because the service is held at a wrong hour, e. g., too
early in the afternoon. It may be more expedient in cities
to have it at seven or eight o’clock in the evening. Again,
“argue in doctrina.” Many persons do not know what
Vesper service means. Instruct them about the object
the Church has in view, show them the beauty and the
mystery contained in the psalms, anthems and other parts
of the office, procure for them books having a transla
tion of these prayers in the vernacular. Let the people
who cannot attend Vespers understand that it is highly
desirable to have private devotions at home on Sunday
afternoons.
4. In what manner should Vespers be held? Every
thing should be strictly rubrical, as far as the circum
stances allow. The singing ought to be alternate. In
case the choir is too weak for this, the celebrant may
TApoc. Ill, 16.
8 a Tim IV, a.
136
THE SACRAMENTS
sing one verse and the members of the choir another.
In many places the practice is followed of having a
number of boys (pupils of the parochial school) with
good voices and well drilled, stationed in the sanctuary,
who sing alternately with the choir in the organ loft.
This method is highly recommended by the Second
Plenary Council of Baltimore.®
The formula of Vespers may be either the office of
the day, according to the Ordo and diocesan calendar,
or that of the Blessed Virgin, the Patron Saint of the
church, the Sunday, etc. The latter is permitted now
in parochial churches for the Sunday service of the peo
ple, provided the formula chosen be a liturgical formula
found in the Vesperale Romanum.
The celebrant should observe the rubrics carefully:
sit, stand, kneel, etc., as prescribed. He should wear
the cope from the very beginning and not put it on at
the Magnificat.
The acolytes, censer-bearer, etc., ought to be taught
what they have to do. When everything is done grace
fully and with promptitude in the sanctuary, the people
in the body of the church will be edified and find it a
pleasure to attend.
Article VII
CHURCH MUSIC
I.
True religion is not confined to the silent prayer of
0 "Insuper valde exoptandum esse
censemus, ut rudimenta cantus
Gregoriani in scholis parochialibus
exponantur et exerceantur, sicque
numero eorum, qui psalmos bene
cantare valent magis magisque in
crescente, paullatim maior saltem
pars populi secundum primitivae Ec
clesiae adhuc in variis locis vigen
tem usum, Vesperas et alia similia
cum ministris et choro decantare
addiscat. Qua ratione omnium ae
dificatio promovebitur, iuxta illud S.
Pauli: Loquentes vobismetipsis in
psalmis et hymnis et canticis spiri
tualibus." (Cone. Pl. Balt. II, n.
380.)
CHURCH MUSIC
137
the heart; it longs to express externally the affections
with which the soul is filled. Nay more, when these
affections are strong, it is but natural that we should in
dicate the sentiments that fill our hearts by the very tone
and modulation of the voice. This is the origin of vocal
music at divine worship. Instrumental music is added
as a further vehicle to help the human voice in performing
its task with greater precision, skill, and alacrity. This
most reasonable practice has the positive approbation of
the Holy Ghost, who, by the mouth of the royal Psalmist,
exhorts us : “Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle, praise
ye the Lord in His holy places, praise Him with the
sound of trumpet, praise Him with timbrel and choir,
praise Him with strings and organ.” 1
The Catholic Church has followed this advice of the
Divine Spirit in all ages. When the early Christians met
in the catacombs for the celebration of the holy mysteries
the air of these hallowed underground spots resounded
with the songs of pious worshippers. At a later period,
during the Middle Ages and up to our own time, that or
iginal mode of honoring God, handed down from olden
days, has been constantly kept up, as may be seen from
the fact that the most learned theologians and the most
saintly men throughout various centuries have vied with
one another in composing sacred hymns and melodies to
be sung by the faithful at divine service. It will suffice
to mention St. Ambrose ("Te Deum laudamus"), St.
Augustine (“Exultet iam angelica turba"), St. Gregory
the Great ("Audi, benigne Conditor"), St. Bernard
("Jesu, dulcis memoria’'), St. Thomas Aquinas ("Lauda
Sion"). Quite a number of other hymns, sequences, etc.
("Ave Maris Stella," "Dies Irae," etc.), whose authors
Ps. J50.
•3»
THE SACRAMENTS
are unknown, have also found their way into the liturgy.
All this proves how anxious the Church of Christ has
been to foster singing as an important part of her service.
Instrumental music also has met with official sanction.
Though not as old as vocal music, it may be traced back
to the seventh or eighth century. The most appropriate
musical instrument for divine worship is the organ. Other
instruments, such as violins, clarionettes, etc., may not be
used except with the permission of the Ordinary.2 Large
churches, especially in cities, should have a pipe organ ; in
a small church a reed organ or melodeon will answer the
purpose.
2. The singing in church may be either choral or con
gregational. The first kind is performed by a select
number of special voices (choir), in the latter all the
people join. During the liturgical functions (Mass,
Vespers, Benediction, etc.) only that which is contained in
the liturgical books (Missal, Breviary, etc.) may be sung,
and in the liturgical language, i. e., Latin. It is an abuse
to sing in the vernacular during High Mass {Missa solemnis and Missa cantata). During a low Mass, which, as
such, requires no singing, the people attending in a body,
or the choir, as the case may be, are allowed to sing in
the vernacular, provided the hymns have the approbation
of the Ordinary or are taken from approved books.
Every pastor ought to do his best to organize a good
choir for his church. We are aware of the difficulties
which priests frequently meet with in this regard, the
disappointments and inconveniences to which they are
exposed ; but we do not believe that this is a sufficient cause
for dropping the matter or not caring about it.
A few suggestions may not be out of place here. First
2 "Nec alia instrumenta musicalia addantur, nisi de consensu
Episcopi." (Caerem. Ep., 1. I, c.
ap. n. u).
CHURCH MUSIC
139
of all, it must be borne in mind that the singing during
divine service is not simply a mechanical performance or
an exercise of art, but a truly religious act, the same as
praying. Therefore, only faithful, pious and practical
Catholics ought to be chosen for the choir. Where
women are tolerated, you must see to it that only such as
bear a good reputation are selected. Let the members
of the choir understand that their office is a sacred one,
and that they are in duty bound to give a good exam
ple to the whole congregation. Laughing, talking, or
any other kind of distraction or misbehavior should not
be tolerated in church. The singers should be ready to
make sacrifices for the good cause in attending the re
hearsals regularly, in bearing with criticism, avoiding
jealousy among themselves, and so forth. A few timely
remarks made now and then by the pastor will help to
keep up the right spirit. The pastor should encourage
the singers by being present at the rehearsals as often
as he can, by praising and rewarding them occasionally.
As a rule the service should be voluntary ; no one who is
not perfectly willing to do so should be compelled or
coaxed to join or remain in the choir.
3. We cannot help making a remark about certain
abuses and profanations which exist in but too many
churches in regard to music. All laws and decrees issued
by the Holy See, by the Congregation of Rites, by
Provincial Councils, by Synods and Bishops have not
done away with them. Quite a number of priests, it
seems, do not realize what their duty is in this regard.
"Cavendum autem est, ne sonus organi sit lascivus aut im
purus et ne cum eo proferantur cantus, qui ad officium quod agi
tur non spectent, nedum profani aut ludicri; idem quoque can
tores et musici observent, ne vocum harmonia, quae ad pietatem
augendam ordinata est, aliquid levitatis aut lasciviae praeseferat
140
THE SACRAMENTS
ac potius audientium animos a rei divinae contemplatione avocet,
sed sit devota, distincta, et intclligibilis.” (Caerem. Episc., 1. I,
c. xxxviii, n. 12).
The Third Plenary Council of Baltimore has devoted
a whole chapter (Tit. Ill, c. IV.) to sacred music, which
is well worth reading. "Iisdem pastoribus,” the Fathers
say, "dum revocamus in mentem munus ipsis impositum
dirigendi selectionem musicae in suis ecclesiis, destricte
mandamus, ut nunquam tolerent templum Dei profanis
melodibus resonare”
How is this law observed? The artistic taste of many
clergymen, we are sorry to say, is very strange, and
their conscience lax. Lest somebody accuse us of undue
zealotism, we will adduce the words which an American
prelate once uttered in an official document and constitu
tion for his diocese. “Many of our churches have ceased
to be houses of prayer; they have been changed into
exhibition halls, where gentlemen and ladies exhibit the
power and sweetness of their voices; into opera houses,
where the solo of a certain young lady or the duet and
quartet of favorite vocalists are admired. ‘Hie non rebus
quae cantentur, sed cantu moventur.’ People will go to
certain churches, not because preaching is more instruc
tive there, or the divine service more according to the
rubrics, but because, as they say, there is better singing,
which singing is considered better in proportion as it is
unecclesiastical, theatrical and profane.”8
4. But what music is fit for divine service? It would
transgress the limits of our work to give a detailed ex
planation. Only a few brief observations can be inserted
here.
8 Pastoral Instruction for the
Diocese of Alton, by the Rt. Rev. P.
J. Baltes, Part II, p. 86.
CHURCH MUSIC
I4î
The Gregorian or Plain Chant is the music par excel
lence of the Church. The liturgical books—the Missal,
Gradual, Vesperal, Ritual, and Directorium Chori,—con
tain no other kind of music than Plain Chant. As a mat
ter of course, therefore, this music should be used and
cultivated. It is the duty of the rectors of congregations
to insist on having this music learned and followed in
their schools and choirs. Thus the entire congregation
will be enabled by degrees to sing the ordinary parts of
divine service, i. e., the Responses, Psalms, the Ordinary
of the Mass: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei,
and certain hymns, as the Tantum Ergo, Veni Creator,
etc. Those parts of the liturgy that change according to
the different seasons and feasts of the ecclesiastical year,
should be sung by a select choir.
Besides the Gregorian Chant, the Church approves of
figured music, as far as it is in keeping with the sacred
ness of the liturgical functions, or, we might say, as far
as it is in keeping with the peculiar spirit of Plain Chant.
Plain Chant is the best and safest criterion by which to
judge whether a musical composition is fit for the church
or not. The history of church music and our own experi
ence show that wherever the Gregorian Chant is badly
performed, neglected or entirely abandoned, church music
degenerates. On the other hand, wherever the Gregorian
Chant is carefully practised and executed, there is no
desire for worldly strains, no matter what their artistic
value. If, therefore, you want to be safe in selecting
figured music for your choir, simply see to it that the
composer is a friend of and an expert in the Gregorian
Chant. Such friends of Gregorian Chant were the fa
mous masters of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries,
e. g., Palestrina and Orlando Lasso. It is for this rea
son that several councils, notably the Provincial Coun-
142
THE SACRAMENTS
cil of Cologne (i860), recommended these composers by
name. True, only a few choirs can adequately perform
the music of these masters; but other competent com
posers, appreciating the needs of our average choirs, have
arranged their compositions so that we now have good
church music for the large and trained choirs of our
cathedrals as well as for the few and unskilled singers of
our country missions. Give Plain Chant the first place
in our musical repertories and profane music will soon
disappear from the house of God.
In order to comply with the requirements of ecclesiasti
cal legislation in regard to sacred music, every pastor
should try to secure a competent organist and choir
master, who knows the rubrics of the Church and is
willing to obey them. The organist should be, above all,
a good and exemplary Catholic ; he should, second, be able
to sing and teach Gregorian Chant ; and, third, he should
know how to handle his instrument, not according to
his own fancy, but according to what the sacred func
tions demand. The preludes, interludes, postludes, and
accompaniments ought, as a rule, not to be his own pro
duction, but the reproduction of good and church-like
organ compositions. A great deal remains to be done in
this country for the reform of church music, and it is
the imperative duty of all pastors to co-operate towards
this end as much as they can. The bishops alone in their
councils and synods cannot succeed if the clergy do not
lend a helping hand.
Pope Pius X and Church Music
5. The foregoing notes are from the first edition of
Manual. Since then a fresh impulse has been given
the reform of sacred music by his Holiness, Pius X,
the famous Motu proprio of November 22, 1903.
this
to
in
It
CHURCH MUSIC
143
will suffice for our purpose to call attention to some of
the more important paragraphs of the instruction at
tached to this pontifical letter.
"Sacred music, being a complementary part of the solemn
liturgy, participates in the general purpose of the liturgy, which
is the glory of God and the sanctification and edification of the
faithful. It contributes to the decorum and the splendor of the
ecclesiastical ceremonies, and since its principal office is to clothe
with suitable melody the liturgical text proposed for the under
standing of the faithful, its proper aim is to add greater efficacy
to the text, in order that through it the faithful may be the
more easily moved to devotion and better disposed for the re
ception of the fruits of grace belonging to the celebration of the
most holy mysteries.”
“The ancient traditional Gregorian Chant must be largely re
stored to the function of public worship, and everybody must
be assured that an ecclesiastical function loses nothing of its
solemnity when it is accompanied by no other music than this."
“Special efforts should be made to restore the use of the
Gregorian Chant by the people, so that the faithful may again
take a more active part in the ecclesiastical offices, as was the
case in ancient times.”
“The Church has always recognized and favored the progress
of the arts, admitting to the service of the cult everything good
and beautiful discovered by genius in the course of ages—always,
however, with due regard to the liturgical laws. Consequently,
modern music may also be admitted to the church, since it, too,
furnishes compositions of such excellence, sobriety and gravity,
that they are in no way unworthy of the liturgical functions.
“Still, since modern music was devised mainly to serve pro
fane uses, greater care must be taken with regard to it, in order
that the musical compositions of modern style which are ad
mitted to the church may contain nothing profane, be free from
reminiscences of motives adopted in the theatre, and even in their
external form be not fashioned after the manner of profane
pieces.”
“The language proper to the Roman Church is Latin. Hence
it is forbidden to sing anything whatever in the vernacular at
solemn liturgical functions—much more to sing in the verna-
144
THE SACRAMENTS
cular the variable or common parts of the Mass and Office.”
"As the texts that may be rendered in music, and the order
in which they arc to be rendered, are determined for every litur
gical function, it is not lawful to confuse this order or to
change the prescribed texts for others selected at will, or to
omit them cither entirely or even in part, unless when the rub
rics allow that some versicles of the text be supplied with the
organ, while these versicles are simply recited in the choir.
However, it is permissible, according to the custom of the Ro
man Church, to sing a motet to the Blessed Sacrament after
the Benedictus in a solemn Mass. It is also permitted, after
the Offertory prescribed for the Mass has been sung, to exe
cute during the time that remains a brief motet to words ap
proved by the Church.”
‘‘The different parts of the Mass and Office must retain, even
musically, that particular concept and form which ecclesiastical
tradition has assigned to them, and which is admirably ex
pressed in the Gregorian Chant Different, therefore, must be
the method of composing an introit, a gradual, an antiphon, a
psalm, a hymn, a Gloria in Excelsis."
“With the exception of the melodies proper to the celebrant
at the altar and to the ministers, which must be always sung
in the Gregorian Chant only and without tlx: accompaniment of
the organ, all the rest of the liturgical chant belongs to the
choir of levites, and therefore singers in church, even when
they are laymen, really take the place of the ecclesiastical choir.
Hence the music rendered by them must, at least for the greater
part, retain the character of choral music.”
“On the same principle it follows that singers in church have
a real liturgical office, and that, therefore, women, being incap
able of exercising such an office, cannot be admitted to form
part of the choir or of the musical chapel. Whenever it is
desired to employ the voices of sopranos and contraltos, these
parts must be taken by boys, according to the most ancient usage
of the Church."
“Although the music proper to the Church is purely vocal
music, organ accompaniment is permitted. In some special cases,
within due limits and with proper regards, other instruments
may be allowed, but never without the special license of the Or
CHURCH MUSIC
145
dinary, according to the prescriptions of the Caeremoniale Episco
porum."
"It is not lawful to keep the priest at the altar waiting on
account of the chant or the music for a length of time not
allowed by the liturgy. According to the ecclesiastical prescrip
tions the Sanctus of the Mass should be over before the eleva
tion, and therefore, the priest must here have regard for the
singers. The Gloria and the Credo ought, according to the Gre
gorian tradition, to be relatively short.”
“Let care be taken to restore, at least in the principal churches,
the ancient Scholae Cantorum, as has been done with excellent
fruit in a great many places. It is not difficult for a zealous
clergy to institute such Scholae even in minor and country
churches—nay, in them they will find a very easy means for
gathering around them both the children and the adults, to
their own profit and the edification of the people.”
These and the other rules set forth in this Motu pro
prio are obligatory for the whole Church. The Sover
eign Pontiff urges all bishops to make arrangements at
once to have them carried into effect, so that the crying
abuses will be stopped and the law regarding the reform
of sacred music will not remain a dead letter. “The
difficulty,” said his Holiness in a note to the CardinalVicar of Rome, “is not diminished, but rather augmented
by postponement, and since the thing must be done, let it
be done immediately and resolutely.”
6. In more than one diocese practical steps have been
taken to comply with the commands of the Holy See.
We here append the regulations adopted by the bishops
of the Province of Milwaukee. They are as follows :
(1) The "Guide to Catholic Church Music,” published by
Prof. John Singenberger, of St. Francis, Wis., is adopted as the
official catalogue of church music, vocal and instrumental, or
gan and orchestra. Pastors will see to it that every church
146
THE SACRAMENTS
choir has the Guide in its repertoire and that it be purchased
at the expense of the congregation.
(2) Church music published or recommended in the official
organs of approved societies for the cultivation of genuine
church music is ipso facto allowed. Such organs are : the Caecilia
(German) of Ratisbon; the Caecilia (German and English) and
the Rcviczv (English) of St. Francis, Wis. ; the Fliegende Blatter
(German) and the Musica Sacra (German) of Ratisbon; the
Caecilia (German) of Strasbourg, the St. Gregorius Blad
(Dutch) of Haarlem, Holland; the Cyril (Bohemian) of Prague;
the Musica Sacra (Italian) of Turin, Italy; the Musica Sacra
(French) of Namur, Belgium. The catalogue of the German
Caecilian Society contains over 3,000 numbers by composers of
different nationalities.
(3) Church music of any description (vocal, instrumental, or
gan, or orchestra) not contained in the official catalogue or in
the above named official organs, may not be performed in any
of our churches, until it has been submitted to, and approved by,
the official committee.
(4) A supplement to the official catalogue will be published
annually.
(5) Congregational singing for children, particularly boys,
and for the adults of the congregation is strongly recommended.
(6) The teaching of vocal music in general as well as of
church music must form part of the regular school curriculum.
Gregorian Chant, being pre-eminently the Church’s music, ought
to be especially cultivated.
(7) In order to avoid confusion, the books of Gregorian Chant
which have been used hitherto, may be retained. After the Vati
can edition of the Chant will be completed and further regula
tions of the Holy Father regarding it will have been published,
the bishops of the province will give further instructions.
(8) The Motu Proprio of the Holy Father demands that
men’s voices only should be employed in the choir for liturgical
chant. Where difficulties seem to prevent the carrying out of
this rule, the case must be referred to the Ordinary.
(9) Where the liturgical Vespers are sung, they must be
rendered in full, not merely in part. It is allowed to substitute
for the Vespers of the day those of the B. V. Mary, or of the
CHURCH MUSIC
147
patron saint, or, in fact of any other feast or saint or votive
office.
(10) Sisters of religious communities will not be allowed
henceforth to conduct mixed choirs of men and women.
(11) The above regulations regarding the selection and rendi
tion of sacred music to be performed in our churches must be
enforced throughout the Province of Milwaukee, beginning with
September 1, 1906.
(12) The following regulations, however, regarding certain
abuses, must be enforced at once. They apply equally to strictly
liturgical as well as extra-liturgical service in church.
(a) Non-Catholic singers or organists may not be engaged
for divine service. Nor are Catholics allowed to sing or play
at non-Catholic religious services.
(b) Vocal or instrumental solos and duets are absolutely pro
hibited.
(c) All unbecoming conduct must be banished from the organ
loft It is the duty of the pastor as well as of the director and
organist to enforce the decorum demanded by divine service.
(d) Members of a parish choir are not allowed to leave their
own choir in order to join the choir of another congregation
without permission from their pastor; nor shall any pastor be
allowed without such permission to accept singers from other
congregations as members of his own choir.
(e) At funerals and marriages no music, vocal or instrumental,
is allowed, except that which is officially approved.
(f) It is against the general rule of the Church to accompany
the chant of the officiating, priest, deacon or sub-deacon with the
organ.
(g) Music written for a mixed choir (soprano, alto, tenor,
bass) shall be performed by those voices only to which the
single parts have been assigned by the composer. Therefore,
the tenor and bass parts of such compositions shall not be sung
by sopranos and altos or vice versa.
(h) Mutilations and omissions of the sacred texts which are
to be sung during High Mass, are absolutely forbidden. The
entire Gloria and Credo must be sung before the celebrant sings
the "Dominus vobiscum” It is obligatory to sing or recite also
the Proper of the Mass, i. e.. Introit, Gradual, Alleluja, Tract,
148
THE SACRAMENTS
Sequence, Offertory and Communion. We recommend to have
these parts chanted or recited by a boys’ choir in the sanctuary
or in the organ loft
(i) The use of the vernacular language during High Mass
is forbidden by the Church.
(j) It is strictly forbidden to have brass bands play in church.
The new Code says (Can. 1264) :
§ i. Musicae in quibus sive organo aliisve instrumentis sive
cantu lascivum aut impurum aliquid misceatur, ab ecclesiis om
nino arceantur, et leges liturgicae circa musicam sacram ser
ventur.
§ 2. Religiosae mulieres, si eisdem liceat, ad normam sua
rum constitutionum vel legum liturgicarum ac de venia Ordinarii
loci, in propria ecclesia aut oratorio publico canere, tali e loco
canant, ubi a populo conspici nequeant.
CHAPTER IV
THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
Article I
THE ESSENCE OF THE SACRAMENT AND ITS IMPORTANCE
FOR THE PRACTICAL MINISTRY
I. Man, created after God’s own image and endowed
with sanctifying grace, had the misfortune to lose his
exalted postion and miss his eternal destiny by falling
into sin. This original guilt contracted by our first par
ents, faith tells us, has put its stamp upon every human
being born into the world. We should all have been lost
forever, if the wisdom of the Blessed Trinity had not, in
the Mystery of the Incarnation, found a means to release
us from the abyss of misery which had become our lot.
The Son of God Himself deigned to assume our nature
and to die for our sake, that He might satisfy the justice
of His Father and effect a reconciliation between man and
his Creator. "Vere languores nostros ipse tulit et dolores
nostros ipse portavit. Ipse autem vulneratus est propter
iniquitates nostras, attritus est propter scelera nostra et
livore eius sanati sumus.”1
But how is this reconciliation to be understood? Is
nothing required on our part? Most certainly there
is. Do penance. This is the cry which St. Peter sent
forth in his first sermon on Pentecost. Penance has al1 Is. LIII, 4, 5.
149
150
THE SACRAMENTS
ways been the conditio sine qua non for regaining that
grace which we had the misfortune to lose through our
sins.
What is penance? Its very name (poena') points to
things which are painful, hard, burdensome. In com
mitting sin we follow the cravings of our corrupt nature;
therefore, it is but just that, in order to destroy sin, this
rebellious nature of ours be punished by acts contrary
to its lusts and desires. Our will must feel sorry for the
offenses of the past, it must be ready to shun all sin in
future, we must pray and sigh for forgiveness, implore
the mercy of Heaven, shed tears of compunction, mortify
the body by fasting and other works of self-denial. All
this is penance, provided that in performing such acts we
do not confide in our own merits, but place our sole
reliance in the merits of Christ. Furthermore, feeling
the sting of sin, the remorse of conscience, we cannot
help crying out with the Psalmist : “Delicta quis intelligit? Ab occultis meis munda me et ab alienis parce servo
tuo." We long for an outward and sensible means which
will give us the assurance that our works of penance have
been accepted, and that we have been received back into
the grace and friendship of God. Here our Blessed Re
deemer has come to our assistance. In Baptism, the Sac
rament of regeneration, we receive that first grace which
washes away all stain of sin. In Penance, the Sacra
ment of reconciliation, all sins committed after Baptism
are forgiven and the first love is restored. “Quoniam
Deus dives in misericordia cognovit figmentum nostrum,
illis etiam vitae remedium contulit, qui se postea in peccatis
servitutem et daemonis potestatem tradidissent, sacra
mentum videlicet poenitentiae, quo lapsis post Baptismum
beneficium mortis Christi applicatur." 2
2 Cone. Trid., Scss. XIV, c. i.
PENANCE
151
2. These two Sacraments, Baptism and Penance, though
they produce pretty much the same effect, the purpose of
both being the remission of sin, yet differ greatly in
their mode of application. The Council of Trent, refer
ring to this difference, says: “Hos [quos Christus Domi
nus lavacro baptismi sui corporis membra semel effe
cit] si se postea crimine aliquo contaminaverint, non
iam repetito baptismo ablui, quum id in ecclesia catholica
nulla ratione liceat, sed ante hoc tribunal tamquam reos
sisti voluit, ut per sacerdotum sententiam non semel, sed
quoties ab admissis ad ipsum pocnitentes confugerint,
possent liberari.” 3
The Sacrament of Penance is a holy tribunal in which
judgment is pronounced, the judge being the absolving
priest, the accused party the penitent. Unlike other courts,
however, the accused, though found guilty, is not con
demned, but pardoned, on condition that he feel sorry for
his evil deeds and be ready to avoid sin in future.
Certain acts, therefore, are required on his part. He
must accuse himself (this is done through confession) :
he must regret his past offenses by a true and sincere con
trition. Both confession and contrition presuppose a
thorough examination of conscience and include the inten
tion to satisfy divine justice by penitential works.
Moral theology gives specific rules as to what is to
be observed regarding these various acts. It will be
enough for us to state here that contrition must be in
ternal, supernatural, supreme, and universal. A merely
outward contrition, such as the recitation of a formula,
is insufficient. Our sorrow, besides, must be based on su
pernatural motives suggested by faith, such as the love
of God, the fear of eternal punishment. We must hate
sin more than all other evils, and we must extend our
a Cone. Trid., Sess. XIV’, c. a.
<52
THE SACRAMENTS
sorrow and hatred to all the sins wc have ever committed.
In making our confession we are not allowed to con
ceal wilfully a single mortal sin and, therefore, must ex
amine ourselves beforehand with that care which the
importance of the matter demands. All this requires en
ergy and humiliation on our part; wherefore the Sacra
ment of Penance is justly styled "Baptismus laboriosus."
3. In order that he may hear confessions and act
as judge, the priest needs jurisdiction. The jurisdiction
empowering him to absolve those whom he deems worthy,
must be procured from the Ordinary of the diocese
within which the confessions are heard. Without such
jurisdiction, absolution is null and void. In case of death,
however (in periculo and not only in articulo mortis),
by a general law of the Church, the power to absolve
is granted to each and every priest.
In giving faculties for the confessional the Ordinary of
the diocese may add certain restrictions, not only in the
way of reserved cases, but also in other forms. Thus
you may receive faculties simply for a certain place
(parish, convent, etc.), for a limited time, for particular
persons, etc. If so, you must not exceed your power.
Every priest should read carefully the written document
and its various clauses by which the faculties of the
diocese are given to him. Whenever you invite priests
from other dioceses, seculars or regulars, to help you
at a mission or on similar occasions, see that you pro
cure for them the necessary faculties from your bishop
and instruct them beforehand how far their jurisdiction
goes. Mistakes in this line may lead to serious conse
quences.
4. No Sacrament has such an eminently pastoral charac
ter as Penance, for it presents to us the priest as pastor
ovium, the shepherd who goes in search of the lost
THE PRIEST AS CONFESSOR
153
sheep, and who, after having found it among thorns or
in the desert, takes it on his shoulders and brings it
back to the fold. The work performed in the administra
tion of this Sacrament, in the seclusion of the confes
sional, is strictly private and remains hidden, perceptible
only to the penitent himself and to the all-seeing eye of
God. Its effects, however, good or bad, as the case
may be, are felt also outside. Take, for instance, a zeal
ous, learned and practical confessor, who is not satisfied
with simply listening to the sins whispered to him, but
who tries in every possible way to uproot sin and vice
from the penitent’s heart, how much moral and social evil
can he not prevent! The restoration of ill-gotten goods,
the reconciliation of enemies, the re-establishment of peace
and harmony in households or families, the fostering
of charity, justice, sobriety, temperance,—in a word, the
flourishing of all Christian virtues are his work. He
plants the seed which, with God’s help, ripens into fruit.
If a parish or congregation is fortunate enough to possess
such a spiritual father for a number of years, the good
results will be clearly noticeable. There is no more
effectual means of reforming a Catholic community than
the wise and prudent administration of the Sacrament of
Penance. It is a remedy applied to individual souls, but
the whole body of the people derives advantages from it
and shares in its fruits.
The Priest as Confessor
5. Great and manifold are the obligations of a con
fessor. No man, it is true, is lost except by his own
fault. But this does not hinder that others, either di
rectly or indirectly, may share in such loss and become
more or less responsible for it. One imprudent word, one
i54
THE SACRAMENTS
too severe rebuke, one too lax decision given by a con
fessor who is not considerate enough or too hasty in ex
ercising his sacred function, may cause the eternal ruin
of an immortal soul. Will the Divine Judge not ask an
account of the disaster wrought by his legates ? “E inani
bus tuis animam cius petam,” He said to the prophet.
Let no confessor ever forget what formidable conse
quences his action may entail. Let him ponder the words
of St. Teresa: "Confessors not sufficiently learned have
done great harm to my soul; a well-learned confessor
has never deceived me. Those others, indeed, did not
intend to deceive me, but they were not sufficiently in
structed. They sometimes told me that a thing was no
sin, whilst it was at least a venial offense, and of mortal
they made venial sins. This has done me great harm,
so that you may understand why I refer to this great
evil as a warning to others.”
In the confessional the priest has to deal with individ
uals who, cursed with spiritual leprosy, approach him in
the hope of finding a cure for their disease. The con
fessor, if he is to effect this cure, must be a man of sound
judgment, well acquainted with the obligations of his of
fice, a man of knowledge, both theoretical and practical.
He should be perfectly at home in the vast field of moral
theology, entirely familiar with general principles and
frequently occurring cases. The mere fact of having
studied this branch of sacred science in the seminary or
during the years preceding ordination, does not ensure
future competency. Unless such study be continued,
new decisions and new points be taken notice of, there
is danger that too much will be forgotten and false judg
ments formed.
Moreover, a good confessor ought not to neglect the
science of the saints, i. e., ascetic theology, as set forth
THE PRIEST AS CONFESSOR
»55
by men who are reliable in their teachings and neither
too strict nor too lax. “Moral theology,” says Bishop
Ullathorne, “has two branches; the one regards the
judgment of sin ; the other the cultivation of virtue. . . .
This other branch is that which is properly called spirit
ual or ascetical theology; it fits the priest to guide souls
in the more generous way towards God and to build
them up in virtue and holiness, for it supplies the mo
tives and the means for advancing in the way of per
fect life.” 4
6. Hearing confessions is cfften a sore trial to the priest.
To sit still in a narrow place, for several hours in suc
cession, to be compelled to inhale the breath of per
sons face to face with yourself, to bear the cold of the
winter and the heat of the summer, is rather wearisome.
Still harder is the strain upon the mind. The confessor
is responsible for each penitent. He is bound to exam
ine every single case brought before him, lest through
his fault a soul redeemed by the Precious Blood of Christ
be lost. Moreover, though continually diving, as it were,
into the very abyss of crime and wretchedness, of carnal
lust and filth, he must keep himself pure from moral
contagion. This requires great energy and a keen per
ception of the malice of sin. Here, indeed, lies a danger.
The medical student, when first entering the dissec
ting room, may be horrified at the scene before him.
Gradually, however, he gets used to it and goes to
his work without fear or sensation, and it may be good
for him. The young priest, just commencing to hear
confessions, naturally will stand appalled when confronted
with the various sins men are wont to commit;—sins
which hitherto he has known only from books or in
theory, now are brought home to him in their ghastly real4 Ullathorne, Eccles. Discourses.
iS6
THE SACRAMENTS
ity and full hideousness. But what is good for the medi
cal student and physician is not good for the minister of
God, the priest, the confessor. He must ever preserve
a deep horror of sin, for thus only will he keep aloof from
it himself and be able to make others avoid it. Often,
therefore, should he pray with the Psalmist : “Pone, Do
mine, custodiam ori meo et ostium circumstantiae labiis
meis, ut non declinet cor meum in verba malitiae ad ex
cusandas excusationes in peccatis.”
7. However, the hearing of confessions is also a source
of grace and blessing for the priest. By means of it he
obtains a deep insight into the human heart and thus be
comes endowed with a great deal of practical knowledge,
which enables him to give the proper consolation and to
tender the right advice. Moreover, the holy tribunal of
Penance is a constant monitor for the priest. Not only
great sinners, but also truly pious penitents present them
selves. Being made aware of the humility, charity, de
votion, zeal, etc., which they exhibit, he cannot but be
encouraged and stimulated to virtue, lest the rebuke of
St. Paul fall upon him: "In quo alium indicas, teipsunt
condemnas.”
Finally, what shall we say about the constant mortifi
cation which the work of hearing confessions demands?
If a priest desires to do penance for his own sins, to
satisfy divine justice, whose very mouth-piece he him
self is, let him frequently enter the confessional to per
form that service of which our Saviour speaks in the
Gospel: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall ob
tain mercy.” "Divinum illud sacri iudicii munus anxie
refugiendum non est, sed accedendum cum magno selo
divinae gloriae ampliandae et salutis animarum promoven
dae et versandum in illo cum bonitate Dei.” 6
6
Instr. Past. Eystcttensis.
TIME AND PLACE FOR CONFESSION
157
Time and Place for Hearing Confessions
8. When and where shall confessions be heard? A
zealous pastor must be ready to hear the confession of any
person who reasonably asks him to do so, who is either
in the state of mortal sin or at least justly expects a
particular benefit and grace from the reception of the
Sacrament. However, there are certain days on which
you ought always to be at the service of your parishioners,
and on which they expect you to be ready for them in
the confessional. On Saturday evenings and Sunday
mornings, on holydays of obligation and their vigils, peni
tents will usually come, often many, and it is not proper
to let them wait until they call you.
"Ne qua igitur mora confiteri volentes praepediat, pastores ani
marum enixe hortamur et obsecramus, ut apud confessionalia ad
poenitentes audiendos praesto sint singulis Sabbatis, Festorum
que vigiliis, vespertino saltem tempore, et Dominicis festisque
diebus mane ante primam missam. His enim horis non desunt
poenitentes, modo confessorius suo ipse muneri non desit. Sin
autem fidelium numerus maior sit, quam ut omnes, qui accedunt,
uno die audire possit, alia etiam tempora, alios dies eligat, quos
huic tam necessario operi impendat. Gravissimum quidem cri
men foret, si pastoris negligentia, aut desidia, vel unus e grege
fidelium hoc sacramento fraudaretur. Neque ii facile animum
inducent, ut ad confitendum redeant, qui semel atque iterum hoc
ministerium ipsi sacerdoti ingratum ac molestum esse deprehen
derint." °
The proper place in which to hear confessions is the
church.7 The confessional must be constructed so that
o Cone. Pl. Balt. II, n. 291.
7 Sacramentelle confessionis pro
prius locus est ecclesia vel orato
rium publicum aut semi-publicum.
(Can. 908).
} i. Sedes confessionalis ad audi-
'endos mulierum confessiones sem
per collocetur in loco patenti et
conspicuo, et generatim in ecclesia
vel oratorio publico aut semiPublico mulieribus destinato.
i58
THE SACRAMENTS
there is a partition between the priest and the penitent
both conversing with each other through a small grate.
“Confessionalia in ecclesia erigenda, pro mulierum confes
sionibus excipiendis, decrevit Concilium primum Balfimorcnse, quod districte servandum omninio est. Eccle
siae autem nomine, ad confessiones audiendas, sacristia non est intelligenda, nisi locus sit publicus et pat
ens." 8
The rubrics prescribe that the priest sitting in the holy
tribunal should be vested in surplice and stole (violacei
coloris).
The formula of absolution, as found in the Ritual,
should be recited in full, unless there is a reasonable
cause for shortening it, in which case you may commence
with the words “Dominus noster Iesus Christus."
A few more practical hints are the following: Do not
speak too loud in the confessional, as this will frighten
the penitent and give rise to suspicion. Do not allow
people to stand too close; make them observe order and
decorum whenever there is a crowd ; when it is dark, al
ways have a light in the church. Before and after con
fession, when passing through the sanctuary, kneel down
for a few minutes at the altar before the Blessed Sacra
ment and say a short prayer. Finally, take the utmost
care never to violate the “sigillum confessionis." Direct
violation is a thing almost unheard of, but indirect viola
tion occurs occasionally. Be very cautious in your talk
and action concerning matters which you know only
$ 2. Sedes confessionalis crate
fixa ac tenuiter perforata inter poenitentem et confessorium sit in
structa. (Can. 909).
§ 1. Feminarum confessiones ex
tra sedem confessionalem ne audi·
ave verae necessitatis et adhibitis
antur, nisi ex causa infirmitatis ali·
cautelis quas Ordinarius loci op
portunas indicaverit.
§ 2. Confessiones virorum etiam
in aedibus privatis excipere licet.
(Can. 910).
8 Cone. Pl. Balt. 11, n. 296.
THE CONFESSOR AS FATHER
159
through confession. Do not make any allusions to such
things, even though they be harmless, in the presence of
laymen, not even in sermons. "Id enim iure merito haud
parum scandali apud auditores parit, verbum Dei ludibrio
exponit et ipsum Sacramentum reddit odiosum." 9
Article II
THE DIFFERENT OFFICES OF THE CONFESSOR
A—OFFICIUM PATRIS
i. A priest, by undertaking to hear confessions, as
sumes several offices or charges, which he is expected to
exercise with great care and circumspection, in order
that his ministry may be fruitful. The first of these
offices is that of spiritual father. "Patrem . . . agere
decet, qui Evangelici patris instar, filium exulem, perdi
tum, fame et squalore consumptum, libens osculo pacis re
deuntem excipiat, prima stola induat, vitulo saginato exquisitissimisque epulis reficiat, atque in pristinum haeredis
ac filii locum et dignitatem reponat." 1 “The priest bears
the tender name of Father,” says Cardinal Gibbons, “a
title which he shares with his eternal Father, from whom
all paternity in Heaven and on earth is named.” “For if
you have ten thousand instructors,” says the Apostle,
“yet not many fathers, for in Christ Jesus by the Gospel
I have begotten you.” The confessor is called Father both
because through his ministry the penitent is born to the
0 Cone. Pl. Balt. II, n. 290.—C.
I. C., can. 889:
§ i. Sacramentale sigillum
in
violabile est; quare caveat diligen
ter confessorius ne verbo aut signo
aut alio quovis modo et quavis de
causa prodat aliquatenus peccatorem.
§ 2. Obligatione servandi sacramentale sigillum tenentur quoque
interpres aliique omnes ad quos
notitia confessionis quoquo modo
pervenerit."
1 Cone. Pl. Balt. II, n. 379.
i6o
THE SACRAMENTS
spiritual life and made a child of God again, and because
people flock to him to seek consolation and advice for
their troubled souls. His heart ought to burn with a holy
zeal, enabling him to exclaim with St. Paul : “Si praeoc
cupatus fuerit homo in aliquo delicto, vos qui spirituales
estis, huiusinodi instruite in spiritu lenitatis” 2
2. The priest, in order that he may be a true father
to his penitents, has need of charity and patience. Harsh
treatment, cross words, severe scolding are out of place
in the confessional. In the pulpit, in sermons and exhor
tations, whilst addressing a large crowd, you may some
times make use of sharp language, expound the doctrine
of faith and the rules of morality in a manner suitable to
inspire the hearers with terror, but you should never do
this in the confessional, where you deal with individuals.
It will have the very opposite effect; instead of softening
the heart of the penitent and turning him from his
wicked ways, it will, as a rule, render him all the more
obstinate. Our Blessed Redeemer has furnished us the
best example in this regard. In His speeches and public
addresses He did not shrink from telling certain individ
uals the plain truth, tried to make them understand that
they were sinners, outcasts, hypocrites, the offspring of
vipers, and told them that if they continued in their evil
ways, the wrath of God would come upon them, etc. Ob
serve, however, with what kindness and love He receives
the individuals that come to Him to seek pardon and
consolation. Think of Mary Magdalen, the woman
caught in adultery, St. Peter after his fall, and Judas
the traitor. We ought to bear in mind that it is quite
a sacrifice for a man laden with sin and crime to come and
accuse himself of his own accord, opening his conscience
2 Gal. VI, i.
THE CONFESSOR AS FATHER
161
a fellow-man, who is also mortal and sinful. This
act as such deserves credit and encouragement. There
fore a confessor must avoid harshness and bitterness,
even towards those who seem to be indisposed and un
worthy of absolution. Kindness will soften the heart of
the most wicked, whilst otherwise a sting will be left
and the poor penitent may feel like a reprobate or like
a child to whom a stone is given instead of bread. A
priest ought to be careful not to show signs of im
patience or anger that arise from external sources. For
instance, you are called upon to hear a confession at a
time that does not suit you, say, when you are not feeling
well, early in the morning or late at night, when you
have visitors, when you wish to go on a journey; or,
shortly before you enter the confessional, you meet with
an unpleasant affair that provokes your anger. Never
let the penitent feel this passionate mood of yours. Do
not get restless when some other matter awaits you,
as you are getting ready for Mass, for a sick-call, etc.
Do not take out your watch, as if to tell the penitent that
he should hurry, if his confession is unusally long, or
if you have been sitting in the confessional for several
hours. Incautiousness of this kind may lead to sacrile
gious confessions, or at least hinder people from draw
ing out of the fountain of spiritual grace all that strength
and consolation of which they stand in need. Fatherly
love, meekness, anti kindness are what the penitent expects
and needs. Rude or abrupt conduct on the part of the
confessor will repel him and perhaps cause him to stay
away from the Sacraments for a long time, if not for
ever. “You are not,” says Hugh of St. Victor, “ap
pointed judges of crimes to chastise, but judges of mal
adies to heal.”
3. A charitable and loving disposition, manifested in the
Ï02
THE sacraments
very tone of your voice, should pervade the whole con
fession from beginning to end. Try to help the poor sin
ner in every possible way. Many are awkward in con
fessing; they have not examined their conscience well,
hoping that the confesser will help them. Others tell
long stories ndt pertaining to the materia confessidnis;
others, again, display malice and stolidity; others, finally,
tremble and quake with fear. All these must be treated
with the utmost kindness. Encourage them at once,
when you notice that they are slow or reluctant in stating
their sins. Do not sigh, move your head or give other
signs of surprise, when you happen to hear horrible
things. On the contrary, try to keep quiet; do not in
terrupt the penitent, but let him tell all he has to say,
that he may have a chance to unburden his conscience
freely and completely.
"Poenitentes leniter ac paterno more excipiat [confessor], et
quamdiu a sacro tribunali abfuerbtt, interroget; deinde peccata
sua narrantes patienter audit, neque (quod Rituale Romanum
monet), unquam interpellet, nisi ad obscurius dicta melius intelligenda. Etiam atrocia facinora aut turpissima fatentes im
moto vultu audiat; neque suspiriis aut aliqua voce vel gestu,
corporisve aut oris motu, mirantis aut horrescentis animi in
dicia prodat. Quinimmo poenitentem, si timore aut metu laborare
deprehenderit, humanissimis verbis adloquatur; horteturque, ut
bono animo et magna fiducia peccata omnia in sinum clementissimi Patris effundere non erubescat, summique Praeceptoris ex
emplo, proposito sibi gaudio, confusionem contemnat.” 8
It is indeed necessary to admonish the sinner, in order
to make him realize his miserable state and the danger
to which he is exposed ; but this must be done at the end,
when the sins have been confessed, immediately before
3 Cone. Pl. Balt. 11, n. 28q
THE CONFESSOR AS FATHER
163
absolution is given. The admonition ought to be charita
ble and practical, and not a mere commonplace talk.
4. The love which a confessor bears for his penitents
is the fruit of the supernatural zeal with which his heart
burns. Therefore it should be a disinterested and wise
love, not a purely natural or human sentiment. In the
confessional there is no room for a distinction between
rich and poor, learned and ignorant, high and low. They
are all sinners, all afflicted with spiritual malady and moral
leprosy. If there be any preference, let it be shown to
those who appear to be desperate, whose conscience is
loaded with guilt, and whose spiritual care requires more
than ordinary labor on the part of the confessor. “Atque
in primis promptum semper paratumque se exhibeat [confessor], cum fuerit ad hoc munus obeundum accersitus,
praesertim ab egenis et vilioris conditionis hominibus, at
que iis quos peccatorum sarcina onustos esse, aut a con-t
fossione diu abfuisse noverit. His sine mora, omni post
habito negotio, praesto sit; et in horum gratiam, si nccesse
sit, divites huius saeculi, piosque ac devotos saepius con
fiteri solitos, praecipue autem mulieres, quibus tempus et
otium abunde suppetit, aut negligat aut expectore iubeat,
donec male habentibus, qui medico magis egent, fuerit sat
isfactum.” 4
If you happen to meet with a penitent whose state
of conscience demands extraordinary attention, thank
God for the grace thus given to you, bestow upon him
all your solicitude, and do not mind those who are wait
ing outside of the confessional, even if their number
be large and some may have no chance to confess at all.
For these latter you are not responsible, only for those
whose confession you have heard or commenced to hear.
4 Cone. PI. Balt. Il, n. 380.
164
THE SACRAMENTS
Your love, great as it is and ought to be, must never
degenerate into laxity. Excessive rigor leads to despair,
but too much indulgence begets presumption. Let your
charity be wise, ·'. e., let it be regulated by sound moral
principles. Lay aside all human respect and declare, if
necessary, as St. John the Baptist did to the adulterous
Herod : “Hoc non licet” ; but do it always in kind words,
according to the maxim : “Fortiter in re, suaviter in
modo”
B—OFFICIUM MEDICI SPIRITUALIS
I. The second office incumbent on the priest whilst hear
ing confessions is that of spiritual physician.
"Meminerit sacerdos,” says the Code, “in audiendis confessioni
bus se iudicis pariter et medici personam sustinere ac divinae
iustitiae simul et misericordiae ministrum a Deo constitutum esse
ut honori divino et animarum saluti consulat” (can. 888, § i).
The confessor is bound not only to heal the wounds in
flicted upon the soul in the past, by diffusing the oil of
divine grace through absolution, but also to provide for
the future. He must, as far as possible, remove the poi
sonous germ of the spiritual disease, i. e., sin, lest the
wounds break open again and cause a new disaster. He
must add strength and power to prevent relapses. “Con
fessorius ut de munere suo rite administrato conscientiae
suae respondere queat, non modo salutis initium in con
fessione rite peracta constitutum curare debet, sed etiam
tenetur peccata ex anima poenitentis prorsus evellere, ha
bitus vitiosos destruere, passiones et inordinatas inclina
tiones, quae sunt radices et reliquiae peccatorum, disper
dere, occasiones proximas dissipare atque hoc modo morbis
THE CONFESSOR AS PHYSICIAN
165
animi curationem et medelam adhibere. Namque vices
gerit coelestis illius, medici, qui in Evangelio testatur se
venisse ut homines vitam habeant et abundantius quidem
habeant.” 1
2. As we look for charity in the spiritual Father, so we
desire to see in the priest practical prudence and sagacity
that he may be well qualified as a physician of souls.
This prudence is not the wisdom of the world, nor is it
simply common sense ; it is a virtue, partly natural, partly
supernatural, acquired by constant study, prayer and
the faithful administration of the Sacrament of Penance.
“Ars artium est regimen animarum.” Nothing is more
difficult than to gain control over a man’s soul and influ
ence his will, whilst the allurements of the world and
the temptations of demons attract him. Only the power
of the Holy Ghost is able to paralyze these evil influences.
Therefore, the wisdom of God’s Spirit is required, and,
no doubt, the future confessor, the priest, in his ordina
tion receives with the power to forgive sins also that
charism called “discretio spirituum,” not, however, as a
fully developed faculty, but as a talent with which he
should work. Nature and grace must be combined, i. e., a
priest, to be or to become a good confessor, must not neg
lect those means which are at his disposal, in order that
he may actually become a prudent director of souls. The
general rules, laid down by spiritual writers, there
fore, which are the result of many experiences, must not
be despised, but be well kept in mind. “Experientia *ou
·
dem optima in his rebus magistra est, sed cum nemo siNmetipsi prorsus fidere possit, consilium virorum prudevtum et doctorum necnon probatissimorum auctorum haud
parvi pendatur. Stultissimi enim sunt, qui alta de se
1 Instr. Past. Evite»».
i66
THE SACRAMENTS
opinione capti, omne aliorum indicium spernunt, de nulla
re dubitant ct in quovis casu audacter quasi ex tripode
decernunt.”8
3. A good physician tries first of all to determine the na
ture of the disease by a correct diagnosis. Then, having
located the seat of it, he gives his medicines so that they
will work with full strength upon that part or organ of
the body where the germs of the sickness are lodged.
Afterwards, when the crisis is over, he gives tonics and
restoratives, by means of which the system, weakened by
disease, may be restored to full vigor. The same rule
should be followed in spiritual matters. The confes
sor should endeavor tp trace what ascetics call the pre
dominant passion. That passion, being the main source
of the sins which the penitent is wont to commit, must
first of all be subdued. With some this passion is pride,
with others sensuality, with others, again, an insatiable
desire for money and wordly gain, with others anger, etc.
After the penitent has told you his sins, try to discover
his principal fault. Then give the right remedies against
this fault, and for remedies against the rest of his
sins wait until later, or at least do not attempt to apply
too many at once. “It is necessary above all,” says St.
Alphonsus, “to attend to the subjugation of the predomi
nant passion. Some are careful to mortify themselves in
many things, but make little effort to conquer the passion
to which they are most inclined; such persons can never
advance in the way of God. He who allows any irregu
lar passion to rule him is in great danger of being lost.
But, on the other hand, he who subdues his predominant
passion will easily conquer his other passions. When the
strongest enemy is vanquished, it is easy to defeat the
less powerful.”
3 Ibid.
THE CONFESSOR AS PHYSICIAN
167
4. In the confessional you deal with individual souls.
What is good for one may not be good for others. St.
Augustine says: “Quia cum omnibus eadem debeatur
caritas, non eadem omnibus adhibenda est medicina.”
For example : there comes to confession a young girl ap
parently innocent and devoid of impure passion, saying
that she went to parties and dances once in a while, ac
companied by her brother, sister, or parents; if she is
asked about sins she might have committed, such as bad
thoughts, impure desires, lustful actions, she answers in
the negative; it would be wrong to forbid her to go to a
dance again. Another confesses that, whilst taking part
in the amusements mentioned, she almost invariably yielded
to temptation. She must be reminded of her duty to
shun occasions which directly lead to sin. Perhaps she
replies that there is a sort of necessity. Then the con
fessor must make further inquiries, and from the answers
he will see what advice he ought to give. A physician
will not at once cut off a tumor or amputate a limb un
less it be certain that delay will make things worse. The
individual case, as such, with all its particulars must be
handled carefully according to the rule: “Salus poenitentis animae est suprema lex.”
Distinction Regarding Penitents
5. A distinction must be made between persons of dif
ferent sex and age. Women are apt to follow their feel
ings, momentary emotions and passionate sentiments.
Hence it may be enough to appeal to their imagination.
Not so with men, who are accustomed to reason and judge,
and to go to the bottom of things. If you wish to succeed
with men, you must bring forth arguments which
convince the intellect, you must appeal to their
ι68
THE SACRAMENTS
honor and arouse their ambition. Young people must be
treated differently from those who are advanced in
years. The former may need a check upon their en
thusiasm, the latter must, rather, be stirred up lest they
sink into spiritual lethargy. Regard should be paid to
a person’s occupation. The mechanic who has to work
hard from morning till night to make a scanty living,
often becomes careless about his religious obligations.
Envy, jealousy, drunkenness play havoc with him. A
w'ise confessor will not fail to remind him that he has
duties towards God, that he should be content with his lot,
that by humbly accepting it he will be able to lay up merits
for Heaven. The rich and well-to-do must be told that
they should make good use of the things Providence has
awarded them; that they should help and support the
poor. Not only the city capitalists, but also wealthy far
mers sometimes become so greedy that they seem to for
get entirely what they owe to God and His Church.
6. In nothing do men differ so much as in their tem
peraments. What the face is to the body, the tempera
ment is to the soul, namely, the expression and character
istic mark of the individual. There are four tempera
ments: the melancholy, the phlegmatic, the sanguine, and
the choleric. They hardly ever exist singly in any in
dividual, but are more or less blended. Like the passions,
so also the temperaments have their good and their evil
features. A confessor in his quality of spiritual physi
cian should try to discover the temperament of his peni
tent and direct him accordingly, lopping off what is bad
and fostering what is laudable. “A carver,’1 says
Scaramelli, “must know the qualities of the various
woods in which he wishes to work ; which are soft,
and which hard, which knotty and which easily split, or
apt to splinter, otherwise, being mistaken in his mate
THE CONFESSOR AS PHYSICIAN
169
rial, he will not be able to carry on his work; so, too,
a spiritual director will not succeed in leading his peni
tents if he does not understand their different tempera
ments and if he fails to adapt his direction with great
prudence to the individual character of each.” 3
7. Great caution and circumspection are needed in as
signing the means for avoiding particular sins and break
ing bad habits. The general means are: (a) prayer, es
pecially at the moment of temptation; (b) novenas in
honor of the Saints; (c) the frequent use of the Sacra
ments, especially for those who are addicted to sins of
lust; (d) the Sacrifice of the Mass; (e) fasting and morti
fication. These general means may be employed against
almost any sin or sinful habit. Besides these, however,
special remedies must be advised against particular faults.
A prudent confessor will not fail, with God's help, to
select the most wholesome corrective. If, with all the
precautions you have taken and all the remedies you have
suggested, no perceptible improvement is visible, you must
not lose confidence ; sooner or later the penitent, if he but
continues earnestly to use the means at his disposal, will
reform. The effects of the medicine applied for the heal
ing of corporal maladies are not felt at once, either ; they
need time to act and produce their effect.
C—OFFICIUM DOCTORIS
I. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who came into the world
as a light to illuminate those who were sitting in dark
ness and in the shadow of death, was not satisfied with
teaching the truth in public, in the presence of large
crowds or before a select body of men, but deigned
to give instructions now and then also to individuals
3 Direct. Ascet.
J7o
THE SACRAMENTS
who came to seek counsel and information adapted to
their particular wants and necessities. Nicodemus, Mary
Magdalen, Zaccheus, the rich young man aspiring after
perfection, are instances of this kind. Entrusting His
Apostles with the same power which He had, and order
ing them to teach all nations, He did not wish to have
their ministry limited to public preaching and speaking,
but, as His own example proves, desired that they should
be a light not only for the world at large, but for in
dividuals as well. The place to make use of this in
dividual instruction is the confessional, where the priest
is made the confidant of secrets. “Maxime itaque con
demnanda est praxis illorum non tam confessoriorum
quam mercenariorum, qui vix peccatis obiter auditis, tam
quam nihil nisi latine loqui didicissent, omni manu ab
solvere festinant. Nam et eos docere tenemur, qui licet
venialia tantum habeant, vivere tamen debent de verbo,
quod procedit ex ore Dei, et de omni quidem verbo, sive
procedit publice e cathedra sive privativi in sacro tribu
nali.’’ 1
2. In our general remarks concerning the ministry of
the sacred tribunal we stated that a confessor must be
endowed with knowledge. Here it may be asked, how
extensive this knowledge should be. Benedict XIV says:
"Optandum quidem esset, ut quilibet confesssarius ea
polleret scientia, quam eminentem vocant; verum quum
haec dos paucorum sit, necesse omnino est, ut competenti
saltem scientia sit instructus.’’ St. Alphonsus, explain
ing this “competens scientia,” says that a confessor
ought to know: (a) the difference between mortal and
venial sins; (&) the species and circumstances of sins;
(c) the doctrine of restitution; (d) reserved cases and
the ordinary excommunications; (c) matrimonial impedi1 Instr. Past. Eystett.
INSTRUCTING PENITENTS
ments; (f) the requisites of the Sacrament of Penance.
However, a knowledge not only of moral, but also of
dogmatic theology and Sacred Scripture is necessary,
because not infrequently the confessor will have to base
his admonitions on both, or he may have to clear away
doubts concerning articles of faith.
3. Prudence will tell a confessor how far he should
go in his private instructions. Not all things are good
for all persons. St. Paul was wont to give milk to chil
dren, but substantial food to those strong in virtue.
Many penitents do not know even the rudiments of the
faith. They must be taught the dogmata fide explicita
tenenda before absolution. Others are totally ignorant
of the requisites of Penance, as to what is contrition,
purpose of amendment, etc. They must be made to un
derstand the exact meaning of these terms. Others,
again, have formed a false conscience in regard to cer
tain sins; mortal sins they consider as venial, or vice
versa. Let them be disabused of their wrong notions.
Some do not realize the obligation they have of making
restitution for frauds and thefts, for slander and de
traction ; these must be told what reparation is required
on their part to those whom they have injured. Many,
especially such as hold an office of authority (parents,
magistrates, superiors), are not fully aware of the duties
incumbent upon them; their attention must be called
to these duties, and their mind be awakened as to their
responsibilities. Persons who have doubts on certain
points and ask for information, must not be left in doubt,
lest they continue to sin.2 Penitents who show a tend2 Uxoribus quaerentibus de de
bito coniugali necnon aliis interro
gantibus particularia in materia turpi
breviter et maxima cautela confes
sorius respondeat et semper id
solum, quod fuerit quaesitum, nun
quam plus.
172
THE SACRAMENTS
ency towards spiritual perfection ought to be encouraged
and directed on the road of sanctity.8
Evidently there is little or no sense of duty in those
priests who, satisfied with what they have learned as stu
dents, hardly ever open a theological book in after life.
D—OFFICIUM IUDICIS
I. The principal office of the confessor is that of judge.
We say the principal office, because it is in and through
it that he acts as minister sacramenti. The priest is
authorized not simply to declare that forgiveness is
granted or withheld, he himself pronounces the sentence,
though only as the representative of God.
"Quamvis absolutio sacerdotis alieni beneficii sit dispensatio,
tamen non est solum nudum ministerium vel annuntiandi evangelium vel declarandi remissa esse peccata; sed ad instar actus
iudicialis, quo ab ipso vehit a indice sententia pronuntiatur."1
“So wondrous,” says Cardinal Gibbons, "is this faculty of
forgiving sins that, when our Saviour exercised this merciful
prerogative, the Scribes exclaimed : ‘Who can forgive sins but
God?' For hitherto this was an exercise of jurisdiction dele
gated by the Almighty neither to prophet, priest, nor angel.
Kingly authority affects only the outward acts of man. Sacer
dotal authority penetrates into the sanctuary of the soul. Earthly
judges punish crime, even though the criminal abhors his guilt;
it is the priestly privilege to pardon the repentant sinner. The
sentence of the earthly judge is restricted to the temporal life
3 "Non modo peccata emendari sed nitentem paulatim per gradus per
et virtutes induci atque augeri de fectionis ducere in semita iustorum,.
bent. Suis itaque admonitionibus
quae quasi lux splendens procedit
confessorius conetur accendere in
et crescit usque ad diem perfectum,
poenitente vivum proficiendi in vir demonstrando videlicet vias ad per
tute desiderium ardens quidem, ut
fectioncm obtinendam et non modo
nihil nui virtutem sapiat et forte, ut
communes sed etiam cuiusvis statui,
contra omnes difficultates animum
conditioni et viribus convenientes."
erigat, efficax quoque, ut virtutes
(Instr. Past. Eystett.)
operetur in omni loco, tempore et
i Cone. Trid., Sess, XIV, c. 6.
occasione constantes. Conetur poe-
THE CONFESSOR AS JUDGE
173
of man, that of the Lord’s anointed extends to the regions of
eternity.”
The exercise of this judical charge implies three dis
tinct acts: The confessor must take cognizance of the
sins committed ; he must judge of the disposition of the
penitent, and, according to that disposition, either ab
solve or withhold absolution; he must impose a penance
to satisfy for past offenses.
2. The nature of the sacred tribunal demands a sincere
and accurate confession of all those mortal sins which,
after a careful examination of conscience, a person can
recall to mind since his last confession. “Peccatorum
confessio, qualem Christus instituit, Ecclesiaeque suae
perpetuo retinendam tradidit, integra esse debet. Oportet
enim, ut omnia et singula mortalia peccata complectatur,
quorum post diligens examen sibi quisque conscius sit;
etiamsi occulta sint et ab hominum oculis remota; aut non
re et actu patrata, sed mente tantum et voluntate con
cepta.” 2 It is necessary in this self-accusation to tell
the single sins according to what is called “species in
fima.” Finally, the number must be added and all cir
cumstances which alter the ultimate species.
Manner of Questioning Penitents
The obligation to make a complete statement rests, first
of all, on the penitent himself. However, a good many
penitents, through ignorance or carelessness, fail to ac
cuse themselves in the manner prescribed. In such cases
it becomes the duty of the confessor, as minister sacra
menti, to supply the defect. He must question the peni
tent, to get a more accurate knowledge of the sins com
mitted.
2 Cone. Pl. Ball. II, n. 375.
THE SACRAMENTS
ï74
"Si poenitens numerum et species et circumstantias peccatorum
expheatu necessarias non expresserit, cum sacerdos prudenter interroget. Sed caveat, ne curiosis aut inutilibus interrogationibus
quemquam detineat, praesertim iuniores utriusque sexus vel alios
de eo, quod ignorant, imprudenter interrogans ne scandalum pati
antur indeque peccare discant." 3
It requires some dexterity to put the questions in the
proper form. Do not be too scrupulous; do not inquire
about circumstances of which the penitent, in committing
sin, hardly thought, or which, in his own examination
of conscience, he would never hit upon. In regard to
the number (many penitents never mention it) of habitual
sins, ask how often on an average, how often a day, a
week, a month, the sin was committed.
In materia turpi melius est deficere, quam ad obtinen
dam integritatem scandalum parere. Segneri justly says:
"Cupio magnopere te parcum gravemque esse interrogando circa
materiam luxuriae, ne tibi accidat, quod pictori, qui cum Hele
nam exquisita diligentia depingeret, eiusdem cupiditate exardes
cere coepit et accendi. Utere proinde verborum modestia, et quam
vis subinde circumstantia maneret tecta, quae alioquin ad inte·,
gritatem materialem spectaret, nihil interest.. .Aliud enim bo
num magis praevalet. Adeo foetet palus ista ut consultum non
sit vel a poenitente vel a confessorio, ubi opus non sit, moveri;
sufficit requirere speciem patrati sceleris, non vero modum: et
si ipsi vel ex irrevecundia vel ex ignorantia hunc vellent decla
rare, suaviter mone, necessarium non esse. Expediret hac in re
imitari philosophum illum, qui veritus, ne loquendo os conspurcaret, carbone descripsit." *
As a rule you should let the penitent speak first and
not interrupt him. Then commence to interrogate, but
do it in a kindly and discreet way.
4
8 Rituale Rom.
Segneri, Confessorius Instructus.
ABSOLUTION OF PENITENTS
175
It may be disputed whether the confessor should limit
his questions to the matter confessed, or should also
touch upon other things. We believe that a prudent con
fessor will soon discover "cuius spiritus sit poenitens."
If he has sufficient reason to suspect that not all has been
said, he may and ought to insert a question like this:
“People of your age, or in your circumstances, often com
mit such and such sins. Tell me, did you ever commit
this sin? Do not be afraid; I am ready to help you.”
Saintly confessors, such as St. Leonardo de Porto Mauritio, St. Philip Neri, et al., used to follow this practice,
and by it, in more than one case, obtained good results.
Old festering wounds may thus be reopened, and the
sins concealed in sacrilegious confessions be brought to
light. "Et dixit Dominus ad me” says the prophet
Ezechiel, "Fili hominis, fode parietem, et cum fodissem
parietem, apparuit ostium unum. Et dixit ad me: In
gredere et vide abominationes pessimas, quas isti faci
unt hic.” ·
Absolution of Penitents
3. After the sinner has furnished testimony against
himself by his own accusation, the confessor will decide
whether he is worthy of absolution or not. "Si enim
audita confessione indicaverit (jacert/oj] neque in enu
merandis peccatis diligentiam, neque in detestandis do
lorem poenitenti omnino defuisse, absolvi poterit; sin
autem utrumque in eo desiderari animadverterit, auctor
illi et suasor erit, ut maiorem curam in excutienda con
scientia adhibeat, hominemque, ut blandissime poterit,
tractatum dimittet.” e
In judging of the disposition of the penitent, always
6 Ezecb. VIII, 8.
β Cai. Rom., P. II, c. $p, 51.
t76
THE SACRAMENTS
follow the golden rule: "Quisquis praesumitur bonus,
donee probetur malus.” The very fact that the sins
have been duly specified, that the penitent apparently
feels a sincere contrition for them, and is earnestly re
solved to shun all mortal sins in future, is enough
to consider him as sufficiently disposed. "Si circum
stantiae non ingerunt dubium prudens, quod non sit suf
ficienter dispositus poenitens, non debet confessorius ilium
nec se ipsum turbare ob habendam evidentiam, quae pos
sibilis non est.”1
From those who are properly disposed, absolution can
not be justly withheld, except this refusal is necessary
as a remedy, nay, as the sole remedy for future amend
ment. We must consider as indisposed persons who,
filled with a mortal hatred against their neighbor, re
fuse to lay aside such morbid sentiments; those who
do not intend to restore ill-gotten goods or repair an in
jury caused through slander or evil talk, though it is
in their power to do so ; such as are living in a voluntary
proximate occasion of mortal sin, which they do not in
tend to quit; or who are members of forbidden secret so
cieties and refuse to give up membership; in a word,
all who are wanting in any grave duty or obligation.
Whenever you happen to meet with such penitents you
must not at once tell them that you cannot absolve them;
on the contrary, try by all means possible to change their
disposition.
"Sistunt se quidem multi Sacramenti Poenitentiae ministris
Prorsus imparati, sed persaepe tamen huiusmodi, ut ex impar
atis paratis fieri possint, si modo sacerdos viscera indutus miseri
cordiae Christi Jesu, qui non venit vocare iustos sed peccatores,
sciat studiose, patienter et mansuete cum ipsis agere. Quod si
7 St. Alphonsus, Theol. Mor., 1. VI, n. 461.
ABSOLUTION OF PENITENTS
177
praestare praetermittat, profecto non magis ipse dicendus est
paratus ad audiendum quam ceteri ad confitendum accedere."9
If all your efforts prove vain, you may and should
refuse absolution. A prudent and zealous confessor
will have recourse to this extreme measure but rarely.
In most cases he will succeed in changing the wolf
into a lamb. Whenever there is a real necessity
for withholding absolution, let it be done in a kind and
gentle manner. Arrange the matter so that the penitent
himself clearly sees that you are simply performing your
duty. Thus it may be hoped that, with God’s grace, he
will be brought to a better condition of mind sooner or
later. If the disposition of the penitent is doubtful,
weigh the circumstances and examine whether it will be
more beneficial to postpone absolution or to absolve con
ditionally. Usually nowadays, and in America especially,
you will have to do the latter, because there is great fear
lest those to whom absolution has been refused will never
return.
"Studeat igitur confessorius summam illam, qua Christus Do
minus noster peccatores complecti solebat, clementiam ac benigni
tatem, quantum licet, aemulari. Homines enim quantumvis
sceleribus cumulatissimos, ceterisque omnibus ob patrata crimina
invisos et contemptos, Ipse nunquam aspernabatur aut repellebat.
Quod de se Ipse testatur his verbis: 'Qui venit ad me non eiiciam
foras’ Neque timendum est sacerdoti, ne Pastoris optimi hac in
re exempla sectando muneri suo desit. Haec quidem dispensatio
non est severitatis ac rigoris, sed indulgentiae et misericordiae
Sacramentum. Et re quidem vera, qui Christi Domini in agendo
cum peccatoribus patientiam et charitatem imitandam sibi pro
posuerit, is non reprehensionem et poenam, sed laudem ac prae
mium ab Eo feret qui non ad bene habentes, sed ad aegros sa·
aEp. Encyc. Leonis XII, de Jubilaeo, i8aj.
t78
THE SACRAMENTS
nandos, in hunc mundum venit, quique 'Publicanorum ac peccato
rum amicus vocari dignatus est." °
It is a good practice in dealing with the majority of
penitents, especially with the common people, to excite
them to a true and deep contrition before absolu
tion. Do not merely tell them to make an act of con
trition, but propose to them diverse motives to dispose
their hearts and make them feel sorry for their sins.
Many approach the confessional without true contri
tion, or, at least, omit to make earnest and strong
resolutions in respect to the future. A brief admonition
by the confessor will supply this defect and secure the
validity and fruit of the Sacrament.
Imposition of Penance
4. Whenever the priest makes use of his power of
absolving, he is ordered to perform another act, which
also bears a judicial character, namely, imposing a pen
ance.
"Debent ergo sacerdotes Domini, quantum spiritus et pruden
tia suggesserit, pro qualitate criminum et poenitentium facultate,
salutares et convenientes satisfactiones iniungere; ne, si forte pec
catis connivcant, et indulgentius cum pocnitentibus agant, levissima
quidem opera pro gravissimis delictis iniungendo, alienorum pec
catorum participes efficiantur. Habeant autem prae oculis, ut sat
isfactio, quam imponunt, non sit tantum ad novae vitae custodi
am et infirmitatis medicamentum, sed etiam ad praeteritorum pec
catorum vindictam et castigationem; nam claves sacerdotibus non
ad solvendum dumtaxat, sed ad ligandum concessas etiam anti
qui Patres et credunt et docent.”™
Care should be taken, as far as possible, to have the
9 Cone. PI. Balt. JI, n. 281.
10 Cone. Trid., Sess. XIV, c. 8.
IMPOSITION OF PENANCE
179
penance arranged so that it may fulfill its double purpose
—to satisfy for past sins, and be a remedy against
future relapses. For mortal sins a grave penance should
be assigned, in proportion to the number and species.
Regard must be had to a person’s condition, age, sex,
and other circumstances. Do not be too strict. Never
give a penance which you know is accepted unwillingly,
or which requires extraordinary humiliation and exertion,
or which a person cannot fulfill without exposing himself
to ridicule and suspicion. As a rule, do not impose a
penance which will last too long, for example, whole
weeks, or even months ; such a penance is easily forgotten
or neglected.
5. The penitential works are reduced to three: prayer,
fasting, and alms-giving. Prayer comprises not only vocal
orations, but also meditation, reception of the Sacraments,
hearing Mass, visits made to the church for adoration,
benediction, etc. Being the easiest, it is also the most
common kind of penance confessors are wont to give.
“Universae satisfactionis modum cuUpae ratio temperabit.
Scd ex omnium satisfactionem genere maxime convenit
pocnitentibus praecipere, ut certis aliquot et definitis di
ebus orationi vacent ac pro omnibus et praesertim pro
iis, qui ex hac vita in Domino decesserunt, preces Deo
faciant.”11 Fasting denotes all kinds of mortification,
e. g., abstaining from meat and delicacies in eating, from
luxuries, avoiding of parties and social gatherings other
wise lawful, bearing of daily humiliations, etc. It is a
penance adapted especially to those who are given to
pride and lust.
Alms-giving means all works of charity, e. g., succor
ing the poor by money, food, clothing, converting sinners,
11 Cat. Rom.
τ8ο
THE SACRAMENTS
visiting and consoling the sick, etc. Persons who are
greatly absorbed by worldly matters, who cling too much
to their earthly possessions, who have sinned against
justice and the love due to their neighbor, may be highly
benefited by a penance of this kind. We would advise,
however, always to have a short prayer added to it, in
particular for the conversion of sinners and for the poor
souls in Purgatory.
Article III
CONFESSIONS OF PARTICULAR CLASSES OF PENITENTS
A—CONFESSIONS OF CHILDREN
I. In speaking of confessions of children we mean
the confessions of those little ones who have not yet
reached the age of puberty. The papal decree "Quam
singulari,” of 1910, says: “The age of discretion re
quired both for Confession and Communion is the time
when the child begins to reason, that is, about the seventh
year, more or less. From this time on the obligation of
fulfilling the precept of both Confession and Communion
begins.” Parents in this country sometimes believe that
their children need not go to confession until they have
reached the age of ten or so. This is a great error, which
must be corrected by proper instruction given by the
priest. First of all, children who have attained to the use
of reason are able to commit mortal sins. How shall
these sins be forgiven except through the Sacrament
of Penance? Again, there is an ecclesiastical precept
binding all who have reached the age of discretion, to
confess their sins at least once a year. Finally, we read
in the Second Council of Baltimore: "Omnibus ani
marum curam gerentibus in Domino iniungimus, ut saltern
CONFESSIONS OF CHILDREN
181
quater unoquoque anno et praesertim, si fieri possit, qua
tuor temporum feriis, pueros omnes spirituali ipsorum
regimini commissos, qui nondum SS. Eucharistiae parti
cipes facti sunt, in unum colligant, et per aliquot dies
doctrinam Christianam diligenter edoceant. Eos, qui ad
septennium pervenerint, ad confessionem accedere cu
rent." 1 Considering all this, we must say that it is a
grave abuse to deprive children of the grace of sacra
mental absolution, to let them wait for it until they are
twelve or fourteen years old. The conscience of both
parents and pastors is burdened with mortal guilt by
such culpable neglect. If the children attend a Catholic
school, there is no difficulty in having them go to con
fession. It is somewhat harder with those who attend
a public school, and who usually come to church for
instruction only on Sundays. Still, they also must be
given a chance. The only way for the priest will be to
appoint days on which a special course of preparation for
confession will be given, and days and hours for the
actual hearing of such confessions.
2. It is no small task to hear the confessions of chil
dren. Sometimes they are not fully aware of the malice
which their sins imply, or they confess sins which they
have not committed, simply because they find them men
tioned in the prayer book or catechism, or, finally, they
accuse themselves of sins of which, at the moment when
they were committed, their conscience was not aware
and which they learned to be sins only afterwards.
Again, it is often quite hard to make children feel
truly sorry for their faults, most of them being but
venial transgressions, or, if they have actually con
tracted a grievously bad habit, it may be difficult to dis
cover the full nature and extent of it, because the little
1 <7oa<
*.
Pl. Balt. 11, n. 44a.
i82
THE SACRAMENTS
penitent speaks in vague terms, and you shrink from
questioning him too closely, lest he be scandalized. Need
we wonder that, in consideration of all this, some priests
feel an excessive repugnance towards these confessions?
However, it is a burden which you must bear and which,
if borne properly, will not fail to obtain for you merits in
Heaven. Remember that these young souls are very ten
der and can be moulded in almost any way. Vice and
sin have not gained much ground in them, and hence can
be extirpated with greater ease and more quickly than
is the case with grown people, whose will has become
perverted.
Preparation for First Confession
3. In order to render children’s confessions fruitful,
the young penitents must be well instructed beforehand.
This instruction ought to be given by the priest himself,
not by lay teachers or Sisters. The children should be
made acquainted with the principal dogmas of the faith,
with the ten Commandments, the Commandments of the
Church, and the doctrine of the Sacrament of Penance.
They must know the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Father,
the Hail Mary, the acts of the three divine virtues, and
the prayers which they have to say at the beginning and
at the end of confession. They must be taught how to
examine their conscience, and sins which they are apt to
commit at their age must be explained, and their de
formity shown. Above all, their conscience must be so
aroused that they will make a good act of contrition.
Show them what contrition is, not only in abstract words,
but in a concrete form, e. g., by examples such as that
of the prodigal son or youthful saints like St. Aloy
sius, St. Stanislaus, and others. Let them understand
CONFESSIONS OF CHILDREN
183
why we should feel sorry for our sins; place before their
minds the various motives in full detail. They ought
to know by heart some adequate formula of contrition,
but remind them that the mere recital of this formula
is no sorrow; that sorrow and hatred of sin must have
been awakened before, so that the act of contrition con
tained in the standard formula is simply an expression
of what is felt in the heart.
A few other remarks may not be out of place here.
Tell the children that they should prepare themselves
for several days; that when in church, waiting for
confession, they should not talk, laugh, or make re
marks if any one stays too long in the confessional.
Forbid them to ask one another what the priest told
them, what penance he gave them, what he said on such
and such a point. Impress on their minds the idea that
the confessional is a sacred place; that whatever is spoken
there is strictly private, intended only for the penitent,
not for any outsider. Let them, above all, understand
the necessity of confessing sincerely and of never con
cealing a sin, of computing the number of sins in the
best way possible, of listening attentively to the admoni
tions of the priest and answering his questions promptly.
After confession they ought to remain a while (fifteen
minutes) in church for thanksgiving.
An instruction of this kind should always be given
to children before their first confession, and it may be
renewed afterwards at their second and third confes
sion. The work to be done by the priest in the confes
sional will thus be simplified and greatly facilitated.
Too many confessions are defective because people have
not learned how to confess in their youth.
4. In hearing a child’s confession, the priest must use
more than ordinary prudence and exhibit great patience
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THE SACRAMENTS
and charity. Most of these little penitents are shy and
bashful, especially the first time. Therefore exhort
them in the mildest way possible to go on, just as
they have been instructed, to say the “Confiteor,” and
then their sins, one after another, in the way they
have examined themselves. It may be disputed whether
it is advisable for children to write their sins. For our
part, we must say that we are not in favor of this prac
tice, except, perhaps, for the first time, or for the
general confession made before first Communion.
Do not interrupt the penitent if he tells his sins in
accurately, or omits the number and circumstances.
Questions should be asked later, when he has said all
he intended to say.
Almost every child must be questioned about sins
against the Sixth Commandment. If you have instructed
the children well on this matter in the catechism class,
those whose conscience is guilty will likely tell all that
burdens them, or at least make some allusion, so that you
can see at once whether impurity has found an entrance
into their hearts or not. Frequently, however, they re
main silent about it, partly through ignorance, shame,
or forgetfulness, or because they are pure and in
nocent. To get a clear insight and to come to a settled
conclusion, one or more questions ought to be asked,
but very prudently and indirectly. If they always say
no, and if the whole character, as it appears from the
other sins confessed, does not furnish positive grounds
for suspicion, you need not trouble yourself further.
If, however, the child says, “Yes, I have done this evil
thing, which I know to be a sin,” and if, upon further
investigation, you see that a bad habit has been contracted,
or that a proximate occasion exists, it becomes your duty
CONFESSIONS OF CHILDREN
185
to extirpate the poison by all possible means. Therefore,
suggest the proper remedies, not only those of a general
kind, but also special cures. Inquire into the internal
or external cause of the evil. At home, in school, on
the street, children often see and hear things which are
apt to corrupt their imagination and give rise to tempta
tions, or, perhaps, there is a person, such as a brother,
servant, school-mate, who tries to seduce them directly.
In this latter case, as a rule, the only remedy is to inform
parents, teachers or others who, by their authority, are
able to put a stop to the mischief. Therefore, command
the penitent to make such a report, or, if necessary, let him
speak to you, the pastor, outside of the confessional on
the matter, so that you may be able to use your influence
in that direction.
On the whole, try to impress upon the minds of the
little ones a holy fear of God’s presence. Not only im
purity, but also divers other faults and sins frequently
met with in children, may thus be suppressed and pre
vented from growing into bad habits. However, do not
exaggerate things. Do not say, for instance, “If you
lie, you will go to hell but simply say, “Lying is bad,”
and in the same way with cursing, stealing, disobedi
ence, etc.
5. A priest engaged in hearing the confessions of chil
dren ought to take special care to excite them to true
contrition. Even if you have instructed the young
pupils well on this point beforehand, do not be satisfied
with simply asking them : “Did you make an act of con
trition?” Perhaps it was done superficially without a
firm purpose of amendment. Therefore, go into particu
lars ; show them the special malice of the sins of which
they have accused themselves, such as impurity, diso
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THE SACRAMENTS
bedience, want of respect for parents, hatred, anger, etc. ;
lay before them the special motives for which they should
be sorry for these sins, and tell them why they should
avoid them in future. Thus their contrition will be
what it ought to be, a real change of heart.
The penance imposed should be as light as possible.
Of course, if mortal sins have been committed, it ought
to be in proportion, but never too hard. Do not tell
the children, for instance, to go to their parents and
ask pardon for the disrespect they have shown them,
because they will not do it. Let them recite a litany, a
few Paters and Aves, etc. Never give them a penance
which will last too long.
In regard to absolution we wish to say: If a child
has been guilty of a mortal sin, absolution must be given
every time and unconditionally. If only venial sins have
been committed, but of some importance (lies, thefts,
disrespect of parents), absolution should be imparted un
conditionally. If things which seem rather to be childish
faults than sins form the whole matter of confession
it will be well to absolve conditionally (si sis dispositus),
at least if the child appears to have contrition, and if
his character and age give you a right to presume that
perhaps mortal sins have occurred which have escaped
from memory. But if all signs tend to show that the child
does not yet know and realize what sin is, I would not
absolve at all, only give a short exhortation and penance
and dismiss the boy or girl with a blessing without tell
ing them that I did not absolve. When a priest hears
confessions in a strange place, and children of very tender
age come to him, he should ask whether they ever re
ceived any instruction or not ; if not, he ought to dismiss
them and send them to the pastor to be instructed.
CONFESSIONS OF WOMEN
187
B—CONFESSIONS OF WOMEN
1. Friendly intercourse between persons of different sex
is apt to stimulate sensuality and to cause temptations.
Neither the confessor nor the female penitent can lay
aside their nature and the instincts of flesh and blood.
We need not wonder, therefore, that the Tribunal of
Penance, though by divine institution a source of grace
and salvation, now and then through the malice and weak
ness of man becomes a snare and an occasion of sin. The
very fact that the penitent reveals the deepest secrets of
his heart, and that women are led mostly by their feelings,
is tempting; it lures forth from the breast of the priest a
sentiment of sympathy which, if not kept within reason
able bounds, almost imperceptibly passes into personal
attachment. Evidently, therefore, a priest, in hearing
the confessions of women, must arm himself with caution,
prudence, circumspection, and zeal.
"Non raro latet sub praetextu pietatis virus libidinis; experto
crede: expertus loquor: vidi cedros Libani turpiter corruisse, de
quorum sanctitate non inagis quam de Hieronymi virtute dubitas
sem.” 1
2. Always take the penitent for what she actually is,—
namely, a poor sinner, subject to faults and frailties.
Some priests prefer to hear the confessions of women, es
pecially the so-called “devotulae” rather than those of
men. It may be harder and more trying to listen to the
sins confessed by men and to undertake their spiritual
cure, but it is certainly more meritorious and productive
of greater fruit in the end. Virtue and piety are, as a
rule, more solid and lasting in men than in women.
1 St. Augustine.
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THE SACRAMENTS
Women often pretend to be pious, whilst in reality they
are deceiving themselves and their confessor.
"Quanta miseria est,” says St. Alphonsus, "cernere confessarios
qui multum tempus impendunt in audiendis devotis mulierculis,
pauperes autem viros et uxores, qui sunt aerumnis afflicti, audire
declinant. Hoc profecto non est audire confessiones pro Deo
sed pro genio suo. Quare nescio, quale meritum sperare possint
confessorii illi, qui tali modo suum ministerium exercent." 2
3. Avoid familiarity with female penitents. Suppress
at once any improper feeling which may creep into your
heart. Do not trust yourself too much in this regard.
The Devil knows what he is after; he does not lay his
snares openly, but secretly and from afar.
"Diabolus," says St. Alphonsus, "non ab initio emittit sagit
tas venenatas, sed illas tantummodo, quae aliquantulum feriunt
et augent affectum.’’3
Do not say to yourself that the affection you have is
purely spiritual. "Familiaritas spiritualis sensim atque
sensim degenerat in familiaritatem sensualem et
lasciviam”; or, as Shakespeare puts it : “Ah, the cunning
enemy, to snatch a saint, with saints does bait his hook.”4
Lest danger should arise from this source, a confessor,
when dealing with a female penitent, must avoid the things
which tend to foster personal predilection. Do not ad
dress the penitent in words that savor too much of ten
derness. "Patres sumus, non matres.” Whatever you
have to say should be short, grave, and to the point. Long
conversations with women, extensive discussions even of
spiritual subjects, both inside and outside the confes
sional, are wrong. Answers to questions proposed
should always be brief.
2 Praxis Confess., 120.
3 Ibid.
4 Measure for Measure.
CONFESSIONS OF WOMEN
189
"Sermo brevis et rigidus cum his mulieribus habendus est, nec
tamen quia sanctiores, ideo minus cavendae; quo enim sanctiores
sunt, eo magis alliciunt." 6
Never fix your eyes upon women when they approach
or leave the confessional, because it might give rise to
temptations. Do not address them by their proper names,
Mary, Annie, etc. ; never tell them anything which is apt
to (latter their vanity, especially if they are young and
gifted with beauty or talent.
4. If a female penitent should, directly or indirectly,
show that she is attached to her confessor, she must be
told, rudely and abruptly, never to come near him again,
but to seek another confessor, if that be possible. Es
pecially hysterical women and spinsters sometimes allow
themselves to be carried away by the feelings of admiration
which they have for their confessor. They become jeal
ous of other women and manifest this jealousy by word
and action. Always be on the lookout against such per
sons. They are apt to do a great deal of harm. They
are not ashamed sometimes to tell lies in the confes
sional or to put questions referring to imaginary dan
gers to their souls, simply to lure forth from the heart
of the priest, first sympathy and afterwards affection.
"Cavendum est ab illis puellis, quae ex curiositate malitiosa
cupiunt interrogari a confessoriis, ut addiscant ea, quae adhuc
ignorant; et in hunc finem semper affirmative respondent. Sunt
etiam adhuc aliae magis malitiosae, quae sive ex libidine sive,
ut postea in conversationibus rideant de confessorio, non solum ad
quasdam interrogationes affirmative respondent, sed etiam rubor
em fingunt et enixe petunt, ut interrogentur. Ab his scopulis in
terdum difficile est cavere, sed utile erit quod confessorii iuniores
sciant, quousque malitia feminea pertingere possit."e
B St. Augustine.
e Berardi, Praxis Conf., η. 1099.
I90
THE SACRAMENTS
5. The other extreme must also be avoided. Let not
your fear and caution degenerate into a hatred of women,
as if they were all full of perversity. No, there is
certainly truth in the term adopted by the Church : "De
votus femineus sexus.” The great bulk of Catholic
women are virtuous, and many are really pious, or at least
endeavor to be so. The confessor should be to them a
spiritual father and lead them on the right path. But too
frequently women are satisfied with the mere appearance of
piety. Try to disabuse them of this false notion.
Teach them that piety does not mean to pray, to receive the
Sacraments, to belong to half a dozen societies, but con
sists in the love of God and of our neighbor, in charity,
justice, obedience, meekness, humility, etc. ; in the conquer
ing of our passions, in the bearing of our crosses, in com
bating the enemies of our salvation. "Fallax gratia el
vana est pulchritudo, mulier timens Dominum, ipsa ’lau
dabitur”1 All should endeavor to fulfill the duties of
their state and give a good example to the members of
their household. The wholesome influence exercised by
them in their home circle will not fail to bear fruit in due
season.
C—CONFESSIONS OF NUNS
1. Nuns are persons of the female sex who have em
braced the religious state. In order to devote themselves
exclusively to the service of God they have bound them
selves by the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedi
ence. They have left their homes, their families, their
kindred, and by thus voluntarily cutting off the ties of
flesh and blood, have made sacrifices of which only a truly
Christian soul is capable.
CONFESSIONS OF NUNS
191
No matter what individual nuns may be as to character,
virtue, learning, etc., they deserve esteem and respect on
account of their profession and the state to which
they belong. No priest should overlook this and speak of
nuns simply as troublesome creatures. Personally they
may sometimes cause annoyance, but this is per accidens.
On the whole, they arc entitled to the consideration which
their calling requires. The great progress of Catholic mis
sions made in all parts of the world within the last cen
tury, next to the Apostolic labors of the clergy, is attribu
table largely to the untiring efforts made by religious com
munities of women. With extraordinary zeal and a truly
sacrificing spirit these sisterhoods have devoted themselves
to the education of youth, the care of the sick, and other
works of charity. In the United States also they have
contributed their share towards making the Church flour
ish and grow. To this fact the Fathers of the Second
Plenary Council of Baltimore bear testimony in the fol
lowing words :
"Sanctimonialium sive feminarum religiosarum huius regionis
praeclara in Christianam Rempublicam merita spectantes, nori
possumus quin agamus Omnipotenti Deo gratias; qui harum
tam utilium congregationum tantum numerum, tantamque varie
tatem in Ecclesiae subsidium excitaverit. . . Hisce quippe Congre
gationibus acceptum referimus, quod tot puellarum innocentiae
servandae habeamus parata tutaque domicilia; his debet America
nostra institutionem numerosae iuventutis tum in literis tum inChristianis moribus, atque adeo diffundendae Catholicae fidei
efficax adiumentum. . . . Quis enim, etiam acatholicus. Sororum
nostrarum in nosocomiis inexhaustam patientiam, parem in omnes
beneficentiam, singularem ubique modestiam potuit non admirari;
aut tantarum virtutum effectricem causam aliam cogitare, quant
divini Spiritus adiutorium illud, quo etiam inimicus homo coga
tur fateri: Digitus Dei est hic."1
1
Cone. PI. Balt. II, n. 415.
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THE SACRAMENTS
Every priest who in his pastoral work has to deal
with Sisters, should accept the helping hand they offer
and be ready on his part to make the sacrifices which are
necessary for the spiritual welfare of these spouses of
Christ.
Special Faculty for Confessing Nuns
2. The canons of the Church ordain that no priest should
hear the confessions of nuns unless he be specially au
thorized to do so. Formerly the law requiring a special
faculty like that was limited to nuns who had made sol
emn vows. Now no discrimination is made, hut all reli
gious of the female sex, whether they have solemn or
simple vows, including even the novices, fall under said
law. The new Code says :
§ i. Revocata qualibet contraria particulari lege seu privilegio,
sacerdotes tum saeculares tum religiosi, cuiusvis gradus aut offi
cii, ad confessiones quarumcunque religiosarum ac novitiarum va
lide et licite recipiendas peculari iurisdictione indigent, salvo
praescripto can. 239, § 1, n. 1, 522; 523.
§2. Hanc iurisdictionem confert loci Ordinarius, ubi religio
sarum domus sita est, ad normam can. 525. (can. 876).
The exception mentioned in the first paragraph with ref
erence to can. 239, concerns only Cardinals. These by
virtue of their dignity or position are eo ipso entitled to
hear the confessions of religious of either sex in any
part of the world. The other exceptions given in canons
522 and 523 deal with extraordinary cases like these:
Rights of Nuns Regarding Confession
A religious may, for the sake of appeasing her con
science, go to any church or oratory, public or semi
public, and confess to any priest authorized to hear tH
CONFESSIONS OF NUNS
193
confessions of women. Again, a nun who is seriously
ill, even if her sickness is not fatal, has the right to call
for any priest who has the ordinary faculties of the dio
cese, and confess to him during such sickness. In neither
case should the superioress put any obstacle in the way
to such action on the part of the Sister or ask for the
reason or motive. The canons granting the aforesaid
right to Sisters read thus :
Si, non obstante praescripto can. 520, 521, aliqua religiosa, ad
suae conscientiae tranquillitatem, confessorium adeat ab Ordi
nario loci pro mulieribus approbatum, confessio in qualibet ec
clesia vel oratorio etiam semi-publico peracta, valida et licita est,
revocato quolibet contrario privilegio; neque Antistita id prohi
bere potest aut de ea re inquirere, ne indirecte quidem; et
religiosae nihil Antistitae referre tenentur, (can. 522).
Religiosae omnes, cum graviter aegrotant, licet mortis per.
iculum absit, quemlibet sacerdotem ad mulierum confessiones ex
cipiendas approbatum, etsi non destinatum religiosis, arcessere
possunt cique, perdurante gravi infirmitate, quoties voluerint, con
fiteri, nec Antistita potest eas sive directe sive indirecte prohi
bere. (can. 523).
The privileges granted to Sisters in these canons are
"privilegia favorabilia" and should therefore not be inter
preted in too strict a sense, as if a nun were allowed to
make use of them but rarely. On the contrary, whenever a
nun happens to be outside her convent, for a longer or
shorter time, let us say, on an errand, she may enter a
church or semi-public oratory and confess to any priest
empowered to hear the confessions of women.
At the same time, however, in order that nuns may have
all facilities regarding the Sacrament of Penance and
that order and discipline be kept up within the convent
in which they have their permanent home, the law pre
scribes that an ordinary as well as an extraordinary confes
sor be appointed for them. This rule is not new but
194
THE SACRAMENTS
has been defined more accurately by the Code. The
canons referring thereto are these :
§ i. Singulis religiosarum domibus unus dumtaxat detur con
fessorius ordinarius, qui sacramentales confessiones universae
communitatis excipiat, nisi propter magnum ipsarum numerum
vel aliam iustam causam sit opus altero vel pluribus.
§2. Λ’ qua religiosa, ad animi sui quietem, et ad maiorem in
via Dei progressum, aliquem specialem confessorium vel mod
eratorem spiritualem postulet, cum facile Ordinarius concedat;
qui tamen invigilet ne ex hac concessione abusus irrepant; quod ii
irrepserint, eos caute et prudenter eliminet, salva conscientiae
libertate, (can. 520).
§ i. Unicuique religiosarum communitati detur confessorius
extraordinarius qui quater saltem in anno ed domum religiosam
accedat et cui omnes religiosae se sistere debent, saltem bene
dictionem recepturae.
§2. Ordinarii locorum, in quibus religiosarum communitates
exsistunt, aliquot sacerdotes pro singulis domibus designent, ad
quos pro sacramento poenitentiae in casibus particularibus recur
rere eae facile possint, quin necessarium sit ipsum Ordinarium
toties quoties adire.
§ 3. Si qua religiosa aliquem ex iis confessoriis expetat, nulli
Antistitae liceat nec per se nec per alios, neque directe neque
indirecte, petitionis rationem inquirere, petitioni verbis aut factis
refragari, aut quavis ratione ostendere se id aegre ferre, (can.
521).
Usually nuns are expected to go to confession to their
regular confessor, ordinary or extraordinary. When the
extraordinary confessor is present to attend to his ministry,
the ordinary confessor ought to stay away from the church
or chapel, and vice versa. If a Sister does not wish to
confess to the extraordinary confessor, she need not do
so, yet, for the sake of order, she must present herself
to him to receive at least his benediction and, if need be,
some advice regarding her spiritual life. If the commun-
CONFESSIONS OF NUNS
195
ity is very large, several ordinaries as well as extraordina
ries may be appointed.
The Code makes another allowance. A Sister may, in
order to quiet her conscience or to have a better direc
tion in spiritual matters, demand a special confessor or
guide. The Ordinary to whom a request like this is
made should accede to the wish, provided no great incon
venience for the convent or danger of abuse is likely to
result therefrom.
3. The priest who is appointed to hear the confessions of
Sisters should be a man of experience and well versed
in ascetic theology.
“Sacrarum virginum confessionibus excipiendis eos tantum
Episcopi praeficiant, qui qua par est morum gravitate, prudentia,
doctrina et asceticae artis intelligentia praediti reperiantur.”2
No one can lead others to perfection unless
he strives after perfection himself. Ignorance and
imprudence on the part of a confessor may do immense
harm, not only to individual nuns, but to the whole com
munity. The confessor ought to foster in the penitent
those virtues which her very profession, the religious
state voluntarily chosen by her, demands; above all, hu
mility, obedience, charity, patience. Obedience with reli
gious must not be limited to strict commands or to mat
ters of importance; it ought to extend to everything, to
the very minutest points and rules. It must be an obe
dience not limited to exterior behavior, but an obedience
which comes from the heart: all mandates of the superi
oress should be executed with cheerfulness of mind and
exactly as commanded. Charity and patience must be
practiced, especially in conversation and in dealing with
the members of the community. Tell them to avoid all
predilection and special friendships, because these beget
2
Cone. PI. Balt. II, n. 4:7.
196
THE SACRAMENTS
jealousy. Do not listen to complaints made against the
local superioress. It is true, the latter may sometimes fail
in her duty, and if so, the confessor must admonish her,
but it should be done in a way to avoid the suspicion that
he was asked to do so by the Sisters, otherwise he is apt
to pour oil into the fire. Let those who have grievances
against the local head report to the general superioress or
director, if there be one, that they may correct any abuse
of authority. The confessor ought not to meddle in the
temporal matters of the community, least of all should he
intrude himself, by means of the confessional, into the
election of the superioress ; he must leave this to the con
science of each penitent. The Code says (can. 524, § § 1
and 3) :
In munus confessorii religiosarum et ordinarii et extraordi
narii deputentur sacerdotes, sive e clero saeculari, sive religiosi
de Superiorum licentia, morum integritate ac prudentia prae
stantes; sint insuper annos nati quadraginta, nisi iusta causa, in
dicio Ordinarii, aliud exigat, nullam potestatem in easdem re
ligiosas in foro externo habentes.
Confessorii religiosarum tum ordinarii tum extraordinarii in
terno vel externo communitatis regimini nullo modo sese immis
ceant.
The ordinary confessor’s term is three years. How
ever, for good and just reasons, specified by law, he may
be appointed for a second and even a third term in suc
cession. When nine years have expired the bishop can
not prolong the term before that confessor has intermitted
his service at least for one year, after which period he
may be appointed again.
Religiosarum confessorius ordinarius suum munus ne exerceat
ultra triennium; Ordinarius tamen eum ad secundum, imo etiam
ad tertium triennium confirmare potest, si vel ob sacerdotum ad
CONFESSIONS OF NUNS
197
hoc officium idoneorum penuriam aliter providere nequeat, vel
maior religiosarum pars, earum quoque quae in aliti negotiis tuj
non habent ferendi suffragium, in eiusdem confessorii confirma
tionem, per secreta suffragia, convenerit; dissentientibus tamen,
si velint, aliter providendum est. (can. 526).
4. Bear in mind that nuns are women. The religious
garb which they wear does not divest them of their female
nature. Hence, what we have said about women in general,
also holds good with regard to nuns. With them, too, you
must be on your guard against familiarity, especially when
they are young. It is improper for the confessor to have
amongst the Sisters so-called pets, and to foster a sort
of affection by detaining them longer in the confessional, by
giving them lengthy and unnecessary instructions, by ex
changing presents with them, etc. Such conduct is apt to
create jealousy, gossip, dissension, and scandal, and to
disturb the peace and harmony so essential to the reli
gious life.
Outside of the confessional the priest should be friendly
with all the Sisters, but intimate with none. Do not
visit them too often or allow them to come to your house
frequently. Whenever you call on them, observe sobriety
in speech and action. It is highly improper for a priest
to be with the Sisters during their recreation hours, to
play with them, to pass vulgar jokes in their presence,
or to take music lessons from them. Do not sit alone in
the parlor with any Sister, whether she be the superioress
or another; always have witnesses present. Do not talk
to the nuns about matters concerning the spiritual or tem
poral government of the parish, as if they were your consuitors. Matters which regard the school may and must
be discussed with the Sisters employed as teachers, but
do not allow them to overstep the limits. Insist upon
strict obedience in the management of school affairs, like
198
THE SACRAMENTS
wise as to the keeping of the sacristy, singing in the choir,
and all things in which you make use of the Sisters’
services. Uphold your own authority in whatever comes
under your pastoral care and rule.
On the other hand, do not infringe on the rights of
the Sisters. They have their own regulations, and a
local rector cannot dispense from them arbitrarily.
Their hours of recreation, for instance, are limited,
and as soon as they are over, silence must be observed.
A priest should not attempt, therefore, to stay and en
gage the Sisters in unnecessary talk. Again, the number
of their holy Communions is fixed by their constitutions.
Do not make any changes in this regard. Try to find out
the regulations under which these nuns live and see to
it that they observe them conscientiously.
5. A confessor of nuns must endeavor to gain the
confidence of his penitents. Paternal solicitude and true
supernatural love of souls should, in a high degree, animate
him who is the spiritual director of these spouses of
Christ. Let him avoid all partiality ; let him be prudent
and gentle. Severity will give rise to fear, and fear will
deter the penitent from opening her conscience with can
dor and simplicity. Do not require too much. Nuns
are not saints, but feeble creatures, subject to human
faults, and likely to commit even mortal sins. If one,
perchance, should accuse herself of a mortal sin, you must
not be struck with horror, resort to sharp rebukes, or
give her a dreadful scolding. It may lead to the worst
results and be the cause of a long train of sacrilegious
confessions and communions. These poor nuns often
have no opportunity to open their hearts to another priest
besides their ordinary and extraordinary confessor.
Hence, treat them always with the utmost kindness, lest
they lose confidence in you.
CONFESSIONS OF NUNS
199
The Decree “Quemadmodum”
6. In the course of ages abuses had crept into religious
communities concerning the power of the superioress in
regulating the consciences of her subjects. To remedy
this evil, His Holiness, Pope Leo XIII, through the Congrcg. Episc. et Reg., issued a special rescript ("Quemad
modum," Dec. 14, 1890), which prescribes:
(a) All provisions made in the constitutions and rules of reli
gious orders or societies, by which an account of conscience or
public manifestation of the inner heart is enjoined upon the
subjects outside of sacramental confession, and the power to
demand this account is given to the superioress, are null and
void, and the superiors are ordered to expunge such provision
from the constitutions, manuals, and rule books.
(!>) No superioress henceforth is allowed to employ any means
in the shape of counsel, fear, threat, etc., to induce subjects to
make such a manifestation of conscience. Subjects to whom the
thing is hinted, or on whom it is imposed, are commanded to
report such action either to the general superioress or to the
Propaganda.
(c) This does not prohibit members from opening their hearts
of their own accord with full freedom to their superioress in
doubts and anxieties of conscience.8
(d) The superioress is bound to send for an extraordinary
confessor if only one nun asks for it, without inquiring into the
reason for such request or without showing any sign of displeas
ure.
(c) To grant holy Communion or to prevent from receiving it
is the exclusive right of the ordinary or extraordinary confessor.
Only if a member has committed an external fault of a serious
nature, or has given public scandal to the community, may the
superioress keep her away from holy Communion until she
has gone to confession.
(/) Whenever a nun has obtained the privilege to receive holy
Communion on a day not set apart for the whole community,
she must inform the superioress, who, if she has reason to ob3
See the Code (can. 530).
200
THE SACRAMENTS
ject, may speak to the confessor, but the latter’s decision must be
abided by.
(p) Copies of this papal document in the vernacula’· must be
inserted in each constitution and be read once a year to the
whole community.
7. Persons who have embraced the religious state should
love solitude and retirement. Their dealings with the
outside world ought to be regulated by prudence and
charity, and extend no further than necessity requires.
Pastors and confessors should attend to this point
and report all abuses to the proper authorities. It is cer
tainly wrong to have Sisters, either singly or in pairs, go
on collection tours for days, nay weeks, in places distant
from their own convents or other religious houses.
"Demum, quum omnino deceat ut Moniales, sint vel non sitit
claustratae in conventibus suis, quantum fieri possit, permane
ant, atque in sancta solitudine spiritualibus exercitiis et operibus
pietatis et caritatis secundum earum institutum sese devoveant,
prorsus reprobamus morem illum, seu verius abusum, qui nuper
invectus est, iuxta quem nonnullae ex istis piis feminis huc illuc
circumcursant, et saepe ad loca ab carum monasteriis remota
divertunt, causa pecuniae colligendae pro novis domibus fundan
dis, vel ab acre alieno iis quae iam sunt fundatae liberandis.” *
Sisters coming from a strange place and diocese, who
go around begging, are required to show their papers to
the local pastor. Besides the credentials of their own
superiors, they must have a permit from the Ordinary in
whose diocese they intend to collect.6 Furthermore, cer
tain precautions must be observed. “Ordinarios hortamur
ut id non permittant, sine necessariis et prudentibus prae
cautionibus, uti sunt praesertim, ne unquam solae nec
iuniores nec post solis occasum eleemosynas colligere per4
Cone. Pl. Bait. 11, n. 422.
S Cfr. Cone. Pl. Balt. Ill, α. 9$.
CONFESSIONS OF PRIESTS
201
mittantur et ita ut ubi fieri potest in domo sororum suae
vel alterius congregationis pernoctent.” ·
Do not allow your school Sisters to do things which
are not in conformity with their calling and which
are likely to lead to dissipation and distraction. Prevent
them from going about the parish under the pretext of
looking after their pupils. Do not permit them to receive
too many lay visitors or to talk and chat too much with
seculars in and around their house and yard. Should a
Sister in confession accuse herself of great dissipation of
mind, caused by excessive contact with the world, com
mand her to put a stop to it by all means, because other
wise she will be in danger of losing her vocation.
D—CONFESSIONS OF PRIESTS AND CLERICS
I. There is a saying: "Sicut rex, ita grex.” If the
Shepherd goes wrong, the sheep are apt to be misled.
The priestly character as such does not render a man
perfect. Unless the priest makes it a practice to employ
the ordinary means of salvation properly and assidu
ously, he will come to a fall. The sacred tribunal of pen
ance is one of these means. Obviously, therefore, an
important task is waiting for the priest, when one of his
clerical brethren approaches him as a penitent, confesses
to him his sins and seeks direction regarding his soul.
Not only the older members of the clergy are en
trusted with this task, but also to the younger, inex
perienced or newly ordained priest it may fall to hear the
confession of one of his confrères. How must he act to
be faithful to his charge? Here are a few practical
hints.
(a) No man can be his own leader. A priest also
β Ibid.
202
THE SACRAMENTS
stands in need of guidance by another. Hence the con
fessor should not content himself with simply listening to
the sins of the clerical penitent, but add a few words of
advice and encouragement. Christ looked upon Peter
after his fall; there was a deep meaning in that look,
for Peter went away and wept bitterly. Later on, when
the risen Saviour met Peter at Lake Tiberias, he asked
him three times: "Peter, dost thou love me?” Peter
felt the sting of this threefold question, and with tears in
his eyes confessed that he loved his Master. Hereby we
are given to understand how one short sentence spoken
with zeal and unction is apt to have a wonderful effect.
(b) Priests in their confessions often use general ex
pressions, vis.: that they were lukewarm in their prayers
and devotional exercises, in the celebration of Mass, etc. ;
that they did not attend to their pastoral duties properly,
and so forth. As long as these failings seem to be ordi
nary shortcomings, such as any man is apt to be guilty
of, now and then, the confessor need not feel alarmed.
But if they are the consequences of habitual carelessness,
idleness, and love of worldly things, the penitent should
be seriously warned of the danger which threatens him.
A commonplace talk will be of no avail. Practical and
specific means should be suggested to prevent a further
growth of the evil.
(c) The penance should be shaped so as to be not only
expiatory for past faults, but also a corrective measure
against future relapses. Mental prayer, visits to the
Blessed Sacrament, spiritual reading may prove to be ef
fective in this regard.
(d) A worthy confessor will not yield to human re
spect. Let the penitent be priest or layman, the same prin
ciples of morality must be applied. Consequently, if one
is not fit to be absolved, if his relapses have been constant
CONFESSIONS OF PRIESTS
203
and frequent, if he has made no attempt to avoid a
voluntary and proximate occasion despite a promise to
do so, if the same levity, the same dissipation, the same
gross violation of divine or ecclesiastical commandments
continue, absolution must be withheld, unless there be
some extraordinary sign of sincere contrition which
guarantees an effective change for the better. Perhaps
the priestly penitent will say: “I am in a terrible plight;
I cannot leave the people without Mass ; I must adminis
ter the Sacraments to them.” The confessor ought to tell
him what Millet in his book, Jesus Living in the Priest,
suggests: “Your condition is indeed very sad and very
deplorable. Would that I could extricate you from it by
the shedding of my own blood. Go, throw yourself at the
foot of the crucifix, shut yourself up in your room and
there meditate seriously on the many outrages which you
have committed against the divine majesty; excite in
yourself a living, a heartfelt, a perfect contrition, and
then do what your conscience directs.” “Yes (the peni
tent, perhaps, will reply), I am ready to do whatever is
necessary ; never have I felt as I do now the frightful con
dition I am in ; I want to escape from it, cost what it
may. I have long tried the patience of God, but now
I have decided and I am determined ; now, that I have
entered into myself I will set everything to rights. I will
sever all relations with persons who have been my partners
in sin ; I will burn that book which has poisoned my soul ;
I will take up a new rule and enter upon a new life;
each day I will set apart a certain fixed time for medita
tion, for study, for examination of conscience, and for
spiritual reading.” Upon words like these, spoken with
sincere sorrow, the confessor may proceed to absolve.
(e) Some priests, it appears, labor under hallucinations
with regard to the duties of their state. They preach
204
THE SACRAMENTS
but rarely, they take no pains to establish a parochial
school, though with a little effort they could have one,
they do not instruct their children, they absent themselves
frequently from their parish, they spend a great deal of
their time in pleasure, they are constantly seen at theaters,
baseball games, races, and such like public sports, they
scandalize the people by intemperance and other excesses,
they entertain and avowedly proclaim the most liberal
views regarding Catholic doctrine, in a word, they lead a
life unworthy of their sacred calling, though at the same
time they may have some good natural qualities that
make them popular. They are gentle, sociable, brilliant,
witty. Who can bring such unfortunate men back from
their lassitude and spiritual sloth, except the confessor?
Upon him, therefore, devolves the duty to instruct his
fellow priest and to tell him emphatically: Non licet.
We have reason to fear that the confessors of priests
often are too condescending and connive where they should
be resolute and firm. Let them bear in mind the words
of Holy Writ: “If the blind lead the blind, both fall into
the pit.” 1
Bishop Moriarity says with reference to intemperance occa
sionally met with in priests : “I have come to the conclusion,
which is impressed upon me with strong conviction, that the pre
vention and correction of this habit must be effected by the
private charity of individuals. A bishop is powerless in this
matter. It generally falls to his lot to punish when the evil is
incurable. Priests only can apply an effectual remedy. The
wretched habit steals imperceptibly, sometimes on the inexperi
ence of youth, sometimes on the imbecility of age. The correc
tion of this habit, when it begins to take root, requires the con
stant watchfulness of a friend and monitor. That is what you
[the fellow priests] can give and what the bishop cannot.” 2
i Mitth. XV, i*
.
2 Allocutioni and PaUorali.
CONFESSIONS OF PRIESTS
205
The confessor is bound more than any other person to
sound the warning. Let him, therefore, attend to his
duty and rest assured that by saving a priest from ruin
he is doing a great work, for his salvation entails that of
hundreds of others. Many a priest who came forth
from the seminary with a good record and the highest
promise, soon failed because he happened to fall into the
hands of a lax and lazy confessor. His fervor decreased
from day to day, his heart grew cold, his conscience became
callous, and now he is on the downward slope that leads
to destruction.
“A priest's confessor must observe whether his penitent ful
fils the grave duties of his state, not holding it unnecessary,
but rather a duty, to make him give an accurate account of his
life. Whatever be the age, the merit, or the dignity of the
priest who kneels at your feet and confides his conscience to
you, remember that he calls you Father, and thus gives you the
right to warn, question, and reprove him. To think that he
expects courtesies and compliments from you would be to offend
him. Assuredly, one must proceed with prudence and even with
reverence, especially towards the aged, the learned and the pious,
but it ever remains true that the parts cannot be reversed, and
the confessor is always a confessor, even when he hears a priest ;
and the latter when confessing is a mere penitent."3
2. This is a good place to make some brief observa
tions about the confessions of clerics, ». e., young levites
or seminarians preparing for the priesthood.
Confessions of Clerics
(a) No young man ought to be admitted to the eccle
siastical state who is entangled in the vice of impurity.
A trial, of course, may be given him. But if, notwith8 Guerra, The Confessor after the Heart of Jesue.
2o6
THE SACRAMENTS
standing the means suggested, no guarantee exists that the
candidate will remain firm and faithfully keep the vow
of chastity, the confessor must forbid him to proceed and
tell him in plain words that he has no vocation. A deepseated habit can not be eliminated in a short time. One
may not have yielded to lustful motions for several weeks
or months ; but the evil continues and will crop out again
when an occasion is met with. The probation should
last a year, or even longer, according to circumstances.
(b) He who was accustomed to sin outside the semi
nary, when in contact with the world, cannot be admitted
upon a probation that is limited to a life of seclusion. He
ought to show, first, whether he will keep aloof from sin
when he is exposed to temptations in the world, vis.:
during vacation.
"Clericum, qui sacris proximus ordinibus in impudicitias re
tabitur, non satis emendari sentio; immo de eo dubitarem, an
bonus futurus sit saecularis; quomodo igitur bonus erit Cleri
cus, Sacerdos, Parochus? Utinam confessorius pie severus illi
aperte ac fortiter diceret: Non licet tibi. Sed proh dolor!
Clerici huiusmodi quaerunt et tandem nanciscuntur confessorios
tantae rei ignaros, vel loquentes sibi placentia, qui ad sacros ip
sos ordines admittunt sub spe futurae emendationis; at nonne
dixerim cum certitudine peioris depravationis? Ita est, in Do
mino fratres, luctuosissima experientia teste. Ideo seminariorum
directores ac confessorii omnes enixe a Deo petere debent auxili
um, quo in re tanti momenti recte iudicent: item fortitudinem, qua
indignos perseveranter repellant, eos in antecessum monentes, ut
sibi opportune ac tempestive provideant, ne Ordinationum tem
pore adventante, taliter indigni in quondam desperationem coniiciantur, cum ex una parte nullimode possint accedere ac alia nec re
cedere sciant, dicteria hominum suspicionemque nimium timentes.
Ne confessorii credant verbis, quae transeunt; sed inquirant facta,
quae permanent: en peritorum consilium. Credant ergo exper
tis, et falsa eos pietas non decipiat cum tanto fidelium scandalo
atque catholicae Ecclesiae damno.”4
♦ Scavini, Thtol. Mor., tract. Ill,disp. I, cap. II, a. a.
CONFESSIONS OF SEMINARIANS
207
(c) The vice of impurity is not the sole obstacle to or
dination; other vicious habits, such as intemperance,
pride, sloth, also stand in the way. Means, of course,
should be used to assist the candidate in uprooting the
evil; but if he fails to curb his sinful inclinations, the
confessor will be obliged to keep him back from a state
with the duties of which he cannot comply, "luvenes
ebriosi, superbi, elati, iracundi, susurrones, qui divisiones
excitant, qui disciplinam oderunt, qui nulli parcunt, leves,
rebus externis dediti, raro bene recollecti, circa pietatem
indifferentes, in studiis négligentes, scientias ecclesiasticas
fastidientes, libros profanos magis amantes, saepe moniti
et non emendati, nunquam sancti erunt sacerdotes: ab
Ordinibus perpetuo maneant exclusi.” 5
(d) Note that “negative goodness, that is, flight from
sin, is not enough for the cleric; positive goodness is
necessary. Therefore the confessor must watch over
him and impress upon him the duty of striving to attain
sanctity, especially inculcating humility, obedience, meek
ness, piety, and the spirit of sacrifice, in a word, all
the virtues which must mould a worthy minister of
God.” ·
Not only those who act as spiritual guides in semi
naries and colleges, but also the priests whom the candi
date for the ministry may select as confessors, should
realize the great responsibility they carry by taking
charge of young men aspiring to the priesthood. We
have reason to fear that the weight of this responsibility
is not always properly estimated, else how shall we ac
count for the scandals given by priests shortly after their
ordination ?
B Scavini, 1. C.
β Guerra, The Confessor after the
Heart of Jesue, p. 138.
208
THE SACRAMENTS
E—CONFESSIONS OF PIOUS PENITENTS
I. The sacred tribunal of Penance, though originally
and primarily intended as a means of reconciliation, as a
way to regain the state of grace lost through mortal
sin, may also be made an instrument of higher perfec
tion. This is the reason why not only penitents whose
conscience are loaded with grievous sin, and who are
spiritually dead, present themselves in the confessional,
but also those who, on the battlefield of the soul, in the
great struggle between virtue and vice, have received but
slight wounds. The words of God’s minister pronounced
in absolution heals these small defects and trifling sores
no less than the large, deadly gashes caused by mortal
sin. Pious persons, wishing to keep aloof as much as
possible from the malice and corruption inherent in
human nature, should be encouraged to come to con
fession frequently, vis. : at least once a week.1 It becomes
a duty of the confessor, when he meets with this sort
of penitents, to do his best towards directing them, be
cause they need a guide, lest, being left to themselves,
their soul strike rocks and shoals, where it will sink and
perish. “Ecce te constitui super gentes tit evellas et
dissipes, ut aedifices et plantes." These words of God,
spoken to the prophet Jeremias, may be applied to every
priest whom a devout soul has chosen as his spiritual
father and director.
"Acceptior est Dei oculis anima sola perfecta quam mille im
perfectae. Unde quum videt confessorius pocnitentem vivere immunem a culpis mortalibus, omnem curam adhibere debet, ut eum
1 "Personis
devotioni
debitis,
quae frequenter accedant ad commu
nionem, ordinarie loquendo tnjinti·
andum, ut saltem in qualibet heb
domada sacramentalem absolutio
nem suscipiant." St. Alphonsus,
Praxis Confess., c. VII, n. 99.
CONFESSIONS OF PIOUS PENITENTS
209
in viam perfectionis et divini amoris introducat, illi repraesen
tando meritum, quod habet Deus, ut ametur et gratitudinem, quam
debemus Jcsu Christo, qui nos amavit usque ad moriendum pro
nobis, necnon periculum, in quo versantur omnes animae, quae
vocatae ad vitam perfectiorem illi resistunt."2
2. It is important to form a correct judgment from
the very beginning. Do not be deceived! Not all who
pretend to be pious are actually so. Piety does not con
sist in external works only, but principally in that interior
disposition of the soul, by which a man is willing to
serve God with his whole heart and to make a perfect
oblation of himself to his Lord and Creator. The first
thing required is a horror of mortal sin so great that one
shudders at the very thought of it. To avoid mortal sin,
a really devout soul will guard against venial offenses, at
least against such as are committed with full deliberation.
"Itaque venialia quae crebro acciderunt haud facile transmitti
debent, cum iuxta Augustini sententiam nihil intersit ad nau
fragium utrum uno grandi /luctu navis obruatur an paulatim ct
per guttas instillans aqua in sentinam et per negligentiam relicta
navem tandem impleat et submergat. Sic ad animae periculum
nihil refert utrum uno grandi peccato, an levioribus multis ani
ma sauciata moriatur." 3
However, avoiding sin is but a negative feature; it
merely removes the obstacle in the way of perfection.
Perfection itself goes farther. The confessor ought not to
think that he has done his duty by making his penitent
shun sin; he must lead and direct him in the exercise of
virtue.
3. Christian virtue, though essentially the same, dif
fers as to particular actions and occasions and as to
a St. Alph., Praxis Conf., c. IX, n. lai.
3 Instr. Post. Eyst.
210
THE SACRAMENTS
the persons by whom it is practised. The obedience of a
child to his parents, of a wife to her husband, of a servant
to his master, of a religious to his superior, differ from
one another. Always keep this in view and guide your
penitents according to the positions in which Providence
has placed them. Let them understand that, above all,
they must fulfill the obligations of their state of life
because thereby they do the will of God, which is
true piety. They should never go to church, pray, practise
mortification of their own choice, if by so doing the duties
which they have at home or elsewhere are neglected.
Let the penitent not soar too high at once, let him go on
gradually, and see to it that his ordinary actions are per
formed with proper attention and with true simplicity and
humility.
"Confessorius attendat, ut ad perfectionem ducat ordinate et
gradatim, prius docendo, levia patienter ferre, quam gravia ap
petere, prius pati aequo animo adversa quam de adversis gau
dere, prius pura intentione omnia operari et imitari actionem
Christi, quam alta meditari, prius sua quotidiana officia bene per
agere quam extraordinariis se dedere devotionibus. Feminis iunnioribus nunquam concedat, ut vagentur per ecclesias dissitas aut
i»i ecclesia iusto longius morentur, sed moneat eas, ut domesticos
potius labores recte amplectantur et omnia faciant quia, quo
modo et quando ea Deus fieri vult: divina enim voluntas omnii
perfectionis fons est et norma."
*
4. The ordinary means of sanctification, such as prayer,
the reception of the Sacraments, the Holy Sacrifice, must
be conscientiously employed. However, the penitent should
not be satisfied with mere external performances;
instruct him as to the way and manner in which he ought
to avail himself of these means of grace, how and why
he must have the right disposition. Educated persons
4 Ibid.
CONFESSIONS OF PIOUS PENITENTS
211
should be induced to practise mental prayer, to read in a
spiritual book every day, to meditate frequently on the
Life and Passion of our Lord. Persons of ordinary in
telligence, who cannot read, may be taught special devo
tions in which their minds shall find a source of new light
and grace, c. g., the mysteries of the Rosary, short invoca
tions and aspirations. All should be admonished to bear
their cross patiently, to walk in God’s presence, to
examine their conscience every day, particularly with re
gard to their predominant passion, to exercise themselves
continually in works of charity, and to give a good ex
ample to those with whom they come in contact. Al
ways show the greatest sympathy for people who com
plain about spiritual aridity and want of fervor in their
devotions. Tell them not to give up, as God does
not regard elasticity of mind or sweetness of sentiment,
but the good will of the devotee. The temptations which
such souls experience should not deter them, because
temptation is no sin, but a means in the hands of God to
strengthen virtue.
Perseverance in Virtue
5. Not all who begin well persevere, but many fall
away in course of time. They first exhibit carelessness,
which subsequently grows into tepidity, and finally ends
in mortal sin. The confessor will discover their state
pretty soon by the want of candor which they show in their
confessions. When they commence to relax, sound the
alarm, lovingly but resolutely. Tell them that there is
no escape, that the enemy is in close pursuit, and that
he will surely catch them in his snares if they do not
retrace their steps and resume their usual fervor
without delay. Cases of this sort are not rare and
may be a vexatious disappointment to the confessor.
2Ï2
the sacraments
Shall we give an instance? Take a child who was
brought up in innocence by his pious parents. Great ardor
and love marked his first Communion, and this holy dis
position continued for several years, giving fair promise
as to the future. Suddenly comes a change, like a blight
ing blast, or, to adopt the words of Cardinal Manning,
as a tree breaks asunder and shows decay at the heart,
they fall ; little by little the leaves grow pale and droop,
and a sickliness, which none can understand, overspreads
the tree. Some secret temptation, some perilous allure
ment, some unchastened intimacy, some clouding of the
conscience, some relaxation of rule, some neglect of self
examination, some omissions of prayer, some fatal op
portunity, when conscience is silenced, the will is weak, and
the temptation strong; then comes the first fall; after
which to fall again and again is easy. The gulf is crossed
and they enter upon an unknown world, "ubi nullus ordo
et umbra mortis.” As soon as you notice the change,
stay the torrent which is threatening ruin and disaster.
'Obsecra, increpa, importune, opportune.” Warn, in
struct, pray for the poor soul ; make a novena in her be
half ; let others pray and use their good influence to pre
vent a final collapse.
6. Do not lose courage if penitents who are earnestly
striving after perfection, do not make such rapid
progress as you wish. Lead them along step by
step. Do not ask too much at once. Bear in mind that
human nature is weak, and that, as in war, victory is
not met with continually, but defeats also occur. Cardinal
Manning strikes the right note when he says: “Besides
the sins of bad men a priest has to suffer by the luke
warmness of good men. That people should be so good
and yet not better; that they should be so full of light
and fall so short of it; that they should do so many good
SCRUPULOUS PENITENTS
213
acts, and yet not do more ; that they should have so few
faults, but so few excellences; that they should be so
blameless, yet deserve so little praise; so full of good feel
ing, but so spare in good works; so ready to give, but so
narrow in their gifts; so regular in devotions, yet so little
devout; so pious, yet so worldly; so ready to praise the
good works of others, and yet so hard to move to do the
like; so full of censures of the inertness and inconsistency,
omissions, faults, and lukewarmness of other men, and
yet so unhelpful and soft and unenergetic and lukewarm
themselves—all these are spiritual paradoxes and contra
dictions which vex and harass a priest with perpetual dis
appointment.” 0
7. Absolve your penitents when they come for their
weekly confession, even if you notice no progress. Their
will may, nevertheless, be strong and they may be fully
disposed and ready to avoid in future the venial sins of
which they accuse themselves. The surest way, how
ever, to secure the validity of the Sacrament is to make
them include a more serious fault of their past life;
but instruct them that they must have a new and true
contrition for this fault, and that it must not be simply a
routine accusation, which makes them forget to feel sorry
for their later sins and to amend their present life.
F—CONFESSIONS OF SCRUPULOUS PENITENTS
I. St. Paul in one of his epistles says: “My dearly
beloved, with fear and trembling work out your salva
tion.” 1 These Apostolic words, inspired by the Holy
Ghost, are apt to make us alert in the service of God,
lest we be found wanting on the day of judgment. How
ever, the fear thus stirred in our hearts must be a holy
5 Th Eternal Prietihood, Ch. XI, n. 3.
Phil. II, a.
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THE SACRAMENTS
fear; it must be reasonable and not impede love, which
should be the leading factor in a Christian’s life. But
there are persons who, through excessive anxiety lest
they offend God, get extravagant, become absorbed in
vain ideas or false apprehensions, and miss the road
of virtue and perfection. They fear to commit sin by
every thought and action and in things which no sensible
person would ever consider wrong. These are called
scrupulous. A scruple is not a passing doubt founded
on reason, but an idle phantom of the mind and a foolish
hallucination.
“The scrupulous person,” says Scaramelli, “is like a horse that
shies, rears, goes backward, and that no longer will obey the
bridle or spurs of its rider, on seeing the shadow of a tree, as
though it saw a lion or a tiger in front waiting to tear it to
pieces; thus, by the groundless fear of a danger which does not
exist, exposing both itself and its rider to the real danger of a
fatal fall.”2
Scruples are always evil, and, when entertained for a
long while and with great intensity, may lead to the
worst results. They render a person indisposed for
prayer and thus cut off the very root and source of grace.
When scrupulous persons go to confession or are
about to receive Holy Communion, their hearts become
troubled. They either lose all hope and give themselves
Aip to despair, or their hope becomes so dim as not to be
any longer a real power encouraging them to hold
out in the midst of trials and temptations. “They that
trust in the Lord,” says the prophet, “shall gather new
strength; they shall walk, run, even fly like an eagle.”
Take away hope and the anchor is gone, and the poor
soul drifts like a wrecked ship on a tempestuous sea.
2 Direct. Ascetic.
SCRUPULOUS PENITENTS
215
Peace and equilibrium of mind being destroyed, a person
suffering severely from scruples becomes unfit for the
discharge of his duties. The constant strain upon
the mind weakens the constitution of the body and up
sets the mental faculties, so that utter insanity may result.
With others scrupulosity terminates in the opposite ex
treme. Finding the burden under which they labor too
heavy, they throw off the yoke of God’s law altogether,
and become lax and frivolous.
In consideration of these facts it is evident that a con
fessor who has to deal with scrupulous penitents, may
feel much embarrassed and distressed. Still, there is no
escape; you must bear this cross.
“The care of scrupulous people,” says Scaramelli again, "is
one of the most worrisome and arduous tasks that can fail to the
lot of a physician of souls. It is worrisome, for, as these poor
creatures are ever tormenting themselves with the selfsame
scruples, they fail not to torment their confessor with neverending repetitions. It is arduous, because it makes the largest
claims on the charity, patience, prudence, good sense, and power
of guidance of spiritual directors.”
Causes of Scruples
2. Scruples may originate from divers sources. Some
times God allows a soul to be tried by scruples in order
to cleanse it of past faults, to ground it in a just fear of
sin, to humble it by forcing it to have a low opinion of
itself, to give to it an occasion of practicing obedience,
patience, and self-denial. The token by which we can
discern whether scruples come from a special permis
sion of God for our purification, is the good results they
produce. If a man, despite the inward agitation and con
stant harassment to which he is subjected, makes real
progress in virtue, if his hatred of sin becomes more
2l6
THE SACRAMENTS
intense, if he grows more steady in prayer and pious exer
cises, the confessor may rest assured that God has a special
design with him. Usually scruples of this kind do not
last long, because “God will not suffer the just to be
forever moved.”8 The storm ceases as soon as the ef
fect has been obtained, ». e., after the spiritual atmosphere
has been cleared from all bad and noxious miasms. A
second source of scruples lies in the wicked machinations
of the Devil. That great enemy of mankind has power
to fill our imagination with vain fancies, to instill gloomy
apprehensions into our intellect, and to becloud the
mind with spiritual darkness ; he may also stir up humors
in the sensitive appetite apt to produce anguish, bitterness
and turmoil. The end he has in view is to create a dis
gust for God’s holy law and the exercise of virtue, to
render prayer and devotion irksome, so that we may be
thrown into despair and cast our religion overboard. To
trace scruples to this cause we need but look at their ef
fects. If a person experiences a kind of peculiar melan
cholia and bitterness, if he feels exhausted under the yoke
of his tribulation, if he is frequently tempted by impure
thoughts and desires, if he becomes neglectful in his
spiritual exercises, it may be taken for granted that the
Devil is at the bottom of the trouble. A third source
from which scruples spring is man’s natural disposition
and character, which again may have its root in his bodily
constitution. Some persons are naturally timid and
cowardly; they feel alarmed at the mere apprehension of
danger ; they become nervous and excited when they no
tice things which are out of the ordinary routine; they
are inclined to be suspicious; they have no confidence
either in themselves or others; they trouble themselves
aPs. LIV, 23·
SCRUPULOUS PENITENTS
217
greatly about imaginary evils. It is evident that such a
soul offers a fertile soil for scruples. Some, indeed, be
come so absorbed in them that their reason is unbalanced
or at least they act in a manner so strange as to indicate
a partial derangement of mind.
3. The confessor, in meeting a person who appears to
be scrupulous, should first examine the case closely. A
passing doubt is no scruple. Neither could you call a
person scrupulous who, having sinned much in days gone
by, is somewhat alarmed as to his former confessions.
Do not hinder such a one from confessing his past sins
more accurately by telling circumstances which he had for
gotten, nor prevent him from perfoming penitential works
which, in expiation for his crimes and faults, he begs per
mission to perform. Symptoms of real scrupulosity are a
groundless fear of offending God at every rqoment and
in almost every action,—a fear not founded upon reason,
but caused by vague feeling; a frequent change of opin
ion ; constant agitation and distress ; excessive anxiety and
doubt as to certain particulars, such as the intention in
pious exercises, devotion in prayer, sorrow in contrition;
a never-ending perplexity ; a desire of again and again con
fessing sins which have been already duly confessed;
obstinacy of opinion even against the advice and com
mands of a prudent confessor. As soon as you have come
to the conclusion that the penitent is really scrupulous, you
must investigate the cause of his scrupulousness and
select your remedies accordingly. Usually there is a com
bination of causes, and therefore it may be well to apply
now one, now another remedy. The principal means for
effecting a cure is blind obedience to the confessor and
spiritual director. All theologians agree on this point.
However, many scrupulous persons decline the yoke of
holy obedience. They say that the confessor does not
2i8
THE SACRAMENTS
understand them correctly, or that he is too lax. To these
you may answer: No one can be a fair judge in his
own case, much less if he is tormented by vain illusions;
to trust ourselves rather than those whom God has placed
over us is a sign of an unbearable pride, which deserves the
severest censure. If this does not quiet the penitent, then
either send him away and say that you cannot help him, or
treat him with the utmost rigor. “Curet in hoc confesso
rius, ut poenitens exacte obediat, et si non obedit, eum increpct, privet communione et rigorose coerceat. Scru
pulosi ordinarie cum dulcedine tractandi sunt, sed circa
obedientiam magnus rigor ipsis est adhibendus; si enim
hanc obedientiae anchoram amittunt, certum incurrunt
naufragium, nam aut amentes evadent aut habenas in
vita relaxabunt.” 4
Treatment of Scrupulous Penitents
4. The confessor, in giving instructions to a scrupulous
penitent, must be precise in his commands and forcible
and resolute in all that he says, because otherwise he will
only confirm the penitent in his false alarms. Tell these
afflicted souls that they ought not to cease praying, even
though they find no relish in it ; command them to despise
their scruples and to act against a momentary doubt, even
if their conscience be unquiet afterwards. Forbid them
to reflect morbidly upon their actions, to talk to others
about the matter, to consult books for the purpose of solv
ing difficulties. Assign to them the day and time when
they may come to confession; never hear them at other
times, even if they say they have committed a mortal sin.
Be firm and make no exception. Never allow them to
mention their scruples in confession, nor permit them to
St. Alph., Praxis Conf., c. VII, n. 97.
HABITUAL AND RELAPSING SINNERS
219
repeat past sins, unless they can swear that the sin was
never confessed before. On the whole, always foster
hope in these unfortunate people. Teach them to regard
God as a merciful Father and not as a stern Judge. If
scruples have their seat in the bodily constitution and
natural temperament, it may be well to consult a skillful
and conscientious physician, especially if the scruples are
very severe and begin to affect the brain and the nervous
system.
5. Sometimes you meet with penitents who are scru
pulous only in certain matters of minor importance, where
as in matters of moment they appear quite lax. Thus some
anxiously watch the works and actions of their neighbors,
believing it to be their duty to correct them at once,
whilst they make little account of sins of pride, im
pure thoughts, desires, etc., to which they themselves are
subject. Such persons are in a dangerous condition. Do
not treat them like the average class of scrupulous per
sons. They are regular Pharisees, and you must be very
cautious in directing them. Tell them that it would be
much better for their spiritual welfare if they despised
the little scruples they have concerning others, and gave
their full attention to their own evil habits, which they
seem to view with a rather lax conscience.
C—CONFESSIONS OF HABITUAL AND RELAPSING SINNERS
I. A sinner now and then deserves to be called re
lapsing without being habitual, yet in most cases the cause
of the relapse lies in a bad habit, and therefore it may
be well to speak here of both classes at the same time and
under the same head.
Habitual sinners are those who, by repeated acts of the
same sin, have become so accustomed to it that they com-
220
THE SACRAMENTS
mit that sin frequently, with facility, and without much
resistance. "Consuetudinarius dicitur ille, qui ex fre
quentia in certo genere peccatorum, habitum seu pravam
inclinationem eorumdem peccatorum committendorum
contraxit."1 It is hard to tell how often a man must
commit a sin in order to merit the name of a habitual
delinquent. A line of demarcation, however, should be
drawn between internal sins, viz.: sins of thought and de
sire, and sinful external actions; also between sins com
mitted with oneself, and sins committed with an ac
complice. The more easily a sin tempts a man by its very
nature, the greater will be the number required for con
stituting a habit.
"Quo facilius aliquod peccatum committi soleat, eo plures actus
intra certum tempus requiruntur. Porro facilius committuntur
peccata cordis et oris quam operis, facilius opera non consum
mata quam consummata. Inter opera consummata, facilius com
mittuntur ea quae solitarie, quam ea quae cum alio patrantur.
De caetcro certus numerus prudenti arbitrio aestimandus est.
Hinc S. Alphonsus ait: 'Quinque vices in mense iam possunt
malum habitum constituere in aliquo vitio peccati externi, modo
inter ipas aliquod intervallum intercedat.’ In peccatis autem
luxuriae consummatae quae complicem habent, multo minor nume
rus habitum constituere potest; sic v. g., qui per integrum an
num jeinel in mense fornicaretur, bene habituatus dici possetIn peccatis demum cordis et oris multo maior numerus requiri
tur, ut habitus adesse censeatur, e. g., ut quis bis terve in heb
domada peccet.” 2
To relapse means simply to fall back into a sin which
was confessed before, and which the sinner was deter
mined not to commit again. This may be the case
even with sins to which he has not become habitually
addicted. Moralists make a distinction between "relapsi
1 Sabetti, Thcol. Mor., u. 803. 2 Hil. a Sexten, Tract. Past, de Sacr.
HABITUAL AND RELAPSING SINNERS
231
formales” and "relapsi materiales." The first kind are
those who have relapsed into the same sin without mak
ing any effort to avoid it ; the latter class are those who,
though they fell again, did so with reluctance, who have
not sinned as often as before, and who show at least some
amendment.
How to Treat Habitual Sinners
2. A habitual sinner is like a person suffering from a
serious and fatal disease, which has weakened the whole
system to such an extent as to bring the patient near death,
and requires more than ordinary skill on the part of the
physician for an effective cure. The vicious habit
has become, as it were, a second nature. The un
fortunate victim is so hopelessly entangled in the meshes
of his passion and held down by the bondage of the devil
as to have almost no will-power left. Not at once, but
only gradually, may he hope to be healed of his spiritual
malady. A confessor ought always to keep this in view
and treat such penitents kindly, without, however,
becoming lax and over-indulgent. As far as the absolu
tion is concerned, we believe with St. Alphonsus
that, whenever the cause of the habit and relapse
lies in intrinsic weakness, the penitent ought to be
absolved, provided he be earnestly determined, hic et
nunc, to break the fetters which hold his soul in captiv
ity, and to avoid the sin in future.
"Ut meum hic proferam indicium, dico quod si poenitens relapsus sit ob causam seu fragilitatem intrinsecam, ut accidit in!
peccatis pollutionis, delectationis morosae, odii, blasphemiae et
similium, raro puto differendam esse absolutionem recidivo suf
ficienter disposito per signum extraordinarium.’’3
3 St. Alph., Theol. Mor., 1. I, 6, n. 463.
222
THE SACRAMENTS
Of course, the sole promise to amend one’s life is not
sufficient, as this promise but too often is a mere
verbum oris, and not a verbum cordis. The practical
way to proceed, we deem, is this. Ask the penitent
who comes to you the first time how long the bad habit
has continued, whether a former confessor called his
attention to it and suggested particular means of
remedying it, whether he applied these means, how
and why he fell back into the old sin, how soon
after confession the relapse occurred. The answers
which the penitent gives to these questions will throw
some light upon the matter and help you in forming your
judgment as to whether he is worthy of absolution or
not. Rouse his conscience with all the force of speech
and the unction of spirit you can command, show him the
terrible danger in which his soul is, fill his heart with a
wholesome fear, and make him feel truly sorry for his
sins, but encourage him also and tell him that there is
hope of recovery, provided that he will work for his
salvation with the full energy of his will. Offer him
your help and point out the time when he must come to
confession again, but absolve him if he is well disposed
and sincerely resolved to do his best in future. If, when
he returns, he says : “Father, I had the misfortune to fall
again into my old sin,” inquire whether he followed your
advice, whether he employed the suggested means of
amendment and made some effort to avoid the sin
which he used to commit in the past ; or whether he neg
lected the matter altogether. In the first case he would be
a recidivus materialis, and therefore worthy of absolu
tion ; in the latter case he would be a recidivus formalis,
who could not be absolved unless some extraordinary sign
of contrition should appear. A prudent confessor will
hardly fail to elicit a sign of this kind. It may help,
HABITUAL AND RELAPSING SINNERS
223
for instance, to tell the penitent first to go and say some
prayers, such as the Litany, the Rosary, the Stations of
the Cross, in order that God may soften his heart, and to
return to confession about fifteen minutes or half an hour
later. If he does so, then at his return suggest some
stronger remedies, open his eyes that he may see more
clearly the danger to which his soul is exposed. Very
likely his soul will then be filled with greater compunc
tion, so that he can be absolved. Should his disposition
remain doubtful, you must weigh all the circumstances
and decide whether it will benefit the penitent to postpone
the absolution for a week or longer. If there be reason
to fear that he will not return and, perhaps, be alien
ated from religion and faith altogether, absolve him con
ditionally, viz. : "si es dispositus.”
3. Being the spiritual father of these unhappy sinners,
often recommend them to God in your prayers and make
a memento for them during the holy Sacrifice of the
Mass. The conversion of a sinner is the work of the
Hnly Ghost; men can be but instrumental. Tedious and
hard as the work is, you should bear in mind that one
soul snatched from hell is worth all the labor you bestow
upon it.
"Cacterum reputo," writes St. Alphonstis, "quisque se dirigere
debet iuxta lumen, quo donatur a Deo. Concludo hic et dico:
Non nego, quod aliquando bene prodesse possit recidivo disposito
dilatio absolutionis. Dico secundo: Semper proderit quod con
fessorius huiusmodi recidivos terreat ostendatque, ac si non pos
set eos absolz'ere. Dico tertio: Ordinarie loquendo recidivis ex
fragilitate intrinseca et per signum extraordinarium iam disposi
tis magis absolutionis beneficium proderit, quam dilatio. Utinam
et confessorii recidivos absolverent tum solum cum signa extra
ordinaria afferunt. Id quod lugendum est, quod maior, nedum
dicam maxima, confessoriorum pars universaliter recidivos absol
vunt sine distinctione, sine signo extraordinario, sine admonitione
224
THE SACRAMENTS
ct sine aliquo saltem remedio praestito ad emendationem: et hinc
vere procedit non iam ab absolvendis dispositis tot animarum uni
versalis pernicies.” *
H—CONFESSIONS OF PENITENTS LIVING IN
PROXIMATE OCCASION OF SIN
I. An occasion of sin means any external circumstance
or object that offers a temptation and entices a person to
offend God. Without entering into a lengthy discussion
of this subject, such as may be found in books of moral
theology, we shall simply state the principles and illus
trate their application by a few examples and cases of more
frequent occurrence.
A distinction must first of all be drawn between remote
and proximate occasions. The former is an occasion in
which, as a rule, we merely feel tempted, without yielding
to the temptation ; the latter is an occasion in which usu
ally ("communiter et plurimum”; St. Alphonsus), we fall
and commit sin.
A proximate occasion may be either voluntary or neces
sary. It is voluntary if we can avoid it with sufficient
energy of the will; it is necessary if it is not in our
power to remove it, there being too great a difficulty,
either physical or moral, in the way.
Finally, an occasion may be continuous, when it tempts
us the whole time (in esse), or not continuous, when it
tempts only at certain moments, e. g., when we go in
search of it, or, at least, do not take pains to avoid it.
Sinners exposed to occasions are often a cause of great
trouble and perplexity to their confessor. Occasions vary
as much as individual penitents. An occasion which is
proximate for one may be remote for another. The con
fessor should weigh all the circumstances with prudence
«Proru Confess., c. V, n. 77.
PROXIMATE OCCASIONS
225
and sagacity and choose such measures as seem to him best.
Often you will feel yourself placed between two extremes,
namely, either to dismiss the penitent without absolution,
thereby running the risk of driving him away from the
Church and her Sacraments, or to absolve him and thus
foster laxity of morals. In emergencies of this kind al
ways hold to principles, examine the nature of the case,
and then come to an immediate conclusion. The whole
disposition of the penitent will help much to determine
the course to be followed. A confessor may fail now
and then, but if he has done what at the moment ap
peared proper to him, God will pardon his mistakes and
not hold him responsible for the consequences.
Principles Regarding “Occasionarii”
2. The principles may be summed up thus: A person
who voluntarily exposes himself to a proximate occasion
of mortal sin, cannot be absolved unless he is ready to
avoid that occasion in future. Should the occasion be
continuous (in esse), then, as a rule, he must actually
remove it before absolution can be imparted.
"Talis poenitens,” says St. Alphonsus, "non est dispositus ad
absolutionem si petat eam, antequam occasionem removeat; etenim
eam recipiendo se immittit in proximum periculum fragendi pro
positam et sic remanendi in eadem occasione.”1
An exception should be made only in extraordinary
cases, for instance, with those who are in danger of death,
or who cannot return to confession for a long time. If
the occasion is not continuous, you may absolve the
penitent upon his sincere promise that he will not
again expose himself to the danger. If, however,
1 Ibid., c. IV, n. 66.
226
THE SACRAMENTS
he has broken his promise two or three times in succes
sion, you must put him on trial. A proximate occasion
which is necessary and which a person is not able
to avoid except with great difficulty, cannot, as
such, be made the cause for refusing absolution. But the
penitent is bound sub gravi to use particular means by
which the proximate occasion may be rendered remote,
and the confessor ought to suggest such means.
"Si occasio non posset aufferri sine scandalo aut gravi damno
vitae, famae aut bonorum, eo casu poenitens bene absolvi potest,
quin occasionem auferat, quia tunc non tenetur eam removere,
modo promittat excqui media necessaria ad efficiendum, ut oc
casio ex proxima evadat remota. Non dicit Scriptura quod peri
bit, qui est in periculo, sed qui amat periculum; sed nequit dici
amare periculum, qui illi invitus subiacet." 2
Special Occasions of Sin
3. Of the diverse occasions of sin a few deserve special
mention. Persons working in factories and shops are
often exposed to temptations which endanger both faith
and morals. Sometimes they meet with men who make
it their business to corrupt others by word and action.
They are wont to ridicule religion, to scoff at priests
and their sacred functions, to tell all kinds of lies, old
and new, against the Catholic Church. Others, whose
hearts and minds are filled with impurity, relish im
modest talk. It may take more than ordinary courage
for a young man to resist the temptations thus offered.
The horror he feels in the beginning gradually disappears,
his faith and purity first become weakened and, finally,
are lost. The confessor should closely question such
a penitent, when he approaches the sacred tribunal, to
ascertain whether there is a real necessity for remaining
2 Ibid., c. IV, n. 68.
PROXIMATE OCCASIONS
227
in this occasion, and, if so, by what means temptation
could be removed or at least lessened with a hope of avoid
ing sin. Tell the penitent to ask the manager or foreman
of the department to give him a position where the se
ducer has no access to him. Remind him of the duty
he has of praying earnestly and assiduously, so that
he may gain sufficient strength to resist the evil influ
ences to which he is exposed. Invite him to receive the
Sacraments frequently. Let him understand that we
must fight evil with zeal and perseverance, that we must
exhibit manly courage in practicing our religion, and not
be cowards.
4. A fertile occasion of sin are the houses of ill-fame
or prostitution, which send so many young men on the
way to hell. Our large cities are filled with them, and
even in smaller towns you can usually find one or the other.
Their number is constantly increasing, partly through the
fault of the municipal authorities, who are too easy in
granting licenses, but mostly on account of the great
corruption of our age. When the young have been
brought up in godless schools, without religion and moral
training, they easily fall victims to vice.
About the poor female inmates of these dens of vice
we need not say much here, for having abandoned every
thing that ought to be dear to a woman’s heart, they
never approach a priest, except, perhaps, at the moment
of death. But what about the men who accuse them
selves of having visited these abodes of moral pestilence?
At first, when you meet with such a case, you may feel
shocked and impelled to pour a shower of vituperation
on the penitent. However, you should hold your temper.
Think of Mary Magdalen or the woman caught in adul
tery, who were both treated with the utmost mercy and
kindness by Jesus Christ, and thus saved from total
228
THE SACRAMENTS
ruin. You also should do the work of the good Samar
itan and stoop down to heal the poor sinner of his
spiritual malady. Search for the cause. Some believe
that frequenting brothels is not so bad, that it is only
a sign of human or natural weakness. Disabuse them
of tin’s false opinion and give them a clear understanding
of the wickedness of their conduct. Make them promise
that they will never go near the abode of sin again.
Command them to shun the company of each and every
one who is apt to coax them thither. When such a
promise has been given sincerely and without restriction,
absolution can hardly be withheld. Tell the penitent
when he should come to confession again, not longer
than a month. Instruct him that if he cannot return to
you, he may confess to another priest, but must inform
the latter of what you told him, if he should have the
misfortune to fall back into his old sins. As long as
there is some hope of rescuing the unfortunate sinner,
it is best to be patient and lenient, though, on the whole,
the penitent must be treated as a person who is in an
occasion "non in esse."
We wish to add that it is the duty of pastors in coun
try missions to give timely and private warning to the
young of both sexes who leave home to look for work
in cities and large towns. These innocent boys and
girls from the rural districts are the very ones whom
the owners of bad houses seek out ; inexperienced as they
are, they listen but too readily to the tempter.
5. Intimacy between young people of different sex,
or what is commonly called “company keeping,” is an
other occasion of sin. The confessor should ask such
penitents what object they have in visiting each other.
If they say, it is only for fun, for pastime, etc., then
he must induce them to give up the practice at once or
PROXIMATE OCCASIONS
229
else dismiss them without absolution. If marriage is
the object, ask them whether there is solid hope that
the marriage can take place within a reasonable time.
If not, then the same holds good as in the first case. If,
however, the affair may be expected to terminate in a
decent and respectable matrimonial union, the pair being
betrothed to each other, then the occasion is "necessaria"
and should be treated accordingly. Suggest to them
means apt to remove the proximate danger. Tell them
that they must not see each other too often, that they
must check their passionate love and not set aside the
rules of ordinary decency. Thus, sitting up for hours
late at night is improper and dangerous. When the man
comes to see the young lady at her home, she ought to
have her mother, sister, father, or someone else present.
A solus cum sola visit in a locked room or secret nook,
against the will of the parents, will almost invariably
end in sin.
St. Alphonsus speaks from his own experience as a
confessor when he says :
"Generaliter loquendo de adolescentibus et puellis qui invicem
se adamant, quippe non sunt isti omnes indistincte de gravi
culpa damnandi, sed ordinarie puto ipsos difficulter esse extra
occasionem proximam lethaliter peccandi. Id nimia experientia
patet; nam ex centum adolescentibus vix duo aut 1res in
occasione a mortalibus invenientur immunes; et si non in prin
cipio, saltem in progressu; tales enim adamantes prius conver
santur invicem ob propensionem, deinde propensio fit passio, post
quam radicem in corde fixerit, mentem obtenebrat et eos in mille
crimina ruere facit."3
Admonish the penitents to arm themselves with piayer
and watchfulness. It is also well to awaken in the young
a Ibid., c. IV, n. 6S-
230
THE SACRAMENTS
lady who keeps company for the sake of marriage a
laudable pride and jealousy as to her virtue and purity.
Tell her that a man who does not respect her purity be
fore marriage, is not worthy of her, and that she, in
yielding to his entreaties, simply becomes the instrument
of his vilest passions. By such and similar suggestions
you may succeed in removing the immediate danger of
sin, and if the penitents are willing to follow your advice,
you may absolve them; if not, you should refuse absolu
tion.
"Solent in his casibus poenitentes conari, ut confessorii appre
hendant, quod occasionem removendo magnum orietur scanda
lum. Fortis sit confessorius ad huiusmodi timores despiciendos,
maius erit scandalum videre, quod poenitens nec etiam post con
fessionem occasionem aufert."4
6. Occasions of sin always have been, and still are,
now more perhaps than formerly, dances and gatherings
for the sake of amusement ; not as if they were intrin
sically wrong, but because they are apt to arouse impure
desires and give rise to numerous temptations. Listen
to the words of St. Francis de Sales : “Although balls
and dancing be recreations of their own nature indif
ferent, yet, on account of the manner in which they are
generally conducted, they preponderate very much on the
side of evil, and are consequently extremely dangerous."
It is going too far for a priest to say: “I shall never
absolve a penitent who has been at a dance,” or, “I shall
not absolve him unless he promises to shun balls and
dances entirely” ; or, “I shall under no consideration ab
solve a person who takes part in round dances.” General
rules like these are impracticable. You are dealing with
proximate occasions
231
individual souls and must, therefore, weigh the circum
stances of each case well before you come to a final
decision in regard to absolution. Therefore, we take
the liberty to insert the following suggestions :
(a) It makes a big difference how a dance is con
ducted ; some dances are by their very nature more tempt
ing than others. Thus masquerade balls and round dances
should be shunned by good Catholics, unless there be
some good reason for participating in them, and pre
cautions are taken to prevent abuses. Again, public
dances held during Lent or Advent or on Saturday nights
(which are apt to keep people away from church the
next Sunday) ought to be discountenanced. Dances held
in public places or halls, where people of all sorts meet
indiscriminately, are, to say the least, very suspicious.
(b) Ask the penitent whether, on the occasion of such
dances and parties, he committed any sin, e. g., by indulg
ing in impure thoughts, desires, kisses, embraces, touches,
etc. If so, these amusements constitute for that particu
lar individual a proximate occasion of sin, and he should
be made to promise that he will take no further part in
them. At any rate, the penitent must be admonished to
be moderate and cautious in regard to these amusements.
Those who have a passion for them, who go to almost any
place, private or public, where they know a dance is being
held, cannot preserve their purity and are unworthy of
absolution while they remain in that disposition.5
(c) Inquire whether there were occasions of sin be
fore and after the dance, during the recess, etc. Lonely
6 "Et in hoc generaliter adver
tendum." says St. Alphonsus, "quod
11 bi agitur de periculo peccati for
malis, et praecise peccati turpis,
confessorius quanto magis rigorem
cum poenitente adhibebit, tanto
magis eius saluti proderit: et contra
tanto magis cum illo immanis erit,
quanto magis benignus erit in per
mittendo, ut ille in occasione ma
neat aut se immittat." Ibid., c. I.
232
THE SACRAMENTS
walks or rides, company-keeping in going and returning,
are means which the Devil but too often uses as snares.
(d) Neither in nor outside of the confessional give
any positive approbation to dancing. Under the pretext
of bringing Catholic families in contact with one another,
and thereby facilitating Catholic marriages, priests some
times arrange public dances for their parish societies.
We believe that this is a dangerous experiment. People,
especially the young, will not draw the line, but they
will draw false conclusions ; bad effects and disastrous
scandals are likely to follow. You are allowed at times to
tolerate an evil which you cannot stop, but toleration
must not be turned into approbation. Indeed, the very
toleration itself has its limits. Things, perhaps, have
come to such a pass around the parish, that, unless you
raise your voice publicly against certain abuses in the
line of dances and other amusements, many a soul for
which you are responsible will be lost.
7. What has been said of dances applies, mutatis mu
tandis, also to theatres. It is a deplorable fact that the
public stage in our day has become corrupt and degraded.
Pure classical pieces, which instil nobility of mind and
heart and help to educate and elevate man, are exceptions.
The public does not appreciate them, but desires to see
something which flatters the senses and tickles the lust
ful appetite. It is self-evident, therefore, that the great
est caution should be employed in frequenting theatres.
Those who run to almost any theatre, regardless of what
is represented there, expose themselves rashly to sin
and temptation, and it would be a wonder indeed if they
were to remain pure and chaste for any length of time.
A confessor who has to deal with such penitents cannot
remain silent without failing in his duty. If you can
not prevail upon your penitents to stay away from the-
PROXIMATE OCCASIONS
233
atrical performances entirely, warn them at least to act
with prudence and circumspection. Tell them to be on
their guard against temptations and not to seek sensual
gratification, but a higher culture by means of theatrical
representations. In particular, induce them to shun bal
lets and vaudeville, because they frequently are obscene
and lascivious. Call the attention of parents to this mat
ter and remind them of their obligation to watch over
the spiritual welfare of their sons and daughters and to
keep them away from places that are dangerous to their
morals.
While we speak of theatres, it seems proper to add
a few remarks regarding a sort of amusement which
in our days has become quite popular, we mean the mov
ing picture shows or “movies.” Koch-Preuss says:
“The fact that three-fourths of our school children at
tend ‘the movies’—at least half of that number as often
as once a week—and that statistics from several cities
show the average weekly attendance to be equivalent to,
or more than, the entire population of the respective city,
gives some indication of the magnitude of the problem.
Mr. Ellis P. Oberholtzer, the secretary of the Pennsyl
vania State Board of Censors, estimates that the number
of moving picture houses throughout the United States
is at least 15,000 and states that most of the films shown
in these theatres are highly objectionable and becoming
more so from year to year. Seventy-five per cent, of all
the pictures shown, according to the same competent
authority, are devoted to violence and crime and twenty
per cent, to vulgar comedy. Accordingly but five per
cent, of the films put on exhibition are good, yet all of
them are being viewed every day by hundreds of thou
sands of people, including many children.” ® Statements
0 Handbook of Moral Theology,Vol. Ill, p. $a.
234
THE SACRAMENTS
like these are, no doubt, alarming. Every pastor of souls
is bound to warn his people in season and out of season
against the dangers and the evil influence of these shows.
Let Catholics stay away from them and thereby bring
the managers of those filthy performances to terms.
Such is the advice which in an open letter published
some years ago the National Committee on Public Morals
of the American Federation of Catholic Societies gave.
We read there:
‘‘We earnestly request all the members of our affiliated so
cieties not only to avoid such offensive performances, but to with
draw their patronage from any theatre which lends itself to
offensive productions. In this connection we also ask them to
watch the theatrical bill boards and to use their influence with
public authorities to prevent the exhibition of indecent, immod
est and suggestive theatrical posters which are of their very na
ture a menace to the pure and clean minds of the young.”
8. A last, but by no means negligible source of evil, and
an occasion of numerous sins, are bad books, magazines,
and newspapers. The spiritual mischief spread by these
channels of corruption seems not to be fully understood
by the majority of our Catholic people. Everybody likes
to read, and, bad literature being very cheap, persons
indulge in it without taking into consideration the noxious
results which such reading is bound to have. The In
dex legislation of the Church seems to many but a dead
letter. Against this crying evil of the age, every Catholic
priest should raise his voice, not only from the pulpit,
but also in the confessional. There are books decidedly
irreligious, written ex professo with the intention of un
dermining the Christian faith or ridiculing Catholic be
lief. These books may under no circumstances be read
or retained by Catholics. Other books are ex professo
PROXIMATE OCCASIONS
235
immoral. Tell your penitent, if he has read such, never
to do it again, and to destroy those he may have in his
possession. As regards romances, novels, short stories,
etc., as long as they are not absolutely bad, they may
be tolerated, with certain restrictions. The sensual ele
ment which pervades them is dangerous. The penitent
who accuses himself of reading offensive books should be
asked, what object he had in doing so, and whether he
yielded to temptations or not. The answer he gives will
indicate what to do. If his reading furnishes him a
proximate occasion of sin, he must be ordered to de
sist, as he cannot otherwise be absolved. Nobody
ought to cultivate a liking for this sort of literature,
because it is apt to arouse the sensual appetite.7
Parents and teachers must watch their children or pupils,
so that no books dangerous to faith and morals fall into
their hands. Most of our daily papers contain too much
corruption and filth, and ought, therefore, to be kept out
of the home circle; that is to say, the young should not
be allowed to read them. Let parents bear in mind the
strong words contained in the Pastoral Letter issued by
the Fathers of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore:
"Not only should the immoral, the vulgar, the sensational
novel, the indecently illustrated newspaper, and publications tend
ing to weaken faith in the religion and Church of Jesus Christ, be
absolutely excluded from every Catholic home, but the danger
ously exciting and morbidly emotional, whatever, in a word, is
calculated to impair or lower the tone of faith or morals in the
youthful mind and heart should be carefuly banished.”
7 "Libri erotici occasio relativa
sunt. Gravitas periculi ut pluri
mum dependet o circumstantiis,
nempe a fine libidinoso, a lectoris
aetate, indole, moribus, fragilitate,
maxime vero c lapsuum experientia.
Prdplerea ciusmodi libri omnes
periculosi sunt invenibus et ordi
narie periculum proximum aderit
pro üj qui toti sunt in huiusmodi
libris legendis, non vero pro iis qui
interdum aliquem legunt." Hil. a
Sexten, Theol. Past, de Sacr.
236
THE SACRAMENTS
I—CONFESSIONS OF PERSONS WHO BELONG TO
FORBIDDEN SOCIETIES
I. The kingdom of Satan has always stood in oppo
sition to the kingdom of God, and at every period of
time the children of darkness made war against the chil
dren of light. The struggle continues unabated and is
even growing fiercer along the whole line, since there is
abroad that monstrous heresy of the age, called Agnos
ticism or Unbelief, which ignores divine authority, re
jects the supernatural order, and defies human reason.
The nurseries of this perverse error are those well or
ganized Masonic bodies which, like a powerful conspiracy,
are spread far and wide over all the world. Leo XIII, in
his Encyclical Letter "Humanum genus,” dated April 20,
1884, says of them: “No longer making any secret of
their purposes they [the Freemasons] are now boldly ris
ing up against God Himself. They are publicly and openly
planning the destruction of Holy Church, and this
with the set purpose of utterly despoiling the nations of
Christendom, if it were possible, of the blessings obtained
for us through Jesus Christ our Saviour.”
Nowhere has the growth of Masonry been more rapid
than in the United States. Under manifold names and
titles, secret lodges are scattered up and down the coun
try. Indeed, within recent years there has been such a
morbid craze for occultism that a man who is not affili
ated with a secret society is held to be of an inferior type.
This does not imply that Americans, collectively, are a
race of infidels or that the strongest foes of the Catholic
Church live in the Western Hemisphere. The bulk of
Masonic membership here consists of persons who do not
know the real character and tendencies of the order.
They join for the purpose of obtaining financial or
FORBIDDEN SOCIETIES
237
political support, or life insurance, of taking part in
social festivities, etc., but are ignorant of the real plans
which are adroitly concealed by the leaders, who demand
blind obedience. “There are many things like mysteries,
which it is the fixed rule to hide with extreme care, not
only from strangers but from very many members also,
such as their secret and final designs, the names of the
chief leaders and certain secret and inner meetings as
well as their decisions and the ways and means of carry
ing them out.” 1
2. Whatever may be thought of individual members,
the Masonic bodies as such deserve condemnation.
Warning words came forth from the Holy See at the very
outset, when the pernicious sect was first started.2 Since
then no less than seven popes have denounced Freema
sonry and earnestly admonished the faithful to keep aloof
from societies whose design it is to carry on a deadly
warfare against the Spouse of Christ. To render the
admonition more effective, censures were added. Ex
communication was to be incurred ipso facto by those
who listed their names on the rolls of Masonic societies.
"Excommunicationi latae sententiae Romano Pontifici reser
vatae subiaccre declaramus: Nomen dantes sectae Massonicae,
aut Carbonariae, aut aliis eiusdem generis sectis, quae con
tra Ecclesiam vel legitimas potestates seu palam, seu clande
stine, machinantur, necnon eisdem sectis favorem qualemcunque
praestantes; earumve occultos coryphaeos ac duces non denunti
antes, donec non denuntiaverint.” 8
Leo XIII Against Freemasonry
Pope Leo XIII, in the Encyclical quoted above, fully
iLeo XIII. Encyclical "Huma
num oenus." Sec A. Preuss, A
Study in American Freemasonry,
passim.
2 About 1738.
8 Const. "A post. Sedis."
238
THE SACRAMENTS
approves and confirms what had been said by his pred
ecessors. With his wonted lucidity he defines the true
character of Freemasonry by a graphic description of
the anti-Christian spirit that pervades its ranks. Nat
uralism or Humanity, as the members prefer to call it,
is the watchword of these secret associations. And what
is Naturalism? “The fundamental doctrine of the Nat
uralists, which they sufficiently make known by their
very name, is that human nature and human reason
ought in all things to be mistress and guide. Proceeding
from this principle, they care little for man’s duties to
God, or misinterpret them. They deny that God has
taught us anything at all; they allow no dogma of re
ligion or truth which cannot be understood by the human
intelligence, nor any teacher who must be believed by
reason of his authority. And since it is the special and
exclusive duty of the Catholic Church to set forth fully
in words divinely received truths, to teach, besides other
divine helps to salvation, the authority of its office, and
to defend the same with perfect purity, it is against the
Church that the rage and attack of the enemies are prin
cipally directed. ... In those matters which regard re
ligion let it be seen how the sect of the Freemasons acts,
especially where it is free to act without restraint, and
then let anyone judge whether in fact it does not wish
to carry out the policy of the Naturalists. . . . The
Naturalists and Freemasons, having no faith in those
things which we have learned by revelation from God,
deny that our first parents sinned, and consequently hold
that freewill is not at all weakened and inclined to evil.
On the contrary, exaggerating rather our natural virtue
and excellence, and placing therein alone the principle
and rule of justice, they cannot even imagine that there
is any need of a constant struggle and a perfect stead·
FORBIDDEN SOCIETIES
239
fastness to overcome the violence and govern the pas
sions of our nature. Therefore we see that men are pub
licly tempted by the many allurements of pleasure; that
there are journals and pamphlets with neither moderation
nor shame; that stage-plays are remarkable for license;
that designs for works of art are shamelessly sought in
the laws of a so-called realism; that contrivances for a
soft and delicate life are most carefully devised; and that
all the blandishments of pleasure are diligently sought
out, by which virtue may be lulled to sleep. Wickedly
also, but at the same time quite consistently, do those act
who do away with the expectation of the joys of heaven
and bring down all happiness to the level of mortality,
and, as it were, sink it in the earth. Of what we have
said the following fact, astonishing not so much in itself
as in its own expression, may serve as a confirmation.
For since generally no one is accustomed to obey crafty
and clever men so submissively as those whose soul is
weakened and broken down by the domination of the
passions, there have been in the sect of the Freemasons
some who have plainly determined and proposed that,
artfully and of set purpose, the multitude should be
satiated with a boundless license of vice, as, when this
had been done, it would easily come under their power
and authority for any acts of daring.”4
3. Are the papal denunciations directed only against
the Freemasons or do they include also other secret
organizations? This question has been sufficiently dis
cussed within the last twenty years. Some, it seems, are
inclined to believe that only the Freemasons and a few
other rabid sects fall under the ban of the Church; the
rest, they say, constitute independent bodies and have
4 Encycl. "Humanum genus."
240
THE SACRAMENTS
nothing in common with Masonry save a few rites and
the secrecy in which they shroud themselves. Now what
are the facts? The developments which the various or
ganizations have undergone of late, the disclosures of
their occult proceedings, the rituals, rule books, and pa
pers published under their auspices, the statements made
by those who have quit their ranks, leave no doubt that
all or nearly all the various secret societies have borrowed
from the Freemasons, not only the outward form, but
the spirit. Notwithstanding their separate organiza
tions they constitute one cohesive body, the nucleus of
which is Freemasonry. Whilst preserving their indi
vidual autonomy, they move together under one primary
and directive force. We quote again the following pas
sage from the papal letter : “There are several organized
bodies which, though differing in name, in ceremonial,
in form and origin, are nevertheless so closely bound to
gether by community of purpose and by the similarity
of their main opinions, as to make in fact one thing with
the sect of Freemasons, which is a kind of centre, whence
they all go forth and whither they all return.”6 What
Catholic will gainsay these words of Leo XIII? The
inevitable conclusion is that every society which is cast
in a Masonic mould and shaped after the Masonic fash
ion, bears the stamp of reprobation on its face. Let
the individual members of the society be ever so honestminded, the ultimate object of the organization is the
same as that of the Freemasons, namely, to destroy the
revealed religion of Christ by disseminating Naturalism,
which practically means paganism or, rather, the deifica
tion of man.
4. It is well nigh impossible to enumerate the multi
farious Masonic affiliations that exist among us. New
s Ibid.
FORBIDDEN SOCIETIES
241
branches are organized almost every day, old ones dis
appear or are consolidated with others, and assume new
names. A few, however, deserve special attention, towit: The Odd Fellows, the Sons of Temperance, and
the Knights of Pythias." These were nominally con
demned by a decree of the Holy See, issued under date
of August 20, 1894. The papal rescript was sent to
the Apostolic Delegation in Washington with an order
to make it known to all the prelates of this country.
Its original text is as follows:
"Amplitudinem Tuam profecto non latet, Rmos Archiepiscopos
ecclesiasticis provinciis istius Foederatae Reipublicae consti
tutos in suis conventibus egisse de tribus quae istuc coaluerunt
Societatibus, Sociorum nempe singularium (Odd Fellows), Fili
orum Temperantiae (Sons of Temperance), et Equitum Pythiae
(Knights of Pythias), atque unanimi consensu rem totam iudicio
Sedis Apostolicae detulisse. Porro SS. D. N. quaestionem exi»
e The latest statistics inform us
that there are more than seven mil
lion Americans distributed in about
five hundred secret organizations
under different names. For the
benefit of our readers, mostly
young priests and seminarists, we
explicitly
mention: Knights of
Maccabees, Elks, Independent For
esters, Good Templars. Royal Arca
num, Knights and Ladies of Honor,
Redmen, Sons of Herman, Harugari, Modern Woodmen. Rathbone
Sisters, Daughters of Rebecca.
Rechabites, etc. All these are of
the Masonic stamp. In the Hand
book of the Modern Woodmen we
read: "The fellowships of religion
are the strongest and deepest, the
sweetest and most satisfying of all
the unions and fraternities of man.
But for some reason or other the
churches have not attracted to their
fellowship the toiling masses; the
strongest and big-hearted men of
our day are not always found in
the pews. Where is the fault? Is
the church's light too pale, or her
heart throbs too faint, her blood loo
thin and cold, her sympathy too
perfunctory and heartless? And
why does she not draw within her
walls the brawn and muscle of our
land? . . . Fraternities like the
Modern Woodmen of America
respond to the need of the hu
man heart; strong toiling men
binding themselves together to bear
each others
*
sorrows, and to contrib
ute to each others’ joys. In their
humanity. their warmth. their
thoughtful consideration for the
emergencies and necessities of this
world they stand in striking con
trast to that religion whose only
thought and investment is in the
next world.” Comment unneces-
242
THE SACRAMENTS
aniinandam tradidit Rmis et Emis D. D. S. R. E. Cardinalibus
una mccum Inquisitoribus generalibus. Ili vero generali Con
gregatione Feriae IV die 20. Junii, 1894, confirmantes indicium
dc aliquibus ipsismet Societatibus alias latum, decreverunt : Cunc
tis per istas regiones Ordinariis esse omnino connitendum, ut
fideles a tribus Societatibus et ab unaquaque carum arceantur;
eaque dc re ipsos fideles esse monendos; et, si monitione insuper
habita, velint adhuc eisdem Societatibus adhaerere, nec ab illis
cum effectu separari, a perceptione Sacramentorum esse arcen
dos. . . . SS. D. N. sententiam hanc plene confirmavit et ratam
habuit. Quae idcirco per praesentes A. Tuae significatur, ut
per Te nota fiat cunctis istarum regionum Archicpiscopis Epi
scopis, aliisque locorum Ordinariis et pro bono animarum regi
mine ad effectum deducatur.
Romae, 20. Augusti, 1894.
R. Card. Monaco."
5. From the foregoing document it is obvious that a
practical Catholic cannot join a society which ignores
divine revelation and, if not directly, at least indirectly,
advocates the abolition of all dogmatic belief and -ec
clesiastical authority. It is deplorable that of late quite
a number of Catholics have been lured into secret so
cieties which, though sailing under a different flag, are
steering for the same goal as Freemasonry. We know
the reasons these victims allege to excuse themselves,
but we fail to see their weight. Some contend that as
leng as a society has not been nominally condemned by
the Pope, it is doubtful whether it is forbidden, and con
sequently the confessor must give a penitent who belongs
thereto the benefit of the doubt and absolve him, as he
has no right to demand of him to leave the society be
fore an authoritative condemnation has been issued.
Plausible as the argument may seem at first sight, it is
far from being conclusive. The principle of probabilism
is therein carried to an extreme. Moralists, it is true,
admit that a law against which a solid doubt can be ad
FORBIDDEN SOCIETIES
243
duced, does not bind. But the word “solid” indicates
that there must be grave and sound reasons. Where are
they in this instance? The Constitution "Apostolicae
Scdis” of Pius IX, and the Encyclical "Humanum Genus”
of Leo XIII, do not condemn Freemasonry alone, but
add that all other societies of the same kind (alias eius
dem generis societates) are equally forbidden. It does
not behoove us to minimize these papal pronouncements.
Obviously the Holy See finds it impossible to give a
complete list of all Masonic organizations, since they are
too numerous and subject to a constant change, but con
tents itself with an implicit condemnation. This pro
cedure is analogous to that governing the censorship of
books. There are general rules, by which books of a
certain character are forbidden, and there is, moreover,
the Index itself, which contains a limited list of nomi
nally proscribed publications. Will anyone assert that,
because a book has not been placed on this list, there is
reason to doubt of its being objectionable, though it is
plainly bad and clearly falls under the general rules?
Apply this to the matter of secret societies, and you will
see the absurdity of the assertion that as long as no au
thoritative declaration regarding a society has been is
sued, Catholics need have no scruples in joining it nor
confessors in absolving penitents that belong to it. The
truth is that whenever the marks are present by which
a society proves to be Masonic in character, no Catholic
is allowed to join it.
The Third Plenary Council of Baltimore on Secret Societies
6. Lest somebody accuse us of undue zeal or unwar
rantable severity, we deem it fit to reproduce a few lines
from the Pastoral Letter of the Third Plenary Council
244
THE SACRAMENTS
of Baltimore. The illustrious prelates therein say:
"One of the most striking characteristics of our time
is the universal tendency to band together in societies
for the promotion of all sorts of purposes ... It is
obvious to any reflecting mind that men form bad and
rash as well as good and wise designs; and that they
may band together for carrying out evil or dangerous
as well as laudable and useful purposes . . . Hence it
is the evident duty of every reasonable man, before al
lowing himself to be drawn into any society, to make sure
that both its ends and its means are consistent with truth,
justice, and conscience. In making such a decision,
every Catholic ought to be convinced that his surest
guide is the Church of Christ . . . Whenever, therefore,
the Church has spoken authoritatively with regard to any
society, her decision ought to be final for every Catholic.
He ought to know that the Church has not acted hastily
nor unwisely nor mistakenly ; he should be convinced that
any worldly advantages which he might derive from mem
bership in such a society, would be a poor substitute
for the membership, the Sacraments, and the blessings
of the Church of Christ; he should have the courage of
his religious convictions and stand firm to faith and
conscience. But if he be inclined or asked to join
a society on which the Church has passed no sentence,
then let him, as a reasonable and Christian man, examine
into it carefully, and not join the society until he is satis
fied as to its lawful character. There is one characteristic
which is always a strong presumption against a society,
and that is secrecy. . . .”
The decrees of the Council say :
"Neque ad illas tantum societates, quae veluti secta Massonica
aut Carbonaria nominatim damnatae inveniuntur, coarctandae
FORBIDDEN SOCIETIES
245
sunt declarationes S. Sedis; verum ad illas quoque se extendere
intelligantur necesse est quae, nomine quantumvis omisso, in
re tamen eiusdem sunt generis ac Massonica aut Carbonaria.” r
"Si nempe eiusmodi societas aut ita secretum servandum in-i
iungat, ut neque auctoritati Ecclesiae illud manifestari sinat,
aut ei iusiurandum vel promissionem caecae absolutaeque obedientiae exigat, ea, praescindendo etiam a censuris, inter vetitas
erit recensenda, atque adscript! absolutione sacramentali pri
vandi, donec effectu ipso ab ea penitus recedant, vel saltem se
continuo recessuros serio promittant. Et quoniam Episcopis non
solum ius, sed etiam officium inquirendi inhaeret, omnis societas
quae Ordinario interroganti secretum revelari non sinit, ipsi auc
toritati Ecclesiae id recusare indicabitur; et obedientia ad omnia
parata, rei faciendae ratione et honestate nec visa nec curata;
sine dubio caeca et absoluta erit existimanda.”8
With regard to the censures incurred by those who
join forbidden societies the Council says:
"Si qua igitur societas presbyterum proprio marte sibi vindicet
aliumve ministrum cultus, qui rituali ac caeremoniis propriis pro
suo libitu utatur; hoc in casu adseripti etiam censuras contra
schismaticos vel haereticos latas incurrunt. Quae censurae ita
euntiantur in Constitutione [Apostolicae Sedis] inter excommuni
cationes latae sententiae, Romano Pontifici speciali modo reserva
tas: 'Omnes a Christiana Ude apostatas, et omnes et singulos
haereticos, quocunque nomine censeantur, et cuiuscunque sectae
existant, eisque credentes, eorumque receptores, fautores, ac gen
eraliter quoslibet illorum defensores'... 'Schismaticos, et eos, qui
a Romani Pontificis pro tempore existentis obedientia pertinaciter
se subtrahunt vel recedunt.’ In comperto enim est, quamlibet so
cietatem, praeterquam quod sit secreta, posse etiam schismaticam esse vel haereticam ; proindeque omnis societas, quan~
do sibi vindicat prebyterum aliumve ministrum cultus, cum
proprio rituali ac caeremoniis, non quomodolibet, nec sicut ali
quando apud nostrates fit quum preces quaedam in civium con
ventibus recitantur, sed eo modo quo ipsa societas, pravo sibi
fine proposito, secta schismatico aut haeretica evadit, iure merito
que in censuras supradictas incurrit."0
7 Cone. PI. Balt. HI, η. 246.
8 Ibid., η. 247.
9 Ibid., η. 349.
246
THE SACRAMENTS
Catholics are, therefore, forbidden to join any society,
no matter what its name, if it has the marks described
above, to-wit:
(1) Absolute secrecy; which means keeping acts and
proceedings secret from those who have a right to know
them, such as the bishop of a diocese, representing the
Church in foro externo; pastors and confessors, repre
senting ecclesiastical authority in foro inferno; parents,
guardians, masters, teachers, representing domestic au
thority; officials of the civil government, representing the
authority of the political and social order.
(2) Blind and unrestricted obedience to leaders. This
involves the renunciation of one’s own judgment and
freewill in favor of despotic rulers who may not scruple
to command things that are forbidden by the divine and
natural law.
(3) Opposition to God’s Church or to lawfully es
tablished civil government. Warfare against public au
thority means revolution, ». e., the destruction of order and
obedience, which is intrinsically bad. Naturalism, in the
way it is advocated and spread by Masonic societies, sub
verts the spiritual order established by Christ and, there
fore, signifies a constant attack on the Catholic Church.
(4) A self-constituted religious worship. A society
that has its own religious ceremonial, not approved by
the Catholic Church, conducted by a regular minister or
chaplain not ordained and sent by the ecclesiastical au
thorities, is a religious, heretical, schismatic or pagan sect.
Catholics by joining such a sect place themselves outside
the true fold and are excommunicated.
Would to God that these wise and practical sugges
tions of the last Plenary Council, which are but the echo
of many papal bulls and encyclicals, were more carefully
studied and more rigorously executed. Then we should
FORBIDDEN SOCIETIES
247
not witness the sad spectacle of hundreds of Catholics
marching with the professed adversaries of their faith
and, like the ancient Israelites, running after the idols
of the Gentiles.
However, we hear it said that there is in the Balti
more decrees a clause by which bishops and priests are
forbidden to condemn a society as long as either the
Holy See has not spoken authoritatively, or the committee
of archbishops appointed by the Council have not pro
scribed it. Here are the words referred to:
"Ad praecavendum, . . . ne confusio disciplinae habeatur, dum
cum magno fidelium scandalo et auctoritatis ecclesiasticae de
trimento, eadem societas in una dioecesi damnatur, et in alia
toleratur, nolumus ullam societatem, uti cadentem sub una ex
classibus indicatis, nominatim damnari, antequam Ordinarius
rem retulerit ad Commissionem, quam pro huiusmodi causis iudicandis nunc constituimus, et quae constabit ex omnibus archiepiscopis harum provinciarum. Quod si societas damnanda om
nibus visa non fuerit, recurrendum erit ad Sanctam Sedem, ut
indicium certum accipiatur, et disciplina in nostris provinciis uni
formis servetur,”10
What is the meaning of this passage? We cannot
assume that the Fathers of the Council contradicted them
selves and wiped out by one stroke all that has been said
in the preceding paragraphs : and hence the words can
only mean that bishops and priests shall not publicly
(by circulars or from the pulpit) and nominally con
demn a society, before a higher authority has deter
mined its merits or demerits. By no means can the
words be so construed that the faithful should not be
warned against Masonic societies in general. Least of
all is a confessor to think that he may absolve a penitent
who belongs to an organization which has all the charac10 Ibid., «5·
248
THE SACRAMENTS
teristics of a forbidden society as described above. The
confessor holds a divine charge in the sacred tribunal.
When things become an evident injury to the penitent,
he may and must plainly interdict them, not as if he
had a right to forestall the verdict of the forum externum,
but because he is judge of the individual soul and bound
to protect that soul from danger. We know that there
are unscrupulous confessors, but this is no sufficient
reason why a zealous minister of God should shirk his
duty. Lax penitents will ever find lax confessors that
connive at their transgressions. But woe to you, says
the Lord, who deceive the people; woe to you who lead
them astray and allow them to slumber in false security !
Practical Rules Regarding Secret Societies
7. We will now give a few practical rules concerning
the mode of procedure to be followed in the confessional:
(o) Freemasons, Carbonari, and (according to a later
declaration) Fenians are nominally excommunicated;
(&) Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Sons of Tem
perance, Good Templars, are nominally forbidden, and
therefore also seem to fall implicitly under the law of
excommunication ;
(c) Implicitly forbidden societies (under the same
penalty) are all those which employ a ritual and a sort of
religious worship of their own after the fashion of the
Freemasons, or which, by fostering Naturalism, try to
subvert the spiritual order represented by the Catholic
Church ;
( evocent iuxta doctri
nam Ecclesiae rem esse sanctissi
mam, utpote sacramentum, et sig
num. quo Christus suum erga Spon
sam Ecclesiam amorem quodammodo
adumbrare dignatus est."
8 "Ad haec crimina compescenda
poenam excommunicationis statui
mus, Ordinario reservatam, ipso
facto incurrendam ab cis qui post
quam divortium civile obtinuerint,
matrimonium ausi fuerint attentare."
(/bid., n. 124).
3o8
THE SACRAMENTS
it her duty to issue special laws by which the holiness
of the conjugal alliance might be effectually preserved
and abuses of human passion prevented. “Natural lik
ings and instincts,” say the Fathers of the Third Council
of Baltimore in their Pastoral Letter, “have their own
value and weight; but they ought not by themselves to
be a decisive motive in so important a step as Christian
marriage; nor are they a safe guarantee for the proper
fulfilment of the high ends for which marriage was or
dained.” 0
4. There are quite a number of matrimonial impedi
ments. Some render the marriage contract sinful, others
invalidate it altogether. Our space does not allow us to
dwell upon them; we must refer our readers to books of
canon law and moral theology, which give detailed ex
planations of them. Every pastor of souls ought to have
an accurate knowledge of these impediments and instruct
his parishioners both privately and publicly upon them.
Dispensation from strictly ecclesiastical impediments may
be obtained, but only when there is a just and canonical
cause ; and this cause ought to be so much the more
weighty the more important the impediment is. Always
keep this in mind and do not petition the bishop for a dis
pensation simply to please the whims of those who ask
for it.
5. The first step taken towards a future marriage is
the engagement Or betrothal. It constitutes a sort of
preliminary trial. The man and the woman must examine
themselves earnestly to see whether their hearts are so
attached to each other that their union for life will be
happy. The engagement is a contract that binds in con
science and under mortal sin, but it is not, like Matri9
Acta et Decreta, p. Ixxxvi.
BETROTHAL
309
niony itself, an indissoluble contract. For grave causes
the bond may be dissolved and both parties set free to
marry others. But too many young people, we are sorry
to say, look upon the sweet season of their betrothal with
a worldly eye, with no serious thought of the sacredness
of the alliance they are about to enter. They give way
to their passions and are not ashamed to commit
grievous sins. A poor way indeed to prepare themselves
for the reception of a holy sacrament! “Purity of life
and an affection that has better and more lasting grounds
than the impulse of passion, are the only proper dis
positions for entering upon a state of life which death
alone can change and which involves so many and im
portant consequences for time and eternity.”10
5. Here are some golden rules that cannot be impressed
too deeply on the minds of the betrothed. First of all,
let the young people obtain the blessing and consent of
their parents. Secret engagements are apt to lead to
criminal intimacy, sin, and scandal. Again, a betrothal
should not last too long nor be entered upon when there
is no prospect of a speedy marriage. This is the case
when half-grown boys and girls write love letters, give
one another presents, take lonely walks together, or when
a young mechanic, clerk, or farmer, begins a love affair,
though he knows he will not be able to marry for several
years. The fear of God is not in the hearts of these
people and their marriage, if it comes to pass, will prob
ably be a failure and bring shame, misery, and calamity
on their heads.
During the season of engagement the betrothed should
pray much. Prayer is necessary for resisting the tempta
tions to impurity and assuming obligations of the severest
10 Pastoral Letter of the Second PI. Council of Balt
I
31O
THE SACRAMENTS
character, which require extraordinary grace. When
the pious Tobias married Sara, he said to her: “Sara,
arise and pray, and let us pray to God to-day, to-morrow
and the next day, because for these three nights we are
joined to God. For we are the children of saints and
we must not be joined together like heathens that know
not God.” So they both rose and prayed earnestly to
gether, that health might be given them.11 Last, but
not least, the betrothed should receive the Sacraments
frequently. It is the duty of parents and pastors to
give the young couple advice. A priest must not think
that this matter is strictly private and that he has no
right to meddle in it. The welfare of the whole con
gregation depends on the manner in which marriages are
contracted. However, do not misunderstand me ; your
pastoral solicitude should be limited to checking and pre
venting evil. We deem it wrong for a priest to
go so far as to contrive engagements amongst the people
of his congregation. Here we feel inclined to say :
Hands off ! Intervene only in serious cases, for instance,
if a girl of good standing contemplates marriage with
a profligate, a drunkard, or an infidel.
Article II
INSTRUCTION BEFORE MARRIAGE
I. Since Matrimony amongst Christians is a Sacrament,
and the state of marriage is a holy state, entailing grave
and important obligations, it is proper that those about
to wed should acquaint themselves with what they have
to do to receive this Sacrament worthily, and also
with the duties of their new state of life. Pastors are
11 Tob. VIII, 46.
INSTRUCTION BEFORE MARRIAGE
311
exhorted to examine the bridal parties in order to see
whether they know everything that it behooves them to
know, and they should give them all the instruction they
need. “Fidelium matrimoniis praemitti etiam deberet op
portunum examen, quo contrahentes de religione exami
nentur et instruantur.” 1 In a pastoral letter of the Bishop
of Ratisbon (Jan. 17, 1869) we read: “This fatherly
instruction is of the utmost importance, and is often
the turning point for weal and woe of those about to be
married; it must therefore be undertaken conscientiously
and after constant invocation of the Holy Ghost.” The
Code says (can. 1033) :
Ne omittat parochus, secundum diversarum personarum con
ditionem, sponsos docere sanctitatem sacramenti matrimonii,
mutuas coniuffum obligationes et obligationes parentum erga
prolem; eosdemque vehementer adhortetur ut ante matrimonii
celebrationem sua peccata diligenter confiteantur, et sanctissimam
Eucharistiam pie recipiant.
The instruction comprises four points: (a) an inquiry
into possible matrimonial impediments; (&) an explana
tion of the nuptial rite; (c) an examination in Christian
doctrine; (d) detailed instruction concerning the obliga
tions of the married state.
2. As far as the impediments are concerned, it will
suffice to make an investigation about those which are of
common or frequent occurrence (consanguinitas, affinitas,
cognatio spiritualis, honestas publica, ligamen, mixta reli
gio, cultus disparitas). Impediments that arise from
crime should not be publicly investigated. It is enough
to tell the parties in a general way that there are im
pediments which are more or less infamous, and that they
should be sincere on this point in their confession. A
1 Cone. Pl. Balt. Ill, n. 125.
3»2
THE SACRAMENTS
careful inquiry regarding such impediments should be
made in actu confessionis, but in a form that is not
offensive. Should you happen to detect an impediment,
it will be necessary to postpone the banns or suspend
them if the publication has already commenced, until a
dispensation has been obtained.
3. "Admoneantur . . . coniuges, ut antequam contra
hant, sua peccata diligenter confiteantur, et ad SS. Eu
charistiam atque ad Matrimonii Sacramentum suscipien
dum pie accedant.” 2 Matrimony is a Sacrament of the
living and must therefore be received in the state of
grace ; it is a sacrilege for Catholics to get married whilst
their conscience is loaded with mortal sin. The bridal
couple ought to be exhorted to make a good, if possible,
a general confession, a few days before their wedding.
Then, if perchance some secret impediment should be
discovered, it could be removed in due season. We
are well aware that some moralists hold that there is
no ecclesiastical law by which nupturients are compelled
sub gravi to go to confession before marriage. This is
true enough, but what about the divine and natural law?
The illustrious Dr. Heiss, late Archbishop of Milwaukee,
in his celebrated work De Matrimonio, says :
"Animadvertendum est, sponsos ad confessionem praemitten
dam (et pariter parochum ad eam ab eis exigendam) plerumque
multo gravius teneri ex lege naturali et divina, in quantum sci
licet matrimonium est unum ex Sacramentis vivorum, ad quae
licite et fructuose recipienda ex ture superiore requiritur status
gratiae, qui quamvis per actum contritionis perfectae absolute
loquendo procurari possit, hoc tamen modo vix unquam ab iis
posse recuperari videtur, qui copiam confessorii habentes, nccnon admoniti ab Ecclesiae ministro ad confessionem nunc per
agendam, temere huic admonitioni resistunt, siquidem contritio
2 Rit. Rom., tit. VII, c. i, n. 17.
INSTRUCTION BEFORE MARRIAGE
313
perfecta non remittit peccata mortalia seu hominem iustificot, nisi
cum voto confessionis, hoc autem votum in taliter Ecclesiae
monito renitentibus ne implicite quidem potest supponi."
We are confident that every priest who has had ex
perience in this matter, will endorse the doctrine here set
forth and, as a rule, not join in marriage persons who have
not gone to confession. The pastor should instruct the
bridal couple also in regard to the rites of marriage, ex
plain to them the different ceremonies, prayers, etc., and
try to impress them with awe and respect for the sacred
act.
4. It is self-evident that people, when about to marry,
must know those articles of faith or dogmas which have
to be believed fide explicita and necessitate tnedii. How
ever, this is not enough ; they must be acquainted also with
other matters which a Catholic is bound to know necessi
tate praecepti.
On this point Pope Benedict XIV says:
"Ne parochus ad tertiam deveniat matrimonii denuntiationem,
nisi certo noverit, sponsos principalia fidei nostrae mysteria didi
cisse et saltem Orationem Dominicam, Salutationem Angelicam,
Symbolum Apostolorum et praecepta decalogi memoriae man
dasse.”
One reason why an inquiry must he made as to whether
the parties have a fundamental knowledge of their re
ligion, is because if they have not yet acquired it. they
are not likely to acquire it later, but will probably re
main in ignorance all their life. Another reason is the
fact that it will be their duty afterwards to instruct their
children, which is impossible unless they themselves are
well versed in Christian doctrine.
But how shall the pastor ascertain whether or not
3’4
THE SACRAMENTS
parties presenting themselves for marriage are sufficiently
instructed? Here we must say, let prudence be your
guide. Consider the age of the nupturients, the locality
in which they live, the education they have received, etc.,
and you will soon know how to go about it. Thus, for
instance, if both parties were brought up by good Cath
olic parents, if they attended a Catholic parochial school,
or, at least, received a comparatively sound and good
religious instruction at their first Communion, you will
need to ask only a few practical questions, for example,
on Confession, on the Holy Eucharist, on the precepts
of the Church, etc. But do not proceed as if you were
examining school children, lest you offend them; just
speak in a conversational tone, so that your questions
drop in almost imperceptibly. Sometimes you meet with
people who are densely ignorant about matters of re
ligion, who perhaps never went to confession, who have
not yet made their first Communion. These, of course,
must be thoroughly instructed, like converts. If they
are dull and slow in grasping things, you should be as
lenient as possible. Be satisfied with a minimum :
give them books, if they can read, to supply the want,
and exhort them to come regularly to the sermons and
other public instructions.
5. The last, though by no means least important mat
ter to which the attention of the bridal couple must be
called by the pastor, are their future duties. Married
people have duties towards each other, towards their off
spring, towards the Church and society at large. They
owe each other fidelity and love, but this love ought not
to be a purely sensual affection, but a truly supernatural
or Christian love, such as St. Paul describes in his Epistle
to the Corinthians.3 They must bear with each other,
3 I Cor. XIII, 4 8.
INSTRUCTION BEFORE MARRIAGE
315
help each other, console each other in spiritual and tem
poral distress, give an example of virtue to each other,
and pray for each other. Tell them to banish from their
hearts and homes jealousy, which is prejudicial to domes
tic peace. In this connection you can hardly refrain
from making some allusion to the debitum coniugale;
but do it in general terms. Simply refer them to the
words of the Apostle: “The wife hath not power of
her own body, but the husband. And in like manner the
husband also hath not power of his own body, but the
wife.”4 Caution them against the widespread vice of
onanism and the monstrous crime of abortion. Warn
them not to defile their wedlock by following the fashion
of those, heathens and infidels, who seek only the pleas
ures of the marital state, but shirk its obligations (“birth
control”). Let them understand that if their marriage
be fruitful, it is a blessing from God, and not a bane, as
some modern sociologists assert. In speaking of the ob
ligations of parents towards their offspring, explain what
is meant by the Catholic education which they must give
their children. Instruct them briefly on the necessity of
Baptism, on private Baptism and the way in which it
should be administered, if necessary even before birth
(this last point had better be touched upon in confession).
In particular, speak about the manner in which a mother
must act towards her little ones; how she ought to make
them pray from early infancy; how she ought to teach
them the fundamental dogmas of the Catholic faith; how
and why children must be sent to Catholic schools when
ever possible. Finally, as to the duties which they will
have towards the Church and society, let the bridal parties
know that Christian families are the foundation of the
commonwealth, the stock of which a good parish or con41 Cor. vn, 3-s.
3i6
THE SACRAMENTS
gregation is formed. Remind them that if they wish
to enjoy the blessing of God, they must keep His com
mandments and those of His Church. The husband, as
head of the family, ought especially to see to it that the
Sunday is kept holy; the wife and mother should watch
that fast and abstinence days are observed.
6. When one of the parties is a non-Catholic, the in
struction here mapped out may be changed a little, but
it must not be omitted entirely or given to the Catholic
party alone. Protestants often have lax views regarding
Matrimony and need much information on the duties
incumbent on the married. In particular, tell them
that our holy religion allows no divorce from the bond
of marriage; that the union which they enter upon is a
union for life. Sometimes you may have to curtail the
instruction because everything must be done in a hurry
and on short notice. Then do the best you can under
the circumstances. As a rule, people wishing to get mar
ried should notify their pastor about a month ahead of
the date set apart for the wedding ; and the pastor should
at once appoint the time when he will be ready to give
them the necessary instruction. It ought to be as soon as
possible, because only thus is an opportunity afforded to
prepare them well for the coming event. Our advice
to all young priests is to write down every point on
which they intend to speak. For their assistance we
give a specimen instruction for bridal couples at the
end of this volume. (See Appendix III) We append
also the titles of a few books- which may be found serv
iceable :
Instructio Sponsorum Lingua Anglica Conscripta, B. Herder
Book Co., St. Louis.
Ths. J. Gerrard, Marriage and Parenthood : The Catholic Ideal.
Gassner, Unterricht Uber die Ehe fiir Brautleute, Regensburg.
PROCLAMATION OF THE BANNS
317
Faerber, Brautunterricht.
Schlachter, Forbidden Marriages, Collegeville, Ind.
Article III
PROCLAMATION OF THE BANNS—THE NUPTIAL RITE
I. A Catholic marriage is usually preceded by the proc
lamation of the banns on three successive Sundays. If
a holyday of obligation intervenes, it may be done also
on that dajr. The future marriage is announced in the
parish church to which the parties belong as regular mem
bers. The announcement is made during High Mass, or
at least during a Mass at which the greater part of the
congregation are supposed to be present. This law is
very strict. A pastor omitting such publication entirely,
or persons getting married without it, would be guilty
of mortal sin. If both parties do not live in the same
parish, the banns must be published in both parishes.
If they are new-comers, the proclamation must
be made both in the parish in which they now live and in
the one from which they came, that is, if they have not
been away from it longer than six months. The bishop
has the right, for just reasons, to dispense from the banns
but in order to omit them entirely the cause must be “valde
gravis.’1 The Ritual contains a special form for the pub
lication, which, as far as possible, ought to be followed
in the vernacular. O’Kane gives the following transla
tion: “Be it known to all here present that N— and
N— (here mention not only the Christian and surname,
but also the names of the parents, and, in the case of
a widow, the name of the deceased husband), intend, with
God’s blessing, to be united in the holy state of matri
mony. Wherefore, if anyone of you know that there is
between them an impediment to prevent their marriage,
3i8
THE SACRAMENTS
we hereby admonish each and all of you that you are
bound to make it known to us as soon as possible. This
is the first (second or third) publication.” 1 If a dis
pensation from one or two publications was granted, this
circumstance ought to be mentioned; also, if an impedi
ment existing between the parties has been dispensed
with.
2. We have said before that the marital contract as
such always has the nature of a Sacrament when both
parties are baptized. The ministers of the Sacrament
are the candidates themselves, the groom administering
the Sacrament to the bride, the bride to the groom. In
order to avoid profanation and a sacrilegious reception,
the Church has established certain rules and rites in con
nection with the celebration of marriage. Good Cath
olics wishing to have the blessing of God on their con
jugal alliance ought to comply conscientiously with all
the ecclesiastical regulations. Thus there is a strict law
requiring that marriage be contracted before the ‘"paro
chus proprius” and in the presence of two witnesses.
The ‘‘parochus proprius” is the pastor of the parish in
which the parties have their home (domicilium or quasi
domicilium, that is to say, a stay of thirty continuous
days. If they do not belong to the same parish,
they ought to be joined in marriage by the rector of the
parish in which the bride resides.12
Clandestine marriages, i. e., marriages contracted by
Catholics outside the Church, or not in presence of a
1 O'Kane, Notes on the Rubrics.
2 Whenever parties, for just rea
sons, desire to get married outside
their parish or diocese, they must
procure a written permission from
their own pastor and also a sealed
statement that there is no legal im
pediment, that the banns have been
duly published, and that all other
regulations have been fully complied
with. Without such a certificate no
priest is allowed to marry a couple
coming from another place.
THE NUPTIAL RITE
319
priest endowed with parochial jurisdiction (within this
priest’s territory), or before a priest properly delegated,
are not only illicit, but absolutely invalid. Catholics com
mit a mortal sin and are guilty of a grievous sacrilege
if they marry before a civil magistrate, commonly called
“squire.” Still worse would be their crime if they were
to go to a Protestant minister. In the latter case they
would be excommunicated ipso facto.3 There are also
certain seasons—tempora clausa—during which marriages
should not be solemnized, namely, from Ash Wednesday
to Easter Sunday, and from the first Sunday of Advent
to the feast of Christmas. Though this refers only to
solemn marriages and marriage festivities, yet the com
mon opinion and feeling of Catholics appears to be that
no marriage should take place at such seasons. It is but
proper for a priest to pay regard to this popular feeling,
to avoid scandal.
3. The nuptial rite ought to be performed in church,
not in a private house, except by special permission of
the Ordinary. The proper time for it is in the morning.
Evening marriages, fashionable as they may seem to cer
tain people, are not in accordance with ecclesiastical law
and should be discountenanced. A zealous priest will
easily succeed in persuading people to come in the morn
ing and to have their wedlock sanctified by the Sacrifice
of the Mass.
"Frequenter et gravibus verbis inculcent [rectores animarum]
pium illum et laudabilem Ecclesiae ritum, quo fideles non nociti
sed Missae tempore cum benedictione nuptiali contrahunt. Qua
ratione fidem suam Catholicam tacite profitentur et coram om
nibus ostendunt quam alte, ut decet, ac splendide de matrimonii
sanctitate sentiant. Et hoc quidem non solum laude dignum sed
fere necessarium videtur nostris hisce temporibus, quando nihil
intentatum relinquunt religionis hostes, ut matrimonio omnis
3 Cfr. C. 1. C., can. 3319, } 1.
320
THE SACRAMENTS
sanctitatis, omnis sacramenti species, si fieri potest, adimatur el
quasi merus civilis contractus aestimetur.” *
4. The practical way of proceeding in the perform
ance of the nuptial rite may be summed up thus: After
the banns have been duly published and all other pre
vious requirements® have been complied with, the bridal
couple present themselves in church on the day set apart,
accompanied by their friends and relatives. A special
place—a bench or kneeling desk—should be prepared for
them in front of the altar. Here let them kneel
in silent devotion until the priest enters from the
sacristy. The chosen witnesses ought to be close behind.
The priest, if he is to celebrate Mass immediately after
wards, must put on all the vestments except the maniple,
which he will take later. If Mass does not follow, he
should be dressed in a surplice and a white stole. Hav
ing ascended the altar, he turns towards the bridal parties,
who will leave their place and, followed by the witnesses,
approach the altar steps. Before beginning the cere
mony, you may read a short instruction on the dignity
of the Sacrament of Matrimony.® Then ask the bride
groom and bride successively : “N—, wilt thou take N—
here present for thy lawful wife (husband) accord
ing to the rite of our holy Mother, the Church?”
To this question both should answer with an audible
voice: *T will.” Thereupon make them join their right
hands and recite the words of the Ritual : “I, N— N—,
4 Cone. PI. Balt. Ill, n. 125.
5 If the civil law prescribes cer
tain formalities prior to marriage, it
ought to be obeyed. Though it ap
pears to be only a penal law, yet
people and priest may get into
trouble by failing to observe it.
Thus, in several States of the Union
the statute ordains that no marriage
shall be solemnized unless a license
has first been granted by the civil
authorities.
e Cfr. Excerpta Rit. Rom., Ap
pendix.
PROCLAMATION OF THE BANNS
321
take thee, N— N—, for my lawful wife (husband), to
have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for
worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health,
till death do us part.” This being done, bless them, say
ing: “Ego coniungo vos in matrimonium in nomine Pa
tris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti, Amen,” and sprinkle them
with Holy Water. Then follows the blessing of the
ring, which the husband will put on the left hand of the
wife. The ceremony is concluded by several verses and
responses and the prayer: "Respice, quaesumus Do
mine,” etc. If Mass is not celebrated, read the instruc
tion after the marriage ceremony.7 If Mass follows,
this instruction should be read before the last benedic
tion. In the latter case the parties will return to their
seats, whilst the witnesses withdraw to the body of the
Church. The Mass should be the "Missa pro sponso et
sponsa" whenever the rubrics allow? The “Pater
Noster” being finished, the celebrant moves a little to the
Epistle side, turns around to the wedded pair, kneeling
on the altar steps, and reads the solemn nuptial benedic
tion found in the Missal. This benediction cannot be
imparted if the woman is a widow and has obtained it
at a former wedding. Whenever the parties receive holy
Communion, which, as a rule, they should, they will
come up to the altar a third time, and the fourth and last
time in order to get the blessing. Before imparting it,
the celebrant will say the prayer of the Missal, "Deus
Abraham,” etc., make a few apt remarks or read the in
T Ibid.
8 The Mass "pro sponso et spon
sa" is a votive Mass without Gloria
and Credo. It can be said on all
days except Sundays, holydays of
obligation, all feasts of the first and
second class, during the octaves of
Epiphany and Pentecost, on the
vigil of Pentecost, on the octave
day of Corpus Christi, and every
day which excludes a feast of the
second class. On these days take
the "Λ/issa diet cum commemora
tione missae pro sponso et sponsa."
322
THE SACRAMENTS
struction as found in the Excerpta, sprinkle the parties
with Holy Water—in forma crucis—and give benediction
in the usual manner. Then the couple will return to their
place and remain there for a while, until Mass is ended
and they have made their thanksgiving. This is the nup
tial rite as established by the Church. No doubt, if every
thing is performed in the proper way, if all who are
present show by their whole attitude that they appreciate
the spiritual graces conferred, the ceremony will leave
a lasting impression. The wedding day being a day of
joy, may be celebrated also by secular festivities. Care,
however, should be taken to avoid excesses. The pastor
is sometimes invited to a wedding. Should he accept
the invitation? Here we say, follow your own judg
ment, and do what seems to be prudent under the circum
stances. No general rule can be laid down, though,
broadly speaking, it is wise for priests to keep away
from banquets and worldly gatherings as much as they
can.
Article IV
MIXED MARRIAGES
I. A mixed marriage, in the strict and canonical sense,
means a marriage between a Catholic and a baptized
heretic. Common usage, however, has enlarged the term
so as to include all marriages between Catholics and non
Catholics, not only heretics proper, but also infidels, Jews,
and pagans, in fact, all persons who have not been bap
tized.
What is to be thought of these marriages? They are
forbidden by divine and ecclesiastical law. A Catholic
MIXED MARRIAGES
323
contracting such a marriage without a legitimate dis
pensation commits a mortal sin, and if the non-Catholic
party has not been baptized, the marriage is null and void
on account of the impedimentum disparitatis cultus.1
We must look upon mixed marriages as a great mis
fortune for the Church, and if some congregations, in
spite of every effort on the part of the pastor, make no
progress, show no zeal for the faith, manifest no spirit
of sacrifice, simply drag along without activity and life,
the cause of all this may be traced largely to mixed mar
riages. There can be no real happiness and contentment
in these conjugal alliances, because unity in the most
important questions of life is wanting. Sad experience
has proved in hundreds of cases that a Catholic who
marries a Protestant will gradually lose his faith, or at
least cease to practice it. And what becomes of the chil
dren ? With a few exceptions they are lost to the Church.
How can they cherish an affection for the Catholic faith
if they see their own parents divided upon this weighty
subject, the father worshipping God in one way, the
mother in another, or not at all? Surely the Roman
Pontiffs are right when they raise their voices against
mixed marriages, condemning them in unmistakable
terms, and warning Catholics not to join in wedlock with
those who are not of their own faith.
Clement XI says: "The Church in truth abhors these mar
riages, which exhibit deformity, but little spirituality.” The
learned Benedict XIV, in an instruction sent to the Catholics of
the Netherlands, calls mixed marriages “detestable nuptials
which holy Mother Church has unceasingly condemned and in
terdicted.”
1 Cfr. Cone. Pl. Balt. Ill, n. 130.
324
THE SACRAMENTS
2. Since mixed marriages are fraught with immense
evil, priests having charge of souls must make every ef
fort to prevent them. It is useless to wait until the Cath
olic party comes and declares that he or she is deter
mined to marry a non-Catholic, and then warn him or her
not to contract such a marriage. Almost invariably it
will be too late, and you will simply preach to deaf ears.
The evil must be nipped in the bud. As soon as you
notice any intimacy springing up between a Catholic
young man or girl of your congregation, and a non
Catholic, sound the warning. Go to see them and have a
private talk on the matter. Urge the parents, in partic
ular the mothers, to use their influence to deter the child
from this fatal step. In confession arouse the conscience
of the unfortunate young person who has been ensnared
by a passionate attachment for a non-Catholic. If you
know with moral certainty that, in consideration of the
particular disposition of the penitent or on account of
other circumstances, the future mixed marriage is apt to
have the worst effects, you must withhold absolution un
less the penitent promises to give up the company of the
non-Catholic. That company then is “occasio proxima
voluntaria” of mortal sin. Do not listen to such foolish
talk as: “But, Father, it will break my heart,” or “You
have no idea how good and well disposed that Protestant
is,” or “We think so much of each other.” Tell the
young Catholic man or lady that this is an illusion,
that others have spoken and thought the same way only to
find out, when it was too late, how grievously they had
been deceived. Moreover, a zealous pastor ought to warn
his whole congregation, in particular the younger element,
against mixed marriages, by instructing them in due time
and season on all points concerning these unholy al
MIXED MARRIAGES
325
liances.2 Therefore, preach on this subject at least once
every year, and if necessary several times.
"Omnis opera in co potius ponenda est, ut fideles a mixtis istis
coniugiis omnino deterreantur. Horiamur igitur animarum pa
stores, ut semel saltem in anno, tempore praesertim Adventus vel
Quadragesimae, gravi sermone greges sibi commissos mala,
quae ex illis pullulant, edoceant, simulque fidei pericula indicent,
quae tum sponso Catholico, tum proli suscipiendae imminent; gra
vissima ostendentes rationum momenta, quibus permota Christi
Ecclesia id genus nuptias acriter semper vetuerit, ac etiamnuni
vetet." 3
In the conferences which you give to the
societies of young people frequently take occasion to touch
upon this matter. Last, but not least, instruct your first
communicants well about the laws of the Church regard
ing mixed marriages and impress upon the young souls a
deep horror of them.4 By so doing you may not stop the
evil altogether, but you will prevent it from spreading.
3. How should a priest act if he has not succeeded
in his efforts to prevent a mixed marriage in a particular
case ? That the marriage may be legal, you must procure
a dispensation from the impediment either mixtae rcliligionis or disparitatis cultus, as the case may require.
This dispensation cannot be granted except under three
conditions : First, the non-Catholic party must guarantee
to the Catholic full liberty of conscience and free exer
cise of his religious duties; secondly, both must agree to
bring up their children in the Catholic faith and according
2 Wc refer our readers to Father
Lambing’s Sermon} on Mixed Mar
riage}. In short but forcible lan
guage they treat the subject admir
ably.
3 Cone. Pl. Balt. IT, n. 336·
4 We are sorry to say that the
Sacrament of Matrimony is not ex
plained sufficiently in catechetical
instructions. We admit that it is a
delicate matter; but you cannot al
low children who are about to leave
school to remain in utter ignorance
of it.
326
THE SACRAMENTS
(o Catholic rules of education ; third, the Catholic party
must promise to do his or her very best to win the non
Catholic party over to the Catholic religion. The first
and second pledge should, if possible, be given in writing,
according to a standard formula, signed by the parties
and two witnesses. One copy may be left with them as
a constant reminder, the other is to be filed with the rec
ord of the marriage in the parish archives. These pledges
must be made sincerely and without restriction. A pas
tor is bound to inquire about the circumstances, and if, in
his judgment, the word of the parties cannot be considered
good, if he is morally certain that, in spite of the promise
made, the danger for the Catholic party, and especially
for the future offspring, will be a periculum proximum,
he must not ask the bishop for a dispensation ; if he has
doubts, he may send in a full report and abide by the
Ordinary’s decision. Besides the conditions, a canonical
reason is required. Should there be another impediment,
for instance, consanguinity, affinity, etc., it must be men
tioned in the same letter in which a dispensation is asked
for from the impediment of mixed religion, in order that a
dispensation from both may be obtained at the same time.
4. The rite for mixed marriages differs substantially
from that for Catholic marriages. The Church, consid
ering mixed marriages as “detestable alliances,” simply
tolerated as a lesser evil, forbids the priest to perform any
act that might seem to sanction them.56 Therefore, the
banns are not published. The ceremony may not take
place in the church, nor in the sacristy, but may be
held in the priest’s house or at the private dwelling of the
5 That does not exonerate the
Catholic, however, from the duty
of preparing himself for the nuptial
celebration in a proper manner. In
particular he is bound to go to con·
fession beforehand and, if possible,
to receive Holy Communion,
MIXED MARRIAGES
327
parties. The pastor is directed to assist only as an exofficio witness with the two others. He is not allowed
to wear a sacred vestment, such as surplice, stole, etc., nor
to say any prayer, nor to perform any liturgical act; he
simply reads the short instruction," asks the parties to
express their marital consent, in the same way as is done
at a Catholic marriage, and then says : “By the authority
committed to me, I pronounce you united in the bonds
of matrimony.” The ring is given to the bride, but it
is not blessed. At the end he may read another
brief instruction.7 “How different alas,” writes Father
Lambing, “is the marriage of a Catholic with one who is
not of the fold of Christ! No light burns as an emblem
of their faith and love; their faith, alas, burns too faintly,
and their love is sensual ; the priest goes to the room where
the marriage is to take place as he would go to transact
any secular business. He stands before the unhappy
couple merely as a witness, for he says no prayer, makes
no sign of the Cross, sprinkles not a drop of Holy Water,
does nothing that would savor in the least of religion.
What could make a sadder impression on the mind of a
child of God? A Christian burial service is more con
soling, for there the Church bids adieu to the body of
one of her children and that only for a time; here, she
too often bids farewell to the soul for all eternity. And
happy would it be for many a Catholic if it had been his
funeral instead of his wedding day; for then he would
have to answer for but one soul ; now many souls may
rise up in judgment against him.” 8 These words of the
reverend author are hard, but true.
5. A zealous pastor ought not to lose sight of the way
ward sheep of his flock who has been so unfortunate as
eCfr. Excerpta Rit. Rom.
11bid.
β Serment on Mixed Marriagei,
328
THE SACRAMENTS
to marry a non-Catholic. ‘'Post celebratas autem mix
tas nuptias, parochi gravi conscientiae onere se gravari
sciant invigilandi ut promissae a coniugibus conditiones
observentur et effectum sortiantur.” 9 Keep up friendly
relations, not only with the Catholic, but also with the
Protestant. Especially have an eye upon the children, and
see to it that they are baptized in the Catholic Church
and later on sent to a Catholic school. By far the saddest
case is that of a Catholic who, without a dispensation, mar
ries a Protestant before a civil magistrate, or, what is still
worse, before a Protestant minister. Whenever such
persons of their own accord seek a reconciliation with
the Church, do not refuse your help. If they are ready
to comply with the required conditions, you may ask for
a dispensation. The Catholic, however, must first repair
the scandal he has given before he can be readmitted
to the Sacraments. Often, you need a special faculty to
absolve the penitent because his is a reserved case. If
the Catholic party does not come to see you, you must
weigh all the circumstances and then follow that mode of
action which prudence will dictate. Sometimes it may be
best to wait and not to urge a rectification of the marriage,
at least if the latter be invalid. Sooner or later the couple
may be divorced and this will give you an opportunity to
bring the Catholic back to a sense of duty.
9 Cone. Pl. Balt. Ill, n. 133.
CHAPTER VITI
THE SACRAMENTALS
Article I
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
I. Apart from the Sacraments, there exist in the Catho
lic Church other sacred rites and liturgical acts by which
grace is conferred. They are styled Sacramentals be
cause they externally resemble the Sacraments, being, like
them, visible signs that produce a holy and supernatural
effect. Substantially they differ from the Sacraments in
more than one point. Thus, whilst the Sacraments were
established by Christ Himself, the Sacramentals have been
instituted by ecclesiastical authority. Again, whereas the
Sacraments confer grace ex opere operato, the Sacramen
tals are rendered effective ex opere operantis. Last, but
not least, the Sacraments can be applied only to human
beings, whereas the Sacramentals are applicable to man
and nature, both animate and inanimate. Indeed, the main
object which the Church aims at in the Sacramentals is the
purification and sanctification of nature. Originally the
visible world in which we move was created for man, that
he might rule over it and make it subservient to his pur
poses. As we read in Holy Scripture, God said : “Let us
make man to our image and likeness, and let him have
dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the
air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creep329
33°
THE SACRAMENTS
ing creature that moveth upon the earth.” 1 However,
man sinned, and in his sin the whole universe became in
volved. The elements, which before had submitted to
human authority, now arrayed themselves as hostile forces
against their former master; and, what was worse, they
were turned into instruments of the powers of hell to be
used by the latter in their wily intrigues against mankind.
"Cursed,” said the Lord to Adam after his fall, ‘‘is the
earth in thy work; with labor and toil shalt thou eat
thereof all the days of thy life.”
The redemption of man, achieved by Christ, the Son
of God, necessarily implied a restoration of the universe,
bringing it back to its original state of obedience and lib
erty. To this St. Paul refers when he declares: “The
expectation of the creature waiteth for the revelation of
the sons of God, for the creature was made subject to
vanity, not willingly, but by the reason of him that made it
subject in hope; because the creature also itself shall be
made free from the servitude of corruption into the lib
erty of the glory of the children of God.” 2 The individ
ual man, to regain original justice and save his soul from
eternal perdition, must make use of the Sacraments as so
many means for obtaining a share in the merits of the
Redeemer; the material things in this visible world of
ours are set free from the curse which has befallen them
and again made subservient to man by means of the Sacramentals. The Church, through her ministers,—bishops
and priests,—applies to creation the merits of Christ
crucified and thus makes it participate in the supernatural
order, to which man has been raised. Viewed in this
light, the Sacramentals are far from being supersti
tious works, as the enemies of our faith pretend ; on the
1 Gen. I, 26.
2 Rom. VIII, 19-21.
THE SACRAMENTALS
331
contrary, they are great and wonderful sacred rites, to
which pious Catholics should have frequent recourse.
2. The blessing imparted to persons and things through
the various Sacratnentals is either a simple benediction
imploring God’s grace and help, or a consecration, set
ting the person or thing apart for the exclusive service of
God. The first kind of Sacramentals are called sacramentalia invocativa, the latter sacramentalia constitutiva.
Gardellini says : “Invocativae benedictiones illae sunt qui
bus Dei benignitas invocatur, ut vel personis vel rebus
pro benedictionis diversitate et vario rerum benedicenda
rum usu aliquid boni tribuat casque a malo vindicet, non
tamen immutato eorum statu (for instance, the blessing of
a house, the blessing of bread, fruit, etc.) Constitutivae
benedictiones illae vocantur, per quas personae vel res be
nedictae ad divinum cultum destinantur, et in statu per
manenti rei sacrae constituuntur, ita ut receptum per bene
dictionem hunc statum amplius non immutent neque ad
profanum statum aut usum redire possint aut profanae
ullo modo considerari vel effici valeant.” ( for instance, the
blessing of a church, of sacerdotal vestments, etc.).
3. The power of applying the Sacramentals is vested
in the sacred ministry. In the rite of ordination for the
priesthood the bishop, whilst anointing the hands of the
candidate, says :
“Consecrare et sanctificare digneris. Domine, manus istas per
istam unctionem et nostram benedictionem. Arnen. Ut quae
cumque benedixerint benedicantur, et quaecumque consecraverint,
consecrentur et sanctificentur in nomine Domini nostri Jesu
Christi.”
Though the ordo sacerdotalis is the root from which
the power of blessing proceeds, yet the Church has deemed
332
THE SACRAMENTS
it wise to limit the faculties of priests by reserving cer
tain benedictions to bishops, others to parish priests, and
others to religious orders. Hence, the Ritual appends
the warning :
"Noverit sacerdos, quarum rerum benedictiones ad ipsum et
quae ad episcopum suo iure pertineant, ne maioris dignitatis
munera temere aut imperite unquam usurpet propria aucto
ritate.” 3
The bishop may delegate a priest to bless and consecrate
in cases otherwise reserved, but this faculty of delegating
is restricted either by general law or by special instruc
tion. Rectors are empowered to bless the sacred vest
ments used for divine service in their church or chapel
(can. 1304, 3). This does not include the consecration
of chalices or those blessings for which the holy oils are
prescribed. The nuptial benediction and the blessing of
baptismal water are functions reserved to parish priests.
The various religious orders also enjoy certain privileges,
for instance, the erection of Stations of the Cross, the
imposition of Scapulars, etc., which, therefore, must not
be trespassed upon by the secular clergy or by members
of a different order.
4. The Sacramentals come under the head of public
worship. They are applied in the name of the Church,
and in consequence of the power which the Divine Founder
left to her. Hence, no priest should think that he may
do about them as he pleases. You are bound to follow
the special formula set apart for the diverse benedictions,
just as the Ritual or Pontifical ordains. Do not omit
words, or change and mutilate them, because you might
run the risk of destroying the effect and thus commit a
3 Rit. Rom.
THE SACRAMENTALS
333
fraud on the people. If no special formula has been as
signed for the object which you intend to bless, you may
take the "Benedictio ad omnia," or, if it be a place, the
"Benedictio loci." Some blessings cannot be performed
except in church and at the altar ;4 in this case you ought
to be vested in surplice and stole, either of the color of
the day or of the color specially prescribed. For solemn
blessings—for instance, of candles on the second day of
February—you should put on the cope. The prayers are
always said with joined hands, also the "Dominus vobiscum" and the "Oremus." Pronounce the words slowly
and distinctly and properly make the sign of the Cross
whenever the rubrics call for it. In the end, as a rule,
the things blessed are sprinkled with holy water three
times in forma crucis. In some cases it is necessary also
to incense them. The holy oils are used in the consecra
tion of chalices, altar stones, etc.
5. The Sacramentals, as we have said before, produce
their effect ex opere operantis. This means that the
Church per modum impetrationis asks God to bestow
upon the faithful either directly (when a blessing is im
parted to a person) or indirectly (by the use of blessed
things) that particular grace which the respective Sacra
mental calls for.
A Catholic wishing to receive such a grace is expected
to dispose himself for it. Above all, he must have faith
in the rite performed ; yet so as to leave it to God's wis
dom and providence either to grant or to withhold the
favor sought for. It would be superstitious to believe
that the Sacramentals work like physical causes, so as
4 The priest, during this func
tion, stands at the Epistle side.
The things to be blessed should be
placed on a tabic close by, not on
the mensa altaris, except vestments
and utensils destined for divine
service.
334
THE SACRAMENTS
never to fail, or with the same supernatural certainty as
the Sacraments. It may be well to remind the people of
this in order to prevent false opinions.
"Curent imprimis concionatorcs et animarum rectores, ut harum
rerum naturam, significationem, rectumque usum fidelibus expo
nant ac saepius inculcent. . . . Rudiorem plebeculam . . . etiam
atque etiam moneant, ne rebus ipsis nimiam efficaciam tribuat, ne
que eas caeca quadam et immodica fiducia servet, et superstitiosa
veneratione prosequatur, quasi ipsae per sese, sine pia mentis dis
positione, plurimum possent. Illos vero acerrime reprehendant,
qui huiusmodi res sacras ut ethnicis moris erat, amuletorum
quasi loco habent, quae ipsos etiam foedissimo vitiorum coeno
involutos ab ira Dei et ultione praestent immunes.” 5
Article II
SPECIAL REMARKS
I. Among the minor orders received by clerics prior
to the priesthood, is one called the Order of Exorcists.
What power do Exorcists receive? The Pontifical speci
fies this power in the prayer which the bishop is directed
to recite on the occasion. It reads thus : “Deum Patrem
Omnipotentem, fratres carissimi, supplices deprecemur. ut
hos famulos suos benedicere dignetur in officium Exorci
starum; ut sint spirituales imperatores ad abiicicndos dae
mones de corporibus obsessis cum omni nequitia eorum
multiformi." The exorcism is employed in the rite of
Baptism, but especially in cases of “possession.” Christ
Himself expelled demons from the bodies of men and
authorized His Apostles to do the same. The possibility
of the devil taking possession of a man’s body cannot be
denied, though among persons who have been baptized
occurrences of this kind are very rare. If they should
6 Cone. Pl. Balt. II, n. 350.
HOLY WATER
335
happen, a priest may make use of the power confided to
him. The Ritual contains not only a special formula for
this purpose, but also a variety of rules which must be
well observed. Let no one be hasty in this matter or
begin the ceremony before he has obtained permission
to do so from his Ordinary.
2. Of all the Sacramentals, none is better known or
more highly appreciated by pious Catholics than Holy
Water. Water has a conspicuous place in the order of
nature as well as in the order of grace. It is a sort of
life-giving element in both. “The Spirit of God moved
over the waters,” we read in the book of Genesis, to make
the earth, which was then in a chaotic state, bring forth
that variety of living organisms in which it now abounds.
Under the Old Law lustrations were prescribed in connec
tion with divers sacrifices. In the New Testament, Christ
Himself deigned to appoint water as the matter for Bap
tism. the Sacrament of regeneration, by which spiritual
life is infused into the soul. Need we wonder that
the Church lays special stress upon the use of holy
water, so much so, indeed, that she prescribes it for al
most all blessings? “Cum sacerdos aliquid benedicturus
est, habeat ministrum cum vase aquae benedictae et aspergillo.”1 The Fathers of the Second Plenary Council of
Baltimore, adopting the words of an ancient author, say:
“Aquam sale conspersam populis benedicimus, ut ea cuncti
aspersi sanctificentur et purificentur. Quod et omnibus
sacerdotibus faciendum esse mandamus. Nam si cinis vi
tulae sanguine aspersus populum sanctificabat atque mun
dabat, multo magis aqua sale aspersa divinisque precibus
sacrata populum sanctificat atque mundat. Et si sale as
perso per Helisacum prophetam sterilitas aquae sanata est,
1 Rit.
Rom.
336
THE SACRAMENTS
quanto magis divinis precibus sacratus sal sterilitatem re
rum aufert humanarum, et coinquinatos sanctificat atque
mundat et purgat, et cetera bona multiplicat, et insidias
diaboli avertit, et a phantasmatum versutiis homines defen
dit.” 2 It is customary, though not of strict obligation,8
to bless water every Sunday, and to sprinkle the people
with it before High Mass during the so-called “Asperges.”
The rector should see to it that there be at least one, and
if necessary, several holy water fonts at the entrance of
the Church, near the door. Keep these fonts clean and
neat. A little vessel with holy water should be in every
private dwelling. Teach the people how to use holy water
and warn them against superstitious practices. “Postea
christifidclcs possunt de ista aqua benedicta in vasculis
suis accipere et sccum deferre ad aspergendos acgros\,
domos, agros, vineas et alia, et ad eam habendam in cubi
culis suis, ut ea quotidie et saepius aspergi possint.” *
3. Candles are blessed in a solemn manner on the feast
of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (second
of February). These candles must be wax candles.
Where wax candles cannot be had, the pastor should pro
cure a sufficient quantity from abroad. Do not get
them from a Protestant or Jewish dealer, but from a good
Catholic firm, who will warrant them to be genuine wax
2 Cone. Pl. Balt. II. n. 344.
3 Schuech (Pastoral-Theologie, p.
339) says that to the question put
by the Rev. Thomas Fagan, of Mil
waukee, "cum multis in locis illius
regionis mos invaluerit omittendi as
persionem aquae benedictae in Do
minicis etiam ante Missam princi
palem vel parochialem non cantatam,
quaeritur utrum haec consuetudo
servari possit f“—the S. Congr. of
Rites answered (Dec. gth, 1878):
"Benedictio de qua agitur prae
scripta tantum est ante Missam conventilaient, quando haec celebratur
cum cantu et ministris." Hence, a
universal law prescribing the “As
perges” before High Mass in pa
rochial churches on Sundays does
not exist. Still, we believe the
ceremony should not be omitted
where the people are used to it,
lest the priest give scandal by the
omission.
4 Kit. Rom. tit. VIII, c. a, n. 5.
BLESSED CANDLES AND ASHES
337
candles. The faithful should be induced on this day to get
two blessed candles for each family, and also to donate
some to the church. The blessed candle is a type of the
God-man Jesus Christ. The wax prepared by bees fitly
represents His pure human flesh, taken from the spotless
Virgin Mary ; the wick symbolizes the soul of our Blessed
Redeemer ; the bright light typifies His divine nature. In
many churches it is customary to impart the blessing of
St. Blase on the day following the feast of the Puri
fication. It is done by means of two candles held in the
form of a cross before a person’s face so as to touch
the chin {tacto physico). At the same time the short
prayer of the Ritual must be pronounced, by which God
is asked to preserve the person blessed from all evil, es
pecially from throat trouble.
4. Ash Wednesday receives its name from the ashes
which are solemnly blessed on that day. These ashes, if
possible, should be prepared by the burning of palm
branches, blessed on Palm Sunday of the previous year.
Lent, the season of mortification and penance, begins on
Ash Wednesday. Ashes were a sign of penance in the Old
Law. Christian penitents in the early ages adopted the
same symbol. Thus it gradually became customary
throughout the whole Church to begin the season of Lent
by the ceremony of distributing ashes. They are blessed
at the altar before Mass. After the blessing, the cele
brant, if there be only one priest, first puts the ashes on
his own head ; then he proceeds to perform the ceremony
on the servers at the steps of the altar, and, finally, gives
the ashes to the people kneeling at the communion rail
ing.
"Si non adsit alius sacerdos, tunc cineribus in medio altaris
positis, ipsetnet celebrans genuflexus super suppedaneum facie ad
338
THE SACRAMENTS
altare conversa sibi ipsi cineres imponit, nihil dicens, quasi a
Christo illos recipiat. Et similiter cos distribuit stans aperto
capite cos accipiendo inter pollicem et indicem dextrae manus,
cosque spargendo in modum crucis iuxta verticem capitis super
capillos, qui apparent iuxta frontis extremitatem.” °
5. The palms are blessed on Palm Sunday in remem
brance of the solemn entrance of Jesus into the City of
Jerusalem, on which occasion the children of the Hebrews
met their King and Saviour with palm branches. But
there is also a mystical meaning in the ceremony, as is
evident from the words used in the various prayers dur
ing the blessing. “Palmarum rami de mortis principe
triumphos expectant—Surculi olivarum spiritualem unc
tionem advenisse quodammodo clamant.” We are ex
horted to live so that, bearing the palm of victory in our
hands, we may participate in the triumphant entry of
Christ into Heaven on the last day. The branches blessed
should be green and fresh. Of late quite a number of
Catholic firms in the United States have made it their busi
ness to supply real palms, gathered in southern zones.
These are preferable to the branches of evergreens,
cedar, etc., because they keep longer and make a finer
appearance. Besides they do not cost much, and hence
we advise you to procure them and send in your order in
time. The people should be taught to preserve reverently
the palms which they take home. Tell them to put them
in a conspicuous place and not to let them get dirty.
After the year has elapsed they should be burnt and not
thrown away like common rubbish.
6. All articles destined for divine worship may be
blessed; for many this blessing is prescribed under pen
alty of Sin. Thus a new church edifice cannot be used
6 De Herdt, Liturgiae Praxis.
BLESSING CHURCH BELLS
339
for permanent worship before it has been solemnly ded
icated either by consecration or by benediction. Even the
corner-stone, after the foundation is finished, needs a
blessing. A new parochial school, a priest’s house, a
convent for the Sisters, a hospital, and similar buildings,
should not be left without a blessing. Try to make these
blessings a solemn festivity; invite the people and ex
plain to them the meaning of the sacred ceremony.
Church Bells
In this connection we may add a few remarks about
bells. Every church intended for public use should have
at least one bell. Rectors and trustees ought to see to it
that this bell is made of the proper material, namely,
bronze. Steel and iron bells may be good enough for
school houses, but they should not be bought for churches.
Church bells are not only instruments for calling the
people to divine service ; there is a deep mystery in them.
By the variety of tones which they produce they help to
evoke in those who hear them such a temper of mind as
the respective occasions call for. They rejoice with the
joyful, they mourn with the mourners. The Roman
Pontifical says that a bell should not be raised to its place
in the belfry before it has been consecrated. The conse
cration must be performed by the bishop; only by a spe
cial faculty from the Holy See may the bishop delegate
a priest to perform this act.
The ceremony of blessing a bell is very impressive. It
somewhat resembles the baptismal rite, hence the German
expression, “Glockentaufe.” First, seven Psalms are sung
or recited in the order the Pontifical has arranged them;
then the bell is washed inside and outside with water that
has been blessed for the purpose. After that the bishop
anoints the bell, first with the oil of the sick (oleum in-
THE SACRAMENTS
firmorum), next with holy chrism. This being done, a
vessel with incense and other odoriferous spices is put
under the bell so as to fill it with perfume. In the end the
assistant deacon reads a passage from the tenth chapter
of St. Luke, in which reference is made to the “Unum
necessarium,” spoken of by our Lord in His conversa
tion with Martha and Mary. A consecrated bell, after
it has been set apart for divine worship, must not be used
for profane purposes. Do not allow your church bell to
be rung in connection with political affairs, or for any
other purely secular purpose. See to it that those who
ring it do so carefully. Let it always sound before divine
service, three times a day for the Angelus, on the eves of
Sundays and holydays, and at funerals. During the three
last days of Holy Week, from the "Gloria” of Holy
Thursday until the "Gloria” of the vigil of Easter, the
church bells must remain silent.0
7. The Roman Ritual contains many blessings for things
destined for ordinary use. The food which men eat, the
houses in which they live, the animals which they possess,
the land which they cultivate, may be blessed. Even for
the various modern inventions, such as railroads, tele
graphs, electric light, the Church has a special formula
of benediction. The clergy ought to encourage the faith
ful to avail themselves of the means of grace thus offered ;
much spiritual and bodily evil may thereby be averted.
Avoid avarice and undue extortion ; offer your services
0 J i. Cuilibet ecclesiae Cam
panas esse convenit, quibus fideles
ad divina officia aliosque religionis
actus invitentur.
S i. Etiam ecclesiarum campanae debent consecrari vel benedici
secundum ritis in probatis liturgicis libris traditos.
$ 3. Earum usus unice subest
ecclesiasticae auctoritati.
§ 4. Salvis conditionibus, pro
bante Ordinario, appositis ab illis
qui campanam ecclesiae forte de
derint, campana benedicta ad usus
mere profanos adhiberi nequit, nisi
ex causa necessitatis aut ex licentia
Ordinarii aut denique ex legitima
consuetudine. (can. 1169)
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
341
freely, for such is the command of Christ: “Freely have
you received, freely give.”
The Stations of the Cross
8. Here seems to be the place to say a few words about
the Way of the Cross. This devotion was instituted in
commemoration of the painful journey which our Saviour
made through the streets of Jerusalem, when, after his
condemnation by Pilate, His enemies led Him to the place
of execution on Mount Calvary. Tradition says that the
Blessed Virgin Mary, when her Son’s mission on earth
was accomplished, frequently visited the various places
marked by His and her sufferings, in order to meditate
devoutly on the love of God for man. Her example was
followed by the pious pilgrims who during the subse
quent ages came to Jerusalem to venerate the sacred
shrines. From Jerusalem this devout exercise was carried
to Europe by persons who had traveled to the Holy Land
and who upon their return wished to let others participate
in the joys and consolations which they themselves had felt
at the hallowed spots. The Friars Minor of the Order
of St. Francis were the first who gave the practice formal
shape by erecting in their churches fourteen stations, by
visiting which the faithful might have a chance, like the
pilgrims who went to the Holy Land, to make in spirit
the journey which our Saviour and His sorrowful Mother
had made before. The devotion received the approbation
of the Roman Pontiffs, who did not hesitate to recommend
it to all Christians, at the same time enriching it with
many indulgences. According to a rescript of Benedict
XIII, it is forbidden to give a detailed description of these
indulgences. It is only permitted to state in general
that whoever devoutly performs the Way of the Cross, is
342
THE SACRAMENTS
entitled to the same indulgences that are gained by those
who personally visit the holy places in Jerusalem. The
reception of the Sacraments is not required, not even for
the plenary indulgences. It is enough to be in the state
of grace and to observe the general rules prescribed for the
devotion. The plenary indulgences, it seems, can be
gained only once a day, but all the indulgences can be ap
plied to the souls in purgatory. When the Stations have
been erected in a church or some other public place, every
Catholic can gain the indulgences, but in a private chapel
in a convent, hospital, etc., only the inmates of the house
or such as are admitted to take part in the devotional
exercises can gain the indulgences.
9. There are quite a number of regulations with re
gard to the Way of the Cross. Some refer to the power
of erecting it; others apply to the stations themselves;
others, finally, determine the manner in which the exercise
is to be performed.
(a) The power to erect the Way of the Cross is re
served (privative quoad alios quoscunque') to the General
Superior and the Provincials of the Friars Minor of the
Franciscan Order, who may, however, delegate their sub
jects, i. e., priests who belong to the Order and who are
authorized to hear confessions or to preach. The delega
tion must be made in writing. Those who do not belong
to the Franciscan Order may obtain the faculty either
from the General of the Franciscans or from the Holy
See, and it is always understood that they cannot make
use of it in places where or near which the Franciscans
have a residence.
When a bishop has been authorized by the Holy See
to erect the Stations of the Cross and to delegate such of
his priests as he may deem fit to perform the ceremony,
he is not permitted to give a general faculty to this ef-
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
343
feet. The priest should in each single case apply to the
Ordinary and the latter must give his consent and approba
tion in writing under penalty of forfeiting the indulgen
ces.
"Ad canonicam erectionem Viae Crucis requiritur inter alia:
Consensus Ordinarii loci in quo erigenda est Via Crucis, qui in
scriptis dari debet sub poena nullitatis (D. 175, 3. Aug., 1748) et
quidem pro unaquaque stationum Viae Crucis erectione, quia
non sufficiat consensus generice praestitus pro erigendis statio·
nibus in certo numero ecclesiarum vel oratoriorum sine specifica
designatione loci (D. 405, 21 Jun., 1879)."1
For the erection of the Stations in public oratories of
hospitals, orphan houses, etc., which are under the juris
diction of the local pastor, the latter must give his writ
ten consent, if the ceremony is performed by another
priest. For the chapels of convents a written permit of
the superior or superioress is required, otherwise the
erection will be invalid.
The priest who has performed the function is obliged
to draw up a certificate or written deposition with regard
to the erection and its particulars. One copy of this
authentica, framed and put under glass, should be hung
up in the sacristy or other convenient place, or at least be
kept in the archives of the parish; the other should be
sent to the chancellor of the diocese. However, neglect
of this injunction would not entail a loss of the indul
gences.
(b) As regards the Stations themselves, they may be
erected either in or outside the church or chapel, for
instance, in cemeteries, in groves, or on hillsides. When
they are put up outside, they should begin or end in the
church or some other sanctuary, and the place should be
T Manuale
de
Indulgent™,
B. Melat, Romae, 189a.
344
THE SACRAMENTS
enclosed or at least sufficiently guarded against pro
fanation. The Franciscan superiors have no power to
erect the Way of the Cross in oratories where Mass is not
celebrated, and still less in private rooms. Application
for such places must be made to the Holy See.
There must be exactly fourteen stations with fourteen
crosses. The indulgences are attached to the crosses and
not to the pictures. The pictures are not essential, nor
do they require any blessing, though they may be blessed.
They are merely intended to assist the imagination in med
itating on the scenes of the Passion. The fourteen
crosses, however, must be blessed with the formula given
in the Ritual. This blessing may be performed either
before they are put up, or after they are placed on the
wall. The priest who blesses the crosses need not put
them up himself, but he must bless them in the place
where they are to be located. It would not therefore suf
fice to bless the crosses privately at home and then have
them put up.
The material required for the crosses is wood. They
may be gilded or ornamented, but must not be so
encased in metal as to be concealed from view. Although
it is customary, it is not necessary to have the crosses
attached to the top of the images. The crosses may be
above, below, or entirely separated from the pictures.
There must be some distance between the different
stations. If the space allotted to the whole Way of the
Cross embraces only three or four feet, the erection will
be invalid or at least doubtful. It is immaterial
where in the church the Way of the Cross is established,
nor is there any rule prescribing that the first station
should be placed on the gospel side. However, it seems
to be proper to follow the order indicated by the fig
ures.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
345
When the pictures have become damaged, or a new and better
set has been obtained, the old crosses, if they are in good condi
tion, may be attached to the new images without any blessing or
other formality. The loss of a few (not more than six) crosses
does not affect the indulgences. Such crosses may be replaced
by others without the blessing. But if a large number is taken
off at once, a new canonical erection will be required. The tem
porary removal of the stations from the wall for the purpose of
cleaning or repairing them leaves the Way of the Cross intact,
except that during the time the crosses are missing the indul
gences cannot be gained. It is not forbidden to change the
crosses from one station to another, or to make a different ar
rangement with regard to distance or place, provided they remain
in the same church. But when they are taken off for good, or
transferred to an entirely different locality, the indulgences will
not be attached to the crosses any longer, and a new erection
must be made.
By a Decree, dated July 27, 1911, the Holy See granted
a general "sanatio" for all Stations of the Cross which
up to that time were invalid because they had not been
erected in the way the law requires.
(c) There are two essential points which must be ob
served in the devout exercise of the Way of the Cross.
First, “it is necessary to rise at each station, change one's
place, and go from one to another, unless a person be
prevented from doing so by reason of infirmity, the
narrowness of the place, or a crowd; in these cases it is
enough to make some slight movement and turn towards
the following station. By this pious exercise the faith
ful reproduce, on a small scale, the pilgrimage of the
Way of the Cross at Jerusalem. But bear in mind that,
wherever it is impossible to pass from one station to
another, the decrees invariably require some motion of
the body.” 8 When the exercise is performed in public,
a priest should act as leader and the people follow in
procession, men first, women next. At each station the
8 Decrees of Sept. 30, 1837. and Feb. 26, 184».
346
THE SACRAMENTS
priest will read a short meditation on the Passion and re
cite alternately with the people one “Our Father’’ and
“Hail Mary’’ and the act of contrition. All must be ad
monished to observe modesty in their movements and
to be devout and attentive. But if the multitude is too
large to keep up order, the following mode may be
adopted: All the people remain in their places, whilst
the priest, accompanied by two acolytes, goes around the
different stations and, stopping before each of them, re
cites the usual prayers, to which the faithful make re
ply. It is advisable that they rise in their places when
the stations are announced by the priest and then kneel
down again.
Vocal prayers are not absolutely necessary, but only of coun
sel. However, there is another essential condition. For, says
the Raccolta, “All who wish to gain the indulgences by means
of this devotion must bear in mind that it is indispensably re
quired of them to meditate, according to their ability, on the
Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This does not mean that
one must make a separate meditation at each station, it suffices
to meditate on the Passion in general.
The exercise must be performed without notable inter
ruptions. A slight interruption, such as is caused by the
hearing of Mass, the reception of Holy Communion, or a
short confession, will not interfere with the indulgences.
io. It may be well to note that if a person, for some
grave reason, is unable to go to the Stations, he can gain
the indulgences by means of a crucifix specially blessed
for that purpose.
This is a privilege granted by Clement XIV and confirmed by
Pius IX. It reads as follows: “All who are sick, or in prison,
or at sea, or in heathen lands, or prevented in any other way
from visiting the Stations of the Way of the Cross erected in
churches or public oratories, may gain these indulgences by say
ing with at least a contrite heart and devoutly, the Our Father,’
the ‘Hail Mary,' and the 'Glory be to the Father,' each fourteen
THE SACRAMENTALS
347
times, and at the end of these the Our Father,’ the ‘Hail Mary,
*
and the ‘Glory be to the Father,' each five times; and again one
Our Father,’ 'Hail Mary,’ and ‘Glory be to the Father’ for the
Sovereign Pontiff, holding in their hands the while a crucifix of
brass, or any other solid substance, which has been blessed by
the Father General of the Order of the Friars Minor Observants,
or else by the Father Provincial, or by any Father Guardian
subject to said Father General.”
At present the Holy See will give the faculty to bless such a
crucifix to any priest who applies for it This crucifix (not
merely a bare cross) cannot be sold or given away, because the
privilege is of a personal character. It may be of any size; but
it does not seem to be proper to apply the indulgences of the
Stations to a very small crucifix which can hardly be held in
the hands.
Note. A writer in the Homiletic and Pastoral Review (March,
1927, page 597) says: "Those who are legitimately hindered from
making the Stations in the usual way, can gain the indulgences
of the Stations by holding in their hand a crucifix blessed for
this purpose and saying twenty Our Fathers and Hail Marysfourteen for the fourteen Stations, five in honor of the five holy
Wounds, and one according to the intention of the Pope. The
inability to say the Stations in church need not be absolute.
Conditions: (i) The twenty Our Fathers; (2) an act of
contrition or saying the vocal prayers with a contrite heart ; (3)
meditating on the Passion. When several are together and wish
to make the Stations, with only one blessed crucifix between
them, one may hold the crucifix, whilst all are saying the
prayers together, or per modum chori, but all must do their own
thinking or meditating on the Passion.
Leo XIII granted a modification of this privilege to those
who are so seriously ill as to be unable to satisfy the ordinary
conditions and to say the twenty Our Fathers. They may gain
the indulgences by making (1) an oral act of contrition, and
saying the versicle 'Te ergo quaesumus,' etc.; (2) They must,
at least in their heart, join in three Our Fathers, Hail Marys
and Glory be to the Father, whilst they are said aloud by some
body else; and (3) they must meanwhile think on the Passion
of Christ. This one condition of meditation on the Passion is
never dispensed from or with, and the Station crucifix must be
held by the sick person’s hand.”
PART II
THE MINISTRY OF TEACHING THE DIVINE
TRUTH
CHAPTER I
HOMILETICS
Article I
IMPORTANCE AND OBLIGATION OF PREACHING
I. Our Blessed Lord said to His disciples : “All power
is given to Me in Heaven and on earth; going therefore,
teach ye all nations.” The teaching of divine truth is an
essential element of the Apostolic office, it is a right and
a duty inherent in the sacred ministry, being the indispen
sable means for the spreading of Christianity and for
the preservation of the faith among the members of the
Church. Scarcely had the Apostles, in obedience to the
order which they had received from their Divine Master,
commenced to announce the truths revealed to them, when
their opponents, the elders of the Jewish synagogue, be
came alarmed. "They were cut to the heart and they
thought to put them to death.” This last radical measure
was prevented only by the wise counsel of Gamaliel. Still,
they caused the disciples of the Nazarene, as they con
temptuously called them, to be scourged, “and after they
had scourged them, they charged them that they
should not speak at all in the Name of Jesus.” But the
Apostles were not deterred by these threats. “They ceased
348
PREACHING
349
not in the temple and from house to house, to teach and
preach Christ Jesus.” 1 Would the powers of hell—for
the Jewish elders were but their instruments—have re
sorted to such violent means if they had not keenly felt
the tremendous influence attached to the preaching of the
divine truth? Indeed, if the burning words of an ora
tor, speaking on worldly matters, are able to electrify,
as it were, the spirits of his hearers, shall the herald of
the Gospel of God, bearing a message from Heaven, wield
less power in arousing the souls of those who happen to
listen to him?
2. There is a vast difference between a speech and a
sermon. Both are means by which we try to convey ideas
to the minds of others; both are designed to gain the
good will of the hearers and to arouse their enthusiasm.
However, whilst the speaker or lecturer has to rely solely
upon his personal resources, upon the intrinsic weight of
the arguments he proffers, and the manner in which he
delivers his oration, the herald of the Gospel is invested
with divine authority, provided he really announces the
word of God and does not degrade his pulpit by idle talk
and improper discussions. “When the priest ascends the
altar to preach, he is looked upon, not as an ordinary man,
but as the oracle of Christ. He can address his congre
gation in the language of the Apostle : ‘When ye had re
ceived of us the word of the hearing of God, you received
it not as the word of men, but (as it is, indeed) the word
of God.’ He is, therefore, listened to with a respectful
attention and reverence rarely paid to a public speaker.” 2
3. All clergymen who have charge of souls are obliged
to preach frequently and to expound the truths of reli
gion to their flocks. “Preach the word,” writes St. Paul
1 Acts V.
2 Card. Gibbons, The Anibutadnrof Christ.
350
THE SACRAMENTS
to Timothy; “be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
entreat, rebuke, in all patience and doctrine.”
In the early ages of Christianity it was customary to
have a sermon or solemn religious discourse as an
integral part of the celebration of the divine mysteries.
It was given during the so-called missa catechumenorum,
which now forms the first part of the Mass, that preceding
the Offertory, whence dates the practice still in vogue of
delivering a sermon after the Gospel.
A zealous pastor needs no admonition to preach to his
flock. He will labor with all diligence in bringing home
to the minds of his people the Christian truths and max
ims embodied in the revealed law of God. Beholding
the tide of wickedness which makes such terrible inroads
on the ranks of the faithful, the many dangers arising from
the secular press, from secret societies, from heretics, and,
last but not least, from impious Catholics, he cannot keep
silent, but feels the necessity of opposing the torrent of
evil. Great interests are at stake, God’s honor, men’s im
mortal souls, the salvation of society. Shall the shepherd
sleep whilst the wild beasts of the forest are breaking
into his fold, devouring his sheep by the hundreds ? As
suredly not, and should it cost his own life, should the
enemies raise a war cry against him, he will not be si
lenced. Even the apparently small success which his
preaching may have, does not deter him. In this case
he will remember the words spoken by God to the prophet :
“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman to the house
of Israel, and thou shalt hear the word out of my mouth
and shalt tell it them from me. If, when I say to the
wicked: Thou shalt surely die, thou declare it not to
him, nor speak to him that he may be converted from his
wicked way and live; the same wicked man shall die in
his iniquity, but I will require his blood at thy hand.
PREACHING
351
But if thou give warning to the wicked, and he be not con
verted from his wickedness, and from his evil way, he
indeed shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered
thy soul.”®
4. How often shall rectors of parishes preach? Under
ordinary circumstances they are bound to deliver a reg
ular sermon to their parishioners every Sunday and holyday of obligation throughout the year. This is evident
from the words of the Council of Trent:
"Quia vero Christianae reipublicae non minus necessaria est
praedicatia EVangetii, quam lectio, et hoc est praecipuum epi
scoporum munus: statuit et decrevit eadem sancta synodus, om
nes episcopos, archiepiscopos, primates et omnes alios ecclesiarum
praelatos teneri per se ipsos, si legitime impediti non fuerint, ad
praedicandum sanctum lesu Christi evangelium. . . . Archipresbyteri quoque, plebani, et quicumque parochiales, vel alias curam
animarum habentes ecclesias quocumque modo obtinent, per se
vel alios idoneos, si legitime impediti fuerint, diebus saltem do
minicis et festis solemnibus plebes sibi commissas pro sua et earum
capacitate pascant salutaribus verbis, docendo ea, quae scire om
nibus necessarium est ad saltitem, annunciandoque eis cum bre
vitate et facilitate sermonis vitia, quae eos declinare, et virtutes
quas sectari oporteat, ut poenam aeternam evadere et caelestem
gloriam consequi valeant.’’*
St. Alphonsus, commenting on this decree, says:
“Doctores affirmant, graviter peccare parochum, qui per men
sem continuum aut per tres menses discontinuas condonari omit
tit.”
Some priests in the United States, it seems, used to
suspend preaching entirely during the summer season, af
ter the fashion of Protestant ministers, who go on a vaca8 Ezech. Ill, 17-19.
4 Cone. Trid., Sess. V, c. a.
352
PREACHING
tion and close their meeting houses. The Fathers of the
Third Plenary Council of Baltimore forbade this abuse,
and lest those who go to an early Mass throughout the
year be left without instruction, enjoined upon all pastors
the duty of having a short sermon preached at all Masses
on Sundays.
"Fertur, quod maximo cum dolore audivimus, non paucis in locis
plcrosque fideles fere nunquam audire verbum Dei; siquidem ne
cessitate coacti, aut voluntate, missis Privatis assistunt dominicis
diebus, inter quarum celebrationem ne una quidem vice, toto anno,
pascuntur salutaribus verbis. . . . Efficacibus remediis tanto malo
occurrere cupientes, praecipimus, ut diebus dominicis et festis
solemnibus, etiam aestivo tempore, omnes qui curam habent ani
marum, per se aut, si legitime impediti fuerint, per alios idoneos
inter celebrationem omnium omnino missarum quibus adstant
fideles, sive illae missae sint cantatae, sive privatae, vel etiam
valde mane celebrentur, Evengclium diei occurrentis linua verna
cula distincte legant, atque si tempus patiatur, per duodecimam
horae partem, populum in lege Domini erudiant, omni consuetu
dine aut praetextu in contrarium non obstante. Quod si quis
obstinate neglexerit, ab Ordinario severe puniatur. Sermo vero
proprie dictus habeatur in Missa ultima quae apud nos missa
communitatis sive parochialis reputatur." 8
During Advent and Lent a suitable discourse ought to
be delivered not only on Sundays, but also on weeks days,
at least once a week.·
5. “Teach ye all nations,” Christ said to His Apostles.
The word of God, therefore, is not limited to any tongue
or nationality ; it is independent of race and national boun
daries. A striking illustration of this was given by the
Holy Ghost Himself on the first Pentecost. Though the
Apostles spoke only their own Galilean idiom, they were5*
5 Cone. PI. Baltim. Ill, n. 216.
e Cf. Cone. Pl. Baltim. II, 128 and C. I. C., can. 1345, 1346.
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PREACHER
353
understood by all who were present. “Parthians and
Medes,” they said in astonishment, “and inhabitants of
Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
.... we have heard them speak in our own tongues the
wonderful works of God.”7 Catholic missionaries, in
attempting to convert barbarous tribes, have ever con
sidered it their duty to make themselves acquainted with
the language of the people amongst whom they were work
ing. Just think of the zealous Indian missionaries in the
early history of our country ! They took the utmost pains
to learn not only one language, but a variety of dialects.
In America there are still many mixed parishes, made up of
people of different tongues, though they profess the same
faith. A priest having charge of such a parish or mis
sion must be just to all. If there be a considerable num
ber of persons who are not sufficiently versed in English
to understand an English sermon, the word of God must
be preached to them in their own tongue. If the pastor
does not know it, he must either learn it, or else obtain
the help of other priests for the purpose of preaching.
“Omnibus omnia factus sum,’" St. Paul said; every pastor
should follow the Apostolic example and not shrink from
inconvenience when the salvation of souls is at stake.
Article II
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PREACHER
I. The administration of the Sacraments and the
preaching of the Word of God are both functions of the
sacred ministry, but they differ in this that the Sacraments
always work their effect, even though the priest who con
fers them is far from worthy to act as their minister,
Acts II, 9 sqq.
354
PREACHING
whereas the effect of a sermon depends to a great extent
on the personal qualities of the preacher.
"Dolendum quidem est, non semper e divini verbi praedicatione
fructum illum et commoda derivari, quae sibi proposuit condo
nator. Quod verbo divino ipsi vitio vertere nefas esset. Est enim
'sermo Dei vivus et efficax et pentrabilior omni gladio ancipiti' (Hebr. IV, 12). Neque id semper inscientiae auditorum aut
pravitati et oscitandae tribuendum. Conferenda plerumque est iit
ipsum concionatorem culpa, qui suo muneri imparem se gerit.
Quemadmodum enim gladius quamvis optimus, quo miles inep
tus utatur, parum valet ad hostem feriendum ac pellendum; sic
verbum Dei, quantumvis per se efficax, inepti concionatoris ore
prolatum, vires amittit parumque aut nihil confert ad durissima
impiorum hominum corda emollienda, convincenda ac corri
genda." 1
2. No clergyman should dare to ascend the pulpit un
less he is duly authorized. Referring to the preaching
of our Lord, the Gospel.says: “Erat docens sicut potes
tatem habens, et non sicut Scribae eorum et Pharisaei.”1
2
The Son of God had received His commission from His
Heavenly Father. The power thus conferred upon Him
He communicated to His Apostles. Ever since it has
been an established rule in the Church that a so-called
missio canonica is required for the preaching of divine
truth. "Nullus autem saecularis sive regularis etiam in
ecclesia suorum ordinum contradicente episcopo praedi
care praesumat.” 8
The new Code has laid down these rules :
Tum clericis e clero saeculari, tum religiosis non exemptis
facultatem condonandi pro suo territorio solus concedit loci Or
dinarius. (can. 1337).
1 Cone. PI. Bait. Il, η. 135·
2 Matth. VII, 29.
3 Cone. Trid., Scss. XXIV, c. 4.
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PREACHER
355
§ i. Sacerdotes extradioecesani sive saeculares sive religiosi
ad condonandum ne invitentur, nisi prius licentia ab Ordinario
loci in quo concio habenda sit, obtenta fuerit; hic autem, nisi eo
rum idoneitatem aliunde compertam habeat, licentiam ne conce
dat, nisi prius bonum testimonium super concionatoris doctrina,
pietate, moribus a proprio eiusdem Ordinario habuerit; qui, gra
viter onerata conscientia, secundum veritatem respondere tene
tur.
§2. Licentiam tempestive petere debet parochus, si agatur de
paroeciali ecclesia aliave eidem subiecta; rector ecclesiae, ji de
ecclesia parochi auctoritati non obnoxia; prima dignitas, de Capi
tuli consensu, si de ecclesia capitulari; moderator seu cappellanus confraternitatis, si de ecclesia eiusdem confraternitatis
Propria.
§3. Si ecclesia paroecialis sit simul capitularis aut confrater
nitatis propria, ille licentiam petat, qui sacras functiones ture
peragit, (can. 1341.)
§ i. Condonandi facultas solis sacerdotibus vel diaconis fiat,
non vero ceteris clericis, nisi rationabili de causa, indicio Ordi
narii et in casibus singularibus.
§ 2. Condonari in ecclesia vetantur laid omnes, etsi religiosi.
(can. 1342.)
3. The herald of the Gospel must be a virtuous man.
“Pectus est, quod disertos facit." Words which do not
come from the heart cannot find an echo in the hearts
of others. How can a man venture to proclaim truths
which stand in glaring contradiction to his own life?
Will his hearers be moved? Will he strike their souls
with terror? Will he make them hate sin and love
virtue? Hardly, because they will at once respond,
"Medice, cura teipsum." To be a good musician you
must not only know the theoretical rules of music, but
be able to handle an instrument, so as to lure forth from
it harmonious sounds, and for this purpose you must be
gifted with a musical ear. Thus, to preach divine truth
with success, your very life must bear testimony to what
356
PREACHING
your mouth utters, because life alone is able to produce
life. "Cuius vita despicitur, restat ut eius praedicatio
contemnatur."4 For a priest’s words to have due in
fluence on his people, he must be respected by them, not
only for his official position, but also for his personal
worth as a man and a Christian. They must believe im
plicitly in his learning, his judgment, his sincerity and
consistency, his personal holiness, and his earnest con
cern for their salvation. They may applaud a facile,
graceful, sweet-voiced speaker, and bound by the magic
of his words, they may be forced to weep or to smile at
his bidding, but when he would persuade them to a
change of life, to the sacrifice of long-cherished habits,
to the patient wearing of a crown of thorns—they look
to the man behind the words, and the final issue generally
depends, not on what he says, but on what he is. We
look for light and counsel only to honest, unselfish, re
liable men, men who speak decisively, but only from ex
perience and conviction, who are incapable of deceiving,
whose sterling personal worth has passed into a prov
erb.” 5
The minister of God, when about to read the Gospel,
is directed to pray: “Munda cor meum ac labia tnea,
omnipotens Deus, qui labia Isaiac prophetae calculo mun
dasti ignito, ita me tua grata miseratione dignare mun
dare, ut sanctum evangclium tuum digne valeam nun
tiare." Pure must be the heart, pure the lips of him who
acts as a living instrument of the Holy Ghost, as a mes
senger of Heaven. The preacher ought to suppress all
thoughts of vain ambition or self-complaisance. Oh,
how many sermons are wont to be without effect, because
he who delivers them looks for his own glory instead of
4 St. Gregory the Great.
6 Eccles. Review, Vol. XXIII, p. «6.
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PREACHER
357
seeking the honor of God! Λ truly humble man will
produce wonders, even though his sermons are less elab
orate in style or less accurate in gesture.
4. A clergyman who desires that his preaching shall
bring forth an abundance of fruit, must study. "Nolo
tc declamatorem esse, sed mysteriorum peritum et Sacra
mentorum Dei tui eruditissimum."n The truths which
you preach must have been well pondered ; they must
be stored in your mind so as to constitute a sort of in
tellectual arsenal, furnishing a variety of weapons, where
with you may attack the enemy at any time. The
sources from which you should draw are the works of
the illustrious theologians of past ages, St. Augustine,
St. Ambrose, St. Chrysostom, St. Jerome, among the
early Fathers ; St. Thomas, St. Bonaventure, St. Bernard,
among the Scholastics; Suarez, St. Alphonsus, St. Francis
de Sales, among those of the later centuries. Also the
various modern authors should not be lost sight of.
Three great Cardinals—Wiseman, Manning, Newman—
have largely contributed towards diffusing Catholic doc
trine among English-speaking races. No priest familiar
with the English language should omit to read at
least some of the works which these great writers have
left us.
5. Above all, however, if you are ambitious to become
a powerful pulpit orator, betake yourself to the study
of the Bible. In it you will find the Word of God pure
and genuine, without any human admixture. "Omnis
scriptura divinitus inspirata utilis est ad docendum, ad
arguendum, ad corripiendum, ad erudiendum in iustitia."1
It is to be lamented, indeed, that in many sermons
preached nowadays, you hear a great deal of modern
OSt. Jerome.
7 Tim. Ill, 16.
358
PREACHING
science, quotations from poets and profane authors, even
from the secular press, but not a word borrowed from
Holy Writ. Need we wonder that people listening to
this kind of talk become worldly-minded? The tendency
of the age is to minimize Catholic doctrine, to deny reve
lation, to extol humanity, to break down the barriers
erected by natural and divine law. How shall a Catholic
priest be able to stay this torrent of corruption ? Perhaps
by throwing himself into it and swimming with the cur
rent? A few have tried it, but they perished miserably.
The only remedy is to return to that source from which
a stream of sound doctrine is ever pouring forth, namely,
Holy Scripture.
Should any one doubt this, we refer him to the golden
words of his Holiness, Pope Leo XIII, in his famous
Encyclical, "Providentissimus Deus” (Nov. 18, 1893):
"Atque propria et singularis Scripturarum virtus a divino af
flatu Spiritus Sancti profecta ea est quae oratori sacro auctorita
tem addit, apostolicam praebet dicendi libertatem, nervosam victricemque tribuit eloquentiam. Quisque enim divini verbi spiritum
et robur loquendo refert, ille non loquitur in sermone tantum, sed
et in virtute et in Spiritu Sancto et in plenitudine multa. Quamobrem ti dicendi sunt praepostere improvideque facere qui ita con
ciones de religione habent et praecepta divina enuntiant, nihil ut
fere afferant, nisi humanae scientiae et prudentiae verba, suis magis
quam divinis argumentis innixi. Istorum scilicet orationem quan
tumvis nitentem luminibus languescere et frigere necesse est, utpote quae igne careat sermonis Dei, eamdemque longe abesse ab ea
qua divinus sermo pollet virtute; vivus est enim sermo Dei et ef
ficax et penetrabilior omni gladio ancipiti et pertingens usque ad
divisionem animae et spiritus."
6. If your preaching is to be successful, you must be
a man of prayer. "In meditatione mea exardescet ignis,"
says the Psalmist. The great and saintly heralds of the
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PREACHER
359
Gospel who succeeded in carrying away multitudes by
the power of their speech in bygone ages, were men of
prayer. In the silent hours which they spent in con
versation with God, their hearts were filled with a
burning charity and zeal which shone on their faces when
they ascended the pulpit. Their ideal in this regard was
none less than Christ Himself. There is a deep mean
ing in what the Gospel says : “Jesus, having dismissed
the multitude, went up into a mountain alone to pray."
In the stillness of the night, when every voice was hushed
and the people lay asleep in their homes, the Son of
God slumbered not, but was absorbed in profound medi
tation. He fully realized the evil contained in sin, and
the misery caused by it. A holy zeal to sacrifice Him
self for His brethren was the result, and this zeal lent
wonderful unction to the discourses delivered the next
day. Let the priest be devoted to prayer and meditation,
then he will not be at a loss what he shall say to his peo
ple ; he will not experience any difficulty in finding a
suitable subject, in getting the right ideas and selecting
the proper words. His mouth will overflow with what
his heart abounds in. As the dew refreshes the plants
and flowers, which were withering under the burning
sun, so a Sunday sermon which the pastor has first medi
tated on himself, will refresh the drooping hearts of the
people. “No one who has not put it to prac
tical experience, can understand how the mind ad
vances in the light of truth, when prayer is mingled with
study and when the understanding makes frequent ascents
to God as the author of light and truth and the first cause
of knowledge. When we think of God, we are on the
side of truth; thought itself becomes a kind of prayer,
and God increases our light. What made a St. Augus
tine, a St. Bernard, a St. Thomas, a St. Bonaventure,
36o
PREACHING
and all these holy and luminous doctors of the Church?
They prayed almost as much as they thought, and their
thinking was a kind of prayer, because they thought in
God the Father of lights, and the Word of Truth under
the movement of the Spirit of the living God helped their
infirmity. This habit shines forth in their writings as
in their lives, and their maxims, even when transplanted
from their minds into ours, have in them a grace and pro
fundity of inexhaustible truth that illuminates many
things.” 8
Article III
THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF SERMONS
I. Sermons are delivered to the end that men
may gain a knowledge of all that pertains to their eternal
salvation, and that they may act according to this knowl
edge. The subject-matter, therefore, comprises the
whole of Christian doctrine. "Docentes eos servare
quaecumque mandavi vobis,” Christ said to His Apostles.
And the Roman Catechism observes: "In eo praecipue
ecclesiastici dactoris opera servabitur, ut fideles scire ex
animo cupiant Iesum Christum et hunc crucifixum; sibique certo persuadeant atque intima cordis pietate et re
ligione credant, aliud nomen non esse datum homjnibus,
in quo oporteat nos salvos fieri.” 1
A pastor is bound to preach often on those dogmas
which every Christian must know, either necessi
tate medii, or necessitate praecepti, namely, the mys
teries of the Blessed Trinity and the Incarnation, the ne
cessity of grace, the Sacraments, the true Church, the
8 Ullathorne, Ecclesiastical Dit courses, p. 173.
1 Cat. Rom.,
THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF SERMONS 361
necessity and manner of prayer, and the four last things.
He should likewise make his flock acquainted with the
ten commandments and the precepts of the Church.
The sacred liturgy should also be brought within the
grasp of their mind; the rubrics of the Mass, the cere
monies of Holy Week, and the rites observed at the
various blessings should be explained occasionally. In
speaking of moral subjects,2 be not satisfied with thunder
ing against vice and sin, but show the nature of the
various virtues which people in our days but too often
neglect,—such as humility, obedience, justice, charity,
chastity. The best rule will be to follow the Sunday
Gospel, but make the application of the text so as to
treat of the whole Christian doctrine within a given
time, for instance, two or three years. However, you
may interrupt your order now and then to preach on the
Blessed Virgin, or on the Saints, or on a particular mys
tery, whenever a special feast occurs. The Roman Cate
chism has an excellent plan for Sunday sermons.
The Fathers of the Second Council of Baltimore justly
say:
“Praestantissimum igitur hunc librum [Catechismum Roma
num] condonator prae manibus habeat, saepiusque legendo ac
meditando terat, et ex eo tum optima et tutissima vitae Christia
nae instituendae documenta, tum rerum tradendarum seriem hau
riat. Qua ratione capita fidei Catholicae ac morum integra et
ordinata auditoribus suis explicabit. Nil tamen vetat, quin ordi2 “Narration of vulgar or atro
ciously wicked occurrences, con
stantly thundering or threatening or
punishing, will blunt the finer sen
sibilities, whilst a mawkish senti
mentality will cultivate effeminacy
among the hearers. Especially dan
gerous, however, are those subjects
which are apt to draw the will of
man into sin. for instance, graphic
descriptions of various vices, too
plain a description of secret sins
and of the excuses and means
which sinners adopt.'
*
(The Print
in the Pulpit.)
362
PREACHING
nrm hunc abrumpere aliquando liceat, ad Deiparae ac caelitum
laudes et exempla proponenda, ad Christi patientis ac morientis
historiam enarrandam, aut ad alia dicenda, quae festi dies, aut
Evangelii loca quae in sacris peragendis recitantur, aut alia tem
poris et rerum adiuncta suaserint."8
2. In this connection we deem it fit to caution young
ecclesiastics against certain abuses. The pulpit is both
a public and a sacred place. Hence all matters which
concern individuals only, or which are purely secular
and profane, should be excluded from it. Carefully
avoid airing your personal grievances. Do not make the
pulpit a platform of self-defense in thrusting upon the
public silly tales brought to your ears by old women or
cranks.
"Quodsi inter contionatorem et aliquos ex commisso sibi grege
lites, simultates, iurgia forte extiterint, ipse tamen, rectene an per
peram laesus fuerit, ad privatam iniuriam ulciscendam sacro loco
et tempore abuti nequaquam audeat."4
If scandals have occurred, and you deem it your
duty to warn the people, always adhere strictly “ad re in”:
make no personal allusions, mention no names, make no
remarks that are apt to throw a slur on private persons.
"In vitiis insectandis, gravi quidem et, quoties expedit, acri
sermone utatur. Neminem tamen adstantium, quae intolerabilis
audacia foret, nominatim reprehendat, aut insidiosa verborum
circuitione ita notet designetque, ut ab omnibus nosci facile
possit."6
Do not talk about delicate matters in which a man’s
feelings are easily hurt, for instance, national foibles,
« Cone. Pl. Balt. II, n. 133·
« Ibid., n. 140.
S /bid., n. 140.
THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF SERMONS 363
faults found only with certain classes and professions,
fashions of dress followed by ladies, etc. Be not too
positive in your assertions, do not call certain actions
mortal sins if there is room for an excuse.
"Caveat [condonator], ne austera sua ipsius indole, et rigidi
orum scriptorum auctoritate motus, tamquam lethalia peccata
facile quaedam damnet, quae piorum et gravissimorum antisti
tum et theologorum iudicio aut nulla reprehensione digna, aut
toleranda, aut tantum venialia censentur. Unde mala maxima
et plurima existunt. Licita enim aut minus prava per falsam, ut
vocant, conscientiam, crimina fiunt gravissima quae in mortem
animae cedunt." e
In discoursing on dogmatic subjects, avoid subtleties,
do not touch upon difficulties and doubts which are be
yond the reach of your hearers, for this may be detri
mental to the faith, especially of young people. Lay
particular stress upon divine authority, and do not mini
mize the Christian dogmas in order to please nominal
Catholics, who wish to serve both God and the world.
"Non suum, non 'verbum hominis, sed, sicut est vere verbum
Dei,’ annuntiare debet condonator. Idcirco non dubia neque in
certa, non sua placita auditoribus proponat, sed certa et vera,
quae ex sacris libris, corumque fidissimis interpretibus, Conciliis
nempe, Patribus, ac Pontificibus depromuntur. . . Quum de fide
catholica agit, depositum custodiat, devitetque profanas vocum
novitates, quibus res ipsae paullatim facile corrumpuntur. Ut
vetus auctor monet, 'nove dicat, non tamen nova.’ "7
Do not desecrate the house of God by mingling politics
with your sermons.
"Multo minus se civilibus aut politicis rebus immisceat; aut
e Ibid., η. 141.
7 Ibid.
364
PREACHING
de magistratibus vel rempublicam moderantibus ea, quae aeque
an inique sentiat, in medium proferat. Quod quidem sine max
ima bonorum offensione et sacri muneris dedecore fieri nunquam
potest.” 8
Even so-called patriotic harangues should not find their
way into the pulpit. Let them be consigned to the lec
ture room and the public hall. Patriotism is hardly lost
sight of by people in our days. It needs a check rather
than a stir, lest it turn into chauvinism and race hatred.
3. Great care, finally, must be exercised in speaking on
money matters. In this country, where the Church de
pends entirely on the charity and good will of her mem
bers, a pastor may be compelled to remind the people oc
casionally of their duty to contribute to the support of
ecclesiastical institutions, causes and persons. Whenever
you deem it necessary to give an admonition of this kind,
do it from the broad standpoint of faith and morals ; do
not scold, but instruct the people. Show them how and
why they should be generous, and that a special blessing
attaches to generosity. Encourage them to give cheerfully
and from a truly religious motive. Sermons of this kind
will not fail to produce fruit, provided they do not occur
too often. Particular statements or remarks of a strictly
financial character should not be interwoven with the
sermon; they come under the rubric of announcements.
These ought to precede the sermon, or still better, be
made after Mass. Even in the announcements never be
personal or show a spirit of avarice and greed, especially
as regards your own income.
8 Ibid., n. 142. However, if a
political question should involve
religious interests, such as the erec
tion of parochial schools or freedom
of worship in public institutions,
the pastor may, nay should instruct
his people on the religious aspects of
such a question.
THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF SERMONS
365
4. A good sermon requires preparation. The priest
who ascends the pulpit without having carefully consid
ered what he intends to preach, and without having ar
ranged at least the substance of his remarks, tempts God
and dishonors the sacred ministry.
The manner of preparing a sermon differs according
to circumstances. We advise young ecclesiastics to write
out their sermons in full for the first five years after or
dination, and to learn them by heart. Tiresome as this
may be, it will accustom you to a habit of study; it will
help you to observe order in your sermons, and it will
prevent commonplace talk. The faithful, who have
been toiling the whole week, absorbed in worldly matters,
when they come to church on Sunday, have a right to
hear something to refresh their souls. Do not feed them,
therefore, with a hastily patched up speech. Cardinal
Gibbons rightly observes:
“Imagine a clergyman strutting into the pulpit and in the sa
cred precincts of the temple before a hushed congregation, deliv
ering himself in a tiresome and perfunctory manner of some
commonplace remarks, which the people have heard over and
over again; or becoming a Jupiter tonans, making up for lack
of ideas by a thundering and aggressive voice, or talking through
out of dollars and cents, without any allusion to the Gospel ; or
indulging in general vituperation; or venting his anger on a par
ticular parishioner under a thin disguise of language which many
of his hearers, as well as the object of his assault, can easily pen
etrate. I can hardly conceive a spectacle more cowardly and con
temptible than that of an anointed minister taking unwarrantable
advantage of the immunity which his sacred office bestows on
him, protected by the armor of his priestly robes, sheltering
himself behind the breastworks of the pulpit, and pouring forth
volleys of offensive language, that he would not dare to utter
to a gentleman on the streets. Such license must arouse in
366
PREACHING
every honest breast sentiments of righteous indignation. The
people came for bread, and they received a stone. They came
for peace and consolation, and their hearts were filled with sad
ness and irritation." 0
Article IV
MANNER OF PREACHING
I. The first quality of a good sermon is simplicity.
The minister of God must speak in a language which
his whole audience is able to understand. The Code
says:
§i. In sacris concionibus exponenda imprimis sunt quae
fideles credere et facere ad salutem oportet.
§2. Divini verbi praecones abstineant profanis aut abstrusis
argumentis communem audientium captum excedentibus; et evangelicum ministerium non in persuasibilibus humanae sapientiae
verbis, non in profano inanis et ambitiosae eloquentiae apparatu
et lenocinio, sed in ostensione spiritus et virtutis exerceant, non
semetipsos, sed Christum crucifixum praedicantes, (can. 1347).
Too many sermons fail to produce the desired ef
fect for want of plainness. Lofty thoughts and ingenious
reflections may be good enough for a lecture held
before a learned assembly or before professional men.
A parochial sermon, is intended for all. The wise and
the ignorant, the rich and the poor, the old and the
young, men and women, should derive benefit from it.
“Except you utter by the tongue plain speech,” says St.
Paul, “how shall it be known what is said? For you
shall be speaking into the air.” 1 High-sounding words,
fine phrases, flowery language, long and rotund periods
6 The Ambassador of Christ, p. 273.
il Cor. XIV, 9.
MANNER OF PREACHING
367
are unintelligible to persons of ordinary capacity, who
constitute the bulk of the audiences in most of our
churches. Even the few learned listeners who may be
able to comprehend the preacher’s meaning, will, it is to
be feared, rather feel delighted by the style and oratori
cal display than moved by the truths expressed.
“Unfortunately, now and then we hear of Catholic
priests who try to imitate the tricks of Protestant
preachers. They make it a point to say something odd,
whimsical, fantastical, and bizarre. A plain sermon in
structing the ignorant in the truths of Christianity, or
exhorting evil-doers to repentance, is not according to
their taste. It would be too commonplace, they say.
What they want are those oratorical, colored-light pyro
technics wherein the pulpiteer exploits his facility of
curious phrase. This, however, makes the exposition of
divine truth contemptible in the eyes of the serious and
thoughtful and an object of ridicule to the worldly
minded.” 2
St. Francis of Sales, in a letter addressed to an ec
clesiastic, justly says: “Lengthened periods, polished lan
guage, studied gestures, and the like, are the bane of
preaching. The texture of the discourse should be nat
ural, without useless ornament, without affected expres
sion. I know that many say the preacher should de
light ; but, as for me, I distinguish and say, that there is
a pleasure consequent on the doctrine which is preached
and the impression made upon the hearers; for what
soul is so insensible as not to feel extreme pleasure in
learning the way to Heaven, how to gain paradise, how
to appreciate the love which God bears to us? And
in order to impart this pleasure all diligence should be
2 Fortnightly Review (St. Louis, Mo.), Vol. IX, p. 750.
PREACHING
368
used to instruct and to move. But there is another sort
of pleasure, which oftentimes is an obstacle to instruc
tion and persuasion—that which results from tickling the
ear with profane elegance of language and a certain
balancing of words which is altogether artificial. And
as to this I say without hesitation, that a preacher should
not make use df it because it belongs to profane orators,
and whosoever preaches in this manner, preaches not
Christ crucified, but himself. St. Paul detests preachers
who are ‘prurientes auribus,’ and, consequently, such as
are solicitous to please their hearers.”
2. There is still another fault to be avoided. Some
priests seem to believe that popular preaching consists
in using vulgar expressions, in telling witty stories or
amusing anecdotes.
“Curet [condonator] ne unum vitium effugiendo, in alterum
incurrat, et sermo eius ex facili in humilem, rudem et incom
positum delabatur. Neque, ut plebecula libentius atque attentius
audiat, vocibus e platea et trimo haustis utatur, aut iocis et facetiis
indulgeat. Cui enim ne dumi quidem et inter suos scurram aut
mimum agere liceat, id eum in templo, ipsam prope aram, et
sacro munere fungentem facere, maximae impietatis est."9
“A facetious remark naturally suggested by the occasion may
be, perhaps, allowed ; but to reduce the exhortation to a comic
scene—as some do by introducing ridiculous trifles or curious
stories with attitudes and gestures designed to make the audience
laugh—I do not know how they can reconcile such an exhibition
with the respect due to the temple of God and to the pulpit
from which is announced the word of God, and in which the
preacher fulfills the office of ambassador of Jesus Christ. The
auditors, indeed, will laugh and be merry, but afterwards they
will be distracted and indevout, and instead of attending to the
moral instruction will continue to reflect upon the witticism
or ridiculous story they have heard.”4
4
3 Cone. Pl. Paît. II, n. 138.
St. Alphonsus, Letter to a Religious.
MANNER OF PREACHING
369
A good sermon ought to be not only plain, but also
logical. The arguments must be marshalled so as to
make an impression. Proofs based upon the authority
of the Scriptures should first be adduced, next those
drawn from the Fathers, finally those which are derived
from reason;—all to be followed by examples and illus
trations. Quote the texts of Holy Writ accurately and
in a manner that is impressive. The transition from one
point to another must be made naturally, so that each
part has a close connection with the following.
, 3. A sermon should have three great or main divisions:
(a) the exordium, or introduction; (&) the body of the
discourse; (c) the peroration, or conclusion.
In the exordium you prepare your hearers for the sub
ject you wish to speak upon; in the body of the oration
you dwell upon the subject chosen; in the peroration,
besides recapitulating briefly what you have said before,
you add a moral exhortation and an appeal to the pas
sions. In an ordinary Sunday sermon it may be well
to observe the catechetical form of question and an
swer. In a catechism class the answers are given by
the scholars ; in a sermon the preacher, after he has put
the question, gives the answer himself. This mode
of preaching is very instructive and productive of splen
did fruit.
4. To give effect to your sermon, you require action.
The tone of your voice, the gestures you make with
your hands, the motions of your body, must be in con
formity with what your lips utter. Space does not allow
us to enter into details. We refer our readers to the
text-books of rhetoric. It may suffice to quote St.
Alphonsus: “As regards the voice, the preacher should
avoid speaking in an inflated tone or in a monoto
nous and invariably loud tone of voice. What moves
37°
PREACHING
and engages the attention of the hearers is, to speak at
one time in a strong, at another time in a middle, and at
another in a low tone of voice, according as it suits the
sentiment that is expressed, but without any sudden or
violent fall or elevation; now exclaim, now pause, and
now resume with a sigh. This variety of tone and man
ner keeps the audience always attentive. The preacher
should avoid gestures that are affected or oft repeated
in the same form, or too vehement with much agitation
of the body. The arms should be moved with modera
tion; the hands should not be raised above the head, nor
extended too much sideways, nor held too confined. In
delivering the exordium, the preacher should remain sta
tionary; in delivering the first sentence he should not
use gestures; in the second, he should commence to
use the right hand, keeping the left resting on the pulpit
or on the breast. Let him take care not to keep his
arms too close to the sides, or to raise both at the same
time in the form of a cross, or to throw them behind the.
shoulders. He should rarely strike them against each
other or against the pulpit. To stamp the feet is very
unbecoming. It is a fault to twist the head, or move
it too often or too violently, or to hold it always raised
or always inclined upon the breast. The eyes should
accompany the motion of the head ; and hence it is a
fault to keep them always closed or cast down, or im
movably fixed in one direction. The preacher should
never run from one side of the pulpit to the other. He
should, for the most part, speak from a middle position,
so as to be seen equally from either side, but it is use
ful to incline occasionally to the right or left, without,
however, turning the back in the opposite direction.” 8
a Instructions
to
Preachers,
p. 243·
MANNER OF PREACHING
371
As to the length of sermons, we wish to state : No
sermon should exceed an hour, because this is very
fatiguing for the hearers, filling them with disgust and
thus destroying the good fruit. For an ordinary Sun
day sermon half an hour is fully enough. During the
hot season, or when it is extremely cold in winter, you
may be satisfied with ten or fifteen minutes, and for an
early Low Mass, five minutes are sufficient.
"Tertio brevis sit oratio evangelica. Non opus est tonga con
done infer missarum solemnia. Neque verendum est ne cuipiam
minus placeat brevitas, quam rerum dicendarum gravitas et grata
quaedam orationis varietas comitetur." ®
0 Cone. Pl. Balt. Ill, n. ax6.
CHAPTER II
CATECHETICS
Article I
IMPORTANCE OF CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTION
I. The ministry of teaching the divine truth is not con
fined to preaching. Sermons are given principally for
the benefit of adults, whose mental capacity and religious
training are such as to enable them to listen with profit
to a public discourse. But what about children? Shall
they be allowed to grow up without any religious instruc
tion, or may a pastor safely leave their religious train
ing in the hands of the parents? Certainly not. "Sinite
parvulos ad me venire, et ne prohibueritis eos,” 1 Christ
said, thereby insinuating that it is a duty incumbent on
all pastors of souls to impart divine truth to the little
ones.
The religious training of youth is called catechising
(from the Greek word κατηχίαυ, which means to sound
or sound into one’s ears). This work is performed both
in church and in school. It differs greatly from preach
ing, inasmuch as children cannot be made to learn Chris
tian doctrine except by a very slow process of
development. Besides, it is not enough to explain things
to these little ones ; it is necessary also to question them,
to see whether their mind has conceived the right ideas
and whether they retain them in their memory. FiiMatth. XIX. 14.
372
CATECHETICS
373
nally, the Divine Word must be expounded to them in
a language familiar to their ears. Childlike words and
sentences must, as much as possible, be chosen. Not
solid food, but milk, in a spiritual sense, should be of
fered to them, just as in the physical and natural order
mothers first nurse their babes with their own milk.
St. Augustine calls the catechumens: “germen pium, ex
amen novellum, flos nostri honoris et fructus laboris, gau
dium et corona mea.” A priest should always regard the
little ones of his congregation as the most precious por
tion of his flock, as tender lambs of which he is the
shepherd and keeper.
The teaching of catechism is more important than
preaching, and also more difficult. It is a humble work,
which leaves little room for honor and ambition, but
which for that very reason is all the more meritorious.
“The instruction of children becomes a grateful task to
the pastor, when he reflects that he is casting the seed
of faith in virgin and fruitful soil, where there are no
briars or weeds of doubt to choke it. The child is
naturally innocent and artless, open and ingenuous, affec
tionate and confiding. He accepts without misgiving the
truths that are taught him. The pastor has, therefore,
an open and solid foundation on which to rear the edifice
of faith and piety. He has no rubbish of false doctrines
to clear away before he begins to erect the building.
He has no obstacles to remove, no sophistries to en
counter, no prejudices to overcome. In the words of St.
Peter, his pupils, as new-born babes, receive the rational
milk without guile, that thereby they may grow unto sal
vation. They have no more suspicion of any poison
or error in the food of knowledge given them than the
infant that is nourished at the breast of its mother.” *
2
Cardinal Gibbons, Tht /hnbaimdir of Chrût.
374
CATECHETICS
2. From early times the Church has carefully insisted
on the education of youth, because if the rising genera
tion is left in ignorance about what concerns their eternal
salvation, the future of the Church will be jeopardized.
Saintly and learned men in all ages, men who were
regular pillars of theological science, did not consider it
beneath their dignity to teach little children. St.
Augustine not only instructed catechumens, but published
a special book for the use of catechists. This little vol
ume (De Catechizandis Rudibus) is still of great value
and deserves no less admiration than the large theological
treatises left by the same author. Gerson, the illustrious
chancellor of the University of Paris, felt proud to in
struct children in the rudiments of faith. When it was
hinted to him that this humble work might be derogatory
to his rank and position, he vindicated himself by his
beautiful little treatise, De Parvulis Trahendis ad Chri
stum. St. Charles Borromeo could find no better means
of reforming his diocese than by establishing a large
number of schools in which Christian doctrine was im
parted to the young. St. Francis de Sales acted on the
same principle, and by his own example tried to foster
among his clergy a zeal for the religious instruction of
children. Of this Saint, so dearly beloved and admired
for his tenderness and meekness, a contemporary re
marks :
“I had the happiness of assisting at these blessed instructions,
and never before did I witness such a sight. The good and
gentle Father was seated on a raised chair, his little army
around him. It was charming to hear how familiarly he ex
plained the rudiments of faith. At each step numerous com
parisons fell from his lips. He looked at his little crowd, and
his little crowd looked at him. He became a child with them,
in order to mould in them the perfect man according to Jesus
Christ."
CATECHETICS
375
In our own age who has not heard of those successful
catechists, Dupanloup, Sailer, Wittmann, Gruber? Dupanloup, who, when stationed at the Madeleine in Paris,
by his wonderful manner of catechizing, attracted crowds,
not only of young, but also of grown people, speaks from
experience when he says : "I owe everything to the cate
chism ; everything for my soul, everything for my min
istry, everything for my heart; nay, I would even say,
everything for my career.” We could mention many
other names, but these will suffice to stimulate in our
young ecclesiastics a holy ardor for this important func
tion of catechizing the juvenile portion of the fold of
Christ.
Obligation of Giving Catechetical Instructions
3. It is not left optional to pastors of souls how often
they shall teach the catechism. The Council of Trent
says: ‘'Episcopi etiam saltem dominicis et aliis festivis
diebus pueros in singulis parochiis fidei rudimenta dili
genter ab iis ad quos spectabit, doceri curabunt et si opus
sit etiam per censuras ecclesiasticas compellent, non ob
stantibus privilegiis et consuetudinibus.”3 The Fathers
of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore are emphatic
in urging all priests who have charge of souls to comply
with the duty of catechizing, which, they say, can never
be dispensed with. "Ad rectores animarum spectat per
se ipsos pascere gregis sui agnos. Patris nomine prorsus
indignus foret ille, qui filio fame pereunti panem fran
gere inique recusaret. Volumus ergo, ut rectores ecclesi
arum vel eorum vicarii saepius adeant dominicis diebus
scholas catechismi, fcrialibus autem parochiales, ac etiam
collegia seu gymnasia et academies puerorum et puellarum
3
Cone. Trid., Sess. XIV, c. 4.
376
CATECHETICS
quae a sacerdotibus non reguntur. Praeceptores sacer
dotali charactere non insigniti, sive religiosi sive laid,
inagno equidem sunt adiumento in iuvenum institutione,
at munus verbi Dei docendi sibi proprium non habent.
'Labia enim sacerdotis custodient scientiam, et legem re
quirent ex ore eius.’ ” *
4. Some detailed rules regarding the teaching of Chris
tian doctrine are laid down in the Encyclical Letter of
Pope Pius X, dated April 15, 1905. Addressing the
bishops, the Sovereign Pontiff says :
"Wishing to satisfy the weighty obligations of Our high and
Apostolic office, and desiring to see uniformity of custom every
where established in so important a matter, We decree and
strictly command that in all dioceses throughout the world the
following regulations be observed and enforced :
"(1) All parish priests, and in general all to whom the care
of souls is committed, must teach the catechism to their young
boys and girls for the space of one hour on all Sundays and
holydays of the year without exception, explaining to them what
each is bound to believe and practice in order to attain eternal
salvation.
“(2) They shall also, at stated times in the year, carefully
prepare these children for the Sacraments of Penance and Con
firmation by courses of instruction extending through many days.
"(3) Likewise, by means of appropriate instructions and ex
hortations, given every day during the Lenten season, and, if
necessary, also after Easter, they shall, but with very particular
care and diligence, prepare their young people of both sexes
for a worthy reception of their first holy Communion.
"(4) Let there be canonically established in every parish the
association commonly known as the Society of Christian Doc
trine, by means of which, especially where the number of priests
is small, pastors may secure lay help in the teaching of the
catechism; these lay teachers should apply themselves to their
task out of zeal for the glory of God, as well as from a de4
Cone. Pl. Balt. Ill, n. 217.
CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTION
377
sire to gain the rich indulgences lavishly granted by the Roman
Pontiffs.
"(5) In the larger cities, especially where there are public
academies, colleges, and universities, let religious doctrine classes
be established for the purpose of teaching the truths of our faith
and the precepts of Christian morality to the youths who at
tend public institutions wherein no mention whatever is made
of religion.
“(6) And since, in our times especially, those more advanced
in years stand in no less need of religious instruction than the
young, all pastors and others having the care of souls shall,
on Sundays and holydays, at an hour most convenient for the
majority of the faithful instruct them in the catechism, using
plain and simple language adapted to their intelligence. This
is in addition to the usual homily on the Gospel prescribed for
the parish Mass, and the hour chosen should not conflict with
that of the children's instruction. The Catechism of the Council
of Trent should be followed in all these instructions, which
ought to be so ordered as to cover in the space of four or
five years the entire matter of the Apostles' Creed, the Sacra
ments, the Ten Commandments, Prayer, and the Precepts of
the Church.
“All this, Venerable Brethren, We determine and decree by
Our Apostolic authority; it will now be your duty, each in his
own diocese, to put it into effect immediately and in every detail.
Moreover, it will be incumbent upon you to be vigilant in
this matter, using your authority unto the end that what We
now enjoin be not overlooked and forgotten, or, what would be
just as bad, that it be not put into effect negligently and list
lessly. Indeed, if you would prevent such a result, you must
constantly exhort and urge your pastors not to attempt these
catechetical instructions off-hand, but to prepare for them with
the utmost care, for thus they will not discourse in words of
human wisdom, but ‘in simplicity of heart and the sincerity of
God.’ Let them take pattern by Christ Himself, Who, though
uttering ‘things hidden from the foundation of the world.' never
theless declared all things ‘in parables to the multitudes ; and
without parables He did not speak to them.’ We know, too,
that the Apostles, who were trained by Our Lord, did the
same; and St. Gregory the Great used to say that ‘their great-
378
CATECHETICS
est care was to preach to the simple folk the plainest truths,
things not high and lofty, but such as they could easily com
prehend.' And in matters of religion it is not different in our
day; most men are to be moved and won by what is most
simple and direct.
"Now it would be a mistake, and far from Our intention,
were any one to conclude from what We have said about this
striving after simplicity in religious instruction, that such man
ner of discourse calls for no effort, no thoughtful preparation.
On the contrary, it demands much more than any other kind
of public speaking. Far easier it is to find an orator who can
deliver an elaborate and brilliant sermon, than a catechist able
to give a simple but flawless instruction. Therefore, however
much one may be gifted by nature with case in composition
or fluency of expression, let him nevertheless be persuaded of
this—that he will never derive any real fruit for souls from
his instructions on Christian doctrine to children or to the peo
ple, unless he has prepared himself well by long and careful
study and meditation. It is a grievous mistake to count on
the people’s ignorance or slowness of comprehension, and use
this as an excuse for negligence in the matter of preparation.
The fact is that, the less cultured one’s audience, the greater
care and pains must be taken to bring within the reach of
their feebler comprehension truths most sublime and far above
the reach of the ordinary intelligence, yet as necessary to sal
vation for the ignorant as for the learned."
Article
II
PERSONAL ENDOWMENTS OF THE CATECHIST
I. The catechist, as a matter of course, must be pious,
zealous, and devoted to his work. It is self-evident, too,
that he must have a thorough knowledge of what he
intends to teach. Here also applies what we have said in
an earlier article concerning the requisites of a good
preacher.
Apart, however, from piety and knowledge, a catechist
must be endowed with three virtues, namely : Love, pa
ENDOWMENTS OF THE CATECHIST
379
tience, and gentleness. His love must be that supernat
ural love which makes him consider each pupil an inno
cent and immortal soul, destined for heaven, and to be
led thither by his guidance. Our Divine Saviour fur
nishes us the best pattern of this love. It was His joy
to gather the little ones around Him, to speak to them
as a father speaks to his child, in order to gain their
confidence, to instill into their young minds the ideas of
eternal truth, and to implant in their hearts habits of
virtue. The disciples, feeling indignant at what they
deemed undue molestation, tried to keep the children and
their mothers away, but the Master gently reproved them,
saying : “Suffer the little children to come unto Me and
forbid them not ; for the kingdom of Heaven is for such.”
“Amen, I say to you, whosoever shall not receive the
kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter into it;
and, embracing them and laying His hands upon them,
He blessed them.”
2. If a catechist is gifted with love, he will not be want
ing in patience. Not all children are bright, attractive,
well-bred, but many are dull, ill-bred, talkative, subject
to evil habits, obstinate, disobedient, lazy. Add to this
the fact that children often receive little or no education
at home, that they are surrounded by vicious examples,
the father, perhaps, being a drunkard, the mother a non
Catholic, or, if she be a Catholic, careless about her reli
gious duties ; that their attendance is very irregular on
account of long distance from church, want of proper
clothing, etc. It sometimes takes truly heroic courage
not to become disgusted with certain young boys and girls.
Again, it is no easy matter to accommodate yourself to the
capacity of the juvenile mind, to step down from the high
platform of your own education to the low ground on
which children move. You may have to repeat things
380
CATECHETICS
again and again, ask one and the same question ten times
over and in different ways and forms, so that all may
understand it, not only the intelligent, but also those who
are less talented.
3. Gentleness is the third requisite of a good catechist.
He should be friendly and show a bright countenance.
Your soul may be ever so much troubled, your mind feel
ever so deeply pained, do not show your bad humor be
fore the children. Control your temper and conceal your
inward sentiments, as a mother is wont to hide the anxi
eties of her heart before her little ones. Ungentle man
ners will be at once noticed by the pupils, they will lose
confidence in their teacher and begin to hate his instruc
tions. An amiable manner, on the contrary, will attract
their youthful hearts and make them attend with
pleasure.
Article
III
METHODS OF CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTION
A—GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
I. Always see to it that the pupils of the catechism
class pay close attention, and, therefore, insist upon strict
silence. It will help much to have a certain order and
fixed places assigned to the scholars. The smaller and
younger children should sit next to the catechist, the
older ones farther back, but each should have a
special place marked out for him. When you are speak
ing, let your eyes wander over the whole class, for this
is the best means to keep them attentive. Those who are
unruly should be quietly called to order. Never employ
corporal punishment ; never strike or slap the children ;
do not dare even to touch the girls. Do not call the chil-
CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTIONS
381
dren opprobrious or vulgar names, rather praise and en
courage them. Little presents in the shape of books,
pictures, medals, etc., will help to foster diligence, pro
vided they be given rarely and only to those who really
deserve them.
2. Let your voice be moderate. Do not speak too loud,
or in a shrill tone, or too quickly. Modulate your voice
according to the nature of the subject upon which you are
discoursing. If you notice that the children are becom
ing restless, if they begin to move and to talk, try to find
out what is the cause. Very likely you yourself are to
blame. Do not simply preach to your class by doing all
the speaking yourself ; give the children a chance to speak
by ever and anon interposing questions, especially asking
those who seem to pay no attention. Occasionally you
may tell a little story to keep the pupils interested and to
fix their minds on the matter.
3. The instruction must be adapted to the age and con
dition of the audience. It must be given in a manner that
all can fully understand what is said. The catechism
or book which is in the hands of the children shows you
the plan to be followed. Be not satisfied with simply
impressing the words of the text on the minds of the schol
ars, but add the necessary explanation. “In catechisandis
rudibus,” says St. Augustine, “via tritissima tenenda est.
Quid vero hoc sibi vult? Nihil aliud nisi per analogiam
singula in libro tantummodo brevissime notata explicare
et quasi illustrare.” A mere recitation of what the cate
chism contains is not sufficient; the matter must, as it
were, be digested. In your language, in your words and
sentences, accommodate yourself to the manner in
which the children are wont to think and speak. Do
not use too many abstract terms, but prefer concrete ex
pressions. Foreign terms should not be made use of at
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CATECHETICS
all, or, if used they should be carefully explained. Here
we have some trouble with our English language: too
many of its words, derived from the Latin and French,
are unintelligible to children. Hard as it may sometimes
seem to find the right expression, still a little experience
will remove the difficulty.
Among children a teacher must think and talk like a
child—in short sentences and in a conversational tone.
St. Augustine says:
"Suavius est matri minuta mansa inspuere parvulo filio
quam ipsam mandere ac devorare grandiora. Non ergo re
cedat de pectore etiam cogitatio gallinae illius quae languidulis
plumis teneros foetus operit et susurrantes pullos confracta
voce advocat cuius blandas alas refugientes superbi praeda fiunt
alitibus.”
4. The articles of faith must be taught wholly and
completely, as something which we have to believe because
God the eternal Truth has told us so. Show the beauty
and the great advantages of these dogmas by applying
them to everyday life. When the principal feasts of
the ecclesiastical year, such as Christmas, Easter, Pente
cost, come around, give a little instruction on the dogma
which the feast suggests. Thus you will lead these little
lambs of the fold to the fountain of life.
B—SPECIAL RULES
I. Questioning is an indispensable feature of catechet
ical instruction. It constitutes, if we may say so, its very
soul. It must not, however, be done at random, but in
proper form and according to fixed principles. Follow
the order of the catechism and insist upon the young
scholars learning their lessons by heart exactly as they
METHOD OF CATECHIZING
383
are found in the book. Be not satisfied with incomplete
or mutilated answers. To facilitate matters observe the
following rules:
(a) Let the pupils, either singly or in chorus, read that
part of the book which they shall have to study for the
next class.
(&) This being done, immediately add what is called
the verbal explanation, namely, an interpretation of the
words and sentences.
(c) In the next class have them recite their lesson and
examine them on the meaning of the different terms and
expressions. Ask not only the bright and talented schol
ars, but also those who are slow and dull. If they give
a good answer, praise them ; if not, help them a little ;
if they have been lazy, punish them, but not too severely,
lest they become disgusted with religion.
(rf) After the recitation is over, give an explanation of
the subject-matter. Analyze the various points, render
them clearer by comparisons or analogies, demonstrate
the excellence and practical worth of the dogma or pre
cept. Try to make an impression upon the hearts of your
young hearers, to win their affection, and to rouse their
will. Bring forward examples by way of illustration, es
pecially from Bible history or the lives of the Saints.
However, let not your discourse become too long, but in
troduce questions now and then to prevent the children
from getting distracted. At the next hour examine them
on the matter thus explained.
Method of Catechizing
2. There are two methods of teaching: the synthetic
and the Socratic. The first means to teach so that the
pupil simply listens and patiently receives the ideas con
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CATECHETICS
veyed to his mind. Naturally, in this case, the teacher
is supposed to be invested with some authority or intel
lectual superiority. The Socratic method is that mode of
teaching by which the pupil himself has to discover what
he is looking for, ascending step by step until he reaches
the final goal. The teacher, in this case, merely guides
by suggestion or by answering questions. The method
to be followed in catechetical instruction is the synthetic.
Christian doctrine is based upon divine authority ; the
priest is invested with power to teach. The children
respect and honor him. They do not desire to search for
truth; they expect the priest to tell them what they arc
to believe and to do. The Socratic method may be fol
lowed but seldom, with advanced scholars.1
3. A distinction has to be made between catechetical
instruction given in school and in church. At the first
only the children are present, and but one particular class
or department ; in the second, those also participate who no
longer attend school, for instance, youths up to the age of
fifteen or sixteen, and even adults, especially the parents
of the children, may come to listen. In church the priest
may be somewhat more diffuse in his discourse and insert
points which are instructive for all, but the instruction as
such must be given to the children, though on a broader
scale than in school.
1 Spirago-Messmer (Method of
Christian Doctrine, p. 217) speaks
of three forms regarding teaching.
He says: “Three principal forms
may be mentioned for our purpose:
the lecture form or discourse, where
the teacher alone speaks and ex
plains the subject in coherent dis
course while the pupils listen; the
question form or dialogue, where
the teacher asks questions to be im
mediately answered by the pupils,
hence both speaking in turn; the
object form, where the teacher ex
hibits to the eyes of the children
the matter to be learned. When
teaching children, no one of
these forms may be used exclusive
ly, but now one, then another, just
as the catechist perceives that at
the time being this or another will
serve its purpose best. As a rule
the lecture and question forms
should go together.”
METHOD OF CATECHIZING
385
It is an error to believe that the instruction in Christian
doctrine may be left to school teachers, lay or religious.
They have no missio canonica, and besides, lack the nec
essary knowledge. They have not made any theological
studies, accomplished though they may be in other
branches. Christian doctrine must not be placed on the
same level with secular sciences. The teaching of it, first
and last, belongs to the priest. He should consider it as
one of his chief duties and visit the parochial school
under his care regularly on fixed days and at stated hours.
He should make an agreement with the teachers,
so that they, as well as the children, are ready when he
comes. It depends upon the number of pupils and the
degree of advancement they have made how often re
ligious instruction should be given by the priest. If the
classes are large, the pastor should attend to it every day,
else every other day, or at least twice a week. The school
teachers may attend to what we may call the technical
part of religious instruction, namely, the recitation and
verbal explanation, and this they should do every day,
say, for half an hour in the morning after school has
opened. If the classes or grades of the school are not
very large, it may be advisable to combine two of them
for catechetical instruction. Things must be arranged so
that children, during the time they go to school, go
through the whole catechism and Bible history at least
twice before they make their first Communion. Have a
list of each department and do not allow any to absent
themselves. The school teachers may be consulted as to
what department the individual scholars should be as
signed to, but after they have been placed, the teachers
ought not to make a change of their own accord, but
should consult the pastor about it.
4. We desire to add one remark concerning those con
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CATECHETICS
gregations or missions which have no parochial school.
Their number, alas, is still very great. The principal
thing is to see to it that the children get a thorough re
ligious instruction at their first Communion. Still, it
would be exceedingly wrong to let them grow up without
any religious training until they reach the age of ten or
twelve years, or to leave the whole matter in the hands of
the parents. Do the best you can under the circumtances. Gather the children in church every Sunday
at a suitable hour. Divide them into classes or grades, have
at least two departments, a senior and a junior, and teach
them yourself.
In missions that have no regular Sunday service, em
ploy some lay person, male or female, for the purpose
of teaching the children of the congregation the catechism
on Sundays when there is no Mass. Inform the teachers
as to what they are to do, and supply them with books
to help them. Men or women willing to assume this
office and task of charity can be found in almost any
place; but it is wrong to leave the whole work in their
hands and to have nothing in the line of religious instruc
tion for the young except a Sunday school carried on
by a lay teacher all the year round. A priest neglecting
his duty to this extent is unworthy of the name of pastor,
and he will have to answer for many a soul lost through
his fault. “Neglect of a child is far more pernicious than
neglect of an adult member. It will be impossible
for the child to practice religion if he has not received
a sound religious instruction, and to refuse or neglect
to give him that instruction is almost identical with
casting him away from the Church, keeping him from
God and Christ, and dooming him to eternal perdition.” 2
The Sunday school is but a poor substitute for that
2 Lucbbemann, The Priest in the Pulpit.
CATECHETICAL BOOKS
387
religious education which a child receives by attending
a parochial school. Therefore, at missions where no
parochial school exists, the pastor should, if possible, ap
point other days besides Sunday for catechetical instruc
tion ; thus only may he hope to achieve a somewhat satis
factory result.
Article IV
CATECHETICAL BOOKS
I. Although the catechist by his living word contrib
utes a great deal towards the religious instruction of the
children, yet they must have a book which, in a short and
concise way, contains the principal heads of Christian
doctrine, and will, therefore, serve them as a guide.
The two requisites of a good catechism are: theologi
cal truth and simple language which children can under
stand. Many catechisms fail in the second requisite, the
language not being suited to the youthful mind. There is
a movement on foot to have but one catechism and to
make it obligatory for the whole Catholic world. A
preliminary step in this direction was taken by the late
Pope Pius X. A new and short catechism was pre
scribed for Rome and its suburban dioceses. Whether
this or any other catechism will become a standard work of
its kind and be adopted in all countries, the future has
yet to show. The Fathers of the Third Plenary Council
of Baltimore tried to create uniformity in regard to the
catechisms used throughout this country by issuing the
following decree: "Statuimus ut comitatus instituatur
Rmorum Episcoporum quorum erit: i° Catechismum
seligere............ prout magis necessarium et opportunum
aestimaverint. 2° Opus suum ita perfectum ad coetum
Rmorum Archiepiscoporum remittere, qui denuo cate·
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CATECHETICS
dusmum recognoscent, et typis accurate mandari cura
bunt. Hoc catechismo in lucem edito quamprimum uti
teneantur omnes animarum curam habentes, et praecep
tores tam religiosi quam laid.” 1 The catechism thus or
dered was published 'soon after, but did not meet with
universal favor. The book was found faulty, where
fore several bishops hesitated to adopt or prescribe it for
their dioceses. Hence the question as regards a uniform
catechism for the whole United States is still in statu quo.
Wherever the Baltimore Catechism, or any other, has
been prescribed by the Ordinary, the pastor must use it,
because the Ordinary’s authority on this head is unques
tionable. The Baltimore Catechism was intended to be
obligatory only for English schools and congregations,
though it was the wish of the prelates that it should be
translated into other languages and be taught in non-English speaking schools as well. The Council also recom
mended that religious instruction be given to children of
foreign parentage both in English and in their mother
tongue. “Wherever this is not carried out or may not
be practicable, the catechist may find frequent occasion
to use both languages in particular instances in the course
of his instruction. He may illustrate the term in one
language by the corresponding term in the other language,
and thus turn the disadvantage into a decided advantage.
It will, beyond dispute, always be advisable to mention
the English term along with the other, at least in the more
important and fundamental doctrines, since these children
may, as the Council observes, at a future time, be placed
in circumstances where entire nescience of English reli
gious terms would entail serious disadvantage.” 2
2. Together with the catechism, Bible history must be
1 Cone. Pl. Balt. Ill, n. 21g.
2 Luebbermann, The Priest in the Pulpit.
CATECHETICAL BOOKS
389
taught. Bible history is to the catechism what the book
of exercises is to the grammar. Both are necessary
for acquiring a thorough knowledge of religion. In
primary schools Bible history should furnish the main
subject of religious teaching, because historical facts are
concrete things and hence more easily grasped by be
ginners than abstract doctrines. It will be necessary,
though, to have a short abstract of biblical stories for
beginners, or else to select only certain easy and interest
ing chapters and reserve the rest for the more advanced
classes.
We may be permitted to append a few sentences from the
preface of the English translation of Knecht’s Commentary on
Holy Scripture: “Bible history, to claim a place in religious
instruction, must do so only inasmuch as it bears on the doc
trines of faith. Thus Bible history becomes an object lesson
in faith, a veritable pictorial catechism. How powerfully, for
instance, is the truth of an all-ruling Providence illustrated by
the histories of Joseph and Abraham. Bible history develops
and expands truth. The texts of Scripture that in the catechism
stand isolated and shorn of their contexts, are now seen in
the light of their surroundings and speak to us with a new
force and meaning. It is clear that Bible history is not to be
read merely as a story book, that it is to be studied not on its
own account, but because it imparts life and vigor to religious
Instruction. The first stage in teaching Bible history is the nar
rative. The teacher tells the story briefly, so as to enable the
children to see with their eyes and hear with their ears what
is to be said and done. A story well told is half explained.
After the story has been told, the children open their books,
and one or more read it aloud, the teacher adding any further
explanation that may be necessary. But the impression will
quickly disappear unless measures be taken to fix it in the
memory. This is the next process. The repetition in class con
sists in the children telling the story independently and in a
connected way. But the deeper meaning of the story is still
hidden from them. The commentary is the key that opens
390
CATECH ETICS
the gate of this wider knowledge. Every Bible story contains
dogmatic and moral truths. To draw out these truths and to
bring them vividly before the children is the most important
part of instruction in Bible history. And this is the function
of the commentary. In the application the truths elicited are
brought home to the individual child and are held up to him
as a rule of life and conduct.”
Catechetical Literature
Thein, The Catechism of Rodes.
Dupanloup, Ministry of Catechising.
Luebbermann, The Priest in the Pulpit.
Hay, The Sincere Christian.
Keenan, Catechism of the Christian Religion.
Mrs. Sadlier, Catholic Anecdotes.
Knecht, Commentary on Holy Scripture.
Knecht, Praktischer Kommentar sur Biblischen Geschichte.
Lambing, The Sunday School Teacher’s Manual.
Power, The General Catechism Familiarly Explained.
Gruber, Katechetisches Handbuch.
Mey, Follstandige Katechesen.
Girardey, Commentary on the Catechism of Rev. IV. Faerber.
Caferata, The Catechism Simply Explained.
Deharbe, Erkldrung des Katholischen Katcchismus.
Schmitt, Erklarung des Mittleren Deharbe’schen Katechismus.
Jungmann, Theorie der Geistlichen Beredsamkeit.
St. Augustine, Liber de Catechisandis Rudibus.
Spirago-Clarke, The Catechism Explained.
Messmer, Spirago’s Method of Christian Doctrine.
Baierl, The Creed Explained.
Nist, The Practical Catechist.
PART III
PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
CHAPTER I
TEMPORAL MATTERS
Article I
ORGANIZATION OF PARISHES
I. The United States up to a recent date was called
a missionary country, because ecclesiastical affairs here
had not yet obtained that stability and perfect order which
is found in countries where the Church has existed for
centuries, and where custom or law has determined in
full detail all which comes under the head of Church
government. Plenary and provincial councils, in con
nection with instructions sent out by the Propaganda, or
issued by bishops, have removed much of the primitive
disorder. Moreover, in consideration of the stupendous
growth of the Catholic Church in America since by the
erection of the first episcopal see at Baltimore, in 1788, a
regular hierarchy was established, the Holy See has deemed
it proper to withdraw the ecclesiastical provinces of this
country from the jurisdiction of the Propaganda and to
put them under the immediate rule of the various Con
gregations and Departments of the Roman Curia. How
ever, there is yet room for improvement, and most of our
391
392
PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
bishops and priests are still true missionaries, whose duty
it is to organize and build for the future, not only
to preserve what has been handed down from the past.
By the oath of fidelity which everyone must take who is
ordained titulo missionis, a priest is bound to go wher
ever his Bishop or Ordinary sends him. Following the
maxim of the Apostle, "omnibus omnia factus sum," he
must be ready to sacrifice his fortune, his health, his per
son. He must divest himself of any predilection for a
certain place, of national feeling, especially in mixed con
gregations, of love of comfort and luxury. If the place to
which he is assigned is new, he must build it up; if it
it has been neglected, he must remodel it; if debts have
been contracted, he must see to it that they are paid, no
matter whether he will receive any personal advantage
from his work or not. Success may come later, although
the one who has done the labor may not derive any per
sonal or earthly benefit from it. The heavenly recom
pense promised by our Lord to His faithful servants will
never fail him.
2. Not seldom a priest will be forced to lay the foun
dations of a new congregation. What should be his man
ner of procedure in such a case ?
First of all it is necessary to have the bishop’s consent,
which, as a rule should be given in writing. Next, the
needs and ability of the people must be examined. This
may be done by a visit to the various houses and to each
family, or by a public meeting called in a fitting place.
If the majority, especially the most influential families,
are against the erection of a new parish, or a division of
the old one, it may be better either to drop or to postpone
the matter. When there is a real necessity on account of
the spiritual wants of the people, it will not be difficult to
ORGANIZATION OF PARISHES
393
get the support of all good persons; a few dissenters
should not be noticed.
3. Suppose it has been decided to organize a new
parish ; then the next question is the choice of a suitable
place. As far as possible the church should he erected
in the center of the congregation. In cities it is not ad
visable to build in the business section, or too far off in
the outskirts, or too near a railroad, or too close to a
Protestant church, a public school, a jail, or other unde
sirable place. Choose a corner lot with sufficient ground
for all the buildings that may be necessary, a whole block
if you can get it. The ground should not be too low,
sandy, or marshy. If the property has to be bought, it
will not be wise to let a mortgage remain on it; pay for
it in cash if possible. Besides, care must be taken that
the property is free from all incumbrance. To make sure
of this, an abstract of title should be procured. The
deed by which the property is transferred should be
carefully examined. It should be a deed in fee simple.
When the congregation has to be incorporated, it must
be done in the legal title of such corporation, otherwise
in the name of the bishop, never in the name of the priest,
unless he paid for the property with his own money.
After the deed has been drawn up in regular form, it
must be recorded in the court house of the county within
which the property is situated, otherwise the transfer will
not be legal. A copy of the deed should be kept in the
archives of the congregation; the original must be sent
to the bishop or his chancellor.
4. After the site has been selected and procured, steps
should be taken to collect funds for erecting a church.
It would be imprudent to contract a big debt at the very
beginning. Hence, do not commence before you have on
394
PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
hand at least one-half or two-thirds of the money needed,
or have it sufficiently secured so that you can get it when
it is needed. Besides, never go beyond the present wants
and means of the congregation, but build so that the
church, school-house, or whatever it is, can be easily en
larged. In cities it is best to begin by combining church
and school under one roof.
The usual way of raising money is to collect from
house to house. It requires sacrifice on the part of the
priest, but there is commonly no way to avoid it. A col
lection tour of this kind will help him to become better ac
quainted with the members of his parish. Let him at the
same time take up a census, and try to get an insight
into the spiritual condition of his flock.
A census, both financial and spiritual, should be taken
up in a large congregation with a more or less floating
population once every year. In small parishes, especially
in rural districts, where the population is not apt to change
very much or within a short time, it may be sufficient to
take up a census once in five years.
It may be well to collect first from those who are poor
or not so well off, and afterwards from the wealthier
members of the congregation, to arouse the ambition and
zeal of the latter class. When the sums of money
promised are comparatively large, prudence and economy
demand that the terms of payment be divided (six
months, one year, two or three years). You must also
take into consideration that some may fail or be slow in
paying their subscriptions. This deficiency will have to
be supplied by loans, for which timely provision should,
therefore, be made. It is a wise thing to collect as long
as the building is in progress, because when it is finished
the zeal of the people is apt to cool off.
5. For the building of a church, school-house, parish
ORGANIZATION OF PARISHES
395
house, etc., or any considerable portion thereof (tower,
sacristy, sanctuary), a plan with accompanying specifica
tions ought to be drawn by a competent architect and be
sent to the bishop for approbation. The pastor should
study the plan and specifications, and let others who are
competent judges inspect them; often a great deal of
money and trouble may thus be saved.
After these preparatory steps have been taken a no
tice should be inserted in the local papers, inviting con
tractors and mechanics to figure on the plan, for which
enough time (about one month) should be allotted to
them. On an appointed day they should meet together,
and the pastor, with the building committee, if there be
one, or with the trustees of the congregation, in presence
of the superintendent, should open the sealed bids to see
to whom the contract may most advantageously be
awarded. There are, however, different ways in letting
contracts :
( i ) A contract is let for the whole structure or job to
one person, engaging him to furnish all the material, which
material, however, must be clearly specified. This is
the ordinary mode.
(2) Special contracts are made for the different parts
of the work—for the masonry, wood-work, painting,
etc. ; in this case each separate contractor must furnish
his own material.
(3) The contract is for labor only, the material being
furnished by yourself. This mode is the cheapest, pro
vided you have experience in business and are familiar
with the rules of the trade.
(4) No .regular contract is made, but you yourself
furnish all the material, hire the workmen, and pay them
by the day or week. This method may be adopted for
smaller jobs.
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PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
A few practical rules are the following :
(a) Always make a contract in writing, if the amount
be considerable, and have it signed in presence of two dis
interested witnesses.
(&) Never omit to ask bonds of the contractor, for
double the amount the work will cost.
(c) Always stick to the contract; never change it; for
extra work make an extra contract, otherwise the contrac
tors are not bound by their agreement and cannot be
sued in court.
(d) Have the payments fixed beforehand, and do not
pay until the work has been examined by the superin
tendent and found satisfactory.
(e) See to it that the workmen are promptly and regu
larly paid by the contractor, likewise the firms that furnish
the material ; otherwise they will take a lien on the building
and you may be obliged to pay twice.
(/) Even though you have a superintendent, watch
your workmen closely, and have work not properly done
done over at once. Do not mind complaints raised by
incompetent members of the congregation.
(g) The building committee or board of trustees should
be heard and consulted, but the pastor should not allow
them to overrule him.
(Λ) Have a clause inserted in the contract that no work
shall be done on Catholic holy days of obligation.
(♦) Appoint a date when the work must be finished, so
that, if it is not finished, the contractor will lose a certain
percentage.
(/) Never pay more than was stipulated, even if the
contractors, by unforeseen circumstances, have made
no profit or erred in their figuring. But if they actually
lost money on the building, it seems fair to compensate
them, provided it was not their own fault.
GATHERING OF FUNDS
397
Article II
THE MANAGEMENT OF TEMPORALITIES
A—THE GATHERING OF FUNDS
I. A pastor must bear in mind that, as custos ec
clesiae, he is responsible not only for the souls en
trusted to his care, but also for the temporal goods which
belong to his parish, since they are the means by which
the principal end, the eternal salvation of men and their
spritual welfare, is effected. Property being necessary
for divine worship, the Church claims the right of possess
ing such as inherent in herself, and independent of all
civil laws or State grants. Temporal goods belonging to
ecclesiastical bodies are "res sacrae," whether blessed or
not ; therefore those who are entrusted with their keeping
and management, whether priests or laymen, commit a
sacrilege if. through culpable carelessness or malice, they
allow these goods to be lost or to depreciate in
value.
As a rule, all pecuniary means needed for the sup
port of religion in this country come out of the pockets
of the people, who, so far, have contributed liberally to
wards this end and will, let us hope, continue to do so
in future. Pastors should prudently foster this spirit of
pecuniary sacrifice, especially among the rising genera
tion, lest the people grow cold in faith and become indif
ferent to the Christian heritage of their forefathers. It
is also incumbent on the pastor to handle the temporalities
of the congregation or mission with business tact and
practical wisdom.
It must be borne in mind that in acquiring funds
for the support of religion only such ways and means may
be employed as are neither wrong in themselves, unjust,
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PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
unfair, scandalous, nor forbidden by diocesan or provin
cial laws? The principal sources of income for parishes
and missions are: pew-rent, collections, subscriptions, sale
of cemetery lots, fairs, picnics, donations.
2. Pew-rent is the money paid annually by parish
members for the exclusive right of occupying a seat
or pew in church during divine service. Custom
and contract will determine how far this right
goes ; in no case, however, can it be a right of ownership,
but only of use. Whoever wishes to be an active member
of a parish, should rent at least one seat. Those who
refuse to do so, have, strictly speaking, no title or claim
upon the priest’s ministry, although charity will prompt
a pastor not to refuse them his services altogether,
since on such occasions a lost sheep may often be brought
back to the fold. Provision must also be made for the
poor who are unable to pay ; to them free seats ought to be
assigned. The rate of pew-rent is to be fixed so that the
annual amount covers the current expenses, for which
no other funds exist. Such current expenses are the
priest’s salary, the salaries of the organist and sexton, or
dinary repairs, light, fuel, interest, and insurance. The
rent may vary according to the location of the seats, or it
may be the same throughout. The terms of payment must
be arranged beforehand ; generally the rent is paid in ad
vance, and a written or printed receipt is given for each
payment. In order to insure regularity in this matter,
it is advisable for the pastor to announce a few weeks
ahead when the pew-rent will fall due, and to send
a written notice to those who are in arrears. If this has
no effect, the pew may be rented to another party.
3. The second means of obtaining money for church
iCfr. Cone. Pl. Balt. HI, tit. IX, c. 5.
GATHERING OF FUNDS
399
purposes are the collections which take place during divine
service. A priest performing a sacred function, especially
when saying Mass, is strictly forbidden to interrupt the
same and to go collecting through the aisles. This task
should be left to trustworthy laymen. When a collection
is taken up for a special purpose, envelopes may be used,
but not too often (say, once or twice a year).
4. Subscriptions come next in order. They are resorted
to when new buildings are to be constructed, when ex
traordinary improvements are to be made, when debts
are to be paid off, or any other extraordinary expenses oc
cur. It is well to explain to the people what the subscrip
tion is for and how much money you expect to raise. A
preliminary meeting of the leading men of the congregation
should be held, to ascertain whether a subscription will
be practicable. Generally the priest himself will have to
go around; but if the district is too large, lay collectors
may be appointed.
Under the head of subscriptions fall the moneys gath
ered by societies whose main object is to help the church
in its financial struggles, such as building associations and
altar societies. Building associations work well in large
city parishes, but not so well in country missions. Al
tar societies should be established in all congregations ;
care, however, must be taken in organizing them. The
president and treasurer ought to be pious persons
with business tact, who, moreover, have the confidence
of the members. The members may also have among
their duties the sweeping of the church, washing the
altar linens, sewing and mending articles for the sanc
tuary, etc.
5. In some places, the sale of cemetery lots constitutes
a source of income for the church. No general rule can
be given here, as everything depends upon local circum-
400
PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
stances. This much, however, is certain,—the deed
granted must not convey the right of ownership, hut sim
ply the right of use. The moneys thus received, the
Council of Baltimore directs, should not be appropriated
by the priest.
6. j'airs, picnics, bazaars and other festivals, form
additional means of enlarging the pecuniary resources
of a congregation. The Council of Baltimore does not
forbid them, but tolerates them with certain restrictions;
priests are warned to be cautious in regard to them, as
they are fraught with evil. This evil lies in the fact that
thus the merit of the people is greatly diminished or lost
altogether, it being not only a work of charity and reli
gion, but also of personal gain. Again, there is danger
in the nightly gatherings of young people at dances, etc.
Only when there is a real necessity should a pastor hold a
fair or festival, and then use all possible precautions so as
to lessen the dangers as much as possible. Festivals, ba
zaars, etc., if arranged for the benefit of a church, are
simply a minus malum, which may be tolerated, but should
not be encouraged. Let the priest on such occasions
watch lest doubtful characters intrude themselves. Have
a police officer at hand, forbid the sale of liquors,
eliminate unjust or scandalous games, tricks, etc., and
never arrange a fair or like amusement during Lent or Ad
vent, or on Sundays, holydays of obligation or fast days.
Of course, after it has been decided to hold a festival,
the pastor owes it to the congregation to work hard
to make it a success. For this purpose it is necessary
to reduce the expenses as much as possible and to appoint
the right persons in the different departments, in order
that a good profit may be obtained.
7. As a last monetary source donations may be men
tioned. Individuals or societies as a body, sometimes
ECCLESIASTICAL PROPERTY
4οτ
contribute to the support of the church by making presents
in the shape of altars, pulpits, chalices, windows, organs,
bells, chandeliers, etc. With prudence and zeal a pastor
ought to be able to arouse a holy ambition or emulation
among his flock. Occasionally remind those that have
means to remember the church in their last will.
B—THE PRESERVATION OF ECCLESIASTICAL PROPERTY
I. A pastor must not only be industrious in gathering
funds for his parish, but he must also be careful in pre
serving whatever has been accumulated in the line of ec
clesiastical property, whether movable or immovable. In
most congregations there exists a board of trustees, or a
committee of laymen, whose office it is to assist the pastor
in the management of the temporalities. As these bodies
may become a burden, caution should be used in appoint
ing or electing the members.1 In all matters of impor
tance they ought to be consulted.
The finances cannot be kept in order unless a written
record is kept of both the receipts and the expenditures.
In each parish or mission, therefore, several account
books (books for pew-rent, collections, journal), should
be kept. The entries must be made in a legible way, and
the books be kept in a suitable place in the presbytery, if
possible, in an iron safe.
It is well to call a meeting of the trustees every now
and then. This meeting should be held monthly, quarterly,
or at least once a year. An annual account or itemized
statement of all sums of money received or disbursed,
debts, etc., should be compiled towards the end of the
year, or at the beginning of the new year. One copy of
it should be sent to the chancellor of the diocese and an1 Cone. Pl. Balt. Ill, n. 387.
402
PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
other kept in the archives of the parish. The people should
be kept informed regarding the financial status of the
parish, cither by regular statements read from the pulpit,
or by printed reports distributed among the pew-holders.
2. Not only cash money is to be handled carefully,
but all parish property, movable and immovable, should
be well guarded and kept in good condition. As to the
church edifice, it is expedient and necessary to watch
everything minutely and see that all is in order. The
roof, the windows, the steeple, the basement, etc., ought
to be examined every now and then. Repairs ought to
be made without delay, for every delay will increase the
cost.
Next to the church comes the cemetery. It should be
well fenced in, closed and locked, and the graves,
walks, trees, etc., carefully kept. Being consecrated
ground, it should not be profaned by amusements, the
playing of children, etc.
The school-house also forms an important object of
solicitude. The rooms should be arranged so as to ac
commodate all pupils comfortably and decently. The
building itself, walls, doors, and windows, no less than the
furniture, should be kept in such shape as to be a credit
to the congregation, that no parent may have a pretext to
send his children to a non-Catholic school.
Finally, the priest’s residence should not be neg
lected. The different apartments should be clean and in
good condition. The furniture, being the property of
the congregation, ought not to be abused. If the house
is a frame building, it needs a coat of paint now and
then. The yard, trees, garden, farm, stable, attached to
the residence, must be well taken care of. Private par
ties should not be allowed to encroach upon the property
of the congregation and assume rights to which they are
PRIVATE FINANCES OF THE CLERGY
403
not entitled, such as the feeding of cattle, drainage, etc.
Doings of this kind may cause the property to sink
greatly in value. Though it is not altogether forbidden to
sell or rent church property, yet this can be done only
with certain restrictions. The lease must not exceed three
years. For the sale of real estate and res pretiosae, or
placing a mortgage, the bishop’s permission is absolutely
necessary.2 Finally, all church property ought to be in
sured in some reliable company against loss by fire and
storms.
C—THE PRIVATE FINANCES OF THE CLERGY
1. According to the saying of Holy Scripture, "Qui
altari servit, de altari etiam vivere debet," a priest, who
faithfully attends to his charge is entitled to a proper
living from the revenues of the church. This living
must be adequate to his position. Since we have no ec
clesiastical benefices in this country, custom or diocesan
statutes determine how much those engaged in the sacred
ministry shall receive. The bishop of the diocese has full
power to fix the temporal income of his clergy, and no
priest has a right to deviate from the rule thus established.
If he does so without special permission, he is guilty of
theft and sacrilege, and makes himself liable to censure
and punishment.
2. The main sources of clerical income in this country
are the salary, the iura stolae, and donations. In most
dioceses special laws exist regulating the salary of the
clergy. In the absence of such laws, custom or a special
agreement made with the board of trustees will deter
mine the amount. Care should be taken by each clergy
man that he gets what is due to him regularly and
2 Cfr. the Bull "/fpoit. Stdit," tab. IV, n. 3.
404
PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
at the proper season. If he allows his salary to accumu
late too long (over a year), he will forfeit all title to
it, unless the Ordinary grants a prolongation.1
lura stolae are the fees or perquisites which the in
dividual faithful are wont to give in consideration of
personal ministerial services rendered by a priest. Local
custom or diocesan rules determine how much the peo
ple shall pay on these occasions. The rate is to be taken
at the lowest, and the faithful are not forbidden to
give more (provided this be done voluntarily), nor the
clergy to accept more.
Donations are sometimes made as extras for the tem
poral support of a clergyman. Such donations in the
shape of free gifts may be offered by individuals,
by societies in a body, or by the whole congregation.
Note, however, that when they do not consist of money,
but of other things, for instance, a buggy, horse, auto
mobile, house furniture, vestments, etc., they do not al
ways constitute a personal present. A priest may be
given only the right of use with the understanding that
he will leave the objects to his successor in case of re
moval. Particular circumstances must be considered to
determine whether or not such offerings are intended as
personal and individual gifts or not. Special collections,
taken up in church with the permission of the bishop at
Christmas or Easter, rank as donations of which no
public account need be given. Should the Ordinary for
bid them, the priest must submit and not appropriate to
himself any public collection.
3. Although a priest is free in the management of his
own pecuniary affairs, yet he must observe the rules of
prudence and justice. He should not rashly contract
1 Cone. Pl. Balt. Ill, n. 281.
PRIVATE FINANCES OF THE CLERGY
405
debts and pay his creditors promptly. Be not extrava
gant in spending money, nor enter into wild speculation
in order to get rich quick. Keep a careful account of
your private affairs. Do not forget the poor, the Church,
and works of charity. The Apostle justly remarks:
"Si quis autem domui suae praeesse nescit, quomodo ec
clesiae Dei diligentiam habebit?"2 The Third Plenary
Council of Baltimore has an admonition to this effect
which is worth reading.3 On the whole, a priest should
be satisfied with his position and not seek a fat place,
as they say, this being contrary to the promise he made
when he entered the ecclesiastical state ("Dominus pars
haereditatis meae,” etc.), and often leads to false and
unbecoming transactions, to calumny, hatred, simony, and
scandal.
2 Tim. I, 3, 5.
3 Cone. PI. Balt. Ill, n. tjj.
CHAPTER II
PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS
Article
I
THE NECESSITY OF PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS
I. Whenever possible a Catholic congregation should
have its own parochial school, which means a school that
is under the immediate supervision of the pastor, and
where all the children of the parish receive an elementary
education in the secular branches, together with sound re
ligious instruction. The civil government in this country
does not interfere with Catholics erecting their own
schools, but neither does it contribute towards their
erection or support, and hence the burden falls upon
the Catholic body, in particular upon the parents. The
fact that our people have to pay a double tax (the tax for
public schools also being demanded of them) cannot be
admitted as sufficient ground for not having a Catholic
school. Neither is the priest allowed to neglect the erec
tion of a parochial school, or to close one which exists,
under the pretext that it causes him too much extra work.
Only a moral or absolute impossibility (long distance
from the church, extreme poverty, etc.), may excuse,
at least pro tempore.1
A priest who has no parochial school in connec
tion with his church will never know the children of his
congregation, the most precious part of his flock, as he
1 Cone. Pl. Balt. It, tit. VI
406
PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS
407
ought to know them, and may be forced to see them, one
after another, fall away from the faith as they grow
older.
2. A school which professedly excludes religion from its
plan of studies, as the public State schools do, cannot edu
cate youth in a proper manner, for education is more than
teaching. A man whose intellect and memory are stocked
with knowledge may have all the vicious propensities
of corrupt nature left in his bosom. Religion alone is
able to correct nature. Its influence must, however, be
brought to bear on a man while he is young, in early child
hood, and it must go hand in hand with the other branches
of education, for a tree can be bent only when it is a sap
ling and not after the trunk has become rigid. The
average moral standing of children who are sent to a
public school, where no religion is taught, may not differ
greatly from the moral standing of those educated in
a Catholic parochial school; but the difference will be
come very noticeable in after life. The former will have
little or no power to resist temptations, whereas the
latter, through their religious training, will have such
power.
“Scientific instruction will give you learned and clever young
men and women; religious education will give you honest and
virtuous citizens. Instruction separated from education serves
rather to fill young hearts with vanity than to discipline them
aright. It is quite otherwise with a right education. Such a
training, under the guidance of religion, which is the regula
tor of the heart of man and the inspirer of pure and generous
affection, implants and cultivates virtue in the most illiterate
souls without the aid of much scientific polishing or instruc
tion.” 8
3. It seems superfluous to discuss the “school ques2 Cardinal Pecci, afterwards Pope Leo XIII, in a Lenten sermon.
408
PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
tian,” as it has been completely settled by the ecclesiastical
authorities. Papal encyclicals, both old and recent, and
decrees issued by provincial councils and diocesan synods,
particularly by the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore,
have put an end to all controversy on this point. Con
gregations as a whole, and parents in particular, are
strictly bound (sub gravi) to provide for the education
of the rising Catholic generation by erecting and uphold
ing parochial schools wherever it is not absolutely or
morally impossible. The Council says :
"I. Prope unamquamque ecclesiam ubi nondum cxislit, scho
lam parochialem intra duos annos a promulgatione huius Con
cilii erigendam et in perpetuum sustentandam esse, nisi Epi
scopus ob graviores difficultates dilationem concedendam esse
iudicet.
"II. Sacerdotem, qui intra hoc tempus erectionem vel su
stentationem scholae gravi sua negligentia impediat, vel post re
petitas Episcopi admonitiones non curet, mereri remotionem ab
illa ecclesia.
"III. Missionem vel paroeciam quae sacerdotem in erigenda
vel sustentanda schola adiuvare ita negligat, ut ob hanc supinam
negligentiam schola existere non possit, ab Episcopo esse repre
hendendam ac quibus cfficacioribus et prudentioribus modis pot
est, inducendam ad necessaria subsidia conferenda.
"IV. Omnes parentes Catholicos prolem suam ad scholas parochiales mittere teneri, nisi vel domi vel in aliis scholis Ca
tholicis Christianae filiorum suorum educationi sufficienter et evi
denter consulant, aut ob causam sufficientem, ab Episcopo ap
probatam, et cum opportunis cautionibus remediisque eos ad
alias scholas mittere ipsis liceat. Quaenam autem sit schola
Catholica Ordinarii iudicio definiendum relinquitur.” 3
3 Cone. Pl. Balt. Ill, n. igg.
MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS
409
Article II
THE MANAGEMENT OF PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS
A—EXTERNAL MANAGEMENT
1. The money needed for the erection and maintenance
of parochial schools within the limits of the United
States must be procured in the same way as funds for
other ecclesiastical purposes. The house and its furni
ture are usually paid for from the receipts of a special
collection or subscription. The salary of the teachers in
many parishes is made up in part by the monthly dues
gathered from the pupils attending the schools. The
amount of these dues should not be too high (fifty cent·?
the highest). If the total sum does not suffice to de
fray the expenses, the rest may be supplied by money
taken from those church funds which are not destined
for a particular purpose. Persons who have no children
to send to school should be induced, nevertheless, to con
tribute towards its support, because the parochial school
is no private concern, but a quasi-essential part of the
parish, in which all members ought to take an active
interest.
2. The Fathers of the Third Plenary Council of Balti
more highly recommend, nay indeed, urge the establish
ment of free parochial schools and also indicate the way
to go about it, when they say : "Let the laity provide
a sufficient and generous support for the schools. For
this end they will unite their forces so as to be enabled
to meet at all times the expenses of the parish and of the
parochial school. Let the faithful be admonished, either
by pastoral letters or by sermons or private talks, that
they gravely neglect their duty if they do not provide,
according to their means and power, for the Catholic
410
PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
schools. Especially ought those to be made to realize this
obligation who rank above others in wealth and influence.
Let parents, therefore, promptly and gladly pay the small
monthly fee which it is customary to charge for each
pupil, and let the other members of the parish not refuse
to create and increase the fund which is required for
the support of the school. All—be they parents, or
other heads of families, or young men with an income
of their own—should be ready to enroll themselves as
members of a society which we earnestly recommend to
be established in every parish, already introduced in some
and freely blessed by the Holy Father, calculated to
make the schools free, at least in part, by the regular if
modest contributions of its members.” 1
In lieu of the tuition-fee method and societies estab
lished for the purpose of supporting the parochial school,
the endowment plan has been adopted in quite a number
of places, especially in large cities.
3. Besides the question of providing the necessary
funds, some other external matters are worthy of con
sideration. Thus, the school-house should be near the
church, on ground not too low or damp, lest the health of
the children be injured. Light, heat, and ventiliation
deserve special care. The furniture should be neat, clean,
and commodious. The walls should not be left bare, but
covered with maps, charts, pictures, etc. As a matter
of course, there should be a crucifix in every school
room. Separate toilets should be provided for both sexes
and located in places neither too conspicuous nor too
hidden. Two play-grounds also are indispensable, one for
girls and one for boys; likewise a constant supply of
fresh drinking water.
1 Cone. Pl. Balt. Ill, n. aoa.
MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS
4i i
B—INTERNAL MANAGEMENT
I. After the school house has been erected, the pastor
cannot afford to sit down and let the school run itself,
just as if it had to become a success by sheer necessity.
From the moment a congregation has been provided with
a parochial school, the pastor must assume the office of
superintendent or principal. The superintendent of a
school is its controlling and directing head. His influ
ence should be felt thoughout the whole school, in all
classes and grades, by teachers as well as by pupils. He
should, therefore, endeavor to acquire, by study and ob
servation, those qualifications which will enable him to
be a leader in the educational sphere. By advocating
the parochial school system, by commanding the Cath
olic laity to establish and maintain their own separate
denominational schools, the clergy owe it to the Catholic
body, to parents and children alike, to make these schools
efficient in every respect, and able to compete, if not in
exterior equipment, at least in efficiency, with the public
schools.
The pastor is responsible for all this. Upon him it
will mainly depend whether the parochial school will
flourish or not, whether it will be a credit or a disgrace.
“Sacerdotes . . . in cura animarum saepe saepius de gravissimo
suo erga scholas officio in colloquiis et collationibus cum fratribus
consilia conferant. Scholas suas sicut pupillas oculorum suorum
diligant, eas frequenter, unamquamque earum semel saltem in
hebdomade invisant et inspiciant, puerorum moribus invigilent,
gelum eorum congruis mediis stimulent, catechismum et histo
riam sacram ipsi per se doceant, aut certe ut a magistris sodalibus
congregationum rite doceatur, efficiant; ceteris studiis autem at
tentos oculos advertant, examinationibus publicis semel vel etiam
bis in anno scholas suas notitiae fidelium subiiciant ac favori
commendent. Operam dent ut in scholis adhibeantur semper
libri a Catholicis scriptoribus concinnati. Sanctis motivis ducti
412
PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
haec omnia curent, insuper scientes non fore, ut ad rcctoratum
inamovibilcm vel aliud munus promoveantur, si partes suas erga
scholas adimplere neglexerint." 2
2. It is to be lamented that our Catholic schools as yet
lack complete organization. We have schools, but we
have as yet no uniformity in education. Successful at
tempts to accomplish this object have been made in some
dioceses; but not in all. In most places our Catholic
schools are still like scattered sprigs, left to themselves,
allowed to live or die, just as circumstances may shape
themselves. The duty incumbent on the local pastor is
consequently all the heavier and more important. By his
zeal and wisdom he must supply whatever is wanting in
the general organization. Hence the following sugges
tions seem to be in order :
The success of the priest’s efforts in school work and
the education of the young is largely dependent upon
the assistance he receives from the teachers. In most
of our schools religious, male and female, are employed
as teachers. There can be no doubt as to their
enterprise or their devotion to the cause of education.
Wherever our schools have been successful, it is at
tributable mainly to the self-sacrificing spirit with which
religious of both sexes have labored for them. But,
unfortunately, good will is one thing, and ability another.
The teacher must have a knowledge of the subject-matter
taught and of the science and art of teaching. This
is a weak point in some of our schools. The superiors
of religious communities now and then send out members
who, though they may be exemplary men or women, lack
the qualities of a teacher. This may serve the religious
community, for which each school is a source of income,
2 Ibid., n. soi.
MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS
413
but it injures the school and is a misfortune for parents
and children. The religious garb, piety, devotion, and
good example, are certainly a great help in the work of
education, but they cannot supply the absence of knowl
edge or teaching ability. It is wrong to entrust the pupils
of a Catholic school to young, untrained and inexperi
enced novices or candidates. The pastor, on whom the
management of the school depends, should, consequently,
refuse teachers who are not fit, and not accept them
even on trial. However, it must be borne in mind
that school standards differ. What suffices in one, may
be insufficient in another. But no school, even in the
most remote rural district, should be permitted to become
a field of experimentation for a religious community.
3. Another weakness lies in the frequent change of
teachers, especially religious. It cannot be avoided al
together ; but care should be taken to have matters so
arranged that at least no change is made by the superiors
without the pastor’s express consent. The best way is
to make a contract, if possible in writing, with a clause
to the effect that teachers cannot be removed except for
specified reasons.
Lay persons should never be engaged as teachers with
out a written contract by which they bind themselves to
stay for a certain term·.
4. The school books also deserve careful attention. In
a Catholic school only Catholic books should be used,
by which we mean books that breathe a Catholic spirit
and not merely have a Catholic title page. After a cer
tain series of books has once been introduced, no change
ought to be made except for grave reasons. Never should
the teachers be allowed to change books without the
consent and approbation of the pastor or the school com
mittee, if there be one.
414
PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
5. A school, to be well managed, must be divided into
grades. The teachers may do this themselves at the be
ginning of each scholastic year, but the pastor should
be present when it is done, or else request from the
teachers a complete and detailed report of the grading
done by them.
6. As to the plan of studies, nothing definite can be
said, since it depends largely on circumstances. The plan
made out by teachers must be examined by the pastor
as superintendent. In quite a number of schools a
great mistake is made by teaching things which proptrly
belong to high schools and academies, but not to parochial
schools, which are essentially elementary schools, in
which the children are expected to learn the elements
of knowledge (reading, writing, arithmetic, geography,
history, and perhaps, drawing and vocal music),
besides Christian doctrine, but nothing more. If the
pupils receive a sound and thorough instruction in these
branches, the school fulfills its duty. Teachers, espe
cially women and religious, are sometimes ambitious to
have many items on their plan of studies, and the more
high-sounding the name, the more it gratifies them.
Such abuses should be stopped by the pastor at the very
beginning. A fixed programme should be prepared for
each class or grade, and for a certain term (say, a month
or a quarter), and no deviation from it should be per
mitted, except after due consultation with the pastor.
Only by united efforts like these may the school be ex
pected to prosper and become what it ought to be—a
primary school for all the children of the parish, not a
high school or academy for a few.
7. To ascertain how the school works, the pastor must
visit the different classes at stated hours, if possible every
MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS
415
day. The object of his visits should be not only to give
religious instruction, which is his exclusive right, but co
make general observations, to watch both teachers and
pupils, and to ascertain the standard maintained, the prog
ress made, the defects that may have crept in, etc. For
the same purpose he ought to meet his teachers in con
ference from time to time. Finally, public examinations,
to which the parents or the school board, if there be one,
are invited, should be held once or twice a year, and
monthly or quarterly bulletins or testimonials be given
to each child. All this will be of great help.
8. A school managed in this way is undoubtedly a
burden to the priest. However, it is a burden made
light by a success which facilitates his other ministerial
functions and labors. Priests who do not do their duty
in regard to the school, fail in an important charge of
their pastorate, for no portion of the flock needs such
tender and steady care as the young. We ought to learn
from our enemies, who spare neither money nor labor to
make their schools flourish.
9. Some priests give as an excuse for not attending
to the school that they lack sufficient theoretical and
practical knowledge of pedagogy. This assertion is not
always unfounded, but the conclusion drawn from it is
wrong. What follows from it is that the priest who is
unable to superintend a school, should make himself ac
quainted with the science of pedagogy. To superintend
does not mean to make the teacher a tool, but to have
a keen perception of all that concerns the school, all that
contributes to its welfare, to direct and to guide.
A year or two of practical work, if theoretical knowl
edge by reading good books on education is added, will
not fail to give a priest sufficient experience.
4i6
pastoral administration
C—REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS
1. Although it is greatly to be desired that man should
do his duty simply for the sake of a good cause, yet it
is not wrong to look forward to a reward. Especially
children and young people cannot be well trained un
less a reward of some sort is held out to them as an
incentive. It helps to stir their ambition, zeal, and ap
plication. They become accustomed to what in after
life will be a blessing to them,—namely, untiring labor.
No reasonable objection, therefore, can be raised against
this feature of education, provided a moderate use is
made of it and due discretion is employed.
Rewards should be given sparingly, lest they become
common and cease to have their effect. Besides, only
true merit, such as application or industry in learning,
or good conduct, should serve as a basis ; not talent alone,
or personal predilection, or external reasons, such as the
wealth or influence of the parents.
As to the particular manner in which rewards may be
given, no general rule can be laid down, except that they
should be proportioned to age, sex, and the work per
formed.
2. As the hope of receiving a reward stirs ambition
and helps to make children good, so the fear of punish
ment stays wickedness and prevents children from
doing wrong. But to attain this purpose it is necessary
not to overstep certain limits which prudence and experi
ence suggest. Punishment presupposes guilt. For want
of talent, for weak memory, for deficiency in judgment,
involuntary forgetfulness, or accidental damage, a pupil
deserves not punishment, but rather sympathy and kind
advice. Moreover, punishment in school has but one ob
ject, i. e., correction. The teacher, in punishing, does
MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS
417
not resemble the judge, but the physician. Men are not
wont to apply to the physician for every trifle, and so
also school children should not be punished for every
little fault. Medicine must not be turned into daily food.
It is much better to educate by good example and appeal
to self-respect.
Due regard must be paid to individual character and
circumstances, and the punishment shaped accordingly.
Thus it makes quite a difference whether an act was
committed through wickedness or carelessness; whether
the offense is a first or second offense; whether the
delinquent shows sorrow and shame or not. and so forth.
3. Punishments may be classified in the following man
ner :
(σ) Reproof. This has many degrees. It may be ad
ministered by a look, a gesture, a movement of the head
or hand, or in words. It may be done privately or
publicly. In no case, however, should it become an in
sult through the use of opprobrious names.
(&) Separation from the rest of the class. This pun
ishment is fit for quarrelsome, talkative children, but only
for those of young age and for a short time.
(c) Confinement after school hours. Tin's punish
ment should be resorted to only for real mischief, great
neglect in studying, and the like, and always under the
supervision of the teacher.
(d) Imposition of tasks. If writing is imposed it
should not be excessive, but in proportion to the nature
of the fault.
(e) Corporal punishment. Some reject this alto
gether. No doubt it is an extreme means, and must not
be employed except in extreme cases and for grave
moral delinquencies, such as lying, stealing, impurity,
obstinacy, and stubbornness. As a matter of course, it
4ï8
pastoral administration
is applicable only to younger children (up to ten or
eleven years), and to boys rather than girls. A priest
must never punish girls in this way, since it is against
clerical decorum. The children ought not to be injured
in their health by corporal punishment, and the civil laws
must also be respected.
CHAPTER HI
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
Article I
PARISH SOCIETIES
Λ—SOCIETIES IN GENERAL
I. The Church, being a living body, cannot sustain
her life unless the individual members be mindful of
the obligations they have, each in his own sphere, and try
to exercise a wholesome influence upon one another.
To effect this and to facilitate the great aim which Jesus
Christ has entrusted to His Spouse, it has been customary
from Apostolic times to divide the work and assign to
each one of those engaged in the sacred ministry a
certain definite portion or field of labor. This is the
origin of dioceses, parishes, congregations, etc., which,
in the form in which they exist to-day, are the result
of historical evolution, but as to end and essence are
the natural outgrowth of that ecclesiastical organism
which was instituted by the Saviour Himself. A parish
priest, pastor or rector, as the people are wont to call
him, after he has been assigned to his post by the proper
authority, is bound in conscience to watch over the spir
itual welfare of his flock. Both individuals and the
parish as a body come under his care. Leaving aside
for the present the question what is to be done with the
individual, we shall discuss the means by which the spir419
420
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
itual standard of the whole congregation as a body may
be enhanced. The most effectual means of this kind to
day are societies.
2. Societies may be formed in different ways and for
different objects. There are societies of men belonging
to certain professions,—for example, business men, lit
erary men, etc.,—with solely temporal objects. These
do not come within the jurisdiction of the Church at
all. Then there are secret societies more or less op
posed to religion. These have been condemned by the
Church. Again there are societies composed of Cath
olics only, but with no decidedly religious object. Toward
these the Church remains indifferent. Finally, there are
“Catholic societies,” to which only practical Catholics
may belong, and which profess to foster faith and
morals in some particular sphere. They may be formed
so that all Catholics, irrespective of diocese or parish,
can join them, or that only the members of a certain
parish may belong to them. The latter are called parish
societies, and the parish priest is the natural ruler and
leader of them, inasmuch as, without his consent or ap
probation, no society of the kind may be erected, or, if
erected, continue to exist.
It may be theoretically disputed whether it is wise
to have Catholic societies within the limits of a parish.
Practically, however, the question has been settled. At
least in city parishes of considerable size societies are
a relative necessity because without them many Cath
olics will remain isolated and are easily caught by soci
eties which are hostile to Church and religion. The chil
dren of light ought to learn from the children of dark
ness. If the latter use all sorts of attractions to draw
people into their camp, the former should do the same
in their own way, and concentrate the conservative and
PARISH SOCIETIES
421
Catholic forces, which are in the individuals, into a com
mon union or body and thus remove all evil influences
by concerted action. The number of Catholics annually
lost to the Church in cities and towns is great ; but it
would be still greater if zealous priests and pastors had
not built a bulwark around their flocks in the shape of
parochial societies. These societies at times give rise
to difficulties, but the disadvantages are, on the whole,
outweighed by the good effected. The management and
direction of societies demands extra labor on the part of
the priest, but no work should be too hard for a man who
is filled with zeal for the house of God, the best orna
ments of which are faithful, virtuous souls.
3. A Catholic priest ought not to allow himself to be
surpassed in zeal by Protestant ministers and agents of
secret societies. Hence we deem it proper to make a
few suggestions concerning the management of parochial
societies :
(1) Societies are free organizations, and therefore no
undue influence should be used to compel people to enter
them. The best means of promoting and propagating
them is the good example of the members.
(2) Caution must be exercised in admitting new mem
bers. Only those should be chosen whose antecedents
give a sufficient guarantee that they will be a credit to
the society, for a Catholic parish society is no means of
reforming people. All who are not practical Catholics,
or who belong to a secret lodge, or who have given
public scandal, must be excluded.
(3) Equal vigilance must be exercised in expelling
from the ranks of a society those who prove to be trouble
some, or who do not by their conduct show that they
are ready to foster the ends for which the society has
been organized.
422
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
(4) No society will prosper unless the members meet
at stated times, for both religious exercises and social
gatherings, to discuss matters pertaining to the organiza
tion. Regular attendance should be secured by roll-calls
or other means. The meetings must not be called too
often ; they must be held on the proper day and at the
proper hour. They should be made interesting, so that
all the members will be eager to attend. Therefore, it is
important to employ a variety of religious exercises. The
address given by the priest, instead of being a sermon
or commonplace talk, should be a well-prepared lecture
on subjects which are apt to compel attention. Such
are social problems, historical topics, etc. The so-called
question box may also prove useful for this purpose, es
pecially with young ladies’ societies.
(5) All parochial societies must have a clause in their
constitution or by-laws by which the members are obliged
to go to holy Communion in a body at fixed times, cir
cumstances determining how often and when.
(6) All societies have need of pecuniary resources.
The money should be put into the hands of a treasurer
chosen by the members. He should be a trustworthy per
son and be requested to give a full account at the meet
ings. It is bad policy on the part of the pastor to assume
the office of treasurer himself, to divert the moneys gath
ered by societies from the ends for which the society has
been established, except perhaps on some special occasion,
when the members by a unanimous vote decide to make a
donation to the church, school, etc.
(7) The election of the various officers should take
place without interference from outsiders. Even the
priest should not use his influence, except in a general
way. Officers are to be elected by secret ballot, and, as a
PARISH SOCIETIES
423
rule, should serve only one term, so as to avoid jealousy
and ill-feeling.
B.—PARISH SOCIETIES IN PARTICULAR
Parish societies must be divided according to sex
and age. Men and women, the younger and the older
portion of the congregation, should have their separate
organizations. Following this principle, every large city
parish could and should have at least four distinct societies,
one for the young men, one for the young women, one
for the married men, and one for the married women.
i. young men’s societies.—No class of people de
serves more attention and care on the part of the parish
priest than the young men, for no class is exposed to
greater dangers regarding faith and morals. These dan
gers to-day are so great that it is almost a wonder if
a young man does not fall away from the Church. Cler
gymen in charge of souls who see this and remain
idle are not doing their duty. The objection sometimes
made that the young men will desert the Catholic cause
in spite of all exertions, does not avail, because even if the
percentage saved were rather small it would be worth the
labor and trouble, since the future of the Church will de
pend greatly upon it.
(a) Father Valuy, S. J., in a small book written for
priests says:
“Man is the head of the family, the ruler of society, the
king of creation. In the measure in which we fail to make the
spiritual needs of men our work, in the same measure will they
get into the way of caring for neither priest nor religion. What
sort of being will man grow to be if we occupy ourselves solely
with the saving of women? A being the like of whom has never
been seen in this or any age or country, a being without God
424
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
and without the thought of a future life, whose only habits
will be those of violence and whose only desire that of creating
disorder. Society in turn will speedily become a repulsive aggre
gation of covetous and jealous mortals, with only one purpose
in life, that of accumulating wealth as a means to gratify the
baser passions. To what, then, will our ministry be reduced
in a multitude so degraded? Simply to the routine of baptizing
and marrying and burying, and possibly we may not always
have even this to do. But is this the ministry of building up
established by God to generate Jesus Christ in souls, to nourish
and strengthen His life in them? If you do not set to work
upon men, you are building on a foundation of sand. You
may devote your energies to the children, but will they follow
a different mode of life from that taught them by the example
of their fathers? You may beautify your churches and richly
adorn them, but what will be the good of it? In a little while
there will be no worshippers, none to listen to your preaching,
no, not even penitents at your confessional or communicants at
the Sacred Table.”
(&) To induce the young men to start or enter a so
ciety of their own, the priest should visit them in their
homes or places of work, and try to gain their confidence
by friendly and familiar conversation, lest they feel re
luctant and prefer to remain at a distance from the clergy.
In order that such a society may flourish and succeed,
it should have assigned to it a special hall or room
where the members may meet and amuse themselves with
innocent sports and games. This feature is necessary
to counteract the evil influence to which our young men
are exposed in public places of amusement. Prudence,
however, suggests that we commence on a small scale
and enlarge only gradually, lest the expenses run too
high and deter many from joining. Order must be kept
up as to the days, hours and seasons of the meetings,
and hence the officers entrusted with the management
should be reliable men, not too young, in whom the others
PARISH SOCIETIES
425
have confidence and whom they will respect. The pastor
should visit the young men in their hall frequently, speak
to them kindly, encourage them, but, as a rule, he should
not take part in their games or sports.
(c) It helps a great deal towards keeping up the in
terest in the society, if a special address in the form of
a lecture is given from time to time to the members
by the pastor or some other clergyman. On this occasion,
and on this occasion only, the members may be allowed
to bring with them their non-Catholic friends. It is an
abuse to arrange mixed meetings of Catholics and Protes
tants in the hope of making converts, or mixed meetings
of both sexes in order to open the way to Catholic mar
riages. Scandals will usually be the outcome of such
gatherings.
(d) In regard to the reception of the Sacraments, we
should advise pastors not to ask too much of the young
men. It is better to demand little and be strict in en
forcing it. In most cases the pastor ought to be satis
fied if the young men go to confession and receive Holy
Communion in a body four times a year. To secure
regularity various methods may be resorted to, for in
stance, small cards or tickets collected by the secretary.
Absentees should be admonished, but not dismissed, except
after repeated warnings. A prudent pastor will not fail,
by kind words, to keep such as are wanting in regularity
within the ranks of the society.
2. girls’ societies.—The most important parish
society, next to that of the young men, is that of the
young women. It is usually erected as a sodality of
the Blessed Virgin under various titles (Immaculate Con
ception, Annunciation, etc.). All the girls of the parish,
from the time they are dismissed from Sunday school
or Christian doctrine class until they get married, may
426
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
and should belong to it. Circumstances often render
it difficult to have a young men’s society in the parish,
but a young women’s society can always be started, and
no parish, no matter how small in size, ought to be
without it, at least in cities. The female sex has a
natural tendency towards religion and works of piety.
The pastor need but foster this spirit, and he will not
experience serious difficulties in getting a flourishing
young women’s sodality. However, he should be care
ful to observe a certain sobriety and dignity in word
and action in dealing with these spiritual children, lest
they lose the respect they owe him and by too great
familiarity give cause for jealousy, envy, slanderous
talk, and even scandal.
(o) The young ladies’ society ought to meet once a
month, on a Sunday or week-day. The members may
first convene in church (before the Blessed Virgin al
tar), and have some religious exercises consisting of
prayer, singing, and a short address made by the priest.
The subject of this address should be adapted to the
peculiar wants of the hearers (mixed marriages, com
pany-keeping, vocation to the religious state, helping the
poor, etc.). It is important to foster in the members
those virtues which befit their age and sex, such as mod
esty, humility, obedience, charity, etc. Afterwards they
may meet in some other convenient place (school room,
basement, parsonage) for the transaction of business and
other matters which can not be dealt with in church.
(b) It is proper to furnish this society with a well
selected library, containing books that are fit to be read
by Catholic maidens. As to the reception of the Sacra
ments, it is customary to oblige the members of the so
dality to monthly communion. On this occasion they
should wear a medal or badge, and make a short thanks
PARISH SOCIETIES
427
giving in a body after receiving. Finally, it helps to
draw attention to the society and to gain members, if
at marriages, funerals, etc., of sodalists, care is taken to
display some special pomp and solemnity. To secure the
blessing of Heaven, it is also proper to have a Mass said
once a month for the society. The stipend should be
taken from the society’s funds.
3. societies of men.—The third society deserving of
the pastor’s attention is that of the men, comprising the
male portion of the parish which is married, or, if un
married, at least of an advanced age.
(a) There are different ways of starting such a so
ciety. Either establish a society with a purely religious
end (Holy Name society against cursing, etc.) or form
a union with a temporal appendix in the shape of mutual
aid in sickness or death. This latter may be preferable
because it is highly practical and invalidates all the ex
cuses which are commonly made for joining secret lodges
with life insurance.
(&) It must be borne in mind, however, that many
Catholic mutual aid societies have recently had financial
trouble. The basis on which they built their calculations
has proved faulty. Bishop McQuaid of Rochester a
good many years ago pointed out the weak spot when he
said :
“Catholic fraternal organizations followed the lead of non
Catholic ones and blundered as they had blundered. Experi
ence soon taught both that they were making promises which
could not be kept; knowingly to make such promises is crim
inal, as any master of moral theology can decide. The organ
izers of fraternal organizations were in good faith. They judged
that by keeping down expenses along many lines, there would
be no need of charging for insurance the heavy premiums re
quired in the old-time companies. To some extent this was
428
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
true, but not to the extent guessed at. When time demonstrated
to the fraternal organizations that their rates of assessment were
too low to enable them to keep their promises to their members,
they called to their assistance, in a national congress, profes
sional actuaries, who, after a diligent examination of the rate
of mortality in fraternal organizations, based on the reports
of said organizations during the years of their existence and
determined on the life expectancy for each from 18 to 49,
on this calculation decided the amount to be paid in each monthly
installment on a safe and permanent rate. From this rate, de
cided on by competent experts, there can be little deviation."
(c) It is advisable to have a special clause inserted
in the constitution, giving to the priest or local pastor
the right of attending and presiding at the meetings,,
even though he be not a member. The meetings may
be held once a month. Those who belong to the society
should go to Communion in a body, with badges or
regalia, four times, or at least three times a year (during
the Christmas or Easter season).
() The officers of the organization are: The Gen-
440
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
eral of the Society of Jesus, who is ex-officio the Gen
eral Director, but as the centre is at Toulouse (France),
he delegates one of the Fathers who reside at that place
to take charge of the matter. This Fathef appoints the
diocesan directors, who must be approved by the resp.
Ordinaries. The diocesan director with the Ordinary’s
consent selects the local directors. These local directors
are authorized to receive new members. They may also,
if they deem it wise or necessary, appoint promoters.
The latter, as the name indicates, are charged with the
duty of keeping up the spirit of piety and prayer among
the members and are expected to work in the interest of
the Apostleship by winning new candidates.
(c) That the Apostleship of Prayer is worthy of the
support given to it by the Roman Pontiffs may be seen
from its wondrous effects. The Messenger of the Sacred
Heart, which is the official organ of the society, abounds
in examples that tend to demonstrate what a power the
prayer of those who are united in the Lord has.
“The priest who is keenly alive to the evils and needs of the
day and desirous to aid in curing them,” says Fr. Noldin,
“will not fail to introduce the Apostleship of Prayer among
his flock and do his utmost to propagate it. Both faith and
experience teach us clearly and plainly enough that interces
sory prayer exercises an almost incalculable influence over the
course of events and the life of the Church at large. Instant,
persevering prayer is indispensable if the religious indifferentism
and the moral corruption which have gained ground even among
Catholics are to be checked and eradicated. Of late the Church
has been deprived of one of her most powerful weapons of
defense against her foes, one of the most efficacious means of
reviving the faith of her children, because in many parts of
the Catholic world the contemplative orders, orders of prayer
and penance, have been forcibly ejected from their peaceful
dwellings. This may possibly be the reason why the Holy
Spirit, as if in compensation for this loss, has awakened an ex
CONFRATERNITIES
441
traordinary spirit of prayer in the Church of God The devo
tion to the Heart of Jesus, in union with the Apostleship of
Prayer, is the antidote, in the fullest sense of the word, for
the ills of the present day. ... It may confidently be affirmed
that all that is elevating and cheering, all that we see to lie grand
and wonderful in the present fierce struggle waged by the Church
in her severe trials, is in a great measure to be attributed to the
devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Apostleship of Prayer.
And only by the increase of prayer can society be cured of its
mortal malady, and health and vigor be restored to it.”
3. THE CONFRATERNITY OF THE HOLY NAME.—This
Confraternity is affiliated to the Dominican Order, whose
General has the right to erect branches and to delegate
any priest, secular as well as regular. The consent of
the Ordinary is always required. The object of this
society is to suppress the widespread evil of cursing and
abusing the name of God. The Holy See has granted
quite a number of indulgences to the members.
In the Ecclesiastical Review1 some practical hints are given
as to how a society like this may be established among the male
portion of the parish : “You can have a Dominican Friar es
tablish this society for you, on the payment of his traveling ex
penses and a small sum for a charter, etc. This sum can be
easily collected at the meeting for organization. Have your
date fixed with the Friar. Advertise and announce, so as to
give it the widest circulation possible, the notice of a sermon
or lecture on an important topic by a Dominican Friar, who
will preach in the picturesque garb of that ancient Order of
the Church. Gather as large a crowd as you can for his dis
course, which ought, if possible, to be Sunday evening. Have
all your parishioners come, if the church will hold them; if
not, let it be for the men only. Say nothing about organization.
Get your parish to listen to the eloquent discourse on the im
portant matter. The Friar will do the rest. To keep up in
terest, have the meeting purely devotional. The best time is
1 Vol. XIV, pp. 487 sq.
442
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
undoubtedly after the Mass at which the members receive Holy
Communion. The meeting should be in the church. Let the
priest do all the talking with the exception of the roll call, which
should be done by the secretary. The instruction should be
short and to the point; no scolding and not a word about
money. The wearing of the button, which forms the badge
of the Holy Name Society, should be encouraged. In these days
of buttons, charms and pins, this device has great attraction
and accomplishes much good. Let the members feel that the
whole object is to better them spiritually, and you will have
a prominent body of organized men of which you may well feel
proud.”
4. THE CONFRATERNITY OF THE BROWN SCAPULAR OF
(derived from
the Latin scapula) means a garment consisting of a broad
piece of cloth, with an opening in the centre for the
head. It is worn over the shoulders, so that one part
hangs down in front, on the breast, and the other at the
back, almost to the ground. Several religious families
have adopted this sort of garment in addition to their
habit as a distinctive ma,rk of their order. Prominent
among them are the Carmelites, whose original mother
house is situated on Mt. Carmel, in Palestine, and who
are specially devoted to the veneration of the Mother
of God. Hence the expression, “Scapular of Our Lady
of Mount Carmel.” This Scapular is of brown color,
and is therefore sometimes called the Brown Scapular.
It has long been customary to invest others, who are
not of the Carmelite Order, with the Brown Scapular.
The scapular worn by these outsiders is of much smaller
size than the one worn by the religious. The Holy See
has not only sanctioned this custom, but has also em
powered the Carmelite Fathers to establish a Confrater
nity of the Scapular and to affiliate the associates of this
our lady of mount carmel.—Scapular
THE BROWN SCAPULAR
443
Confraternity to their order by making them participants,
at least to a certain extent, in the graces, blessings, and
merits of the professed members of the Order. Pious
Catholics, therefore, should avail themselves of the op
portunity thus offered to increase their chances
of salvation. However, certain conditions must be
complied with, some of them under penalty of forfeit
ing the privileges otherwise granted. We here give a
summary of the rules that are essential:
(a) The scapular of Mount Carmel is to be made of woolen
cloth of a dark brown color. The cloth must be woven, not
knit, neither worked with the needle nor pressed like felt Cot
ton, silk, or other material cannot be used. The strings, how
ever, which connect the two parts, may be of any color or ma
terial. When the Brown Scapular and the Red Scapular are
fastened together in the same bunch, the string connecting them
must be of red wool. Pictures, inscriptions, or ornaments of any
kind are not forbidden, provided the color of the scapular
itself predominates. As regards the shape, the scapular must be
of rectangular form; not oval, round, or polygonal.
(b) In order to enjoy the spiritual benefits attached to the
Brown Scapular, a person must have been duly invested there
with by a priest who has power to do so. This power rests
ex officio with the Superior-General and the provincials of the
Carmelite Order. These may delegate other priests, secular and
religious. The Roman Congregation of the Propaganda is also
authorized to grant the faculty of investing with the scapular
to bishops and priests in mission countries.
(c) The scapular must be blessed before the person is in
vested. The blessing and investing ought to be done by one
and the same priest. Heretofore there were different forms in
use for the blessing. The only form now permitted is the one
approved and prescribed by Pope Leo XIII (July 24, 1888).
After a person has been properly invested, it is not necessary
to have the succeeding scapulars blessed again. It will suffice
to get a new one and put it on without further ceremony.
Only if the scapular should have been dropped through con
444
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
tempt and with the intention of no longer sharing in the benefits
thereof, would a new investment be required.
(d) When a number of persons are invested at the same
time, though all the scapulars may be blessed at once, in forma
plurali, the investment itself must be performed with each one
separately (singulariter singulis). If there should not be
enough scapulars for all, one and the same scapular may be
used successively in investing the whole multitude, but each
should afterwards procure a scapular for himself.
(e) In investing with the scapular the priest himself must
place it on the person’s body, so that one part is put on the
breast and the other hangs down the back, the strings being
drawn over the head When this mode of investing is incon
venient, as is often the case with women, it will suffice to pull
the strings only over one shoulder, provided the two pieces
of cloth hang separate, vis.: one on the breast, the other on the
back. All other impositions, such as giving the scapular into a
person’s hands or putting it over his arm, etc., are invalid.
2. The Scapular of Mount Carmel represents a Con
fraternity. To be a member of this Confraternity it is
not enough to have been invested with the scapular. The
Confraternity must be canonically erected, and those
who were duly clothed with the Scapular must be prop
erly enrolled in the Confraternity itself. Thereby alone
will they have a share in all the graces, benefits, privi
leges and indulgences which the Holy See has granted.
Only the regularly appointed director of the Confrater
nity has the right to make such enrollment. The faculty
to bless and impose the scapular and the faculty to re
ceive the parties thus invested into the Confraternity,
are distinct : the former does not imply the latter, though
both may be given to the same priest. It depends alto
gether upon the way in which the document conferring
the faculty is worded.
3. The erection of the Confraternity of the Scapular is
THE BROWN SCAPULAR
445
a public act which requires the approbation of the Or
dinary. The Superior-General of the Carmelites is exofficio entitled to establish a Confraternity after the bishop
of the diocese has given his consent. He may subdele
gate others. An extraordinary faculty given by the
Propaganda empowers bishops to erect divers confrater
nities, among them also the Confraternity of the Scapular,
irrespective of the rights otherwise reserved to the dif
ferent religious orders concerned.
Our bishops in the United States receive a faculty which
reads :
“Facultas conceditur erigendi Confraternitatem B. Μ. V. de
Monte Carmelo cum applicatione omnium indulgentiarum et privi
legiorum, quae Summi Pontifices eidem Confraternitati impertili
sunt: addita potestate hanc facultatem communicandi presbyteris
sacro ministerio fungentibus." The question was raised, whether
this faculty, which only speaks of the erection of the Confrater
nity, also implies the right to bless and impose the Scapular. A
declaration was made by the Apostolic Delegate under date of
Sept. 22, 1895, which reads thus: "In reply to the dubium sent
to the Propaganda concerning the faculty to bless and impose
the Scapular of the B. V. M. del Carmine, whether the Faculty,
Formula C, Art. 9, to erect the Confraternity includes the faculty
to bless and impose said Scapular, the Cardinal Prefect, by
letter of Sept. 11, 1895, declares that ‘The Sacred Congregation
has answered negatively, since they are two distinct faculties.' ”
The late Father Putzer, C. SS. R., in an article published in the
Ecclesiastical Review, Vol. XIV, p. 351, commenting on this dec
laration says:
“Quid Ulis nunc faciendum, qui erronee hucusque, vi art. 9,
Formulae C, confraternitate Scapularis erecta, membrorum cius
scapularia benedixerunt iisque imposuerunt ? Resp. breviter:
(1) Confraternitas Scapularis B. Μ. V. de Monte Carmelo,
supposito, quod conditiones ad eius erectionem requisitae fuerint
observatae, valida remanet, cum simus in regione S. Congrega
tioni de Propaganda Fide subiecta, ad quam Decretum S. Con
gregationis Indulg. de 6. Julii, 1887, se non extendit. Investitiones
446
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
vero in Scapulare vi art. 9, Form, C, factae invalidae sunt.
(2) Pro rcconvalidatione praeteritorum necnon pro facultate
benedicendi et imponendi dicta Scapularia optimum erit, re sin
cere exposita, supplicando recurrere ad Emum. Praefectum S.
C. de Propaganda Fide. Caetcrum haec facultas etiam obti
neri potest Romae a Reverendissimo P. Generali Ord. Carmelitarum.
(3) Quod impositiones praeteritas Scapularium attinet, viden
dum etiam est, an non eae revalidatae sint c. gr. tempore Mis
sionum a PP. Rcdemptoristis habitarum. Prouti notum est, hi
Patres, ex induito S. Rit. Congregationis de 8. Jan., 1803, et variis
aliis concessionibus, investire possunt etiam multitudinem fidelium,
singulis Scapulare sibi imponentibus, ita ut sic investiti hoc ipso
in Confraternitatem S. Scapularis sint recepti omnibusque eius
indulgentiis et gratiis fruantur, quin inscriptio nominum stricte
necessaria sit."
In order to be sure that everything is correct, and to
remove all doubts, the following mode of procedure
should be observed:
(a) Let the priest, after he has obtained from his
bishop the necessary faculty to erect a Confraternity
of the Brown Scapular, establish the same in his pa
rish.
(&) Let him send a written application, signed by the
Ordinary, to the Superior-General or the nearest pro
vincial of the Carmelites, that he may get a diploma of
affiliation and the power to bless and impose the scapular.
This diploma is necessary in order to give the members
of the Confraternity a share in the merits and suffrages
of the order.
(c) The names of those who are enrolled should be
properly entered in a book kept for that purpose. In
places, however, where the Confraternity has not yet
been established, and where it is not feasible to erect one
for the time being, it will suffice to impose the scapular and
THE BROWN SCAPULAR
447
to transmit the names of the wearers to the next Carmelite
convent, or to some place where a canonically established
Confraternity exists.
4. The spiritual advantages attached to the Brown
Scapular are manifold.
(a) The members of the Confraternity, being affiliated
to the Order of the Carmelites, have a share in the fruit
of all the good works of said Order, viz.·, in the prayers,
masses, penances, fasts, etc., that go to make up the spiri
tual treasure of a religious community.
(Z?) In the second place they are entitled to the in
dulgences which the Holy See has bestowed upon the
Confraternity. Among these the plenary indulgence
granted for the hour of death deserves special mention.
It is a total remission of all temporal punishments, inde
pendent of the ordinary “Papal” or “Last Blessing,”
which all the faithful may obtain through the ministry
of the priest assisting them.
(c) The third advantage is the Privilege of Preserva
tion. The devout wearer of the scapular has good reason
to hope that he will be saved from eternal damnation.
This hope is based on a promise which the Blessed
Virgin is said to have made to St. Simon Stock. Of
course this promise must not be interpreted in a presump
tuous way, as if at all events and no matter how careless
a person should be with regard to his religious duties, he
will and must be saved. Father Lambing says in his
book, The Sacramcntals of the Catholic Church: “The
privilege means that the Blessed Virgin, by her powerful
intercession, will draw from the divine treasury in favor
of the associates special graces to help the good to perse
vere to the end and to move sinners to avail themselves of
favorable opportunities of conversion before death seizes
on them. This privilege may also mean that sometimes,
448
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
owing to the influence of the Blessed Virgin, the hour
of death is postponed, to give an associate who is in sin
a further opportunity of conversion ; and writers add
that this privilege may sometimes be exemplified in the
case of obstinate and obdurate sinners, when God permits
death to come upon them when they are not wearing the
scapular, either as the result of forethought or from in
difference or neglect.”
(d) The fourth blessing attached to the scapular is
the so-called Sabbatine Indulgence. It signifies that
the souls of those who used to belong to the Confrater
nity, shall be delivered from Purgatory soon, and par
ticularly on the first Saturday after their departure. This
altogether extraordinary privilege is grounded on a revel
ation made to Pope John XXII, who refers to it in his
famous Bull "Sacratissimo uti culmine.” Some, it is
true, have questioned the genuineness of this papal docu
ment. However, other popes, among them the learned
Benedict XIV, admitted its authenticity, or at least gave
the Carmelite Fathers full permission to preach the Sab
batine Indulgence to the faithful.
5. The conditions for obtaining these spiritual advan
tages are as follows:
Persons must be properly enrolled in the Confraternity
and wear the scapular constantly, day and night, in the
form specified. No particular prayers are prescribed;
but in order to gain the indulgences granted by the Holy
See, the works set apart for each indulgence must be
duly performed. As regards the visits to be made, in
places where there is no church of the Carmelite Order
and no chapel of the Confraternity, the members
can gain the indulgences by visiting their own parish
church. Moreover, those who wish to enjoy the Sabba
tine Privilege are obliged:
SCAPULAR OF THE PASSION
449
(a) To observe the virtue of chastity according to their state
of life;
(&) To recite daily in Latin the little Office of the B. V. M.
If they cannot do this, they are expected to abstain from flesh
meat on all Wednesdays and Saturdays. If this, too, be impos
sible, they may get a dispensation in which other penitential
works are substituted. This dispensation cannot be given except
by a priest duly authorized for the purpose. The general faculty
by which a priest is empowered to enroll persons in the Con
fraternity or to bless and impose the Scapular does not confer
the power to dispense from, or to commute, the conditions re
quired for the Sabbatine Privilege. Persons who are obliged to
recite the Divine Office (members of the clergy and religious)
need not recite the Office of the Blessed Virgin, nor abstain from
flesh meat, nor substitute any other work of penance
6. There are other scapulars besides that of Mount
Carmel. It will suffice to make some brief remarks about
the four which are often worn together with the Brown
Scapular.
(a) The Scapular of the Passion or of the Precious
Blood is made of woven wool of red color with cords
of the same material. One of the two pieces of wool
must bear a representation of the crucifixion and the
instruments of our Lord’s dolorous passion, the other,
images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of His Holy
Mother, surmounted by a cross with the inscription :
“Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary protect us.” When
these pictures have been effaced by wearing, a new scapu
lar should be procured. Since this scapular is only an
emblem of devotion, and no confraternity, no registra
tion of names is required. The faculty of investing with
the Red Scapular and of blessing the same may be ob
tained from the Holy See or from the Superior of the
Congregation of the Missions (Lazarist Fathers).
(&) The Scapular of the Immaculate Conception con-
450
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
sists of two pieces of light blue (not purple) woolen
cloth. A picture of the Immaculata may be placed on
one side, but is not essential. As this scapular does
not represent a religious order nor rank as a confrater
nity no inscribing of names is required. The first scap
ular, however, must be blessed and imposed by a special
formula. The faculty required for this purpose is given
by the General of the Theatines at Rome (San Andrea
della Valle). Catholics in this country have a special
duty to honor the Immaculate Mother, because the United
States has been placed under her protection. The wear
ing of the blue mantle of our spotless Queen represented
by the scapular is a fit way to express the devotion we
feel towards her. This scapular has been endowed with
many indulgences.
(c) The Scapular of the Seven Dolors of the Blessed
Virgin. The material required for this scapular is black
wool. The scapular itself is borrowed from the Order of
the Servîtes. It constitutes a Confraternity, which may be
erected in any church. The right of erection is reserved
to the Superior General of the Servite Fathers, who can
delegate others. The Confraternity must have an altar
dedicated to the sorrowful Mother. Every Friday the
members meet before this altar and recite in common
the rosary of the seven dolors. A solemn procession
is held once a year, usually on the third Sunday of
September. These are essential requisites; when they
are wanting, the Confraternity is illegal and cannot claim
canonical sanction. In places where no Confraternity
exists, the faithful may be invested with the scapular,
but the names of the parties thus enrolled must be sent
either to another Confraternity, or to a convent of the
Servite Fathers. This is evident from the instruction
given with the paper containing the formula of admission.
SCAPULAR OF THE TRINITY
451
It reads: "Tandem petat nomen uniuscuiusque induti
illudque conscribat, transmittendum ad aliquam ecclesiam
O rdinus vel ad eccicsiam, in qua a Priori Gencraii cano
nice erecta est Societas Septem Dolorum B. M. V., ut in
scribi possit in albo Confraternitatis, quae inscriptio om
nino necessaria est ad lucrandas indulgentias."
(d) The Scapular of the Most Holy Trinity is made
of white wool and consists of two parts, united by two
cords, so as to allow it to fall over the head. To the
front piece hanging down on the breast must be stitched
a cross made of wool. The colors of this cross are
blue for the transverse or horizontal line, and red for
the vertical or perpendicular line. The other portion,
which hangs down the back over the shoulders, should
be bare wool, without any emblem or ornament. The
Scapular of the Most Holy Trinity is a Confraternity
affiliated to the Order of the Trinitarians. The General
Superior of this Order is ex officio authorized to establish
the Confraternity and to bless and invest the faithful
with the scapular. Formerly each new scapular had to
be blessed, but now only the first one with which a person
is invested needs a blessing. The names of the members
must be registered, that they may have a share in the
merits and spiritual treasures of the order. The order
of the Trinitarians originally (a. d. 1198) was instituted
for the liberation and redemption of Christian captives
from the yoke of the Mahometans. Times have changed
since. The aims which the Trinitarians propose to them
selves to-day are: (a) special devotion to the Most
Holy Trinity as the fundamental mystery of the Catholic
faith; (b) works of charity, principally contributing alms
for the relief of Christians in countries hostile to the
faith, and also for the purpose of redeeming and educat
ing negro children who have been sold as slaves. The
452
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
members of the Confraternity are requested to co-operate
in these aims by prayers and alms.
7. The following rules must be observed when the five
scapulars are worn together:
(a) The scapulars should all be of equal size and each
distinct from the other. They must not be sewed into
one, so that only the first and last be visible. Only on
top may they be fastened together. The strings connect
ing them must be of red wool and stitched to the Scapu
lar of the Passion.
(&) Although no specific order is prescribed, yet it
seems proper to have the Red Scapular of the Passion
and the White Scapular of the Most Holy Trinity face
outward. The portion of the latter showing the cross
and the portion of the former presenting the images of
the Sacred Hearts, should be placed on the breast.
(c) The five scapulars must be blessed and imposed
separately by the distinct formulas set apart for each
one. Sometimes the Holy See grants a special faculty
(for example to the Redemptorist Fathers) to use only
one short formula for four scapulars. We say for four,
because the Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel is no
longer included therein. Those who have not obtained
this special faculty are not allowed to make use of the
short formula.
A writer in the Ecclesiastical Review (Aug. 1922, page 147)
says :
“Permission to enroll in the individual scapulars does not by
any means imply permission to enroll in the scapulars cumulative
or collectively. Neither can any of the generals of the Orders to
which the scapulars belong give this permission, for the Holy
See reserves this power to itself, and so there is always special
delegation for blessing and enrolling in two or more scapulars at
one and the same ceremony. It is well to mention that, if the
SCAPULAR MEDALS
453
priest has the faculties for all the scapulars in which he en
rolls cumulative, the enrollment is not invalid, but it is certainly
illicit. On the other hand, permission from the Holy See for the
blessings and enrolling cumulative presupposes the permission
already obtained for each individual scapular, without which
the permission of the Holy See is useless.”
(.Rescripta Authentica S. C. Indulg., 12 Sept, 1883, pp. 679-81.)
(d) The names of the parties enrolled, if no Con
fraternity exists in the respective locality, should be sent
to the proper places at least within one year. Only the
Redemptorist Fathers, we understand, are free from the
obligation of registering the names.
8. Persons sometimes are inclined to find fault with
the many restrictions and distinctions the Church has
made regarding the scapulars and to criticise them as
superannuated formalities. Yet it must be borne in mind
what a writer once said in the Ecclesiastical Review2:
“If any change of form is left to the discretion of the
devout patternmakers, we should easily find a way of
reducing all the scapulars to a little twisted ribbon of
various colors, retaining the symbolism, but not the
devotion, which is enlivened by the very exactions of
minute fidelity to prescribed forms.”
In consideration of the fact that but too often mis
takes are made in the blessing and imposing of the
Scapulars, the Holy See from time to time issues a
rescript by which all illegal transactions of this kind *re
validated. The last sanatio for all the five scapulars took
place July 20, 1884, and f°r the Brown Scapuli r of
Mount Carmel, Feb. 4, 1908.
9. scapular medals.—By a special Decree of the Con
gregation of the Holy Office (Dec. 16, 1910) a tnedi.1 can
now be worn in Heu of any and all of the approved scapu- Vol. VII, p. 4S3.
454
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
lars, after a person has been properly invested with the
latter. The graces, privileges and indulgences connected
with the scapular are thus transferred to the medal, which
acts as a substitute for the scapular. The particular rules
to be observed in this case are as follows:
(a) The material used for the medal must be metal
(gold, silver, iron, copper, aluminum, etc). The size of
the medal is irrelevant.
(b) The medal must exhibit in a sufficiently visible
and distinct form the figure of Christ with the Sacred
Heart on His breast (not the Heart alone) on one side
and an image of the Blessed Virgin (any approved im
age) on the other.
(c) One medal suffices for all the scapulars with
which a person has been invested. But this medal must
receive as many distinct blessings as there are scapulars
whose place it is to take. No particular formula has
been prescribed for the blessing. The medal may be
blessed with the sign of the Cross, and the words "In
nomine Patris,” etc.
(d) Every priest who has obtained the faculty to in
vest persons with the scapular is also empowered to bless
the corresponding medal.
(e) The medal cannot be employed at once when per
sons are enrolled. The enrollment must be made with
the regular scapular and according to the prescribed form.
But the members of the Confraternity may put on
the medal instead of the scapular at once after investi
ture.
(f) The medals need not be blessed separately for
each individual person. It suffices to bless a number of
medals and distribute them among those who desire to
have one. This blessing can take place from the pulpit
of the church, whilst the people present hold the medals
CONFRATERNITY OF THE ROSARY
455
(one or more) in their hands, even if at that moment they
have not yet been invested with the scapular, provided
they intend to have themselves enrolled afterwards.
(5F) The medal may be worn in different ways,—
around the neck, pinned to the breast, or attached to a
rosary which one carries in the pocket.
(Λ) It is not necessary to wear the scapular if
one has the medal. However, it is the wish of the
Holy Father that the scapular should not be put aside
altogether. Hence all are advised, though not com
manded, to put on the scapular whenever this can be
done without inconvenience. The reason why the medal
has been selected as a substitute seems to be because it
is more durable and can be worn more easily, especially
by men who work in factories, mills, etc.
5. the confraternity of the rosary.—The Confra
ternity of the Rosary dates from the year 1475. Jacob
Sprenger, Prior of the Dominican Convent of Cologne,
is said to be its founder. The society was reorganized
Oct. 2, 1898, by an Apostolic Constitution of Pope Leo
XIII, “Ubi primum." The principal points contained
in this papal Brief are the following:
(a) The members oblige themselves to recite the Ro
sary once a week. It is not necessary to say the beads
by one continuous act; they may be said in parts, one
or several decades a day.
(b) The General of the Dominican Order has the ex
clusive right to establish the Confraternity of the Rosary.
When he is absent from his place of residence (Rome),
his vicar-general is empowered to act, and when there is
a vacancy, the vicar-general of the whole Order enjoys
the privilege. Without a diploma issued by these func
tionaries the erection is illegal and invalid. In places
where there is a Dominican convent, no one but a priest
456
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
of that order can be charged with the erection ; in other
places a secular priest with the consent of the bishop
may be entrusted with the work.
(c) Since there is no Archconfraternity of the Rosary,
the canonical erection implies the immediate bestowal of
the indulgences and other graces granted by the Holy
See.
(rf) The Confraternity must be attached to a particu
lar church. A special chapel in the church, if there be
such, or a special altar, ought to be assigned, at which
the members can have their devotions.
(e) The spiritual director of the Confraternity is ap
pointed by the General of the Dominican Order; in
churches, however, which are in charge of the secular
clergy, the bishop must give his consent.
(f) A toties quoties plenary indulgence has been
granted for the feast of the Holy Rosary (the first Sun
day in October). Not only the members of the Confra
ternity, but all the faithful can gain this indulgence, after
receiving the Sacraments, as often as they visit the chapel
of the Confraternity and pray according to the intention
of the Holy Father. If they have no chapel, or if the
chapel is too small to admit large crowds, a statue of the
Blessed Virgin under the title Queen of the Rosary may
be exposed on an altar of the church and visits made
to this altar.
6. THE ARCHCONFRATERNITY OF THE IMMACULATE
heart of mary.—This institution owes its existence to
the zeal of a pious priest by the name of Des Genettes.
After he had taken charge of the pastorate of the church
of Notre Dame des Victoires, one of the largest con
gregations in Paris, he made the sad discovery that a
considerable percentage of his flock had ceased to practice
their religion. He therefore established a society in
SODALITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
457
honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to pray for
the conversion of sinners. Scarcely had the pious
work been commenced, on Dec. 16, 1836, when the
lukewarm members of the congregation returned in
large numbers. Hence the zealous founder thought of
giving the society a wider extension. An appeal was
made to the Holy See. Gregory XVI bestowed upon
the society the title of an Archconfraternity and endowed
it with many indulgences. Pius IX was wont to call it
an inspiration from on high, the work of God, a source
of blessing for the whole Church. Since that time the
society has spread rapidly all over the world and its
members are counted by the millions.
(a) This Confraternity may, with the consent of the
Ordinary, be established in any parish church and in
colleges and other ecclesiastical institutions. But in order
to enjoy the privileges and indulgences an affiliation with
the Parisian Archconfraternity should be sought for.
(&) The members are obliged to recite one “Hail Mary”
every day. The so-called miraculous medal is given
them when they are enrolled, with the request to repeat
often the short invocation inscribed thereon: “O Mary,
conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse
to Thee.” Finally they are advised to offer all their
good works in union with the Sacred Heart of the Blessed
Virgin for the conversion of sinners and to receive the
Sacraments frequently for the same purpose.
7.
THE SODALITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.—This
pious association was established in the Roman college
of the Jesuits by Father John Leon, in the year 1564,
as an Archconfraternity under the title Prima Primaria.
It subsequently received the recommendation of more
than one pope, particularly Benedict XIV. in his Golden
Bull, “Gloriosae Dominae,” and of Leo XIII. The latter,
45s
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
who was himself a sodalist, in the Brief "Nihil adeo"
(Jan. 8, 18S6), called the sodalities “excellent schools of
Christian piety and the safest bulwarks of juvenile in
nocence.”
(a) The principal object of the Sodality is to offer the
young a means for the practice of virtue. The members
pledge themselves, first of all, to honor the Mother of
God with a special devotion. “This devotion to the
Blessed Mother,” says a writer in the Catholic Mind, "is
of sovereign importance for all the faithful, for the very
simple reason that she occupies in the divine plan a
privileged position between her divine Son and us. In
timately associated with Ch ritet during His earthly life
in the work of our redemption, she is still closer to Him
in His life in Heaven, and is more intensely active in our
sanctification. The Saints and Doctors did not hesitate
to say that all grace comes to us through her hands, and
they have applied to her the title of the almighty sup
plicant.” The “Clients of Mary,” as the sodalists like
to call themselves, place unlimited confidence in the
power of the Queen of Heaven. Therefore, they are
wont to pray to her in all their necessities, especially
those of the soul, in order that they may find a safe pro
tection against the snares and temptations that beset the
young.
(&) Besides praying, the sodalist is admonished to imi
tate the beautiful virtues of his Patroness, her humility,
patience, obedience, and above all her chastity. The par
ticular rules set forth in the Constitution of the Sodal
ity point out the means by which its great end may be
effectually obtained. Such means are: frequent recep
tion of the Sacraments, pious reunions or meetings, at
which the director gives an instruction adapted to the
occasion, daily meditation and examination of conscience,
SODALITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
459
celebration of the solemn feasts of the Blessed Virgin,
occasional retreats held in common tinder the guidance
of an experienced priest, and the performance of dif
ferent works of charity.
(c) We are well aware that not all sodalists live up
to their duties; quite a number fall far short of the
ideal proposed to them. Yet, it is an undeniable fact
that a large number of those who have joined the Sodal
ity find it a safe refuge against the dangers of the
world. The Sodality helps them to pass through the
perilous season of youth unharmed and to reach the age
of manhood with unshaken faith and unblemished
virtue.
(rf) The formalities required for the canonical erection
of a Sodality are as follows: The General of the
Society of Jesus is ex officio entitled to establish the So
dality in all houses and churches of the Jesuits. In
other places the Ordinary of the diocese is vested with
this power. In this case, however, an affiliation
with the Prima Primaria at Rome should be sought for,
in order to give the members the benefit of the indulgences
and other graces granted by the Holy See. The applica
tion may be sent to the provincial or the superior of
the nearest house of the Society of Jesus, who in his turn
will transmit it to the General.
(e) The Sodality must be erected under a special title,
that is to say, under a particular feast or mystery of the
Blessed Virgin, such as the Annunciation, the Immaculate
Conception, the Visitation, etc. The sodalists may, be
sides, select another Saint as their second patron, for
example, St. Stanislaus, St. Aloysius, etc.
(/) Originally the sodalities were intended for young
men only. At present, however, all Catholics, male and
female, may be received into a sodality, but not promis-
4 6o
spiritual direction
cuously. A certain distinction must be made. A so
dality for young men cannot be joined by young ladies,
and vice versa. Again, it should be understood and men
tioned in the application, for what classes the sodality is
intended, whether for students, merchants, clerks, factory
employees, etc. Those who do not belong to the respec
tive class cannot be admitted. There is no objection
against having several sodalities in the same place, col
lege, or church.
8.
THE
ASSOCIATION
OF
THE
HOLY
CHILDHOOD
OF
Association was established at Paris, in
1843. Its main object is to gather funds by means of
which Catholic missionaries in China and other pagan
countries may be enabled to take care of the thousands
of children who are cast away and abandoned by their
parents, to baptize and educate them, so that they may
help to spread the Christian religion among their
people. For this purpose we gather our own Christian
children around the Infant Jesus, making them practice
the virtue of charity in a noble work, as a token of
thanksgiving for the grace of the true faith bestowed
upon them in Baptism.
(1) Children can be enrolled in the Association immedi
ately after Baptism, up to the age of twelve. After that
age each and every one may be admitted as a participant
and gain the indulgences up to the age of twenty-one.
Those who wish to share in the indulgences for the rest
of their lives must then become members of the Society
for the Propagation of the Faith.
(2) The obligations of the members and participants
are:
(a) To recite daily one “Hail Mary,” with the short
invocation, “Holy Virgin Mary, pray for us and for the
poor pagan children.”
jesus.—This
ASSOCIATION OF HOLY CHILDHOOD
46t
(b) To give a monthly contribution of one cent, or
twelve cents a year. If the children are not able to at
tend to these obligations, the parents should do so in
their stead.
3. The names of the members should be registered, al
though the registration is no essential requisite for gain
ing the indulgences, because the Association is no con
fraternity and does not require canonical erection. It
may be organized in any parish, college, or school, whereever a group of twelve members can be found. The
pastor or the priest who has charge of the institution is
ex officio the director. The general agency of the Asso
ciation is at Paris (Rue du Bac, 146). Central offices
have been established for different countries and di
ocesan directors are appointed by many bishops. The
centre for the United States is at Pittsburgh, Pa. ; a list
of the diocesan directors can be found in the Official
Catholic Directory.
(4) The Association has an official organ, issued bi
monthly in various languages, under the title of Annals
of the Holy Childhood, in which letters from mission
aries and news of the missions are published, together
with the annual report of the receipts and distributions
of the alms given. Each group of twelve members is
entitled to one copy of this magazine.
(5) The Holy See has given its solemn approbation to
this Society. Pius IX, in a Brief issued under date
of July 18, 1856, raised it to the rank of a canonical insti
tution and appointed a Cardinal Protector for it. Leo
XIII blessed it and recommended it in his Encyclical,
"Sancta Dei civitas,” Dec. 3, 1880.
(6) Great indeed have been the results of the work
undertaken by this Association. Fr. Behringer, S. J.,
in his book on indulgences, states that in 1889 alone 222
462
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
missions were supported by the alms thus collected, in
cluding 898 orphanages, 5,264 schools, 550 industrial in
stitutes, 231 agricultural farms, 1,219 pharmacies. Of
heathen children 427'35$ were baptized, while 335,772
were supported and educated. This is apt to draw
down immense blessings upon the benefactors. The
children in our parochial schools should therefore be en
couraged to take part in this eminently fruitful and
wholesome work. A Mass is celebrated for the mem
bers on any day between Christmas and the feast of
the Purification. On that occasion the fourth part of
the Christian names of the members is drawn by lot
in order to be imposed on the children who will be
baptized in China. This is the time when the priest may
seize the opportunity to speak about the Association and
recommend it to the parents and the children of his
parish.
9.
THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH.—
The object of this Society is to give temporal and spir
itual succor to Catholic missionaries in heathen and non
Catholic countries. It was established at Lyons, in 1822,
by two pious ladies, Miss Jaricot and the Widow Petit,
who, having heard of the great distress and the many
difficulties under which priests in distant lands and among
barbarous nations labored, began to organize a little
band among the women factory hands of the city. Each
member agreed to contribute one cent a week out of
her scanty wages for the support of the American and
Asiatic missions. A few hundred dollars were gathered
during the «first year. The idea was too good to
be kept within small bounds. The Association soon
spread over the whole of Europe; at present it receives
the offerings of the faithful in every country, being the
main support of the Catholic missions everywhere.
THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
463
Since its foundation nearly seventy millions of dollars
have been collected. About six millions out of this fund
were apportioned to the Church in the United States.
(1) The Society is no Confraternity, but merely a
pious union. Canonical erection, affiliation, and inscrip
tion of names are not absolutely required. Wherever
there is a band of ten associates, they may constitute
themselves into a branch under the direction of the local
pastor. However, they should enter into communication
with one of the centres. The Society was given uiversal
character by Pius XI (1922) and its headquarters re
moved to Rome. The central office for the United States
at present is in New York. There are, besides, quite a
number of diocesan directors, to whom, as a rule, ap
plication should be made.
(2) The conditions for membership are as follows:
(a) Daily recitation of the “Our Father,” "Hail
Mary,” and the invocation “Saint Francis Xavier, pray
for us.”
(b) A monthly contribution of five cents, or sixty
cents a year.
(3) The Holy See has given its approbation to this
Society on more than one occasion. Many indulgences
and other privileges have been granted to it. Leo XIII
in two encyclical letters (Dec. 3, 1880 and Dec. 24, 1884)
recommended the Society to the whole Catholic world.
At a meeting held in Washington the archbishops of
this country passed a resolution to have the society estab
lished in every parish of the United States.
Long before, the Prelates of the Third Plenary Council of Bal
timore sent forth an appeal in behalf of the Association in which
they said : "The duties of a Christian begin with his own house
hold and his own parish ; but they do not end there. The charity
and zeal in his heart must be like that in the heart of the Church,
464
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
whose very name is Catholic, like that in the heart of Christ,
who died for all and who gave Himself a redemption for all.
The divine commission to the Church stands forever: ‘Go,
teach all nations; preach the gospel to every creature’; and
everyone who desires the salvation of souls should yearn for
its fulfilment and consider it a privilege to take part in its
realization. The more we appreciate the gift of faith, the more
must we long to have it imparted to others. The heart of every
true Catholic must glow as he reads of the heroic labors of our
missionaries among heathen nations in every part of the world,
and especially among the Indian tribes of our country. The
missionary spirit is one of the glories of the Church and one of
the chief characteristics of Christian zeal.”
"In nearly all European countries there are foreign mission
colleges, and also associations of the faithful for the support
of the missions by their contributions. Hitherto we have had
to strain every nerve in order to carry on the missions of our
own country, and we were unable to take any important part in
aiding the missions abroad, but we must beware lest our local
burdens should make our zeal narrow and un-Catholic.”
“There are hundreds of souls in heathen lands to whom the
light of the gospel has not yet been carried, and their condi
tion appeals to the charity of every Christian heart. We have,
therefore, urged the establishment of the Society for the Propa
gation of the Faith in every parish in which it is not yet erected,
and also ordered a collection to be made yearly in all the dioceses
for foreign missions and for the missions among our Indians
and Negroes. We have done this through a deep sense of duty,
and we trust that our noble-hearted people will not regard it as
a burden imposed on them, but as an opportunity presented to
them, of co-operating in a work which must be specially dear to
the Heart of Our Lord."
io. the society of Christian doctrine.—This as
sociation, as the name indicates, aims at giving religious
instruction to children and ignorant adults. It was in
stituted in the sixteenth century. The members look after
the boys and girls of the poorer classes whose education
is neglected, bring them to church at stated hours, and
SOCIETY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
465
teach them the rudiments of the catechism. Divers
Sovereign Pontiffs have approved the work and recom
mended it to the bishops. Paul V, in his Bull "Ex
credito nobis” of Oct. 6, 1607, made the Society an
Archconfraternity and enriched it with many indulgences.
Its headquarters at present are at Rome in the church
S. Maria del Pianto.
The Society has done much good, especially in Italy
and France. Since there are still quite a number of
missions here in the United States which are only occa
sionally visited by a priest, an association of this kind
is well adapted to our necessities. Indeed, His Holiness,
Pius X, in an Encyclical Letter published April 15, 1905,
which contains some special regulations for the religious
instruction of youth, obligatory for the whole world, says:
"Let there be canonically established in every parish the
Association commonly known as the Society of Christian
Doctrine, by means of which, especially where the number
of priests is small, pastors may secure lay help in the
teaching of the catechism ; and these lay teachers should
apply themselves to their task out of zeal for the glory
of God, as well as from a desire to gain the rich indul
gences lavishly granted by the Roman Pontiffs.”
A new Constitution was drawn up for the Society
lately. Titulus VI of this Constitution, which treats
of the right of affiliation, contains the following
rules :
“28. Archisodalitati ins est constitutas ubivis per catholicum ter
rarum orbem Doctrinae Christinae sodalitates aggregandi cas
que admittendi ad communionem indulgentiarum, bonorum spiri
tualium ac privilegiorum, quibus directa concessione ipsa fruitur.
"29. Ut sodalitas aggregari possit, necessarie requiritur: i,
ut eadem canonice fuerit constituta decreto Ordinarii loci; 2, ut
ad Archisodahtatcm deferatur una sum supplici libello, authenti-
466
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
cum exemplar decreti, quo fuit constituta sodalitas atque Ordi
narii commcndatitiae litterae.
“30. In qualibet dioecesi eam doctrinae Christianae sodalitatem
aggregare drchisodalitati Romanae satis erit, quam sodalitatem
Ordinarius statuerit esse centrum ceterarum eiusdem generis; hac
enim aggregata, simul aggregatae censebuntur aliae omnes soda
litates, quae aut constitutae iam, aut deinceps constituendae sint
in eadem dioecesi."1
II. THE SODALITY OF CHRISTIAN MOTHERS.—One of
the most difficult problems with which the Church and
her ministers are confronted nowadays, is the education
of youth. We live in an age that openly boasts of its
infidelity and moral corruption. Even where we have
parochial schools, well equipped and properly attended,
it is often impossible to counteract the evil influences to
which Children are exposed on the streets, in workshops,
and at home. Reform must come through the mothers.
Unless they perform the duties imposed upon them by
divine Providence, little or nothing can be accomplished.
For this purpose the Sodality of Christian Mothers has
been established.
(1) Its first start was made at Lille (France) in 1850.
It soon gained members over the whole of the French
territory. Pope Pius IX gave to it the title of an Arch
confraternity and endowed it with special privileges. In
order to facilitate its spread, a similar Archconfraternity
was erected for Germany, at Ratisbon, in 1871. In
America, the Capuchin Fathers at Pittsburgh, Pa., started
a Union of Christian Mothers, in 1875. This Union
was raised to an Archconfraternity by a special Brief
of Leo XIII, dated Jan. 16, 1881, and granted the right
of affiliating to itself other societies of the same name
throughout the United States, irrespective of place or
language.
1 Acta S. Sedis, Vol. XXXIX,
p. 39.
SODALITY OF CHRISTIAN MOTHERS
467
(2) The object of this Confraternity is to aid Catholic
mothers in the domestic and religious training of their
children. The Society is placed under the special pro
tection of “Mary, the Mother of Sorrows.” But other
patrons may be chosen besides, e.g., St. Joseph, St. Jo
achim, St. Anne, St. Monica. Certain works of charity
may also be attended to by the members. However,
if the principal object, as stated before, is set aside, or
if the name is changed, the Association can no longer
claim the privileges of a canonically erected Confrater
nity of Christian Mothers.
(3) Only such Catholic women (wives or widows) can
be admitted as have a good reputation and wish to con
tribute their share to the work proposed by the Society.
They should recite some short prayers prescribed by the
rules every day, approach the Sacraments monthly, and
meet at stated times in church to have some devotion in
common.
(4) Each branch society must have a director, that is
to say, a priest who receives new members, instructs
them in their duties, presides at their devotions, and
superintends all transactions which contribute to the gen
eral welfare of the society. The members select from
their own midst a president and assistants, who com
pose the executive board. If the society is large, special
sections may be formed, with subordinate officers. All,
however, should act under the general supervision and
guidance of the director. It is desirable that the mem
bers wear a medal or a badge whenever they meet in
a body.
(5) The names of those who have joined the society
must be properly registered. No particular ceremonies
for admission are required. Still, a solemn reception
may take place according to circumstances.
468
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
The practical method of establishing a Confraternity
of Christian Mothers seems to be this : The rec
tor of the parish calls a meeting of the married women
of the congregation and explains to them the object of
the Society. If a sufficient number can be found who are
willing to join, the statutes are drawn up in regular form
and sent to the bishop of the diocese with the request to
sanction them and give permission (in writing) for the
canonical erection of the Sodality. After word has been
received from the Ordinary, and his approbation has
been granted, application must be made to the Capuchin
Fathers in Pittsburgh, in order to obtain a diploma of
affiliation to the Archconfraternity. This diploma must
be shown to the bishop, who will sign it and return it to
the parish priest, who should keep it in a safe place.
Thereupon the Association becomes a canonically erected
Confraternity and may at once begin its work.
12. THE
ASSOCIATION
OF
THE
HOLY
FAMILY.—We
are all acquainted with the picture of the Holy
Family at Nazareth and the ideal of domestic life which
this picture represents. In our age of rushing business,
family life has lost a great deal of its pristine vigor.
The beautiful charm that formerly used to pervade the
home circle is waning. The waves of Communism and
anarchy are battering against this bulwark of human so
ciety. Even Catholics are often carried away by the
current of secularism and become callous in proportion
as their dealings with the world increase. Many say
that they cannot, others simply will not, attend church any
longer. Only a speedy return to Christian principles,
a sound Catholic home life, can save us from moral dis
aster and social ruin. It is with his view that his Holi
ness, Pope Leo XIII, started the Association of the Holy
Family. In the Brief, ‘'Neminem fugit,” issued under
ASSOCIATION OF THE HOLY FAMILY
469
date of June 14, 1892, he pointed out how and why the
humble abode of Nazareth with its saintly inhabitants
must be forever the great model for all Christian homes.
These are his words:
"Summopere interest ut domestica societas non solum sancte
sit constituta, sed sanctis etiam regatur legibus; in eaque reli
gionis spiritus et Christianae vitae ratio diligenter constanterque
foveatur. Hinc profecto est, quod misericors Deus cum humanae
reparationis opus, quod diu saecula exspectabant, perficere decre
visset, ita eiusdem operis rationem ordinemque disposuit, ut prima
ipsa eiusdem initia augustam mundo exhiberent speciem Familiae
divinitus constitutae, in qua omnes homines absolutissimum do
mesticae societatis, omnisque virtutis ac sanctitatis intuerentur
exemplar. Talis quidem Familia extitit Nasarethana illa, in qua,
antequam gentibus universis pleno lumine emicuisset, Sol iustitiae erat absconditus: nimirum Christus Deus Salvator Noster
cum Virgine Matre et Joseph, viro sanctissimo, qui erga lesunu
paterno fungebatur munere.’’
This papal brief was addresseo to all the bishops of
the Catholic world, and urged them to establish this Asso
ciation in every parish subject to their jurisdiction. A
constitution containing the statutes, as approved by his
Holiness, was added. The statutes are as follows.
(1) The object of the Association is to induce Christian fami
lies to consecrate themselves to the Holy Family of Nazareth.
This is done by their proposing the Holy Family to their special
veneration and imitation; by performing daily devotions be
fore an image of the same and modeling their own lives after
the sublime virtues of which it gave the example not only to all
classes of society, but particularly to the laboring class.
(2) The Association has its centre in Rome under the presi
dency of the Cardinal-vicar pro tempore of his Holiness. He,
assisted by the secretary of the S. Congreg. Rit., and by two
other prelates of his choice, together with an ecclesiastic as sec
retary, has the direction of the Association throughout the
470
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
world, maintaining its character and spirit and procuring for it
a constantly wider diffusion.
(3) The Ordinary of each diocese or vicariate apostolic will,
with a view of promoting the object of the Association, appoint
an ecclesiastic of his choice as diocesan director.
(4) The diocesan directors arc to place themselves in com
munication with the parish priests, to whom belongs the exclusive
right of enrolling the families of their respective parishes. In
the month of May of each year all parish priests shall send the
number of families enrolled in their parishes during the year
to the diocesan directors, who in turn will forward them, under
the direction of the Ordinaries, to the central scat of the As
sociation in Rome.
(5) The act of consecration of families is to be made according
to the approved form prescribed by Leo XIII ; it may be per
formed by each family privately at home, or by a number of
families united in the parish church with their pastor or his
substitute.
(6) A picture of the Holy Family should be hung up in the
home of every family enrolled in the Association. Before it
the members of the household should assemble at least once
each day, if possible in the evening, to offer prayer in common.
The formula of prayers approved by Leo XIII, is especially
recommended for this purpose, as likewise the frequent repeti
tion of the well known ejaculatory prayers: “Jesus, Mary,
Joseph, I offer you my heart and my soul—Jesus, Mary, Joseph,
assist me in my last agony—Jesus, Mary, Joseph, may I breathe
forth my soul in peace with you.”
(7) The above-mentioned picture of the Holy Family should
be either that approved by Pius IX, in his letter of Jan.
5, 1870, or any other in which our Lord Jesus Christ is rep
resented in His hidden life with His Holy Mother, the
Blessed Virgin, and Saint Joseph, her chaste spouse. It belongs
to the Ordinary, according to the rules laid down by the
Council of Trent, to exclude such pictures as are not in
harmony with the particular object of the Association.1
(8) The families enrolled in the Association enjoy all the
1
It is not advisable to have the
of the figures; the figure of St.
Hearts of Jesus and His Blessed
Joseph must never show the heart.
Mother represented on the breasts
SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
471
indulgences and other spiritual advantages granted by the Sov
ereign Pontiffs, as noted in the card of enrollment.
(9) The Cardinal Protector with his counsel shall draw up
and publish a schedule of regulations, in which all that relates
to the useful management of the Association will be indicated,
together with its proper feasts, the titular day, the annual re
newal of the act of consecration made in common, the manner
of holding reunions, etc.
A writer in the Ecclesiastical Review2 suggests .mis
sions as the best means for introducing the Association
of the Holy Family, where it is not already in active
operation. “They afford,” he says, “an opportunity of
(a) setting forth the purpose of the Association, (&)
inculcating the practices which are its immediate object,
(c) making the solemn act of consecration by the entire
parish. How easy it is for most priests to use their in
fluence with young married couples at the time when
they leave the altar, to join in the proposed work of sanc
tifying their domestic life, to put them in the way of
procuring, among the first outfits of their new homes, a
picture of the Holy Family suitable to their condition
in life, and to give them the little book of instructions on
the subject. What theme more suitable for the pastor
to connect with the nuptial blessing? He will thus bind
the newly married couple more firmly to the Church, will
insure beforehand the Christian education of their chil
dren, and make them zealous supporters, in most cases,
of the cause which he himself finds toilsome in propor
tion as the aid and sympathy of his people are wanting
to him.”
13. the society of st. Vincent de Paul.—The ob
ject of this pious association is to help the needy and dis
tressed by various works of charity. “The poor,”
2
Vol. VII, p. 369.
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
Jesus says, "you have always with you.”3 And the
Apostle of the Gentiles remarks : "If I speak with the
tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, I
am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.”4
Faith without charity is dead. The position of the
Catholic Church with regard to suffering humanity is too
well known to require any special proof. Every cry of
misery which a struggling world sends forth finds an
echo and meets with sympathetic response in the bosom
of the Spouse of Christ. Moreover, the care of the desti
tute is not a prerogative confined to the members of the
clergy, or to religious who have obliged themselves by
a vow to such work ; it is a duty incumbent upon the laity
as well. It was this spirit of generosity and benevolence
which induced Frederick Ozanam, a pious young man
living at Paris in the year 1833, to start a society under
the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul, whose members
should go in search of the poor and infirm scattered over
the vast capital of France, visit them in their homes, and
give them all the aid and assistance they could possibly
afford. The society grew rapidly. Catholics in other
countries followed the good example of the original
founders. More than one Sovereign Pontiff gave his
blessing to the work and endowed the society with privi
leges and indulgences. Delegates from all parts of the
world met at Rome, Feb. 4, 1888. In an audience which
they had with his Holiness, Leo XIII, the President
submitted in a report, according to which the membership
had reached almost ninety thousand.
(1) The Society is organized on the following plan:
Only male persons are admitted. There is a Supreme
Council at the head of the whole Society. Its seat is in
3 Matth. XXVI, 11.
4 i Cor. XIII, i.
THIRD ORDER OF ST. FRANCIS
473
Paris. Branches, called Conferences, may, with the con
sent of the ecclesiastical authorities, be established in any
country, city, town or village where there is a necessity
for them. If the place is large, it will be advisable to have
several Conferences on parish or district lines. In this
case there should be a local Administration Board, to
whom the different officers report, and perhaps also a
Diocesan Council at the head of the whole diocese. All
the branches, however, must be affiliated with the Su
preme Council at Paris, if they expect to participate in
the indulgences and privileges granted by the Holy See.
(2) The St. Vincent de Paul Conferences exist in
more than one American city, but have not yet obtained
the same wonderful results here as in Europe. There are
many so-called philanthrophic organizations in the United
States. Quite a number of them claim to be non-sectarian, but in reality they tend to facilitate Protestant
proselytizing among the poorer classes under the specious
plea of charity. Catholics who depend upon them for
temporal support, in particular Catholic children, are
apt to be estranged from Holy Mother Church. How
shall we counteract this evil ? American Catholics should
watch more closely the interest of their Church by suc
coring those who suffer from want. We need some ac
tual evangelization to bring us into immediate contact
with the object of our charities. Here, indeed, is a fruit
ful field of operation for the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
The work done for the relief of bodily ills will help to
save immortal souls.
14. THE THIRD ORDER OF ST. FRANCIS.—Who has not
heard of St. Francis of Assisi, “The Seraphic Patriarch,”
as he is called? This great servant of God, though he
lived in the Middle Ages, accomplished a work which is
still exhibiting signs of vigorous life and continued
474
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
progress. Wherever we behold a mendicant friar, clad
in his humble brown or black garb, our mind is struck
with the ideal of poverty and self-denial that was a
reality and not a mere fiction in the person of St. Francis
of Assisi.
(I) St. Francis had already founded two great reli
gious orders, one for men and the other for women, the
latter known under the name of the Poor Clares, when he
drew up a rule designed to enable the laity to take part in
the penitential and devotional practices which up to that
time had been more or less confined to the cloister. This
is the origin of the famous Third Order. It docs not
rank with the so-called Confraternities, though it has much
in common with them. It closely approaches the reli
gious state, inasmuch as the management and discipline
are borrowed therefrom, without however imposing the
peculiar obligations implied in the vows. Such is evident
from the Constitution “Misericors Dei Filius,” which Leo
XIII issued under date of May 30, 1883, and in which
he writes: “The Franciscan institutes are based wholly
upon the observance of the precepts of Jesus Christ; for
the Holy Founder had no other aim than that the Christian
life should be exercised in those precepts—as in a gym
nasium—with greater diligence. The first two Franciscan
Orders, of course, which were instituted for the exercise
of great virtues, pursue a loftier and diviner aim ; but
they are the heritage of a few, of those, namely, to whom
God has given the grace to strive with special zeal for
the sanctity of the evangelical counsels. But the Third
Order is adapted to the many; and the records of times
gone by, and the nature of the Society itself, both show
how great is its influence in promoting justice, honesty
and religion. . . . Therefore, for the good and the happi
ness of the future, for the increase of the glory of God,
THIRD ORDER OF ST. FRANCIS
475
the encouragement of piety and zeal for all virtues, We
by our present letter, in virtue of our Apostolic authority,
renew and sanction, in the manner described below, the
Rule of the Third Order of St. Francis, called the Secu
lar. It must not be thought that in consequence of this
act anything is taken from the nature of the Order, which
We by all means wish to remain unchanged and intact:”
(2) The Third Order is intended for seculars. The
modern religious congregations of nuns, which sometimes
are formed under the title of Sisters of St. Francis, Sis
ters of the Third Order, etc., must not be confounded
with it. These sisterhoods are established on a different
basis. Only those who live in the world, which includes
also members of the secular clergy, and who, without giv
ing up the position in which divine Providence has placed
them, wish to become perfect Christians, can be admitted
as members. No one who has joined another institute
of a similar character, such as the Third Order of St.
Dominic, will be allowed to enter the Third Order of St.
Francis, unless he has been dispensed and properly dis
missed. This dispensation or dismissal is not granted
save for important reasons.
(3) The power to receive members into the Third Or
der rests with the General of the First Franciscan Order
in its different branches. The provincials within the ter
ritory of their jurisdiction also possess that faculty. Lo
cal superiors, such as guardians, vicars, visitors, etc.,
have not this right, unless it be expressly given them by
the General or provincial. In places where there are no
Franciscan convents, the provincial may delegate secular
priests to receive members. Bishops may likewise obtain
authority to this effect from the General of the Order, and,
in addition thereto, the right to subdelegate priests be
longing to their diocese.
476
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
(4) The Third Order of St. Francis cannot be estab
lished in any church, not even in a church of the Francis
can friars, except with the consent of the Ordinary. The
latter also has the right of visiting the congregation and
examining matters of discipline.
The candidate, male or female, who wishes to enter
the Order, must be fourteen years old. Married women
must have the consent of their husbands. Obviously, only
practical Catholics who enjoy a good reputation can
be admitted. Those who lead a scandalous life, who
allow public dancing and other amusements of a sus
picious character in their homes, who support them
selves by dishonest means, who sow discord by idle
gossip, who live in enmity with their neighbors, in
a word all who would become a reproach to the Order,
must be kept out. The aspirants must first pass through
a full year’s novitiate. If they have stood the probation,
they should make profession in the form which the Con
stitution prescribes.
(5) There are many minute rules which the members
must comply with. These may be found in the various
manuals. It will suffice for our purpose to mention a
few:
(a) Tertiaries should refrain from worldly luxury, from ex
cessive and expensive elegance in dress and dwelling.
(6) They should wear the scapular and cord of St Francis,
blessed and imposed upon them at their entrance.
(c) They shall receive the Sacraments at least once a month.
(d) Ecclesiastics who recite the canonical hours, or laymen
who say the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin, are not ex
pected to add any special prayers. All others must say
every day twelve “Our Fathers” and “Hail Marys" and the
“Glory be to the Father,” etc. All are exhorted to assist at
Holy Mass daily.
(e) Tertiaries should exercise themselves constantly in works
THIRD ORDER OF ST. FRANCIS
477
of charity and penance. In particular should they visit the sick
and help the poor and afflicted members of their Society. Fast
ing is prescribed only on two days, the Vigils of the feast of the
Immaculate Conception and of the feast of St. Francis.
(/) At the funeral of a deceased Tertiary the resident mem
bers accompany the corpse and recite five decades of the Rosary
for the repose of the departed soul.
(g) In their home life the Tertiaries should give a good exam
ple and promote piety and virtue among those in their charge.
Bad books and papers must be shunned by them.
(/») Once a month they should hold a meeting at which the
prefect presides and which all members should attend.
v6) In a special Brief, dated September 7, 1901, Pope
Leo XIII bestowed new indulgences upon the Third
Order of St. Francis and approved others that had been
granted before. Most important among them are the
Papal Blessing and the General Absolution, both implying
a plenary indulgence under certain conditions. The bless
ing and the absolution cannot be given except by a duly
authorized priest, and on the days appointed. Those who
are prevented from being present at the meeting, may re
quest their confessor to impart to them the General
Absolution on the previous day, but this cannot be done
except in connection with confession, and according to
the formula prescribed.
(7) The Third Order of St. Francis has a glorious rec
ord. Persons of high rank and renowned in history have
belonged to it. A new impulse was given to the Society
by the late Pope Leo XIII, who was himself a member.
In almost every large city parish, and in not a few coun
try missions, there are quite a number of pious souls who
could be induced to join the Third Order if properly
instructed. Hence his Holiness appeals to the bishops
to do their best towards propagating this great institution.
In an Encyclical, dated Sept. 17, 1882, the Sovereign Pon
4?8
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
tiff says: “Therefore take pains that the people may be
come acquainted with the Third Order and truly esteem
it; provide that those who have the care of souls sedu
lously teach what it is, how easily any one may enter
it, with how great privileges tending to salvation it
abounds, what advantages, public and private, it prom
ises.” In another document, the Encyclical "Humanum
genus,” which is directed against the Masonic sects, the
same Pontiff writes: “We use this occasion to repeat
what We have stated elsewhere, namely, that the Third
Order of St. Francis, whose discipline We prudently mit
igated a little while ago, should be studiously promoted
and sustained; for the whole object of this Order, as con
stituted by its Founder, is to invite men to imitate Jesus
Christ, to love the Church and to practice all Christian
virtues ; and therefore it ought to be of great influence in
suppressing the contagion of wicked societies. Let this
holy sodality therefore be strengthened by a daily in
crease.”
CHAPTER IV
PASTORAL CARE OF INDIVIDUALS
I. Â priest charged with the care of souls must not
only attend to his parish at large by employing the ordi
nary spiritual means, but also watch over its individual
members and apply extraordinary means to those who
cannot be reached by the ordinary ministry. Here the
following suggestions may be in order:
In not a few parishes you will find persons who require
special and separate instruction in faith and morals, since
the general preaching of Christian truth does not reach
them, partly because they cannot go to church, partly be
cause they lack a knowledge of the very fundamentals
of religion. Such persons are the blind, deaf-mutes,
idiots, and those who are confined to their beds and houses
on account of broken or paralyzed limbs, general weak
ness, etc. The only way to reach these is to instruct
them privately at visits made from time to time in their
houses. It is a tiresome and unpleasant task, yet a true
shepherd must not lose sight of these sheep, but be en
couraged by the example of our Lord and the thought
that he will thus be able to save more souls for Heaven.
As a rule, they should be disposed to receive the Sacra
ments. Therefore, let them learn the ordinary prayers,
the principal articles of faith, the ten commandments, the
precepts of the Church, the acts of faith, hope, charity,
and contrition. An occasional warning against intemper
ance and sensuality, to which these persons may be in479
480
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
dined, will not be out of place. If charitable lay men
or women can be found to lend a helping hand in such
instruction, they should be engaged for the purpose.
Deaf and dumb children should not be sent to a Prot
estant or State institution for their education, as they
are apt to lose their faith there. Parents who will not
submit to this rule cannot be absolved. The same holds
good with regard to orphans. They should, if possible,
be placed in a good Catholic family or else be sent to a
Catholic orphanage, but never to a Protestant or State
institution. When this has been done, a pastor should
not rest until he has regained such a soul. He should
also look after the spiritual wants of all those Catholics
who are inmates of poorhouses, reform schools, asylums,
etc., lying within his district. The poor you have always
with you, Christ said, thus insinuating that He wished His
followers, in particular His priests, to help those who are
destitute and needy.
2. The rector of a parish or mission should also have
an eye on those members of his congregation who, either
through sin and malice, or through negligence, have be
come estranged from the Church, or, on account of par
ticular circumstances, do not practice their religion as
they should. Under this head fall those living in mixed
or invalid marriage relationships, those who have con
tracted marriage before a squire or preacher, those who
fell out with a former pastor, members of secret
societies, drunkards and habitual sinners, and heads of
families who neglect their duties towards their children.
Sometimes a kind word and a well-meant warning, if
tendered at the right time, produce a wonderful
effect.
3. In connection with this matter we must insert a few
PASTORAL CARE OF INDIVIDUALS
481
remarks on various scandals which a pastor is bound
either to prevent or to eliminate.
(a) Scandals may arise from lawsuits and public quar
rels. The priest ought to use his influence to reconcile
parties who are on bad terms, before they go to court,
and he should do this even if he has not been asked to
act as arbitrator. His position entitles him to it, because
it is his duty to prevent sin, which usually is the con
sequence of disputes and quarrels.
(i>) Dissension or trouble existing between married
people may be the cause of great evil if not brought to a
stop in due time. The married are not allowed to separate
a mensa et toro on their own warrant. It they re
fuse to return to each other, they cannot, as a rule, be
absolved. It is the parish priest’s duty to bring such
parties to terms. The best way to do this may be to have a
consultation, first with the man, afterwards with the
woman, and then with both together.
(c) Scandals may be caused through agents of secret
societies, who, under the pretext of furnishing cheap life
insurance, or of assisting people in their business, entice
Catholics to join their lodges. If there is reason to fear
that a number of men in the parish may be gained over
by these emissaries, it is proper to give public warning
from the pulpit; otherwise it will be sufficient to see pri
vately those who are on the point of being lured away
from the Church.
(7 sq.
Scruples, 213 sqq.; Causes of,
215 sqq ; Treatment of, in
confession, 218 sq.
Seminarists, Hearing confes
sions of, 205 sqq.
Sermons
(see Preaching) ;
Preparing, 365 sq. ; Qualities
of good, 366 sqq.; Division,
369; Action in, 369 sq.;
Length of, 371.
Servants, 501 sqq.
Servers at Mass, 129 sqq.
Sick calls, 260 sqq., 284.
Sick, Spiritual care of the,
265 sqq.; Taking the Bl.
Sacrament to the, 273 sqq.;
Modification of the Euchar
istic fast in favor of the, 272
sq.
Singing in church, 138 sqq.
Social problems, 487 sqq.
Social work by the clergy, 488
sqq.
Societies, Forbidden, 236 sqq.;
When and under what con
ditions a Catholic may re
tain membership in, 249 sqq
Societies, Parochial, 419 sqq. ;
Young men's, 423 sqq.;
Girls’, 425 sqq.; men’s, 427
sqq.; Temperance, 428 sq.;
AVomen’s, 432; Confraterni
ties and pious associations,
432 sqq.
Societies, Secret. Third Pl.
Council of Baltimore on,
243 sqq.; Practical rules re
garding, 248 sqq.
Society for the Propagation of
the Faith, 462 sqq.
Society of Christian Doctrine,
464 sqq.
Sodality of Christian Mothers,
432,. 466 sqq.
Sodality of the Blessed Vir
gin Mary, 457 sqq.
Society of St. Vincent de Paul,
471 sqq.
Sons of Temperance, 241 sq.
Species, Renewal of, 51 sqq.
Sponsors, Baptismal, 27 sqq.;
For Confirmation, 38.
Stations of the Cross, 341 sqq.
Stipends, 105 sqq.
Sunday School, 386 sq.
T
Tabernacle, 48 sqq.
Temperaments, Regarding pen
itents, 168 sq.
Temporalities, The manage
ment of, 397 sqq.
Thanksgiving after Mass, 102.
Theatres, 232 sqq.
Third Order of St. Francis,
473 sqq.
Thirteen Hours
Adoration,
59 sq.
Triduum, 59 sq.
V
Vespers on Sunday afternoons,
131 sqq.
Vestments, 125.
Viaticum, 270 sqq.
Visiting the sick, 260 sqq.
Visits to the Bl. Sacrament,
43 sqqVocations to the priesthood,
297 sqq.
W
Water, Baptismal, 22 sqq.
Way of the Cross, 341 sqq.
Wine for the Holy Sacrifice,
126 sq.
Women, Confessions of, 187;
Confessor’s attitude towards,
187; Societies of, 432.