OCR Text |
Show KNOTTY QUESTIONS I. N. R. I. Signifies Daily Catholic Paper Who Are Christians Bishop Confirming. 1. A correspondent wishes to know the meaning mean-ing of 1. X. R. .1 These letters signify in Latin Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judbcorum, or in ' English, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. 2. Another wishes to know if it is impossible for us to publish a daily Catholic paper. However desirable we feel such a journal to be we can give only a categorical answer. It is certainly impossible impossi-ble for us to publish a Catholic daily. When we reflect that outside of Ireland there is not in the English language a Catholic daily paper we feel humiliated and we ask ourselves if it is going to be always thus. The Provine of Quebec has several sev-eral in French. Catholics in Germany have a number. Why is it that we have no English Catholic Cath-olic daily either in Canada or the United States It has so far been hard enough for weeklies to get along even with voluntary matter and a cheap pair of scissors. Subscribers were few. And of these a considerable number expected a reduction whilst more forgot their subscription altogether. There is no use concealing the truth. Our young people are not fond enough of serious reading to take an earnest Catholic paper. Many -there are who are exceptions to this editorial challenge. Yet wo cannot can-not help noticing the spirit of levity and indiffer-entism indiffer-entism which has taken too strong a hold of our young folk the sons and daughters of Irish parents par-ents so renowned for the love of faith and pure literature. lit-erature. 3. Some one asks us : "Do you believe that there are any Christians among the Protestants I" Most assuredly we do. They are Christians because be-cause of their good faith. The conditions for being be-ing known to be Christian as given by our Catechism Cate-chism are that a man should be baptized and should profess the doctrine of Christ. Many Protestants are undoubtedly baptized and as far as they know it they profess the teaching of Our Blessed Lord. The hardship for these souls is that they have not the other sacraments, so that for their living in the state of grace they have nothing to depend tipon except their personal devotion rather a broken reed than the strong support and remedy afforded the poor sinner in the sacraments of the church. .4. Some one wishes to know why a bibhop in giving Confirmation extends his hands over the candidates instead of laying his hands upon each one as the Apostles did when they conferred the Holy Ghost upon their converts. The ceremony is to all intents and purposes fulfilled by the extension ex-tension of the bishop's hands; for it is not a mere extension but a simultaneous imposition of the hands upon all the candidates. It would not be practical in large dioceses for bishops to have to impose diands upon each candidate separately. The case is quite different Avith Holy Orders, in which the imposition of hands pertains to the essence of the sacrament. It may be observed that the imposition impo-sition of the hands of the assisting priest does not affect the validity, of the sacrament. What therefore there-fore do they mean who gathering around the Father Fa-ther and oPntiff, and after imposing their hands upon the candidates circle about them with their hands extended whilst the Bishop prays for an abundance of heavenly gifts? It means, says a pious writer, that God accepts the deacons present to be His priests and victims in His church. Catholic Cath-olic Record, Canada. |