Full Text for CTM Theological Observer 1-3 (Text)
Qrnurnrbiu
eutfdj,
lefe bie beutfdjen Wiffenfdjaftridjen I!ludjer unb fei beritaut mit ben beutfdjen
tljeologifdjen \l3tolilemen." ~ljnridje~ lonnte ber Q3erliner Uniberfitiit£ll:Jro~
feffor Dr. ffiidjter bon einem Q3efudj in ben !8ereinigten @Staaten bon morb~
amerifa lieridjten: ,,5lBiiljrenb iit ben ~aljten 1924-25 audj in firdjHdjen
unb Wiffenfdjaftlidjen ~teifen ~orbamerif~ nodj eine @Sl:Jannung SDeutfdj~
lanb gegenulier au berfl:Juten war, Iegten in biefem ~aljte bie amerifanifdjen
5tljeoIogiel:Jrofefforen, mit benen ber ffiebner aufammenfam, 5lBerl batauf,
.au betfidjem, bat fie minbefteM elienfo biele beutfdje Q3udjer Iefen aW
englifdje. " 5lBir aweifeln ettva~ baran, oli bie Ie~te ~wfage boII unb gana
.auf 5lBaljrljeit lieruljt. ~mmerljin burfen Wir alier nidjt ben 5lBerl ber
beutfdjen @Sl:Jradje fUr bie stljeologie audj in unfem ~reifen berlennen. Unb
baliei benfen wit bor aIIem an bie tljeologifdje 2iteraiur, bie UM ®ott in
ber eigenen @S~nobe gefdjenft ljat. ~. 5t. IDl.
'!iet' lliin3lidj.e iJUebullanll bet' (ftlanlleHfdjen 5t)nobe tlon ~orb.
ctmerifa. SDie (§bangeIifdje @S~nobe bon morbamerifa ljat im Oftolier borigen
~aljre~ gclegentridj iljrer ®eneraIfonferena in ffiodjefter, m. V., ben ~nitag
aur !8ereinigung mit ber ffieformierlen ~rdje in ben !8ereinigten @Staaten
unb ber ~rdje ber !8ereinigten Q3ruber in ~ljrifto faft einftimmig ange~
nommen. ~n ben lieiben Ie~tgenannten ~iirl:Jetfdjaften war bie !8ereinigung
liereit£l in ftuljeren ~onferenaen geneljmigt worben. @So lilewt je~t nur
nodj bie ~!Wgreidjung minberroidjtiger ~ngeregenljeHen iilirig, um bie !8er~
einigung . ber brei ®emeinfdjaften auftanbe au liringen. SDa£l liebeutet bie
tJiiIIige 20£lfagung ber (§bangelifdjen ~rdje bom 2utljerlum unb ben biiIIigen
ftliergang aum reformierlen @SdjlVatmgeifterium. Q3ci einer foldjen !8er~
feudjung burdj Union~mw unb @Sdjroiirmerei ift e~ nidjt au betIVUnbem,
bat fidj ber IDlobemi£lmw unter ben (§bangeHfdjen immer roeHer berlireitet.
~. 5t. IDl.
ffitidjHdj tlet'bientet' 54)ott iiliet' tine "nene ffieligion". ~n einer
€it.20uifer 1:J0litifdjen 8eitung lieridjtet jemanb, bat fidj in mero Vorl cine
neue ffieHgion£lgefeIIfdjaft unter bem mamen ,,(§rfte ljumaniftifdje ®efeIIfdjaft
bon mew Vorl" geliilbet ljalie. SDie neue ®efeIIfdjaft Wirb niiljer fo liefdjrie~
fJen: ,,@Sie ift up to date. @Sie ljat lii£l je~t 106 ®neber. €i£l gwt fcinen
~ott, feinen ~immeI, feine @Sunbe, feine (§rliifung, fein ®eliet in ber neuen
ffieligion. @Sie ift lieftimmt fUr f oIdje 2eute, ,bie fidj au gar feiner ~rdje
ljarten'. . .. (§£l ift bodj fonberliar, bon ffieligion au reben, oljne ber ,6unbe'
(§rroiiljnung au tun. ~er bie @Siinbe au ignorieren, ift cine ber (§igentum~
lidjfeiten unferer 5tage. P. Dr. @Sljerton, ber an ber @S1:J~e be£l National
Bible Institute fteljt, madjt bie Q3emedung, bat er in 41 mero Vorler \l3re~
bigten nur einmaI ~ 5lBorl ,@Sunbe' gefunben ljalie." - 5lBir glaulien
nidjt, bat e~ in anbem @Stiibien wefentridj anber~ fteljt. SDer Unitari£lmu£l,
ber feine @Sunbe unb fcinen 80m ®otte£l ulier bie @Siinbe im @Sinne ber
~eUigen @Sdjrift fennt unb be£lljaIli audj bie satisfactio Christi vicaria aI£l
unniitig aliroeift unb berfl:Jottet, ift roeitljin bie ljerrfdjenbe ffieligion im 2anbe
geworben. ~udj ift e£l nidjt iilierfIuffig, wenn roir un£l baran erinnem, bat
audj in unferm 3'Icifdje nodj eine 8agljaftigfeit fidj meThet in lieaug auf bie
iiffentIidje unb fonberlidje !8erlunbigung, bat ber @Sunbe @Solb bie eWige
!8erbammni£l ift. SDiefer @Sdjroadjljeit wmmt bie IDlaljnung ~efef. 3, 17-19
au ~Ufe: "SDu IDlenfdjenfinb, idj ljalie bidj Bum 5lBiidjter gefe~t wer b~
222 Theological Observer. - .Ritd)lid)'8eitgefd)id)md)e~.
~au!! ~!!taeI. ~u follft au!! meinem IDlunbe ba!! 5ffioti fjoten unb fie bon
meinetroegen roamen. 5ffienn idj bem ®ottIofen fage: ~u munt be!l ~obe~
fted;en, unb bu roatnej't ifjn nidji unb fagft e!! ifjm nidjt, bamit fidj bet
®ottIofe bot feinem gottIofen 5ffiefen fjilie, auf bal3 et Iebenbig bleroe, fo
roitb bet ®ottIofe um feinet 6unbe Willen fteroen, abet fein ~Iut Will icg
bon beinet ~anb fotbem. 5ffio bu abet ben ®ottlofen roameft unb et lid},
nidjt befefjtet bon feinem gotiIofen 5ffiefen unb 5ffiege, fo roitb et um feiner
6unbe tuilIen ftetben, abet btl fjaft beine 6eele ettettet." 5ffiaItfjet fagt
in feinet ~aftotale, 6.83: ,,60 noUg bie ~nroenbung be!! 5ffiotie!! ®otte!l-
aUt ~eftrafung bet falfdjen 2efjte ift, ebenfo noUg ift bie ~nroenbung be!!-
feThen audj aUt ~eftrafung bet 6 u n ben obet bet el'anotifjotifdje ®eo<
btaudj be!! 5ffiotie!! ®otte!!. .\)ietbon fdjteibt 2utfjet in feinet !Bottebe aUt
~tdjenl'ofUlle bom ~afjte 1543: ,5ffieldjet ~fartfjett obet ~tebiget nidjt
ftrafet bie 6unbe, bet mun mit ftemben 6unben aum ~eufeI fafjten, roenn
et gIeidj feinet eigenen 6unben fjaThen, fo ifjm betgeben finb, ein ~nb bet
6eIigfeit ift. "J 3'. ~.
A Right Verdict from a Strange Source. - The Presbyterian re-
ports a three-cornered debate of more than passing interest, the contending
parties being Humanists, Modernists, and Fundamentalists. Dr. Henry
Sloane Coffin, president of Union Theological Seminary and one of the
protagonists in the camp of Modernism, some time ago expressed the view
that Fundamentalists and Modernists should forget their differences and
join hands in combating Humanism. The Fundamentalists did not take
kindly to the invitation, and the Humanists became incensed, saying some
harsh things about the Modernists, which, however, are true. Writing in
the Ohristian Register, a certain William A. Marzolf, himself evidently
one of the so-called Humanists, makes the statement that, "whatever the
religion of the Modernists may be, it is not the Christian religion." San-
tayana, the famous erstwhile Harvard philosopher and man of letters, is
quoted with approval: "As to Modernism, it is suicide. It is the last of
those concessions to the spirit of the world which half-believers and double-
minded prophets have always been making; but it is a mortal concession.
It concedes everything; for it concedes that everything in Christianity.
as Christians hold it, is an illusion. The Modernists in their hearts are
not Christians, but diametrically opposed to the fundamental faith and
purpose of Christianity." These worldly-minded men have an acute enough
intellect to perceive that, while the Modernists still cling to the shell of
Christianity, they have given up the kernel. A.
Another State Supreme Court Decision against Bible Reading
in Public Schools. - The State in question is South Dakota, where the
respective opinion was handed down on June 27, 1929. The Oommonweal
reports the case which led to the decision as follows: -
"Marvin Finger was a pupil in the public schools of Meade County
during the month of February, 1925, at which time the school board of
Faith School District, the competent authority, directed that the Bible
be read or the Lord's Prayer recited, without sectarian comment, in all
schoolrooms where public school was being conducted. Protest waS made
by certain of the Catholic pupils, and for a short period thereafter they
were excused from attendance. Some disarrangement seems to have fol-
Theological Observer. - .Ritd)1id)~.8eitllefd)id)t1id)e~. 223
lowed this exemption, whereupon the board instructed the superintendent
to see to it that no child missed either Scripture-reading or the opening
exercises in the morning. That order was enforced, and young Finger
was summarily expelled and informed that he would not be taken back
unless he signed a. written apology and promised to 'willingly and cheer-
fully comply' with the school board's regulations. His father sought, by
an action of mandamus, to compel the school board to readmit young
Marvin and thereafter excuse him from attendance a,t what the father
called religious services. The sought-for relief was denied by the Meade
County Court. On appeal the State Supreme Court, by a three-to-two
vote, reversed this decision, in consequence annulling section 7659 of the
State Code, which provided that the Bible might be read, without sectarian
comment, in the State schools."
In supporting this verdict, the members of the Supreme Court who
voted for it pointed out that this country was settled by people who wished
to. escape persecution for their religious beliefs; . that this is manifest from
the guarantees put into the Constitution; that these men were aware
of the dire consequence of State interference with the Church; that the
legitimate function of the public school is to impart secular knowledge;
that the attempt to have the Bible read in the public schools, even when
all comment is to be omitted, leads to difficulties, since our citizens are
not agreed on the version to be employed, etc. - The reader will find this
instructive article in the Oommonweal of November 27, 1929. A.
II . .2lusiaub.
iYiinfun~iUlllt~igjii~rige~ $efte~en ber &emeinbe in ~Ilber~(elien,
edJle~iUig. ~ie ,,~teifh:dje"betidjtet: ,,~ie ®emeinbe in ~aber£lIeben
lonnte am 21. @lonntag nadj :irrinitati£l [1929] iljt filnfunbatoanaigjiiljrige£l
SHtdjtoeiljjubUiium feietn. ~n bem feftridj gefdjmiicHen ~rdjlein toutben
atoei ~eftgotie£lbienfte geljaHen. 2rm mOtmittag prebigte ~riife£l ~etetfen
libet ~f. 103, 1-3 in beutfdjet @lptadje, bann P. :itlj. ~illfomm in biinifdjet
€iptadje iibet 2 llnof. 20, 24. ~anf gegen ®oti filt bie getoiiljrte ®nabe,
ooB et fein ffieidj ljiet auf (§tben baut butdj ba£l ~ort bon bet metgebung
bet @liinben, unb bie !Bitte um feinen ferneten @legen toar bet ®tunbton
in biefem ®otte£lbienft. 2rm !nadjmittag beqammerte fidj bie ®emeinbe nodj
einmal in bem Stitdjlein au einem .IDliffion£lfeftgotie£lbienft.· ~et fing biinifdj
an unb fdjIoB beutfdj. P. ~illfomm aeigte an ~anb bon ~ef. 12, DaB aum
tedjten .IDliffion£ltDed ~teube notig ift unb too man biefe ~teube ljolen
fonne. ~ann rebete ~tiife£l ~eterfen bon bet !nottDenbigfeit bet llninion
unb bem redjten ~nljaH bet llniHion£lbediinbigung. @lein :ire!t toat 2rpoft.
4, 12. ®/ifte roaten gerommen au£l 2o£lning in ~iitranb unb ~Ien£lburg.
Unfere ®emeinbe ljiet in ~aber£lIeben ftem bie !8etbint>ung bat atDifdjen
~eutfdjlanb unb ~iinemarf. ®oti fegne unfere 2rrbeit audj in ~iinemarfl"
~.~.
tJffene SHtdJen. ~et ,,2utlj. ~etolb" beridjtet ljietiibet au£l einem
beutfdjen ~edjfeIblati: ,,~n ben beutfdj.ebangeHfdjen ®emeinben ~oIen£l,
bot af!:em fotoeit fie Iutljetifdje :irtabition ljaben, getoinnt bie !Betoegung filt
bie ()ffenljaHung bet ~rdjen an ben ~odjentagen an !Boben. ~ie SHtdjen.
foUegien bet @It. ~oljanni£l. unb bet €it. llnattljaigemeinbe in 20ba ljaben auf
aaljlteidje !Bitten bon ®emeinbegIiebern befdjIoffen, iljre ~tdjen jeben :irag
224 Theological Observer. - .Ritd}Iid}~.geit\1efd}id}tIid}eg.
bon 7 ~ friilj lii~ 12 Uljr mittag~ geiiffne± au ljarten. ~iigHdj lommen
®emeinbegHeber, bie bie SHrdjeait ftiller ~nbadjt unb aum ®eliet auffudjen.
~e iQeuerung toirb baljer au einer ftiinbigen @iinridjtung toerben." ()ffene
SHrdjen ljalien audj unter ~roteftanten einen groBen fSorteU: fie Iaben an
m!odjentagen bie ®emeinbegIieber aur "ftillen ~nbadjt" unb "geiftIidjen
@SammIung" . SDaB e~ liei ben ~riften ber ljeutigen Seit nidjt meljr ljiiufig
au foIdjen ~nbadjten lommt, faun man liegreifen, toenn man fidj nur ba~
®etoirr unferer aUfgeregten Seit mit feiner ljaftigen fSieIgefdjiiftigfeit ober
audj nur bie ljeutigen m!oljnung~berljiirtniffe, liefonber~ in ben ®roBftiibten,
bergegentoiirtigt. Unb bodj, foIl bie "ftille ~ubadjt" redjter ~rt unb toid~
Hdj bon @Segen fein, fo miiffen ebangeIifdje ~riften bor allem baran benfen,
baB e~ oljne ®otte~ m!od feine redjte ~nbadjt gilit. ®eljen baljer eban~
geHfdje ~riften an m!odjentagen aur "offenen Sfirdje", fo biirfen fie bie~
nidjt tun, toeU fie bielleidjt meinen, baB iljnen ®ott bod niiljer fei aI~ fonfttoo
- bielleidjt gar nadj riimifdj eingeftelIter ~nfdjauung aI~ "eudjariftifdjer
®ott" in ber .\JRonftrana - ober baB iljre ®eliete bort toidung~friiftiger
feien aI~ baljeim ~ audj ba~ ift riimifdje ~nfdjauung - ober baB bie ftille
~nbadjt barin lieftelje, baB manfidj in getoeiljter ®efiiljI~bufeIei ergeljt -
ba~ ift @Sdjtoiirmerei -, foubem fie lommen, toeU fie bod ungeftiirt ein
m!od ®otte~ Iefen ober ein ®eliet, ba~ auf ®otte~ m!ort liafied, fl:'redjen
fiinnen. Sfura, bie redjte ~nbadjt Ielit unb toelit allein in ®otte~ m!od, toie
audj un~ ebangeIifdjen ~ljriften bie ~rebigt be~ m!orte~ ®otte~ bie Sfirdjen
redjt toeiljt uub ljeUigt. ~udj in unfem amerifantfdjen SHrdjen forbem unfere
l:'roteftantifdjen ~riften bie ,,()ffenljaItung ber SHrdjen an ben m!odjen~
tagen"; feIlift in Iutljerifdjen Sheifen feljH nidjt ba~ fSerIangen banadj.
"SDie 2idjter lirennen, bie ()rgel fl:'iert, alle~ ift fo feierHdj." @Sorgen toir
baljer, baB bie "ftille ~nbadjt" nidjt aur gefiiljI~fengen @Sdjtoiirmerei toirb I .
~. ~ . .\JR.
A New Roman Catholic Translation of the Bible. - The Gommon-
weal (Roman Catholic) informs its readers in two articles, which ap-
peared in consecutive numbers, that a new Catholic version of the Scrip-
tures is in the making and that the New Testament part of it has almost
been completed. Several New Testament books of this translation have
been issued in advance to acquaint the public with the venture. The work
is to be called the "Westminster Version of the Scriptures." As the name
indicates, the headquarters of this enterprise is located in England. In
writing about this version in the two articles mentioned, Father Keating.
of London, one of the staff of translators, tells us something about its
history and its nature and incidentally gives expression to some views
which produce a definite reaction in the Protestant reader. The version
which hitherto has served as the standard Catholic version of the Scrip-
tures for English readers, begun in Reims in 1578 and printed in Douay
in 1609-10, is declared to be overliteral and no longer adequate. (As a
curiosity I may point to the translation of the Fourth Petition of the
Lord's Prayer: "Give us to-day our supersubstantial bread," which re-
minds us that the Douay version is merely a rendering, and at that not
a very intelligible one, of the Vulgate.) About the middle of the last
century John Henry Newman, known as a master of English, had been
entrusted by Cardinal Wiseman with the task of producing an accurate
rendering of the Latin Vulgate into English, and he had engaged in this
Theological Observer. - RttdJlidJ'.8eitllefdJidJmdJe~. 225
work, having selected a group of coworkers, when the news came that
Bishop (later Archbishop) Kenrick in America was working at a revision
of the Reims, or Douay, version, whereupon Newman dropped the under-
taking. The Kenrick version appeared, but did not prove popular. The
present attempt started as a private enterprise, but in 1913 received the
endorsement of the English hierarchy. Father Keating is at considerable
pains to make his readers believe that the Roman Catholic Church has
always favored Bible-reading. "It was only," says he, "when at the Refor-
mation an appeal was made to the Scriptures as the sole rule of faith and
when, by the spread of unauthorized vernacular translations, Christians
were invited to judge for themselves what they should believe, that the
Church made strict regulations concerning the use of the Bible by the
faithful, forbidding the issue of translations not approved by herself and
[not] provided with adequate interpretative notes." What, we ask in
amazement, has become of the learned father's knowledge of history! Has
he forgotten about, or never heard of, the letter of Pope Gregory VII
written in 1080, addressed to the king of Bohemia, in which the "Hofy
Father" vehemently opposed giving the Bible to the people in the ver-
nacular! or the decree of 1229, issued by Pope Gregory IX and the Council
of Toulouse, prohibiting the laity to possess the books of the Old and the
New Testament, permitting the common people to own merely the Psalter,
the Breviary, and the Horae, but by no means in the popular speech!
A long list of similar decrees might here be brought to his attention.
His remark on the respective canon of the Council of Trent is interesting:
"The Tridentine legislation, which restricted the reading of the Scriptures
in the vernacular to those of the faithful whom ecclesiastic authorities
judge likely to profit by it, has long become obsolete, and Pope after Pope
in recent days has urged upon Catholics the advisability of studying the
Bible, so as both to gain a fuller knowledge of their faith and to find fresh
stimulus therein for their devotion." Here the dogma of papal infallibility
evidently is punctured. Of course, even to-day the Popes do not dare to
give the Scriptures to the people without "adequate interpretative notes."
- The Westminster translation is not based on the Vulgate, but on the
original text. "We thus," says Father Keating, "get nearer to the minds
of the original writers than if we sought to reach them through St. Jerome's
intellect, powerful and well equipped as it was." This is an important
admission. Can Father Keating in the face of it defend his adherence to
the decree of the Council of Trent, which invests the Vulgate with higher
authority than the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures! A.
~ie rilmifdie ~fo"ngnnb4 in ~lnnb. ~af3 mom i~t fein 2lugenmetf
auf hie fogenannten ilanhinatJifdjen .2iinbet tidjtet, ift befannt. 2ludj ~~lanb
roitb ie~t roiebet al~ IDliffion~felb ~gebeutet. 60 melbete eine ~epefdje
au~ mel)fjabif, ~~lanb, gegen (fnbe be~ botigen ~aljte~ nadj einet IDlitieilung
im ,,~b .• .2utlj. ®emeinbeblaH": ,,~adjbem bot 379 ~aljten, im ~aljte 1550,
~lanb fUt bie tilmifdje Sfitdje betlOtengegangen roar, ba in biefem ~aljte
biinifdje 9tefotmet ben mifdjof ~~lanb~, ~oljann 2ltafon, tilteten, ift ~~lanb
Illiebet eine tomifdje ~tobina mit einem mifdjof, ~et aum mifdjof bon
~~lanb geltJeiljte ~tieftet ljei13t IDlarlin IDliiUenbetg. mei feinet m3eilje
betlM et ein piipftlidje~ ~hift, rootin ~iu~ bie m3iebetbef~ung ~~lan~
mit einem mifcI}of unb hiefe~ al~ eine ~tObina untet einem mifdjof etUiitt.
15
226 Theological Observer. - Rird)Iid)~.8eit(lefd)id)tIid)eg.
But: fellien 8dt lVutbe eine ~affjebtare, aus 8ement gebaut, eingelVeifjt.
$Die @:inlVeifjung bet ~atfjebtare lVutbe bon einem ~atbinar bolIaogen, bem
brei mif djofe unb fieben \l3tieftet affiftieden. $Det \l3apft fjatte ein ~tuaifib
gefanbt, bon einem fpanifdjen StiinfHet aus 8ebetnfjora gefdjnitt, unb bide
anbete @efdjenfe famen aus allen illierttidjtungen an." illiie bas mraft
lVeitet betidjtet, reben aUf ZSsranb ungefiifjt 67 Sfatfjorifen, 192 lRefotmiede
unb etlVa 99,227 Eutfjetanet. ~.~ . .\ln.
Something Wrong with LourdesI' - The Catholic theologian and
church historian Professor Franz Xaver v. Funk, of Tuebingen, spoke before
his class of "the Lourdes swindle," and Dr. E. Aigner, of MuniCh, who re-
ported this in 1916, also called attention to the fact that not a single
miraculous cure recognized as such by French bishops has received the
papal approbation. But we are at present not concerned with this phase
of the matter. In fact, we know that, if a papal commission thoroughly
investigated the matter, it would find that supernatural cures are effected
at Lourdes. 2 Thess. 2, 9 tells how.
Our present intention is to point out that, if the Catholic Common-
weal of November 6, 1929, is right, the Lourdes business is being woefully
mismanaged. The article on "Lourdes" there says: "An open truck goes
down the street, pushing people up against the fronts of the shops of
religious souvenirs. Laid across it, side by side, are stretchers. It is too
hot to have many blankets. You see a body without legs; you see legs
swollen the size of the body; you see the strange immobility of the heads,
eyes staring wide, eyes closed, in an all-important and absorbing intimacy
with pain. At the corner the truck breaks through a long procession of
wheeled stretchers brought down from the hospitals by volunteer stretcher-
bearers. . .. In Lourdes to-day there are a thousand incurable cases.
There are ten thousand pilgrims. . .. This ceremony, then, consists in
prayer, immersion in water presumed to have miraculous cUrative virtue,
and the bleSSing of all the pilgrims by Him whom Catholics consider the
Master of all existence. It is obvious that the only element open to dis-
cussion and which always has greatly been discussed, is the human ele-
ment: How does the pilgrim pray, and for what precisely does he pray? ...
The fact, to which enough importance cannot be given, is that the suppli-
cations are a set form, and that form the only one authorized for use at
Lourdes. Apart from this form and hymns the only other prayer employed
at Lourdes is the universal rite of the Catholic Church. What is this
form? The answer to this question is the explanation of Lourdes. The
supplications are in seven sections. They number forty-six. The majority
of them are acts of belief, love, and confidence in God. Sixteen of them
are addressed to the Mother of God and implore her prayers. Six of them,
and only six, are prayers for a bodily cure. All six are taken directly
from the New Testament. All six, spoken by the able-bodied pilgrim, apply
to the cure of the soul. . .. There are only six direct appeals for the
saving of the body. It is divine and human pity that bring the suffering
body to Lourdes. And the Church asks six times that this, perhaps the
most innocent and temporary form of suffering, be averted. But the
deadlier and-· eternal misery of the soul is its great preoccupation always,
and the prayers at Lourdes.are first of all concerned with that misery .... "
This point is stressed, too, in the editorial comment on the article : "Yet
Theological Observer. - Ritd)nd):.seitgefd)id)tnd)e~. 227
the authorized form of prayers at Lourdes includes only a small proportion
for bodily cure, and these, too, apply equally to cure of the soul." So,
then, the miraculous healings of Lourdes must be, according to the intent
of the Church, only a minor consideration. But then there is something
wrong with the Lourdes management. What Catholics tell us about
Lourdes creates the impression that the bodily cures are the chief attraction
of Lourdes. They certainly make much of it at Lourdes. .An exact record
of the cures is kept. The names of the diseases, the time of the healing,
the number of the cures, are carefully recorded, with proofs and testi-
monials added. The reports of the episcopal commission are published.
Excursions, that is, pilgrimages, are arranged on a grand scale. There is
free transportation for the sick. The preacher beside the grotto has much
to say on the grace and power of the Holy Virgin and the signs and miracles
here performed. The reporter for the Oommonweal may have missed it,
but other reporters are impressed with the frequency and fervor of the
cry chanted by the priests and repeated by the multitude: "Lord, heal
our sick!" Perhaps the frequent repetition of this part of the liturgy is
unauthorized. The healing water is bottled and exported to aU points of
the globe in great quantities. The apostolic vicar Fenouille in Yun Nan
reported that a few drops of the water sprinkled on the Christian congre-
gation kept the plague away. It is not customary for the Catholic Church
to keep the cures effected at its shrines in the background. A Catholic
priest, for instance, told his home paper in 1893: "Pilgrimages to the
Shrine of S14 Anne de Beaupre, 15 miles down the St. Lawrence River from
Quebec, are growing in consequence. There were 16 of us from . . ., the
number including. . .. Two unquestionable relics of the saint are at the
shrine, they being small bones, and the efficacy of their veneration and of
prayer to God has been established beyond cavil. At the shrine are two
pyramids of' crutches, left there by those whose ills were taken away by
God through the intercession of the saint. I was a witness to a number
of cures of a. remarkable character and believe that God is doing a. won-
derful work at the shrine." It was not reported what the priest said in
his pulpit.
And what has been going on last year in Malden? The report says:
"Malden, Mass., November 24. - Freezing temperature and a leaden sky,
together with a. biting wind, to-day failed to daunt the unending line of
woe-stricken pilgrims seeking relief in the reputed miraculous quality of
the grave of Rev. Patrick J. Power in Holy Cross Cemetery here. It was
the last day of the pilgrimages. A ban which will close the cemetery to
the afflicted until the Church has had opportunity to investigate the mani-
fold stories of miraculous cures was to become effective at midnight. Last
Sunday it was estimated that 200,000 persons had attended." A second
Lourdes in the making! (It may be that, Cardinal b'Connell, of Boston,
does not want Malden to become a second Lourdes. Conditions in Lourdes
are not what they should be. See Lehre u. Wehre, 43, 54. But it may also
be that, if the result of the investigation should prove favorable, the pil-
grimages will be resumed. .And the investigation will without doubt show
that remarkable cures have been effected. Dr. Charles Mayo,' of Rochester,
Minn., is reported to have diagnosed the Mald.!m affair thus: "There will
always be a,pparent cures of this type, because many persons with un-
228 Theological Observer. - Ritd)lid);8ettgefd)id)tltd)e~.
controlled emotions only think they are sick." But if he were put on the
episcopal commission, he might find an occasional case tha.t baffies his
dia.gnosis, tha.t can be dia.gnosed only in the light of 2 Thess. 2, 9. And
these remukable ca.ses would make of Ma.lden a second Lourdes.)
Wha.t ha.s been going on, then, in Ma.lden and a.t the shrine of St. Anne
de Bea.upre and in Lourdes and a. thousand other places shows tha.t in
the Catholic mind the bodily cures play a. most prominent rille. But the
Oommonweal contends that the Church is not thus minded. Then there is
something wrong with Lourdes, a.nd it should be closed. Ca.nnot the Pope
be preva.iled upon to pronounce the ban em cathedra'
In discussing the Lourdes problem, the Oommonweal discloses a. point
which is the rea.l "explanation of Lourdes." "Sixteen of the supplica.tions
a.re a.ddressed to the Mother of God and implore her prayers. Six of
them, and only six, are prayers for a bodily cure." That presents the
situa.tion exa.ctly. The bodily cures a.re not the chief consideration after all.
In the mind of the Ca.tholic Church the worship of Mary is the chief
considera.tion. The bodily CUres are important only in their relation to
this worship. "Are they not," sa.ys Fa.ther Gra.tian v. Linden, "a. sea.l
impressed by the Almighty upon our a.doration of, and love for, the Mother
of God? Are they not in a wa.y the pea.rls a.nd dia.monds placed in the
crown tha.t crowned her who sa.id: 'I a.m the Imma.cula.te Conception'?"
And that is wha.t is wrong with Lourdes. And for that rea.son the Pope
ha.s refused to close Lourdes. E.
:tlie gt$lllnte ~n'gIlTfeier in edilUeben. ~a~ ,,@:b. ~eutfdjlanb" be-
ridjtet: ,,~ie proteftantifdje Sfirdje in @5djroeben gebenft b~ eIfljunbert-
jtiljrige ~ubiliium ber ~nfunft ~~ar~, be~ ,~pofteI~ be~ ~orbe~', Un
niidjften ~aljre [1930] feierIidj au begeljen. ~f ber ~feI lBirfa im Wliilar-
fee foIl eine neue Sfirdje erridjtet roerben; biele anbere ~eftItdjfeiten finb
geplant. ~ie riimifdj-fatljoIifdje Sfirdje, bie in @5djroeben auf meljr a~ fedj~
Wltrrionen @:inrooljner nur brei- bi~ biertaufenb WlttgIieber aiiljIt, ljat nun
fdjon in biefem ~aljre [1929] im ~guft eine eigene riimifdj-latljoIifdje
~~garfeier angeorbnet, au ber .\}unberte riimifdj-fatljoIifdjer @lQfte a~
~eutfdjlanb unb anbern Qiinbern eingelaben rourben. !8ieIe SfirdjenfUrften,
unter iljnen bie Sfarbiniile ~auIl)aber (Wliindjen) unb .\}Ionb (\l3"oIen) nalj-
men tell. ~iefe~ ungeljeure ~ufgebot ljat in ber fdjtriebifdjen ~reffe eine
unerroartete ~irfung geljabt. ~n feItener @:inmiitigfelt roenben fidj bie
fonferbatiben, lilieralen unb foaialbemofratifdjen 8eitungen bagegen, ban
ber fatljoIifdjen SMrdje burdj @lefe~e~iinberung iljre ~ropaganba in @5djroeben
erIeidjtert tuirb. ~a~ fonferbatibe ,@5be~fa ~agblabet' meint, ban eine
@:rIaubni~, riimifdj-fatljoIifdje SfIiifter au bauen, bebeuten roiirbe, ,ber grunb-
f~lidjen ZSntoIerana unb ber !8erIeugnung bon aIlem, roa~ 9leIigio~freiljeit
ljeint, bie ~iir au iiffnen'. ~iefe ~inljeit~front ber iiffentIidjen Wleinung
aetgt, baB ba~ gefonberte !8orgeljen ber SfatljoIifen in ber ~~garfeier, bie
eine ~ngelegenljeit be~ ganaen djriftIidjen fdjroebifdjen !8oIle~ ift, f eljr ber-
ftimmt ljat." ~iefe ,,!8erftimmung" ift eigentIidj nidjt fo beredjtigt, roie e~
anfang~ fdjeinen mag; benn erft redjt dj ri ftI i dj ift b~ fdjtuebifdje !8oIl
geroorben, aI~ e~ aur 8eit ber 9leformation ba~ purIautere @:bangeIium
erljieIt. ~n~gar fUljrte b~ fdjtuebifdje !8oIl bem ~apft au, unb bon iljrem
@5tanbpunft ~ ljaben hie 9liimifdjen gana redjt, roenn fie bie ~~garfeier
fUr fidj beanfprudjen. ~. ~. iJl.
metmtfd)te~ unb aeitllefd)td)tltd)e 91otiaen. 229
tReligiijfe Union in i~rer )8oUenbung. 5l3on ber ,,~adjridjtenabteilung
be~ m!eltfomHee~ ber