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

Secession of Father Chiniquy

1399. Father Chiniquy found the Catholic Church to be false, and left it to become a Protestant.

Father Chiniquy did not voluntarily leave the Catholic Church, but was suspended and degraded for misconduct on many occasions, and excommunicated despite repeated piteous appeals for reinstatement as a priest.

1400. Catholics say that Pastor Chiniquy was expelled from their Church, but Archbishop Buchesi, of Montreal, wrote as follows on Jan. 10th, 1899, to Chiniquy's son-in-law, the Rev J.L. Morrin:
Sir:
I hear that Mr. Chiniquy is very seriously ill, and that he may soon die. Although he separated from us a long time ago, I cannot forget what he always remains in the eyes of the Church; and I consider it a duty of my pastoral charge to write to you that, should he desire to see me, I would feel happy to comply with his wish. Kindly make known to the patient that I have taken this step, and accept the expression of my devoted feelings.
Paul - Archbishop of Montreal

That is one of the noblest letters that has ever come from any man's pen. There have been few priests in history who have proved so unfaithful to their office as Father Chiniquy. He not only failed to live up to his obligations; he also gave great disedification and scandal by his manner of life. After the expulsion from the Catholic Church his conduct brought upon him, he indulged in a bitter campaign of vilification against the Church—so bitter and untruthful that, when he came to die, the normal human reaction would be to let him die in whatever dispositions he might choose. Or the Archbishop might reasonably say, "If he wants the last Sacraments of the Church, and to be reconciled to God, let him ask for a priest. If he sends for a priest, a priest will be put at his disposal." But the Archbishop was a man of great faith. His faith shines out in his letter. No one can doubt his sincere and utter conviction of the priestly dignity indelibly impressed upon the soul of Pastor Chiniquy. No one can doubt his deep appreciation of the intense significance of death, of judgment, of the vital necessity of securing one's salvation. And Archbishop Bruchesi was so much a man of God that he felt it his pastoral duty, not only to leave the 99 and seek out the one sheep in danger of being lost. He sought not only one who had gone astray, but one who had consistently reviled and attacked all that was most dear to him. If ever a man put into practice the command of Christ, "Love your enemies," it was Archbishop Bruchesi. And it was not for anything he personally had to gain, but for Father Chiniquy's own sake. The good Archbishop really dreaded the thought that even a Chiniquy should go to his judgment unrepentant and unforgiven. That is why he wrote such a letter.

1401. You will notice that your Archbishop says, "He separated from us."

In such a letter at such a moment, harsh terms would be quite out of place. And it is true that Father Chiniquy severed his connection with the Catholic Church insofar as he was personally responsible for conduct meriting his excommunication. Chiniquy was a French Canadian who was ordained a priest in 1843. On Sept. 28th, 1851, he was suspended from priestly duties by his bishop for immoral conduct. He left Canada for the United States, and persuaded a bishop there to give him another chance. But that bishop had to expel him on Nov. 20th, 1856. At once Chiniquy wrote to his former Canadian bishop as follows: "My Lord, as my actions have given scandal, and caused many to believe that sooner than obey you I would consent to be separated from the Catholic Church, I hasten to express my regret. To show the world my firm desire to live and die a Catholic, I hasten to write that I submit to your sentence, and I promise never more to exercise the sacred ministry in your diocese without your permission. So I beg your lordship to take off the censures you have pronounced against me, and against those who have communicated with me in things divine. I am your most devoted son in Jesus Christ, Charles Chiniquy, Nov. 25th, 1856. Chiniquy's conduct even when writing this letter was such that no bishop could accept it. And the bishop rightly refused to reinstate him as a priest on active duties. In 1858, he persuaded the Bishop of Chicago to accept him, but almost at once was again expelled. Then, having made himself impossible to every Catholic bishop, he went to a hotel, and after a night of agony and distress over his abandonment by the Catholic Church, he says that the light of heaven dawned upon him, and he saw clearly that the Church of Rome was false, and that salvation was with the Protestants. But they had trouble with him also. In 1862, the Protestant Synod of Chicago expelled him for misappropriation of money he collected on false pretenses in Europe on behalf of a non-existent Protestant charity. The American Presbyterians then accepted him, but before long had to expel him for embezzlement. After that, the Orangemen took him up, and he became a lecturer against Rome on the Protestant platform. Thus he spent the rest of his days till he came to die. It was then that the Archbishop of Montreal most charitably extended to him the offer of forgiveness and reconciliation with his Church in the spirit of Christ's own forgiveness at the last moment of the repentant thief on Calvary. In the light of all this, it cannot be said that Father Chiniquy voluntarily left the Catholic Church; nor does his conduct in any way prove that Church to be erroneous.

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