Choose a topic from Vol 2:

God

Proof of God's existence
God's nature
Supreme control over all things and the problem of suffering and evil

Man

Destiny of man
Death
Immortality of man's soul
Pre-existence denied
The human free will
Determinism absurd

Religion

Necessity of religion
Salvation of the soul
Voice of science
Religious racketeers
Divine revelation
Revealed mysteries
Existence of miracles

The Religion of the Bible

Gospels historical
Missing Books of the Bible
The Bible inspired
Biblical account of creation
New Testament problems
Supposed contradictions in Sacred Scripture

The Christian Faith

Source of Christian teaching
Jewish rejection of Christ
Christianity a new religion
Rational foundation for belief
Causes of unbelief

A Definite Christian Faith

Divisions amongst Christians
Schisms unjustified
Facing the problem
The wrong approach
Is one religion as good as another?
Obligation of inquiry
Charity and tolerance

The Protestant Reformation

Meaning of "Protestant"
Causes of the Reformation
Catholic reaction
Reformers mistaken
The idealization of Protestantism
The Catholic estimate

The Truth of Catholicism

Meaning of the word "Church"
Origin of the Church
The Catholic claim
The Roman hierarchy
The Pope
The Petrine text
St. Peter's supremacy
St. Peter in Rome
Temporal power
Infallibility
Unity of the Church
Holiness of the Church
Catholicity of the Church
Apostolicity of the Church
Indefectibility of the Church
Obligation to be a Catholic

The Church and the Bible

Catholic attitude towards the Bible
Is Bible reading forbidden to Catholics?
Protestant Bibles
The Catholic Douay Version
Principle of private interpretation
Need of Tradition
The teaching authority of the Catholic Church

The Dogmas of the Church

Revolt against dogma
Value of a Creed
The divine gift of Faith
Faith and reason
The "Dark Ages"
The claims of science
The Holy Trinity
Creation and evolution
Angels
Devils
Man
Reincarnation
Sin
Christ
Mary
Grace and salvation
The Sacraments
Baptism
Confession
Holy Eucharist
The Sacrifice of the Mass
Holy Communion
The Catholic Priesthood
Marriage and divorce
Extreme Unction
Judgment
Hell
Purgatory
Indulgences
Heaven
The resurrection of the body
The end of the world

The Church and Her Moral Teachings

Conscience
Truth
Charity
Scandal
Tolerance
Censorship
The Inquisition
Astrology
Other superstitions
Attendance at Mass
Sex education
Attitude to "Free Love"
Abortion
Suicide

The Church in Her Worship

Magnificent edifices
Lavish ritual
Women in Church
Catholics and "Mother's Day"
Liturgical Days
Burial rites
Candles and votive lamps
The rosary
Lourdes water
The Scapular

The Church and Social Welfare

Social influence of the Church
The education question
The Church and world distress
Catholic attitude towards Capitalism
The remedy for social ills
Communism condemned
The Fascist State
Morality of war
May individuals become soldiers?
The Church and peace
Capital punishment
Catholic Action

Comparative Study of Non-Catholic Denominations

Defections from the Catholic Church
Gnosticism
Manichaeism
Arianism
Nestorianism
Eutychianism
Coptic Church
Greek Orthodox Church
Anglican Episcopal Church
The "Free" or "Nonconformist" Churches
Presbyterianism
Methodism
Church of Christ
Baptists
Seventh Day Adventists
Plymouth Brethren
Catholic Apostolic Church or Irvingites
Salvation Army
Spiritualism
Christian Science
Christadelphians
British Israelism
Liberal Catholics
Witnesses of Jehovah
Buchmanism or the "Oxford Group Movement"
From Protestantism to Catholicism

To and From Rome

Conversion of Cardinal Newman
Why Gladstone refrained
The peculiar case of Lord Halifax
Gibbon the historian
Secession of Father Chiniquy
Father Tyrrell, the modernist
Bishop Garrett's departure
Judgment on lapsed Catholics
Protestant apathy towards conversion of Catholics
Principles for converts to Catholicism
God's will that all should become Catholics

Liberal Catholics

1346. Was the lapse of the Liberal Catholics from Roman Catholic unity a recent event?

The so-called "Liberal Catholic Church" never lapsed from unity with Rome for the simple reason that it never was in union with Rome. Its origin was as follows:In 1875 a Colonel Olcott and a Madame Blavatsky founded a Theosophical Society in New York. Later this society was joined by a Mrs. Annie Besant, and still later by a Mr. Leadbeater, an ex-Anglican clergyman. The doctrine of these Theosophists at first was very nebulous, and incorporated much from ancient Indian philosophies. In the beginning Theosophy claimed to be outside and above all religions, and to be the key to the whole mystery of existence. Yet all must remain mystery, so that whilst members might believe what they liked, they ought not to maintain that they have the truth, nor to admit that anyone else has it. But Mr. Leadbeater, who had been expelled from the society in 1906 but was readmitted later on, decided to "religionize" Theosophy; and it was he who commenced the Liberal Catholic Church. He chose this name because he grafted on to his Theosophical ideas forms of worship which he borrowed from the Catholic liturgy. From this you can see that the "Liberal Catholic Church" has no more connection with the true Catholic Church than the king of Siam would have with the king of England, were he to model his coronation robes on those worn by the English king.

1347. Have not the Liberal Catholics valid Holy Orders derived from the Roman Catholic Church?

They claim a succession of valid Orders ultimately traced back to Rome. In 1870, at the time of the Vatican Council, a few Bishops left the Catholic Church and became schismatics. They set up what they called "The Old Catholic Church" in Holland. By these an Anglican minister got himself consecrated as a Bishop. This reverend gentleman, a Mr. Willoughby, in turn consecrated a Mr. Wedgewood, who styled himself the first "Presiding Bishop of the Old Catholics" in Great Britain. In 1916 this "Presiding Bishop Wedgewood" consecrated Mr. Charles Leadbeater as "Regionary Bishop of Australia," presumably with the idea of founding the "Old Catholic Church" in that country. But Bishop Leadbeater was not true to his trust. He was a dreamer of weird dreams, and envisaged a new religion altogether. He invented a blend of Theosophy, Spiritism, and an incredible number of superstitions, merged with Catholic forms of worship derived from the Roman liturgy. In 1918 the title "Liberal Catholic Church" was adopted for this new cult of astral, etheric, and from the Catholic point of view, blasphemous nonsense.

1348. Do you deny that the Liberal Catholic priesthood is valid?

I do. It is certain that Christ never intended His priesthood to be transmitted for such purposes as these Liberal Catholics have in mind. Bishop Leadbeater, of course, wanted to say that he had incorporated the very essentials of Catholic liturgy in his religious services—and above all, that he possessed a valid Eucharist. There is scarcely need to remark that, whilst Theosophists regard Bishop Leadbeater's Liberal Catholicism as a wholesale corruption of Theosophy, we ourselves regard it as a still more serious corruption of the Catholic liturgy.

1349. Liberal Catholics say that Rome itself recognizes their Orders as valid.

That is not true. No declaration or document from Rome acknowledging the Orders of these Theosophical Liberal Catholics as valid has ever been given. If a Liberal Catholic Bishop became a convert to the Catholic Church, he would find himself unacceptable either as a Bishop or as a priest to the Catholic authorities. Were he otherwise eligible, and wished to be a priest, he would find himself compelled to submit to ordination at the hands of a Catholic Bishop. If the Liberal Catholics dispute this verdict, let them submit their case to Rome, and ask for a Decree acknowledging their Orders as valid. In the absence of such a decision they have no right to say that Rome recognizes their Orders.

1350. What Catholic articles of belief are rejected by the Liberal Catholics?

All of them. Whatever Christian ideas the Liberal Catholics may profess to accept, it is certain that they do not accept them as orthodox Christians understand them. Mr. Leadbeater denied the divine inspiration of the Bible, declaring that science has rendered it incredible. But he asserts that there is an underlying element of truth in Christianity which can be understood only by a special gift of clairvoyance. His writings give us an extraordinary mixture of Indian philosophy, modern Theosophy, Spiritualism, and distorted Christian teachings. Liberal Catholics deny the absolute, final, and unique validity of Christianity, and claim to find in it a weird and mysterious significance which all genuine Christians must repudiate.

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