Have you any problem on your mind 7 If you have and you feel that its solution would be of assistance to other people, let us have it. If, on the other hand, your difficulty is a Private one, ii will be solved by private letter If the Pope is infallible, svhs does he not condemn the morals of nations, and name the wicked doer ? (F. L. N.)
The Vatican Wireless (December 18,
1943) gives a partial answer LO this question : " It is not the Pope's task to descend to the low level of useless propaganda. It is his task to appeal to the world's conscience and to recall ethical principles. He has done this very deafly. No man of goodwill can say that the Pope remained silent. Everybody will recognise the attitude Holy Fa Holy Fa
taken up by the Father. He is not on the side of this or that belligerent party, nor on the side of this or that political party. Nor is he neutral. When it is a question of the fundamental laws of God there can be no neutrality, but onlysupport of right. The Pope is on the bide of God, of right, of human liberty. He does not condemn individuals, but wrong and injustice. Ilecondcmns he
false systems, wherever they be, if they contradict the law of God "
The false systems of Fascism, Nazism, and Atheistic Communism have all been condemned by Pope Pius XI in the papal encyclicals Non abbiarno bisogno (1930), Mit brennender Norge (1937), Divitii Redemploris (1937). On October 20, 1939, Pope Pius XII issued his encyclical SMI11111 Pontificatus, in which he set forth his views on the catastrophe which lay ahead.
Why doCntholirs receive Holy Communion under one kind alone? (M. K.) In the early days of the Church Communion was distributed to the faithful under both kinds. This practise was changed in 1415 by the Council of Constance chiefly because of the danger of irreverence to the Precious
through rou as gh spilling as it w passed from hand to hand ; and also because of the dangerof propagating contagious disease when all drank from thcsame chalice. A further object ofthe change was to counteract the heresy of Huss. who asserted. contrary to Catholic doctrine. that Christ was not
received whole and en u e
tire nder ithei kind. The Catholic doctrine is that Christ is truly present under the appearance of either the bread or the wine: He is present in Body, Blood. Soul, and Divinity in both the bread and the wine. When did the Anglicans introduce the Mass into their Churches? (M.C.)
The Anglicans have never introduced the Mass into their churches because they have not a valid sacrificing priesthood. Why are some members of the C. of E. called Anglicans, some Protes ta nts ? (M. C.)
The Oxford Dictionary defines a Protestant RS One 'belonging to the Western Church outside the Roman Communion. rn Church is meant to As the Western all Christian sects. the word Protestant has no specific meaning, but is a general term to describe Christians who are outside the Roman Church. Hence, members of the Church of England, that is, the Anglican Church, can also be called Protestants.
y May a la-person use the Breviary tart or does the Church frown upon practice ? (G. S. R.)
It is an excelleut practice for the
laity to read the Breviary. Several translations and adaptations for the laity have been issued with ecclesiastical approval.
Will aou explain what is meant bynt (at) mental prayer, and (b) conteplatise prayer ? (G. S. R.)
Mental prayer is prayer made net with spoken words but interiorly in mind and heart. Contemplative prayer is one of the higher forms of mental prayer and consists in a state in which God raises the soul to a close union with Himself. If God has a part for each of us to
play in this world, it seems that man, Its misuse of his freedom, can, as far WS he is concerned, frustrate thal plan. Man, then, is defeating the plan of an omnipotent being, which is impossible. What is the explanation of this ? (G. S. R.)
God, in His omnipotence, has given man freewill which he can use for his salvation or damnation. If God restricted the use of man's freewill, He would contradict Himself, which is impossible. By man's misuse of his free
dom God's plans are not frustrated. God's plans arc perfect and complete, covering all contingencies, and so go smoothly on ; only the man who chooses ill fits into them in a different way—a way less satisfactory to himself. Is Miss Helen Waddell (a) a Catholic (b) Irish?
We do not know. Write either to her
or her publisher. We beg to remind readers that we deal only with ,thcological questions and personal problems of a moral nature. We cannot undertake to answer general questions which have no bearing on moral or theolqgi cal matters. Many of the questions received could easily have been answered by consulting a reference book.
All enquiries should be accompanied by the name and address of the sender though not. of course, fo, Publication.
TEACHERS NEEDED IN TRINIDAD, B.W.I. SIR.—T am a regular reader of your excellent weekly, and have been fortunate in being able to secure my copy regularly all through the war. I am very interested in the spread of good Catholic literature, and for several years have made it a special hobby to send Catholic newspapersand magazines to missionaries abroad. have now received a letter from one of the missionaries. who has been in Trinidad for the past ten years since his ordination and is now seeking the help of one or two teachers for a secondary school he
has just started. I wonder could you possibly oblige by giving space to his letter as he is quite unable to pay the expenses of advertising. I append a copy of his letter. Trusting you will do the needful and thanking you in anticipation.
You're J. jvicCsaTter.
COPY OF LETTER wonder if any of your readers is sufficiently interested in education to come out and teach in our secondary school here? We could do with two teachers at present, nia?e or female or man and wife. Must have B.A. or B.Sc. or equivalent Wegree.s. We can only pay moderate salary at present. Travelling expenses paid if required and suitable accommodation arranged. Write at once with full particulars to: Rev. M. E. Murphy. Parish Priest, The Presbytery, Chaguanus, Trinidad, British West Indies.