Catholic Apologetics Online

Choose a topic from Vol 1:

God

Man

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The Religion of the Bible

The Christian Faith

A Definite Christian Faith

The Failure of Protestantism

The Truth of Catholicism

The Catholic Church and the Bible

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The Church in Her Moral Teachings

The Church in Her Worship

The Church and Social Welfare

These are the results of your search:

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1588. Would you please tell me what steps I must take in order to join the Catholic Church?

By all means. Call at the nearest Catholic Rectory in your suburb or district, ask to see the Priest, and tell him that you would like to receive instruction in the Catholic Faith. He will arrange for your instruction, and if, after having had the Catholic religion fully explained to…

By all means. Call at the nearest Catholic Rectory in your suburb or district, ask to see the Priest, and tell him that you would like to receive instruction in the Catholic Faith. He will arrange for your instruction, and if, after having had the Catholic religion fully explained to you, you still desire to become a Catholic, he will gladly receive you into the Church.

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1578. Is all this a temporal matter in which the Church does not see fit to interfere?

It is a temporal matter in which spiritual and moral principles must be applied lest justice be violated. God has never forbidden war in all circumstances. In the Old Testament He sanctioned the vindication of justice by defensive and punitive wars. Christ forbade all injustice, but never forbade war. He…

It is a temporal matter in which spiritual and moral principles must be applied lest justice be violated. God has never forbidden war in all circumstances. In the Old Testament He sanctioned the vindication of justice by defensive and punitive wars. Christ forbade all injustice, but never forbade war. He praised the faith of the Centurion who had said, "I have under me soldiers," but added no command to give up a military career. So, too, He used an ordinary fact of experience saying, "What king about to make war against another doth not first think whether with 10,000 he can meet him who hath 20,000?" He takes the fact of wars as an accepted thing, and utters no word of condemnation.

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1576. Why does not the Church denounce absolutely the holocaust being prepared by capitalists for the people?

Because the Catholic Church is eminently sane and Christian. Being sane, she realizes that the armament problem concerns self-defence and protection rather than aggressive tendencies. Being Christian, she grants to nations as well as to individuals the right to be prepared against possible unjust aggression.…

Because the Catholic Church is eminently sane and Christian. Being sane, she realizes that the armament problem concerns self-defence and protection rather than aggressive tendencies. Being Christian, she grants to nations as well as to individuals the right to be prepared against possible unjust aggression.

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1575. Why does the Church maintain a criminal silence concerning the manufacture of munitions in order to have another war?

They are not being manufactured in order to have another war. No one wants another war. But each nation has the right to possess adequate means of defence and self-protection, unless all nations agree simultaneously to disarm themselves. In November, 1932, Cardinal Bourne addressed a special disarmament conference in London,…

They are not being manufactured in order to have another war. No one wants another war. But each nation has the right to possess adequate means of defence and self-protection, unless all nations agree simultaneously to disarm themselves. In November, 1932, Cardinal Bourne addressed a special disarmament conference in London, and said, "It is the manifest duty of Catholics to work and pray for disarmament; and the Holy See has often spoken in this sense." But he added, "This can only be, if the right of defence be safeguarded without such means of self-protection. We must not be led away by mere sentiment; and if we are apprehensive of Juture attack, we must rely on our own military protection, if other protection be not guaranteed."

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1574. Would the Pope approve of war against the Soviet to bring back Russian Catholics to the faith?

No. The Catholic Church does not rely upon force of arms to propagate the Catholic faith or win back deserters.…

No. The Catholic Church does not rely upon force of arms to propagate the Catholic faith or win back deserters.

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1569. Had the Pope imposed peace he would have won millions of converts to the Catholic Church.

I do not think so. People become Catholics because God gives them the grace to see that the Catholic Church is the one true Church of Jesus Christ. This grace is usually the fruit of prayer, not the fruit ol witnessing the Pope stop the nations from fighting. If the…

I do not think so. People become Catholics because God gives them the grace to see that the Catholic Church is the one true Church of Jesus Christ. This grace is usually the fruit of prayer, not the fruit ol witnessing the Pope stop the nations from fighting. If the Pope cannot bring about peace, men say that he cannot be the representative of Christ. But had he succeeded in imposing peace, it is more than likely that men would have called him an interfering politician who should mind his own business.

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1566. Surely the Church should remain strictly neutral, and try to conciliate the wayward nations.

I agree. But the trouble is, what if the nations will not accept any of her efforts at conciliation? If one ambitious and aggressive nation unjustly invades another's territory, and insists on trampling down the people, the invaded nation must either fight for liberty or go out of existence. An…

I agree. But the trouble is, what if the nations will not accept any of her efforts at conciliation? If one ambitious and aggressive nation unjustly invades another's territory, and insists on trampling down the people, the invaded nation must either fight for liberty or go out of existence. An unjustly attacked nation is not obliged to be simply trodden under foot. Its soldiers may lawfully fight back in defence.

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1565. I cannot conceive that the Catholic Church, if it be Christian, wouldsay to the nations, "Well, since you cannot settle your difficulties by arbitration, fight it out in unrestrained butchery."

The Catholic Church would certainly never say that.…

The Catholic Church would certainly never say that.

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1556. Why does not the Church give us a constructive plan?

She is not here for that. Christ did not say to her, "Go, teach all nations the best constructive economic plan." The Church has clearly laid down the moral principles which must be embodied in whatever plan is evolved by men. Temporal well-being is a natural good to be regulated…

She is not here for that. Christ did not say to her, "Go, teach all nations the best constructive economic plan." The Church has clearly laid down the moral principles which must be embodied in whatever plan is evolved by men. Temporal well-being is a natural good to be regulated by men according to the rules of natural prudence. The Church has but to watch lest their plans offend against the moral principles of justice and charity. She says that there is much injustice in the present state of affairs, injustice which must be speedily remedied.

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1555. Is it not the duty of the Church to endorse Douglas Credit, and wield her mighty influence in its favor?

No. It is a purely economic measure within the economic sphere. It may be as wholesome an idea as "Eat more fruit" for the health of the individual. But it is an economic plan. Christ did not establish the Church for the rectification of economic tangles, and she cannot use…

No. It is a purely economic measure within the economic sphere. It may be as wholesome an idea as "Eat more fruit" for the health of the individual. But it is an economic plan. Christ did not establish the Church for the rectification of economic tangles, and she cannot use her God-given authority directly in such matters, behaving as if Christ had said, "Go, teach all nations the Douglas Credit Plan." The Church says that any lawful plan may claim the allegiance of Catholics in the temporal sphere. If a given plan obviously offends against justice and the law of God, the Church warns her children against it. If not, she leaves it a free matter. The Church is not called upon to advocate positively one economic system thought out by men rather than another.

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1549. How do you justify Catholic support of the Labor Party at all, if all that you have said be true?

When a man is confronted with two evils, he is free to choose the lesser in order to escape the greater. But though we choose the lesser evil, we are still bound to regard it as an evil, and to disapprove of it. Apply this to our present case. A…

When a man is confronted with two evils, he is free to choose the lesser in order to escape the greater. But though we choose the lesser evil, we are still bound to regard it as an evil, and to disapprove of it. Apply this to our present case. A Catholic worker finds that, on polling day, he has to choose beiween a socialist Labor candidate and one whose Party he believes to favor oppressive capitalism. If he believes that Labor is the lesser of the two evils, he is free to support the Labor candidate. Nevertheless, in doing so, he must not approve any complete "Socialization Objective." He must not, within the Labor Party, vote for or support so extreme an objective. Since it is an intrinsically wrong measure, he cannot assist in its maintenance or towards its realization. He cannot regard it as something good and desirable in itself. We know that the Pope objects to "State Absolutism" on the one hand, and to excessive "Individualism" on the other. He objects to Fascism as a system because it savors too much of state tyranny. But on the principles I have given, he does not call upon all Catholics to desert it. So I say that Catholics are not bound to withdraw their support from the Labor Party, although they cannot in conscience support within that Party the particular plank known as the "Socialization Objective." That must be modified. Workers can be quite sure of the genuine sympathy of the Catholic Church. If that Church, whilst denouncing the oppressive financial system which is grinding the worker down, warns the worker against the other extreme of socialism, it is not only because of the moral principles involved, but also because the Church sees clearly that only a further increase of human misery can result from it.

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1541. The sufferings of the workers have made me a communist. I believe that we should destroy the Church, and work for universal freedom, brotherhood and peace.

I am afraid you are a communist only whilst other people have what you do not possess. Would you remain a communist if you had the goods and others had not? It is easy to remain a communist when you want others to give you their property; but I know…

I am afraid you are a communist only whilst other people have what you do not possess. Would you remain a communist if you had the goods and others had not? It is easy to remain a communist when you want others to give you their property; but I know few who would remain communists when it is their turn to give away. And you seem to forget the communist objection to the shame of almsgiving when you demand that those who have more should give to those who have less. Or, instead of allowing them to practice charity, would you practice injustice by confiscating the possessions of others? And if you are out for universal freedom, why do you deny the freedom to men to better their positions by ability and diligence? If you want universal brotherhood and peace, why do you distort and ridicule the religion of Christians?

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1539. You offer your brothers, "pie in the sky when you die."

That is a travesty and a caricature. The Catholic Church offers no pie (which would not be worth having) in any sky (which is not heaven). Alas for your knowledge of Christian doctrine! The Church does say that man was not made for this life only, and that he is…

That is a travesty and a caricature. The Catholic Church offers no pie (which would not be worth having) in any sky (which is not heaven). Alas for your knowledge of Christian doctrine! The Church does say that man was not made for this life only, and that he is a fool if he expects to find heaven on earth. He can look for a reasonable amount of comfort in this world, serving God meanwhile, and afterwards he can attain a happiness not to be described in terms of pies and skies.

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1538. The Church worships the rulers as gods, and stands for their authority.

The Church does not worship rulers, but she gives those in lawful authority the respect due to them. St. Peter knew the law of God quite well, and wrote, "Be ye therefore subject for God's sake, whether it be to the king as excelling, or to governors as sent by…

The Church does not worship rulers, but she gives those in lawful authority the respect due to them. St. Peter knew the law of God quite well, and wrote, "Be ye therefore subject for God's sake, whether it be to the king as excelling, or to governors as sent by him. Fear God. Honor the king." I. Peter, 11-13.

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1537. The Church stands four-square for a system which means poverty, unemployment, disease, and death for the worker, and idleness, vanity, comfort, and tyranny for the owners of the means of production—andyou ask me to study Christian doctrin

Since the Catholic Church stands four-square against all the abuses you mention I must reiterate my request. Please do study Christian doctrine.…

Since the Catholic Church stands four-square against all the abuses you mention I must reiterate my request. Please do study Christian doctrine.

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1534. Your Church's solution of this terrible mess is faith!

It is not. Her solution is common-sense, strict justice all round, and Christian charity based upon faith.…

It is not. Her solution is common-sense, strict justice all round, and Christian charity based upon faith.

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1533. The Catholic Church forbids a Catholic to be a communist!

That is true. Communism is opposed to the law of God, is anti-Christian, and violates the fundamental rights of man. Apart from this, it will never remedy existing evils, and can only lead to the greater distress of those whom it pretends it will benefit.…

That is true. Communism is opposed to the law of God, is anti-Christian, and violates the fundamental rights of man. Apart from this, it will never remedy existing evils, and can only lead to the greater distress of those whom it pretends it will benefit.

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1532. You admit the failure of capitalism, yet deny the right to an earnest body of men to confiscate private property and usher in an era of happiness to mankind.

I can see the evils of to-day, but they are not the result- of the God-given right to private property. They are due to the abuse of that right, to the greed of people not satisfied with reasonable comfort, and to certain economic factors men have not been able to…

I can see the evils of to-day, but they are not the result- of the God-given right to private property. They are due to the abuse of that right, to the greed of people not satisfied with reasonable comfort, and to certain economic factors men have not been able to understand or entirely control. Men are forced to study deeply in order to find a solution of the difficulty precisely by the advent of the difficulty. And the] must do so. I have never denied the right of men to try to usher in an era of happiness. The Church merely denies their right to attempt it by unlawful and unjust means.

Topic: "Socialism" in Vol 1.

1527. Then in that case, any form of government, even socialistic, is law* ful as far as the Catholic Church is concerned.

That does not follow. A socialistic form of government may be quite wrong n itself, as violating the essential rights of man.…

That does not follow. A socialistic form of government may be quite wrong n itself, as violating the essential rights of man.

Topic: "Socialism" in Vol 1.

1526. Cardinal Gibbons says that your Church can function under any form of government. Is that correct?

It can function in any state, whatever its form of civil government, provided of :ourse that the government in question at least leaves the Church to itself, and does not persecute or expel it.…

It can function in any state, whatever its form of civil government, provided of :ourse that the government in question at least leaves the Church to itself, and does not persecute or expel it.

Topic: "Socialism" in Vol 1.

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"The hardest thing to find in the world today is an argument. Because so few are thinking, naturally there are found but few to argue. Prejudice there is in abundance and sentiment too, for these things are born of enthusiasms without the pain of labour. Thinking, on the contrary, is a difficult task; it is the hardest work a man can do - that is perhaps why so few indulge in it."
- Mgsr Fulton Sheen in Preface to Vol 3 (1942)

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