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Second Million.
Ube
Explanatory Catechism of
GbHstfan Doctrine
CHIEFLY INTENDED FOR THE USS OF
Children in Catholic Schools
WITH AN APPENDIX
All rithtt rtitrvti.
LONDON:
BURNS, OATES & WASHBOURNE, LTD.
aS Orchard St. W.i. 8-10 Paternoster Row E.C.4.
And at Manchester, Birmingham & Glasgow.
�"Ribil ©bstat:
GUL. CAN. 8UT0LIFFB,
imprimatur •
FRANOISCUS CARDINALIS BOURNE,
Archiepiscopus, Westmonasterieh,
Die 23 Novembris, 1921.
SUMMARY
or the
CATECHISM OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE.
1. As to Man.
I. Faith...-
2. TheBeukt
to
F
The
Our Father.
II. Hcpe...-
III. Charity {
The
Hail Mart.
The COMMAND
MENTS
F
IV. The
Sacraments
The Seven
Great Means
of Grace,
CORRESPOND
ING TO
His first beginning.
His last end.
in God the Father;
in Jesus Christ;
in the Holy Ghost;
in the Holy Catholio
Church.
V
{ The seven Blessings
1. To be hoped for and
2. To be prayed for.
{ Assistance of the Blessed
Virgin and of the
Angels and Saints.
1. of God;
2. of the Church.
'1. ths birth,
2. the growth,
3. the nourishment,
4. the medicino, and
- 5. the journey of the
soul ;
6. the Christian Triest.
hood, and
,7. the Christian Family.
fl.
\ 2.
'1.
2.
- 3.
4.
(«) The Virtues and contrary Vices, (ft) The Christian’s Rule of
Life, (e) The Christian’s Daily Kxerciso.
�WXA3 NATI0Nal SECULAR society
€be
Bjplanatotp Gatecbfem of
Christian doctrine
FAITH.
CHAPTER I.
1. Q. Who made you 1 A. God made me.
2. Q. Why did God make you ? A. God made me to
know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this world, and
to be happy with Him for ever in the next.
To know God. By hearing instructions, reading good books,
knowing what He is, and what He has done for us.
To love and eerve God. By keeping His Commandments, and
doing all we can to please Him.
3. Q. To whose image and likeness did God make
you 7 A. God made me to His own image and
likeness.
Image. That which exactly represents anything.
Likeness. That which resembles a thing, as a picture or a
portrait.
4. Q. Is this likeness to God in your body, or in
your soul 7 A. This likeness to God is chiefly in my '
soul.
5. Q. How is your soul like to God 7 A. My soul is
like to God because it is a spirit, and is immortal.
Spirit. An immaterial living being, having free-will and
understanding, as God, the Angels, our souls. We cannot
touch or see a spirit.
Immortal. Not mortal, can never die. The soul has a twoA
�A
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
fold life—(1) natural, which it receives at its creation, and
never loses; (2) supernatural, or the grace of God, received
in Baptism, lost by mortal sin, but regained by a worthy
reception of the Sacrament of Penance, or by an act of
perfect coutriiion.
6. Q. What do you mean when you say that your
soul is immortal? A. When I 6ay that my soul is
immortal, I mean that my soul can never die.
7. Q. Of which must you take most care, of your
body or of your soul ? A. I must take most care of
my soul: for Christ has 6aid, ‘ What doth it profit a
man if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of
his own soul ? ’ (Matt. xvi. 26.)
Profit. That which is for a person’s good.
Suffer the loss, Ac. To lose one's soul and go to helL
8. Q. What must you do to save your soul ? A. To
save my soul I must worship God by Faith, Hope, and
Charity; that is, I must believe in Him, I must hope
in Him, and I must love Him with my whole heart.
Worship. To adore, as in the case of Almighty God; to
honour or respect, as in the case of the Angels, or of the
Saints.
Faith. To believe: to have trust or confidence in what a
person says. There are two kinds of faith—(1) divine
faith, which is relying on the word of God; (2) human
faith, which is relying on the testimony of man.
CHAPTER II.
9. Q. What is fhith? A. Faith is a supernatural
gift of God, which enables us to believe without
doubting whatever God has revealed.
Without doubting, Ac. We must believe firmly all that God
has made known to us. Firmness and entirety are the
two qualities of faith. The denial of an article of faith
by one who has professed the Christian religion is called
heresy; to renounce or turn away from our religion is
called apostasy; denying the existence of God is called
infidelity.
10. Q. Why must you believe whatever God has
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
3
revealed? A. I must believe whatever God has revealed
because God is the very truth, and can neither deceive
nor be deceived.
The very truth. God is truth itself; He is all truth.
Deceive. To cause a person to go wrong, or to try to make
him believe that which is not true.
11. Q. How are you to know what God has revealed ?
A. I am to know what God has revealed by the testi
mony. teaching, and authority of the Catholic Church.
Testimony. To bear proof or witness to anything. The
Church tells us what she has been taught by our Lord.
Authority. The power or right to do a thing.
12. Q. Who gave the Catholic Church divine autho
rity to teach? A. Jesus Christ gave the Catholic
Church divine authority to teach, when He said, ‘Go
ye and teach all nations.’ (Matt, xxviii. 19.)
THE APOSTLES’ CREED.
13. Q. What are the chief things which God has re
vealed? A. The chief things which God has revealed
are contained in the Apostles’ Creed.
Contained. To be found or hold in it.
Creed. A form of belief. There are five forms of the Creed
—(1) the Apostles’, supposed to have been composed by the
Apostles before they separated to preach the Gospel
throughout the world ; (2) the Jficene, composed at the
Council of Nice; (8) the Athanasian ; (4) the Creed of Pops
Pius IV., which was drawn up immediately after the
Council of Trent, and (5) the anti-modernist Creed of Pope
Pius X. The Creed teaches us oxxr faith, or what we must
believe in order to be saved.
14. Q. Say the Apostles’ Creed. A. I believe in God,
the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth ;—
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord;—who was
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary;
—suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead,
and buried;—He descended into hell; the third day
He rose again from the dead;—He ascended into
feesven ; sitteth at the right hand of God the Father
�4
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
Almighty
from thence He shall come to judge the
living and the dead.—I believe in the Holy Ghostthe
Holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints;—the
forgiveness of sins;—the resurrection of the body; and
life everlasting. Amen.
Amen. ‘ 3o be it,’ or ‘ May it be »o.’ This word at the eDd
of prayer expresses a wish that what we have been praying
*
for may be granted.
15. Q. How ia the Apostles’ Creed divided 1 A. The
*
Apostles Creed is divided into twelve parts or articles.
Articles. 8mall parts or divisions, short clauses. The articles
of the Creed may be divided into three parts—(1) the first
article, which treats especially of God the Father and the
work of Creation; (2) from the second to the seventh in.
elusive, is which particular mention is made of God the
Son and the work of Redemption; (3) from the eighth to
the twelfth, which treat of God the Holy Ghost and the
work of Sanctification.
FIRST ARTICLE OF THE CREED.
16. Q. What is the first article of the Creed ? A. The
first article of the Creed is ‘I believe in God, the Father
Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.’
Almighty. Being able to do all things ; all-powerful.
Creator. One who produces or makes something out of
nothing.
17. Q. What is God ? A. God is the supreme Spirit,
who alone exists of Himself, and is infinite in all per
fections.
Supreme. Greatest, highest, above all others. There can be
only one who is supreme, and that one is God.
Rxists gf Himself. He depends on no one for His life or
being. God is the origin of all life.
Infinite. Without end or limit in any way.
Perfections. Good qualities or attributes. God alone is per
fect in all things. Some of God’s perfections are—His
omnipotence, or being able to do all things; His omniscience.
or knowing all things; His omnipresence, or being in all
places ; His eternity, or having neither a beginning nor an
end ; His goodness, His me ret/, His justice, <fcc
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
5
18. Q. Why is God called Almighty? A. God js
called * Almighty ’ because He can do all thingB : ‘ With
God all things are possible.’ (Matt. xix. 26.)
Possible. That which one is able to do.
19. Q. Why is God called Creator of heaven and
earth ? A. God is called ‘ Creator of heaven and earth ’
because He made heaven and earth, and all things,
out of nothing, by His word.
Sis word. God had only to command, and what Ho wished
was done.
20. Q. Had God any beginning? A. God had no
beginning; He always was, He is, and He always
will be.
21. Q. Where is God? A. God is everywhere.
22. Q. Does God know and see all things ? A. God
knows and sees all things, even our most secret
thoughts.
Secret. Hidden, concealed.
23. Q. Has God any body ? A. God has no body :
He is a Spirit.
24. Q. Is there only one God ? A. There is only one
God.
25. Q. Are there three Persons in God? A. There
are three Persons in God : God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
26. Q. Are these three Persons three Goda? A.
These three Persons are not three Gods: the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost are all one and the same God.
27. Q. What is the mystery of the three Persona in
one God called ? A. The mystery of the three Persons
in one God is called the mystery of the Blessed Trinity.
Mystery. The five chief mysteries of our faith are—the
Unity and Trinity of God, who will render t<> every man
according to his works; the Incarnation, Death, and
Resurrection of our Lord. Besides these there are many
other great mysteries, as the Creation, and the Holy
Eucharist. We are bound to believe all the mysteries of
our faith, because God commands us to do so.
Mystery of the Blessed Trinity. Three Persons in one God,
equal to one another in every respect.
�6
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
28. Q. What do you mean by a mystery ? A. By a
mystery I mean a truth which is above reason, but
revealed by God.
29. Q. Is there any likeness to the Blessed Trinity in
your soul? A. There is this likeness to the Blessed
Trinity in my soul, that as in ono God there are three
Persons, so in my one soul there are three powers.
30. Q. Which are the three powers of your soul ? A.
The three powers of my soul are my memory, my
understanding, and my will.
Memory. That power which helps us to retain or keep what
we have learnt.
Understanding. That power of the soul by which it grasps
the meaning of things.
Will. The power by which we determine our choice, or by
which we act.
THE SECOND ARTICLE.
31. Q. What is the second article of the Creed ? A.
The second article of the Creed is ‘And in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord.’
And in Jesus Christ. The words ‘ I believe ’ are understood
here after the word ‘ and.’
Our Lord. Jesus is our Lord—(1) because He has redeemed
usjby His Precious Blood ; (2) because He preserves us from
sin by tlio Sacraments; and forgives us our sins, and will
judge us at the end of our life.
32. Q. Who is Jesus Christ 1 A. Jesus Christis God
the Son, made man for us.
33. Q. Ia Jesus Christ truly God ? A. Jesus Christ
is truly God.
Is truly God. Jesus Christ is really God, and proved that He
was so by His miracles, by what took place at Hie Baptism,
and at His Transfiguration; by His Resurrection from the
dead, and His Ascension into heaven.
34. Q. Why is Jesus Christ truly God? A. Jesus
Christ is truly God because He has one and the same
nature with God the Father.
8S, Q. Was Jscus Christ always Gcd? A. Jesus
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
?
Christ was always God, born of the Father from all
eternity.
36. Q. Which Person of the Blessed Trinity is Jesus
Christ?
Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the
Blessed Trinity.
37. Q. Is Jesus Christ truly man? X Jesus Christ
is truly man.
It truly man. Jesus Christ is really man, because fie has »
human nature like ours, consisting of a body and a souL
Our Lord proved that Ho had a body by suffering the pains
of the body, such as hunger, thirst, weariness, and death.
He had a totif, for we learn that the sufferings of His
passion and death began with His soul: ‘ My soul is
sorrowful oven unto death.’ (Matt. xxvi. 88.)
. 88. Q. Why is Jesus Christ truly man? A. Jesus
Christ is truly man because He has the nature of man,
having a body and soul like ours,
39. Q. Was Jesus Christ always man? A. Jesus
Christ was not always man : He has been man only
from the time of His Incarnation.
Tims of His Incarnation. Our Lord took unto Himself our
human nature when His Blessed Mother said to the Angel
Gabriel, * Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done
unto mo according to thy word.’ Thia occurred at the
Annunciation, March 25th.
—
40. Q. What do you mean by the Incarnation ? A.
I mean by the Incarnation that God the Son took to
Himself the nature of man: 'the Word was made
Flesh.’ (John i. 14.)
41. Q. How many natures are there in Jesus Christ ?
A. There are two natures in Jesus Christ, the nature
of God, and the nature of man.
There are two, Ac. The union of the divine with the human
nature, in the person of God the 8on, is called the
‘Hypostatic Union.’ .
42. Q. Is there only one Person in Jesus Christ ? A.
There is only one Person in Jesus Christ, which is the
Person of God the Son.
43. Q. Why was God the Son made man? A. God
�8
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
the Son was made man to redeem us from sin and hell,
and to teach us the way to heaven.
Redeem. To buy back, to save.
Hell. The place, or state of eternal punishment, set apart
for the wicked, after death.
44. Q. What does the holy name Jesus mean? A.
The holy name Jesus means Saviour. (Matt. i. 21.)
Saviour. Ona who saves others from evil.
45. (?. What doos the name Christ mean? A. The
name Christ means Anointed.
Christ. The Anointed, the Messiah. Our Lord is called
‘Christ’ because He is a king, a priest, and a prophet;
the person chosen for either of these offices being always
anointed. Jesus is King of Heaven : He offers Himself
in sacrifice in the Mass, and is therefore a Priest: He
prophesied when on earth, and taught the law of God.
interpreted His will, and consequently is a Prophet.
46. Q. Where is Jesus Christ? A. As God, Jesus
Christ is everywhere. As God made man, He is in
heaven, and in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.
THE THIRD ARTICLE.
47. Q. What is the third article of the Creed ? A.
The third article of the Creed is * Who was conceived
by thfplloly Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.’
Conceived by the Holy Ghost. Our Lord was made man by
the power of the Holy Ghost. He had no earthlv father.
St. Joseph was His Foster-Father.
The Virgin Mary. The Mother of our Lord, who by the
power of God remained a virgin all her life. She was
descended from King David.
48. Q. What does the third article mean? A. The
third article means that God the Son took a Body and
Soul like ours, in the womb of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
49. Q. Had Jesus Christ any Father on earth ? A.
Jesus Christ had no lather on earth : St. Joseph was
only his Guardian or Foster-Father.
Guardian. One who takes care of another.
Poster-father. One who takes the place of its father 1b
bringing up a child.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
q
60. Q. Where was our Saviour born? A. Our
Saviour was born in a stable at Bethlehem.
Bethlehem. The City of David, about six miles from Jeru
salem. Our Lord was born here on ths 25th of December,
as the prophet Micheas had foretold.
61. Q. On what day was our Saviour born?
Our Saviour was born on Christmas Day.
A.
THE FOURTH ARTICLE.
62. Q. What is the fourth article of the Creed?
A. The fourth article of the Creed is ‘Suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.’
Pontius Pilate. The Roman Governor who ruled over Judea,
the southern part of Palestine.
Crucify. To put to death by fastening the body by the hands
and feet to a cross.
53. Q. What were the chief Bufferings of ChriBt?
A. The chief sufferings of Christ were—first, His agony
and His sweat of blood in the Garden ; secondly, His
being scourged at the pillar, and crowned with thorns ;
and thirdly, His carrying His cross, His crucifixion,
and His death between two thieves.
Chief sufferings. The greatest or principal sufferings. There
were many others besides these.
. Scourging. Whipping with great severity. Our Lord was
scourged in Pilate s ball. Here He was also crowned with
thorns.
Carrying His cross. Our Lord carried his cross from Pilate’s
hall to the summit of Calvary. The ‘ Stations of the Cross ’
is a devotion in honour of this journey.
54. Q. What are the chief sufferings of our Lord
called ? A. The chief sufferings of our Lord are called
the Passion of Jesus Christ.
55. Q. Why did our Saviour suffer ? A. Our Saviour
suffered to atone for our sins, and to purchase for us
eternal life.
56. Q. Why is Jesus Christ called our Redeemer?
A. Jesus Christ is called our Redeemer because His
Precious Blood is the price by which we were ransomed.
Ransomed.
Redeemed or bought back, and eo tnad» fr»a
�IO
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
57. Q. On what day did our Saviour die ? A. Ous
Saviour died on Good Friday.
Good Friday. So called because on that day we were saved
from sin and hell, and therefore a great good was done
for us.
58. Q. Where did our Saviour die? A. Our Saviour
died on Mount Calvary.
Mount Calvary. This is a hill Just outside Jerusalem, and
was used as a place of execution for criminals. Here
St. Helen, the mother of Constantine the Great, erected
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was she who dis
covered the true cross, after it had remained hidden for a
long time.
59. Q. Why do we make the sign of the cross? A.
We make the sign of the cross—;first, to put us in
mind of the Blessed Trinity; and secondly, to remind
us that God the Son died for us on the cross.
Sign of the cross. We make this sign—(1) to show that we
are Christians, or followers of Christ; (2) to ask God's help
in all that we do ; (3) to arm ourselves against temptation.
The cross is the sign of our Redemption.
60. Q. In making the sign of the cross how are we
reminded of the Blessed Trinity? A. In making the
sign of the cross we are reminded of the Blessed
Trinity by the words, ‘ In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’
In the name. This is to signify our belief in the Unity of God.
Of the Father, &c. By using these three names we express
our faith in the Trinity of God.
61. Q. In making the sign of the cross how are we
reminded that Christ died for us on the cross ? A. In
making the sign of the cross we are reminded that
Christ died for us on the cross by the very form of the
cross which we make upon ourselves.
THE FIFTH ARTICLE.
62. Q. What is the fifth article of the Creed? A.
The fifth article of the Creed is * He descended into
hell; the third day He rose again from the dead.’
Descend. To go down.
Sell. Here It means * Limbo,' where the souls of the Just were
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
II
detained. The word 'hell' is now always used for the
place where the devils and lost souls are punished.
63. Q. What do you moan by ths words, ‘He de
scended into hell’? A. By the words ‘He descended
into hell,’ I mean that, as soon as Christ was dead
His blessed Soul went down into that part of hell
called Liinbo.
64. Q. What do you mean by Limbo ? A. By Limbo
I mean a place of rest, where the souls of the just who
died before Christ were detained.
The just. The souls of those who died in a state of grace.
Detained. Held back, kept Bhut in, not being able to leave.
63. Q. Why were the souls of the just detained in
Limbo? A. The souls of the just were (retained in
Limbo because they could not go up to the Kingdom
of Heaven till Christ had opened it for them.
66. Q. What do you mean by the words, ‘ The third
day He rose again from the dead ? A. By the words,
*
‘The third day He rose again from the dead,’ I mean
that, after Christ had been dead and buried part of
three days, He raised His blessed Body to life again
on the third day.
He raised His blessed Body, &c. By His own divine power our
lord raised His Body from death to life, thus proving that
lie was God, and that He had gained the victory over sin
and death. Our Lord kept His five sacred wounds—(1) that
they might be proofs of Bis Resurrection; (2) that He
might present them to His heavenly Father as everlasting
memorials of His Passion ; (8) that we might meditate on
them as the sources of grace and the refuge of sinners.
67. Q. On what day did Christ rise again from the
dead ? A. Christ rose again from the dead on Easter
Sunday.
Softer Sunday. On this day Christians commemorate their
deliverance from the slavery of sin and the devil through
the Resurrection of their Saviour. The Resurrection of
Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith and our hope.
This festival is therefore celebrated with great pomp and
ceremony.
�Ia
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
THE SIXTH ARTICLE.
68. Q. What is the sixth article of the Creed? A.
The sixth article of the Creed is ‘He ascended into
heaven ; sitteth at the right hand of God the Father
Almighty.’
Ascend. To go up. As God, our Lord had always been in
heaven ; but as man, He was there only from the time of
His Ascension.
At the right hand, Ac. This means that Jesus is equal to the
Father as God, and next to Him as man.
69. Q. What do yon mean by the words, * He as
cended into heaven ’ ? A. By the words, ‘He ascended
into heaven,’ I mean that our Saviour went up Body
and Soul into heaven on Ascension Day, forty days
after His Resurrection.
On Ascension Day. Our Lord went to heaven—(1) to receive
His reward as man ; (J) to be our advocate ; (3) to prepare
a p'ace for us ; (4) to send the Holy GhoBt.
70. Q. What do you mean by the words, ‘Sitteth
at the right hand of God the Father Almighty ’ ? A.
By the words, ‘ Sitteth at the right hand of God the
Father Almighty,’ I do not mean that God the Father
has hands, for He is a spirit; but I mean that Christ,
as God, is equal to the Father; and, as man, is in the
highest place in heaven.
*
THE SEVENTH ARTICLE.
71. Q, What is the seventh article of the Creed?
A. The seventh article of the Creed is, ‘From thence
He shall come to judge the living and the dead.’
From thence, Ac. Our Lord will come from heaven to judge
and pass sentence on all mankind.
72. Q. When will Christ come again? A. Christ
will come again from heaven at the last day, to judge
all mankind.
The last day. The end of the world, when the following signs
will warn us that it is at hand -(1) the Gospel will be
preached throughout the whole world (Halt. xxtv. 14);
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
13
(2) great numben will forsake the faith; (8) the coming
of Klias, Henoch, and Antichrist. (2 Thes. ii.)
73. Q. What are the things Christ will judge 7
A. Christ will judge our thoughts, words, works, and
omissions.
74. Q. What will ChriBt say to the uicked? A.
Christ will say to the wicked, ‘ Depart from Me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, which was prepared for
the devil and his angels.’ (Matt. xxv. 41.)
75. Q. What will Christ say to the just? A. Christ
will say to the just, ‘ Come, ye blessed of My Father ;
possess ye the kingdom prepared tor vou,' (Jfott.
xxv. 34.)
76. Q. Will every one be judged at ueath, as well
as at the last day? A. Every one will be judged at
death as well as at the last day : * It is appointed unto
men once to die ; and after this, the judgment,’ (Heb,
lx 27.)
Judged at death, <L-e. Every one must undergo two Judg
ments—(1) the particular at the hour of death, when the
soul is Judged alone; (2) the general at tbs last day, when
the body and soul will be again united. This will be held
in the valley of Josaphat.
THE EIGHTH ARTICLE.
77. Q. What is the eighth article of the Creed?
A. The eighth article of the Creed is * believe in the
1
Holy Ghost.’
holy Ghost. Holy Spirit. The Holy Ghost is God like the
Father and the Son, and is a distinct Person in liimselL
He proceeds from the Father and Son, and is equal to them
in every roapect. He is often called the ‘Love of God,' the
‘Paraclete’ or Comforter, and the ‘Dove.’ lie appeared
in the form of a dove at our Lord s Baptism, and in the
form of tongues of fire on the day of PentecoBt.
78. Q. Who is the Holy Ghost? A. The Holy Ghost
Is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity.
79. Q. From whom doth the Holy GhoBt proceed?
A. The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the
Son.
�14
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
80. Q. Io the Holy Ghost equal to the Father and
to the Son? A. The Holy Ghost is equal to the
Father and to the Son, for He is the same Lord and
God as they are.
81. Q. When did the Holy Ghost come down on the
Apostles? A. The Iloly Ghost came down on the
Apostles on Whit-Sunday, in the form of ‘parted
tongues, as it were, of fire.’ (Acts ii. 3.)
.
Whit-Sunday. Thia is also called ‘ Pentecost.' which means
fiftieth, because it is the fiftieth day after Easter.
89. Q. Why did the Holy Ghost come down on the
Apostles? A. The Holy Ghost came down on the
Apostles to confirm their faith, to sanctify them, and
to enable them to found the Church.
Confirm. To make firm or to strengthen.
Sa rurf (fy. To make holy and pleasing to God.
Enable. To help, to assist, to make able.
THE NINTH ARTICLE.
83. <?. What is the ninth article of the Creed?
A. The ninth article of the Creed is ‘The Holy
Catholic Church ; the Communion of Saints.’
Church. The whole body of Catholic Christians. It is
divided into three parts—(1) the Church triumphant, com
posed of the Saints in heaven; (2) the Church Buffering,
composed of the holy souls in Purgatory; (3) the Church
militant, composed of the faithful on earth.
84. Q. What is the Catholic Church? A. The
Catholic Church is the union of all the faithful under
one head.
Union. The being Joined together.
" Ths faithful. All those who have been baptized and who
profess the true faith. The whole body of Catholics.
85. Q. Who is the Head of the Catholic Church?
A. The Head of the Catholic Church is Jesus Christ
our Lord.
86. (J. Has the Church a visible Head on earth?
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
45
A. The Church has a visible Head on earth—the Bishop
of Rome, who is the Vicar of Christ.
PwiWe. That which we can gee. Our Lord la the Invisible
Bead of the Church. Invisible means that which we cannot
»•«.
Bitlop. An overseer, one who has charge of a diocese; a
successor of the Apostles.
Borne. The residence of the Popes, and the chief city of
Italy. St. Peter was the first Bishop of Rome.
Vicar. One who performs the office or duty of another; one
who supplies the place of another.
87. Q. Why is the Bishop of Rome the Head of the
Church? A. The Bishop of Rome is the Head of 'i-o
Church because he is the Successor of St. Peter, whom
Christ appointed to be the Head of the Church.
Successor. One who comes after or takes the place of another,
and is equal to him in power and authority.
Appointed. Chosen or picked out, placed over.
88. Q. How do you know that Christ appointed St.
Peter to be the Head of the Church ? A. I know that
Christ appointed St. Peter to be the Head of the Church,
because Christ Baid to him : ‘ Thou art Peter, and upon
this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it. And to thee I will give
the keys of the kingdom of heaven.’ {Matt. xvi. 18,19.)
Peter. A rock. Our Lord added Peter to Simon’s name.
Oates of hell. The chiefs of the fallen angels.
Prevail. To overcome or to conquer, to defeat.
The keys, ice. The power given to the Apostles and their
successors to forgive Bins, and to rule the Church.
89. Q. What is the Bishop of Rome called ? A. The
Bishop of Rome is called the Pope, which word signi
fies Father.
Pope. Father. The Pope has charge of our souls, and is
therefore our spiritual Father.
90. Q. Is the Pope the spiritual Father of all
Christians ? A. The Pope is the spiritual Father of all
Christians.
91. Q. Is the Pope the Shepherd and Teacher of all
Christians ? A. The Pope is the Shepherd and Teacher
�r6
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
of all Christians, because Christ made St, Peter the
Shepherd of the whole flock when lie said, ‘ Feed My
lambs, feed My sheep.’ He also prayed that his * faith ’
might never fail, and commanded him to ‘confirm ’ his
brethren. (John xxi. 15-17 ; Luke xxii. 32.)
92. Q. Is the Pope infallible ? A. The Popo is in
fallible.
93. Q. What do you mean when you say that the
Pope is infallible? A. When I say that the Pope is
Infallible, I mean that the Pope cannot err when, as
Shepherd and Teacher of all Christians, he defines a
doctrine concerning faith or morals, to be held by the
whole Church.
The Pope is infallible. The doctrine of the Infallibility was
solemnly defined at the Vatican Council in 1870.
94. Q. Has the Church of Christ any marks by which
we may know her? A. The Church of Christ has four
marks by which we may know her : she is One—she is
Holy—she is Catholic—she is Apostolic.
Marks. The signs or notes which distinguish the true Church
from all others.
95. Q. How is the Church One ? A. The Church is
One because all her members agree in one Faith, have
all the same Sacrifice and Sacraments, and are all
united under one Head.
Because all her members, dec. The Church is One in faith, in
worship, and in government. The members of the Church
are those who belong to it, or form a part of it.
96. Q. How is the Church Holy? A. The Church is
Holy because sbe teaches a holy doctrine, offers to all
the means of holiness, and is distinguished by the emi
nent holiness of so many thousands of her children.
Because she teaches, &a. The Church 1b Holy in her doctrine,
in her means of holiness, and in the effects of her teaching
upon her children, which has made so many of them Saints.
Those means which help us to become holy are the Sacra
ments, prayer, Holy Mass, good example, hearing instruc
tions, reading good books, &c.
Distinguished. Marked out in a special manner.
Eminent. Rising above others, very remarkable.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
17
97. Q. What does the word Catholic mean ? A, The
word Catholic means Universal.
Universal. Extending over the whole world or universe.
98. Q. How is the Church Catholic or Universal?
A. The Church is Catholic or Universal because she
subsists in all ages, teaches all nations, and is the one
Ark of Salvation for all.
Because she subsists, Ac. The Church is Universal in time, in
place, and in doctrine.
99. Q. How is the Church Apostolic? A. The
Church is Apostolic because she holds the doctrines
and traditions of the Apostles, and because, through
the unbroken succession of her Pastors, she derives
her Orders and her Mission from them.
Apostolic. Coming down from the time of the Apostles.
Because she holds, Ac. The ^Church is Apostolic in her doc
trine, or teaching; in her orders, or priesthood; and it her
mission, or that which she has been sent to do.
Pastors. The bishops and priests of the Church, who are the
shepherds of the fold of Christ.
Unbroken. To go on without break or interruption.
100. Q. Can the Church err in what she teaches ?
A. The Church cannot err in what she teaches as to
faith or morals, for she is our infallible guide in both.
To err. To make a mistake.
Faith. What we must believe. The Apostles’ Creed teaches
us the chief articles of our faith.
Morals. What we must do. The Commandments teach us
morals.
1 nfallibleauide. One who cannot deceive or lead in a wrong
way. The Pope, when speaking to the Church ex cathedrd,
as the successor of St. Peter, cannot err in faith or in morals.
101. Q. How do you know that the Church cannot,
err in what she teaches? A. I know that the Church
cannot err in what she teaches, because Christ pro
mised that the gates of hell shall never prevail against
His Church; that the Holy Ghost shall teach her all
things ; and that He Himself will be with her all days
B
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
even to the consummation of the world. {Matt. xvi.
18; John xiv. 16-26 ; Matt, xxviii. 20.)
102. Q. What do you mean by the Communion of
Saints ? A. By the Communion of Saints I mean that
all the members of the Church, in heaven, on earth,
and in purgatory, are in communion with each other,
as being one body in Jesus Christ.
Communion. To make common, to share, to join or unite
together.
103. Q. How are the faithful on earth in com
munion with each other? A. The faithful on earth
are in communion with each other by professing the
same faith, obeying the same authority, and assisting
each other with their prayers and good works,
104. Q. How are we in communion with the Saints
in heaven? A. We are in communion with the Saints
in heaven by honouring them as the glorified members
of the Church ; and also by our praying to them, and
by their praying for us.
105. Q. How are we in communion with the souls in
purgatory? A. We are in communion with the sou’s
in purgatory by helping them with our prayers and
good works; ‘It is a holy and wholesome thought to
pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.’
(2 Macch. xii. 46.)
Purgatory. A place for cleansing or purifying.
106. Q. What is purgatory? A. Purgatory is a
place where souls suffer for a time after death on
account of their sins.
107. Q. What souls go to purgatory? A. Those
souls go to purgatory that depart this life in venial
sin, or that have not fully paid the debt of temporal
punishment due to those sins of which the guilt has
been forgiven.
Debt. That which one owes to another.
Temporal. Lasting only for a time.
108. Q. What is temporal punishment? A. Tern
*
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
19
poral punishment is punishment which will have an
end, either in this world or in the world to come.
109. Q. How do you prove that there is a purgatory ?
A. I prove that there is a purgatory from the constant
teaching of the Church; and from the doctrine of
Holy Scripture, which declares that God will render
to every man according to his works; that nothing
defiled shall enter heaven; and that some will be
Baved, ‘yet so as by fire.’ {Matt. xvi. 27; Apoo. xxi.
27 ; 1 Cor. iii. 15.)
Scripture. A writing; the books of the Bible, the written
word of God.
Render. To pay back, to give.
Defiled. Corrupted or stained, polluted, made dirty.
THE TENTH ABTIOLE.
110. Q. What is the tenth article of the Creed ? A.
The tenth article of the Creed is ‘ The forgiveness of sins. ’
111. Q. What do you mean by ’ The forgiveness of
sins’? A. By ‘The forgiveness of sins’ I mean that
Christ has left the power of forgiving sins to the pastors
of His Church. {John xx. 23.)
112. Q. By what means are sins forgiven ? A. Sins
are forgiven principally by the Sacraments of Baptism
and Penance.
Principally, dee. Because sin is forgiven by worthily receiv.
ing other Sacraments, as the Holy Eucharist and Extreme
Unction.
113. Q. What is sin? A. Sin is an offence against
God, by any thought, word, deed, or omission, against
the law of God.
An offence. Something which displeases, either by doing a
wrong, or neglecting to do good when we ought. We may
offend God by thinking of what is bad, and desiring it, as
in the case of the fallen angels; or by saying what is bad,
as in the case of cursing, swearing, using bad language,
telling lies: or by doing what is bad, as in the case of Cain
killing his brother Abel; or by omission, which is neglect
ing to perform our duty, aa in the case of missing Mass on
Sunday.
�20
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
114. Q. How many kinds of sin are there ? A. There
are two hands of sin, original sin and actual sin.
115. Q. What is original sin? A. Original sin is
that guilt and stain of sin which we inherit from Adam,
who was the origin and head of all mankind.
Inherit. To receive or possess, as from an ancestor.
116. Q. What was the sin committed by Adam ? A.
The sin committed by Adam was the sin of disobedience
when he ate the forbidden fruit.
117. Q. Have all mankind contracted the guilt and
stain of original sin? A. All mankind have contracted
the guilt and stain of original sin, except the Blessed
Virgin, who, through the merits of her divine Son, was
conceived without the least guilt or stain of original
sin.
Conceived., dec. Not having tne slightest stain of sin on the
soul from the first moment of her existence.
118. Q. What is this privilege of the Blessed Virgin
called? A. This privilege of the Blessed Virgin is
called the Immaculate Conception.
Privilege. A particular favour or benefit.
119. Q. What is actual sin ? A. Actual sin is every
sin which we ourselves commit.
120. Q. How is actual sin divided ? A. Actual sin
is divided into mortal sin and venial sin.
Mortal sin. That sin which causes the death of the soul.
Three conditions are necessary in order to make a mortal
sin—(1) the matter must be grave; (2) the person who
commits it must have a clear knowledge of the guiltof the
action ; (3) there must be full consent of the will.
Venial sin. That sin which does not contain the conditions
necessary to make a mortal sin. Nonumber of venial sins
will destroy God s grace in the soul or make a mortal sin.
121. Q. What is mortal sin? A. Mortal sin is &
grievous offence against God.
A grievous offence. A serious or great offence,
122. Q. Why is it called mortal sin ? A. It is called
mortal sin because it kills the son! and deserves hell.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
21
123. Q. How does mortal sin kill the soul? A.
Mortal sin kills the soul by depriving it of sanctifying
grace, which is the supernatural life of the soul.
Depriving. Taking away from one that which he possesses.
Supernatural. Above nature.
124. Q. Is it a great evil to fall into mortal sin?
A. It is the greatest of all evils to fall into mortal sin.
125. Q. Where will they go who die in mortal sin ?
A. They who die in mortal sin will go to hell for all
eternity.
126. Q. What is venial sin? A. Venial sin is an
offence which does not kill the soul, yet displeases
God, and often leads to mortal sin.
127. Q. Why is it called venial sin ? A. It is called
venial sin because it is more easily pardoned than
mortal sin.
THE ELEVENTH ARTICLE.
128. Q. What is the eleventh article of the Creed?
A. The eleventh article of the Creed is ‘ The resurrec
tion of the body.’
Resurrection. The act of rising again. The bodies of the
just will be immortal and have the four gifts of—impassi
bility, which will prevent them suffering; agility, which
will enable them to pass as swift as thought from one end
of creation to the other; brightness, which will make them
shine like stars for all eternity ; and subtility, which will
enable them to overcome all obstacles.
129. Q. What do you mean by ‘ The resurrection of
the body’? A. By ‘The resurrection of the body ’ I
mean that we shall all rise again with the same bodies
at the day of judgment.
THE TWELFTH ARTICLE.
130. Q- What is the twelfth article of the Creed ?
A. The twelfth article of the Creed is ‘Life everlasting.'
Everlasting.
That which has a beginning, but no end.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
' 13L Q. What does 'Life everlasting mean? A.
*
* Life everlasting * means that the good shall live for
ever in the glory and happiness of heaven.
132. Q. What is the glory and happiness of heaven ?
A. The glory and happiness of heaven is to see, love
and enjoy God for ever.
To ses, <kc. This Is called the * Beatific Vision.'
133. Q. What does the Scripture say of the happi
ness of heaven? A. The Scripture says of the happi
ness of heaven * That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what
things God hath prepared for them that love Him.
*
(1 Car. ii. 9.)
134. Q. Shall not the wicked also live for ever?
A. The wicked also shall live and be punished for
ever in the file of helL
HOPE.
CHAPTER III.
135. Q. Will Faith alone save us ? A. Faith alone
will not save us without good works; we must also
have Hope and Charity.
Good works. To keep the Commandments; to go to the
Sacraments; to attend at instructions and sermons; to
read good books; prayer, fasting, and alms-deeds. In
order to be saved it is necessary to perform good works:
'For even as the body without the spirit is dead, so also
faith withont works is dead.’ (James U. 26.)
186. Q. What is Hope ? A. Hope is a supernatural
gift of God, by which we firmly trust that God will
give us eternal life and all the means necessary to
obtain it, if we do what He requires of us.
Hope. To expect or desire anything. The sins against the
virtue of Hope are—(1) despair, or a want of confidence in
God, or distrusting God's goodness and His promises to us:
Caln and Judas were guilty of this sin ; (2) presumption,
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
23
which is a foolish expectation that God will give us salva
tion even if we do not make use of the proper means to
obtain it.
187. Q. Why must we hope in God? A. We must
hope in God because He is infinitely good, infinitely
powerful, and faithful to His promises.
138. Q. Can we do any good work of ourselves to
wards our salvation ? A. We can do no good work of
ourselves towards our salvation; we need the help of
God’s grace, r
Of ourselves. By our own power, without the help of any one.
Orace. A gift, a favour. The principal kinds or grace are—
(1) sanctifying or habitual grace, which is the state of the
soul possessed by the Holy Ghost, and which makes it holy
2? 1
actual yraccy or the action of the
Holy Ghost upon the soul, by which God enlightens our
understanding, and inclines our will to avoid evil and to do
what is good ; (3) Sacramental grace, which is the special
ion dlstlnguishinggrace conferred by each Sacrament.
139. Q. What is grace ? A, Grace is a supernatural
gift of God, freely bestowed upon us for our sanctifica
tion and salvation.
Freely bestowed. Given to us by the free will of God.
Sanctification. Making us holy and pleasing to God.
^oiration. Saving our souls and gaining heaven.
140. Q. How must wa obtain God’s grace ? A. We
must obtain God’s grace chiefly by prayer and the
holy Sacraments.
Prayer, Asking, beseeching. The two chief kinds of prayer
are—(1) mental, or praying with the mind alone; (2) vocal,
or praying with the voice as well as the mind.
PRAYEB.
141. Q. What is prayer? A. Prayer is the raising
up of the mind and heart to God.
142. Q. How do we raise up our mind and heart to
God? A. We raise up our mind and heart to God by
thinking of God ; by adoring, praising, and thanking
Him; and by begging of Him all blessings for soul and
body
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
'
143. Q. Do those pray well who, at their prayers,
think neither of God nor of what they say ? A. Those
who, at their prayers, think neither of God nor of what
they say, do not pray well; but they offend God, if
their distractions are wilful.
Distraction. A wandering of the mind, idle thoughts.
Wilful, That which is consented to.
144. Q. Which is the best of all prayers? A. The
best of all prayers is the * Our Father,’ or the Lord’s
Prayer.
TAs .Lord's Prayer. This prayer was made by our Lord in
answer to the petition of the Apostles, * lord, teach us how
to pray.’ It was on the occasion of His preaching the
■ ■ ‘ Sermon on the Mount.' The prayer is divided into seven
parts, the first three of which relate particularly to God,
the others to ourselves and to our neighbours.
145. Q. Who made the Lord’s Prayer? A. Jesus
Christ Himself made the Lord’s Prayer.
146. Q. Say the Lord's Prayer. A. Our Father who
art in heaven, hallowed bo Thy name; Thy kingdom
come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven ;
give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us j
and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from
evil Amen.
‘Our Father who art in heaven. These words form, as it
were, the introduction to the petitions which follow.
147. Q. In the Lord’s Prayer who is called 'Our
Father ’ ? A. In the Lord’s Prayer God is called ' Our
Father.’
143. Q. Why is God called 'Our Father ’ ? A. God
is called * Our Father ’ because He is the Father of all
Christians, whom He has made His children by Holy
Baptism.
149. Q. Is God also the Father of all mankind?
A. God is also the Father of all mankind, because He
made them all, and loves and preserves them all.
Preserves. Keeps from harm, takes cars of us.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
*
2
150. Q. Why do we say ‘ Our ’ Father, and not ‘ My'
Father? A. We say ‘Our’ Father, and not ‘My’
Father, because, being all brethren, we are to pray not
for ourselves only, but also for all others.
151. Q. When we say ‘Hallowed be Thy name,
*
what do we pray for ? A. When we say, ‘ Hallowed
be Thy name,’ we pray that God may be known, loved,
and served by all His creatures.
Hallmeed. Made or kept holy; praised, honoured, reverenced.
152. Q. When we say ‘ Thy kingdom come,’ what do
we pray for? A. When we say, * Thy kingdom come,’
we pray that God may come and reign in the hearts
of all by His grace in this world, and bring us all
hereafter to His heavenly kingdom.
Heigv. To have complete power over us, to rule.
153. Q. When we Bay, ‘ Thy will be done on earth as
it is in heaven,’ what do we pray for? A. When we
say, ‘ Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,’ we
pray that God may enable us, by His grace, to do His
will in all things, as the Blessed do in heaven.
154. Q. When we Bay, ‘ Give us this day our daily
bread,’ what do we pray for ? A. When we say, ‘ Give
us this day our daily bread,’ we pray that God may give
us daily all that is necessary for soul and body.
AU that is necessary. Whatever we stand in need of—the
grace of God and the Holy Communion for our souls;
and food and clothing, <fcc., for our bodies.
155. Q. When we say, ‘Forgive us our trespasses, as
we forgive them that trespass against us, what do we
*
pray for? A. When we say,‘Forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive them that trespass against us,’ we pray
that God may forgive us our sins, as we forgive others
the injuries they do to us.
Trespasses. Injuries, offences, doing what Is wrong.
156. Q. When we say,‘Lead us notinto temptation,’
what do we pray for ? A. When we say, ‘ Lead uc not
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
into temptation,’ we pray that God may give us grace
not to yield to temptation.
Yield. To give way, to be overcome.
Temptation. Anything that may entice or provoke us to sin.
157. Q. When we say, ‘Deliver us from evil,’ what
do we pray for? A. When we say, ‘Deliver us from
evil,’ we pray that God may free us from all evil, both
of soul and body.
Deliver. To liberate or set tree.
158. Q. Should we ask the Angels and Saints to
pray for us ? A. We should ask the Angels and Saints
to pray for us because they are our friends and brethren,
and because their prayers have great power with God.
Saints, The souls of those who died in a state of grace, and
are now with God in heaven. The word ‘ saint * means
a holy person.
Angels. Those pure spirits first created by God, and who
have remained faithful. They have free-will, reason, and
understanding; but no bodies. The holy Angels are
divided into nine orders or choirs—Seraphim, Cherubim,
and Thrones; Dominations, Principalities, and Powers;
Virtues, Arcliangels, and Angels. The word ‘angel
means a messenger.
Brethren. Those belonging to the same family or society.
159. Q. How can we show that the Angels and
Saints know what passes on earth ? A. We can show
that the Angels and Saints know what passes on
earth from the words of Christ: * There shall be joy
before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance.’
(Luke xv. 10.)
Doing penance.
for sin.
Being sorry and trying to make satisfaction
160. Q. What is the chief prayer to the Blessed
Virgin which the Church uses? A. The chief prayer
to the Blessed Virgin which the Church uses is the
Hail Mary.
The Hail Mary. This prayer is divided into three parts—
(1) the words used by the Angel Gabriel at the time of the
A nnnn elation : ‘ Hail, full of grace, tbs T.ord is with tbea.'
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
5?
(Lu&e I. 28); (2) the words used by 8t. Kiizabetu at the
time of the Visitation: ‘ Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb’ {Luke i. 42); (3)
the wordB added by the Church at the Council of Ephesus:
* Holy Mary,' Ac. The term * Hall' is the same as ‘ Ave * or
'Salve,' and means 'Be well,'' Health to thee,’ or * salute
1
thee.’
16L Q. Say the Hail Mary. A. Hail, Mary, full of
grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst
women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now,
and at the hour of our death. Amen.
162. Q. Who made the first part of the Hail Mary ?
A. The Angel Gabriel and St. Elizabeth, inspired by
the Holy Ghost, made the first part of the Hail Mary.
163. Q. Who made the second part of the Hail
Mary? A. The Church of God, guided by the Holy
Ghost, made the second part of the Hail Mary.
Guided. Directed, led, being shown the way.
164. Q. Why should we frequently say the Hall
Mary ? A. We should frequently say the Hail Mary to
put us in mind of the Incarnation of the Son of God;
and to honour our Blessed Lady, the Mother of God.
165. Q. Have we another reason for often saying
the Hail Mary ? A. We have another reason for often
saying the Hail Mary,—to ask our Blessed Lady to
pray for us sinners at all times, but especially at the
hour of our death.
166. Q. Why does the Catholic Church show great
devotion to the Blessed Virgin? A. The Catholic
Church shows great devotion to the Blessed Virgin
because she is the Immaculate Mother of God.
Devotion.
Honour, love, reverence, sjrc&t
Immaculate. Free from the stain of original sin. By the
'Immaculate Conception' we mean that the Blessed Virgin,
from the first moment of her existence, was, by a special
privilege of God, preserved from original sin. The doctrine
of the Immaculate Conception of our Lady waa defined as
an article of faith by Pope Pius IX. in 1854. We keep ths
�aS
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
festival on the 8th December, the dav of our Lady's Conception. The dogma was defined on this day.
167. Q. How is the Blessed Virgin Mother of God!
A. The Blessed Virgin is Mother of God because Jesus
Christ her Son, who was born of her as man, is not
only man, but is also truly God.
168. Q, Is the Blessed Virgin our Mother also? A.
The Blessed Virgin is our Mother also because, being
the brethren of Jesus, we are the children of Mary.
CHARITY.
CHAPTER IV.
THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
16®. Q. What is charity? A. Charity is a super
natural gift of God by which we love God above all
things, and our neighbour as ourselves for God’s sake.
170. Q. Why must we love God? A. We must
love God because He is infinitely good in Himself and
infinitely good to us.
171. Q. How do we show that we love God? A.
We show that we love God by keeping His Command
ments ; for Christ says, ' If you love Me, keep My
commandments.’ {John xiv. i5.)
172. Q. How many Commandments are there ? A.
There are ten Commandments.
173. Q. Say the ten Commandments. A. I am the
Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of
aD<i out of the house of bondage.
1. Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me.
Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven thing, nor
the likeness or anything that is in heaven above, or in
the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
29
waters under the earth. Thon shalt not adore them
nor serve them.
2. Thon shalt not take the name of the Lord thy
God in vain.
3. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
4. Honour thy father and thy mother.
5. Thou shalt not kill.
6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
7. Thou shalt not steal.
8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbour.
9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s goods.
Ten Commandments. They are sometimes called the ‘ Deca
logue,’ which means ten words or precepts. They were
written on two stone tables: the first three, relating par
ticularly to God, being on one ; and the remaining seven,
which relate immediately to our neighbours and ourselveB,
being on the other. These Commandments are of them
selves always binding under pain of sin. They teach us
our Morals, or what we must do to be saved. They can
never be altered.
Egypt. A country in the north-east of Africa, where the
Jews were treated as Blaves until delivered by Moses.
Bondage. Captivity, slavery, deprived of liberty.
174. Q. Who gave the ten Commandments 7 A.
God gave the ten Commandments to Moses in the Old
Law, and Christ confirmed them in the New.
I.
175. Q. What is the first Commandment 7 A. The
first Commandment is, ‘ I am the Lord thy God, who
brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and out of
the house of bondage. Thou shalt not have strange
gods before Me. Thou shalt not make to thyself any
graven thing, nor the likeness of anything that is it
heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those
things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou
shalt not adore them nor serve them.'
�30
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
Strange gods. False gods or idols.
Graven. Carved or cut out, as an image.
/
/
176. Q. What are we commanded to do by the firA
Commandment? A. By the first Commandment ye
are commanded to worship the one, true, and livihgGod, by Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion.
'
AeZ gion. As long as we live we must exercise the virtue of
Religion,’ which consists in giving to God the honbur
and service due to Him.
177. Q. What are the sins against Faith ? A. The
sins against Faith are all false religions, wilful doubt,
disbelief, or denial of any article of Faith, and also
culpable ignorance of the doctrines of the Church.
Culpable. Blamable, through one’s own fault.
False religions. Those religions which do not teach the truth.
Disbelief. Not believing. There are three kinds of disbelief
or infidelity—(1) Paganism, or the state of those who
are altogether without faith, such as atheists, who deny
the existence of God ; idolaters, who worship false gods';
deists, who believe in the existence of God, but deny His
goodness and reject all revelation ; and Mahometans, or
the disciples of Mahomet. (2) Judaism, or the religious
system of the Jews. (3) Heresy, or the denial of one or
more articles of faith by one who h»« been baptized and
has professed the Christian religion.
178. Q. How do we expose ourselves to the danger
of losing our Faith ? A. We expose ourselveB to the
danger of losing our Faith by neglecting our spiritual
duties, reading bad books, going to non-Catholic
schools, and taking part in the services or prayers
of a false religion.
179. Q. What are the sins against Hope ? A. The
sins against Hope are despair and presumption.
180. Q. What are the chief sins against Religion? A.
The chief sins against Religion are the worship of false
gods or idols, and the giving to any creature whatso
ever the honour which belongs to God alone.
Worship. To adore, to honour, to respect There are three
kinds of worship—(1) Latria, or supreme, paid to God only;
(2) Hyper dulia, or superior, given to the Blessed Virgin;
(8) Dalia, or ordinary, given to the 3ainte and Angela.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
31
181. $. Does the first Commandment forbid the
making of images? A. The first Commandment does
net forbid the making of images, but the making of
idols; that is, it forbids us to make images to be adored
or honoured as gods.
Idols. Images of persons or things to which is given that
worship which should be paid to God alone. Worshipping
idols is called idolatry.
182. Q. Does the first Commandment forbid dealing
with the devil and superstitious practices? A. The
first Commandment forbids all dealing with the devil
and superstitious practices, such as consulting spiri
tualists and fortune-tellers, and trusting to charms,
omens, dreams, and such-like fooleries.
Dealing with the devil. Seeking after hidden or unknown
things by the help of the devil.
Superstitious practices are habits of giving to certain things a
power which they do not or cannot possess.
Fortune-tellers. Persons who pretend that they are able to
tell us what will happen in the future.
Charms. Things worn which are thought to have the power
of keeping away evil or bringing good.
Omens. Signs supposed to foretell what is to come.
Dreams. Thoughts or fancies during sleep; visions.
183. Q. Are all sins of sacrilege and simony also
forbidden by the first Commandment? A. All sins
of sacrilege and simony are also forbidden by the first
Commandment.
Sacrilege. To treat with disrespect or Irreverence any person,
place, or thing set apart or dedicated to the service of God.
Sxrnony. Selling any sacred office or thing, for gain. Simon
Magus offered money to the Apostles to give him the
sacred powor which they possessed. (Acts viii.)
184. Q. Is it forbidden to give divine honour and
worship to the Angels and Saints ? A. It is forbidden
to give divine honour or worship to the Angels and
Saints, for this belongs to God alone.
185. Q. What kind of honour or worship should we
pay to the Angels and Saints ? A. We should pay to
th© Angola
feints
inferior honour or worship
*
�33
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
for this ia due to them as the servants and special
friends of God.
Inferior honour. A lesser or lower kind of honour.
186. Q. What honour should we give to relics, cru
cifixes, and holy pictures? A. We should give to
relics, crucifixes, and holy pictures a relative honour,as
they relate to Christ and His Saints, and are memorials
of them.
Belie. The bodioa of the Saints, or anything that has be
longed to them.
Crucifix. The representation of our Lord on the cross.
Relative. Being connected with or belonging to anything.
We honour holy pictures, images, <fcc., on account of those
they represent.
Memorial. That which serves to keep In the memory, a re
membrancer.
187. Q. Do we pray to relics or images? A. We do
not pray to relics or images, for they can neither see,
nor hear, nor help us.
II.
188. Q. What is thG second Commandment ? A. The
second Commandment is ‘Thou shalt not take the name
of the Lord thy God in vain.’
In vain. Without necessity, uselessly, not respectfully.
189. Q. What are we commanded by the second Com
mandment ? A. By the second Commandment we are
commanded to speak with reverence of God and all
holy persons and things, and to keep our lawful oaths
and vows.
Lawful. That which is according to the rule or law.
Oath. To call God to witness the truth of what we say. An
oath must have the qualities of truth, Judgment, and
Justice. (Jer. iv 2.)
Vowe. Deliberate promises made to God to do something
supernatural, which we are not already bound to perform.
190. Q. What does the second Commandment forbid?
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
33
A. The second Commandment forbids all false, rash,
unjust, and unnecessary oaths; as also blaspheming,
cursing, and profane words.
False oaths. Those which are not true. Taking a false oath
is called perjury.
Rash oaths. Those taken without sufficient judgment or
reflection,
Unjust oaths. Those taken with the intention of doing
wrong.
Unnecessary oaths. Those taken without sufficient reason.
Blaspheming. Speaking in an evil or impious manner of
God or His Saints, or any holy thing relating to God.
Cursing. Calling down evil or harm on ourselves or our
neighbour, or on any of God’s creatures.
Profane words. Speaking in a light or joking manner, or
making game of anything belonging to God or His service.
191. Q. Is it ever lawful to swear or to take an
oath? A. It is lawful to swear, or to take an oath,
only when God’s honour, or our own, or our neigh
bour’s good requires it
III.
192. Q. What is the third Commandment ? A. The
third Commandment is * Remember that thou keep
holy the Sabbath-day.’
Sabbath. The day of rest. The seventh day of the w’eek
among the Jews—set apart for rest from work, and kept
holy in memory of God having rested on that day, and of
their deliverance out of Egypt. Among Christians the first
<iay of the week Is kept holy, in memory of the Resurrec
tion of our Lord, and the Descent of the Holy Ghost.
193. Q. What are we commanded by the third
Commandment? A. By the third Commandment we
are commanded to keep the Sunday holy.
194. Q. How- are we to keep the Sunday holy?
A. We are to keep the Sunday holy by hearing Mass
and resting from servile works.
Hearing Mass. By this is meant that we must be bodily
present in the place where Mass is being said, and in such
a manner as to form part of the congregation, and pay
great attention to all that is taking place upon the altar.
The most important or solemn parts of the Mass are the
C
�34
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
Offertory, tlie Consecration, and the priest’s communion.
We are excused from attending at Mass either by sick
ness, very bad weather, great distance from church, great
poverty, &c.
Servile works. Such works as employ the body rather than
the mind, and are usually done by servants and tradespeople. There are two other kinds of work—viz., liberal,
or that work in which the mind is more engaged than the
body, as drawing, music, writing, &c.; and common work,
or such as is followed by all classes, as fishing, hunting,
shooting, &c.
195. Q. Why are we commanded to rest from
servile works ? A. We are commanded to rest from
servile works that we may have time and opportunity
for prayer, going to the Sacraments, hearing instruc
tions, and reading good books.
Hearing instructions.
Sunday-school, &c.
Attending at sermons, catechism,
IV.
196. Q. What is the fourth Commandment ? A. The
fourth Commandment is ‘Honour thy father and thy
mother.’
197. Q. What are we commanded by the fourth
Commandment ? A. By the fourth Commandment
we are commanded to love, reverence, and obey our
parents in all that is not sinj
To love our parents. To have a very great affection for them.
.Reverence. To esteem, to respect or honour.
Obey. To do what we are told. We must not only obey our
parents, but also all those who are lawfully placed over us,
provided that such obedience is not sinful.
198. Q. Are we commanded to obey our parents
only? A. We are commanded to obey, not only our
parents, but also our bishops and pastors, the civil
authorities, and our lawful superiors.
Civil authorities. Those who administer the law.
199. Q. Are we bound to assist our parents in their
wants? A. We are bound to assist our parents in
their wants, both spiritual and temporal.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
35
Temporal wants. The wants of the body, Buch as food,
clothing^and lodging.
Spiritual wants. The wants of the soul, such gs instruc
tions, the Sacraments, <fcc.
500. Q. Are we bound injustice to contribute to the
support of our pastors ? A. We are bound in justice
to contribute to the support of our pastors; for St.
Paul says, * The Lord ordained that they who preach
the Gospel should live by the Gospel.’ (1 Cor. ix. 14.)
Contribute. To give something towards a person’s expenser
Ordained. Ordered, commanded, made it a law.
201. Q- What is the duty of parents towards their
children? A. The duty of parents towards their chil
dren is to provide for them, to instruct and correct
them, and to give them a good Catholic education.
Duty. What one ought to do, one’s proper business.
202. Q. What is the duty of masters, mistresses,
and other superiors? A. The duty of masters, mis
tresses, and other superiors is to take proper care of
those under their charge, and to enable them to prac
tise their religious duties.
203. Q. What does the fouivh Commandment for
bid? A. The fourth Commandment forbids all con
tempt, stubbornness, and disobedience to our parents
and lawful superiors.
Contempt. To treat with disrespect, to despise, to slight.
Stubbornness. Being obstinate or self-willed, hard to move.
Disobedience. Neglecting or refusing to do as we are told.
Lawful superiors. Those who have a right to our obedience.
204. Q. Is it sinful to belong to a Secret Society?
A. It is sinful to belong to any Secret Society that
plots against the Church or State, or to any Society that
by reason of its secrecy is condemned by the Church ;
for St. Paul says: ‘ Let every soul be subject to the
higher powers ; he that resisteth the power resisteth
the ordinance of God; and they that resist purchase to
themselves damnation.’ (Hom. xiiL 1, 2.)
)
�36
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
205. Q. What is the fifth Commandment ? A. The
fifth Commandment is ‘Thou shalt not kill.’
Kill. To take away life, to put to death.
206. Q. What does the fifth Commandment forbid 1
A. The fifth Commandment forbids all wilful murder,
fighting, quarrelling, and injurious words; and also
scandal and bad example.
IT Iful murder. Taking away human life purposely through
spite or malice. A person’s life may be lawfully taken
away, either in self-defence, in a just war, or in a case of a
criminal being executed. To kill a person accidentally
would not break this Commandment.
Injurious words. Words said to vex or injure others.
Scandal. Willingly influencing or giving a person occasion
to commit sin. The word ‘scandal’ means a snare or a
stumbling-block.
Bad example. Saying or doing what is wrong before others.
207. Q. Does the fifth Commandment forbid anger ?
A. The fifth Commandment forbids anger, and, still
more, hatred and revenge.
Anger. A strong but passing feeling of resentment or dis
pleasure against those whom we believe to have done us
an injury.
Hatred. A settled dislike of others, with the desire of in
juring them.
Revenge. Returning evil for evil. This is the result of anger
or hatred.
208. Q. Why are scandal and bad example for
bidden by the fifth Commandment ? A. Scandal and
bad example are forbidden by the fifth Command
ment, because they lead to the injury and spiritual
death of our neighbour’s soul.
VI.
209. Q. What is the sixth Commandment? A. The
sixth Commandment is, ‘Thou shalt not commit
adultery.’
210. Q. What does the sixth Commandment forbid ?
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
37
A. The sixth Commandment forbids all sins of impurity
with another’s wife or husband.
211. Q. Does the sixth Commandment forbid what
ever is contrary to holy purity ? A. The sixth
Commandment forbids whatever is contrary to holy
purity in looks, words, or actions.
212. Q. Are immodest plays and dances forbidden
by the sixth Commandment? A. Immodest plays
and dances are forbidden by the sixth Commandment,
and it is sinful to look at them.
Immodest plays and dances. Any amusements by which we
may commit sins against holy purity.
21S. Q. Does the sixth Commandment forbid im
modest songs, books, and pictures? A. The sixth
Commandment fcrbids immodest songs, books, and
pictures, because they are most dangerous to the soul,
and lead to mortal sin.
Immodest books. Books which may lead us to commit sin,
either in thought, word, or deed. The Commandment is
broken by sins against the virtue of Purity.
VII.
214. Q. What is the seventh Commandment? A. The
seventh Commandment is ‘Thou shalt not steal.’
Steal. To take away unjustly anything belonging to another.
215. Q. What does the seventh Commandment for
bid ? A. The seventh Commandment forbids all unjust
taking away, or keeping what belongs to another.
All unjust taking away. This may be done in several ways,
viz., by theft or robbery ; or by fraud, which consists in all
kinds of cheating in buying or selling, in passing an inferior
article as one of good quality, as in the case of bad money.
We may also take away unjustly, by neglecting or perform
ing carelessly any duty for which we are paid ; by unjust
lawsuits; by usury, which is demanding too high an in
terest for one’s money; and by wilfully destroying another’s
property.
Keeping what belongs to a/nother. This may be done uy re
fusing to give back what we have taken from another; by
�3«
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
not restoring things left in our care; by refusing to pay
our just debts; by not taking means to find out the owner
of anything we may have found; by buying or receiving
goods which we believe to have been stolen, viz., ill-gotten
goods.
916. Q. Is all manner of cheating in buying and
selling forbidden by the seventh Commandment? A.
All manner of cheating in buying or selling is for
bidden by the seventh Commandment, and also every
other way of wronging our neighbour.
Cheating. Deceiving or defrauding; being dishonest in one's
actions ; imposing upon others.
217. Q. Are we bound to restore ill-gotten goods ?
A. We are bound to restore ill-gotten goods if wo
are able, or else the sin will not be forgiven ; we must
also pay our debts.
Restore. To give back again, to make satisfaction. Re
storing things obtained unjustly, or the value of them, is
called restitution, which we are bound to make, if in our
power, under pain of sin.
Debt. What one person owes to another.
218. Q. Is it dishonest in servants to waste their
master’s time and property? A. It is dishonest in
servants to waste their master’s time or property,
because it is wasting what is not their own.
VIII.
219. Q. What is the eighth Commandment? A.
The eighth Commandment is ‘Thou shalt not bear
false witness against thy neighbour.’
220. Q. What does the eighth Commandment for
bid? A. The eighth Commandment forbids all false
testimony, rash judgment, and lies.
False testimony. False Witness—to swear falsely in a court
of justice.
Rash judgment. Forming or expressing an evil opinion of
others without sufficient reason dr cause.
A lie. Saying anything which we believe to ha false, with
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
39
the intention of deceiving those to whom we are epeaking.
There are tliree kinds of lies—(1) jocose, or those told in
jest; (2) officious, or those told to escape some evil, to ob
tain some benefit, or to excuse either ourselves or others;
(3) malicious, or those told with the intention of injuring
our neighbour.
221. Q. Are calumny and detraction forbidden by
the eighth Commandment ? A. Calumny and detrac
tion are forbidden by the eighth Commandment, and
also tale-bearing, and any words which injure our
neighbour’s character.
Calumny. Saying what is not true of our neighbour, with
the intention of injuring his character.
Detraction. Making known the sins of our neighbour, with
the intention of injuring his character.
222. Q. If you have injured your neighbour by
speaking ill of him, what are you bound to do? A.
If I have injured my neighbour by speaking ill of him,
I am bound to make him satisfaction by restoring his
good name as far as I can.
Make him satisfaction. To do all in one’s power to bring
back the good name of one’s neighbour—in the case of
calumny, by contradicting the lie told ; in the case of
detraction, by doing all we can to restore the good opinion
.in which he had been held.
IX.
223. Q. What is the ninth Commandment? A.
The ninth Commandment is ‘Thou shalt not covet
thy neighbour’s wife.’
224. Q. What does the ninth Commandment for
bid ? A. The ninth Commandment forbids all wilful
consent to impure thoughts and desires, and all wilful
pleasure in the irregular motions of the flesh.
225. Q. What sins commonly lead to the breaking
of the sixth and ninth Commandments ? A. The sins
that commonly lead to the breaking of the sixth and
ninth Commandments are gluttony, drunkenness, and
Intemperance, and also idleness, bad company, and
the neglect of prayer.
�40
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
X.
226. Q. What is the tenth Commandment ? A.
The tenth Commandment is ‘Thou shalt not covet
thy neighbour’s goods.’
227. Q. What does the tenth Commandment for
bid? A. The tenth Commandment forbids all envious
and covetous thoughts and unjust desires of our
neighbour’s goods and profits.
Covet.. Unlawfully and unjustly desiring, or wishing for,
anything which belongs to another.
CHAPTER V.
THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE CHURCH.
228. Q. Are we bound to obey the Church? A.
We are bound to obey the Church, because Christ has
said to the pastors of the Church, ‘ He that heareth
you heareth Me, and he that despiseth vou despiseth
Me.’ (Luke x. 16.)
Be that heareth you, de. Every one who attends to what
the bishops and priests of the Church say, and follows their
teaching, pleases God.
He that despiseth you, de. Those persons who have a con
tempt for their pastors, or think little of their teaching,
displease God.
229. Q. What are the chief Commandments of the
Church? A. The chief Commandments of the Church
are:
1. To keep the Sundays and Holydays of Obliga
tion holy, by hearing Mass and resting from servile
works.
i
>
47
The chief Commandments. The six principal ones given in the
Catechism. There are many other precepts of the Church
besides. These Commandments may be altered to suit
different circumstances or different places, as the Head
of the Church may think fit.
2. To keep the days of fasting and abstinence ap
pointed by the Church.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
41
To go to confession at least once a year.
a year, and that at Easter di1 prist, once
5. To contribute to the support of our pastors.
6. Not to marry within certain degrees of kindred,
nor to solemnise marriage at the forbidden times.
230. Q. What is the first Commandment of the
Church? A. The first Commandment of the Church is
* To keep the Sundays and Holydays of Obligation
holy, by hearing Mass and resting from servile works.’
231. Q. Which are the Holydays of Obligation ob
served in England? A. The Holydays of obligation
observed in England are Christmas-day, the Cir
cumcision, the Epiphany, the Ascension, Corpus Christi,
SS. Peter and Paul, the Assumption of our Lady, and
All Saints.
232. Q. Is it a mortal sin to neglect to hear Mass
on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation ? A. It is a
mortal sin to neglect to hear Mass on Sundays and
Holydays of Obligation.
233. Q. Are parents, masters, and mistresses bound
to provide that those under their charge shall hear
Mass on Sundays and HolydayB of Obligation? A.
Parents, masters, and mistresses are bound to provide
that those under their charge shall hear Mass on Sun
days and Holydays of Obligation.
234. Q. What is the second Commandment of the
Church? The second Commandment of the Church
is ‘To keep the days of fasting and abstinence ap
pointed by the Church.’
Fasting. Eating only one full meal a day, which must not
be taken before mid-day. No person is bound to fast be
fore he has completed his 21st year, nor after he has entered
his 60th year. Dispensations are granted by priests at
Confession. We may be dispensed or freed from the
obligation of fasting through siokness, great poverty, very
hard work.
Abstinence. To refrain or keep from a thing ; here Is meant
flesh meat. All over seven years of age must abstain.
�42
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
235. Q. What are fasting days? A. Fastis
-11
ata rtav.« on wKwIi w«
236. Q. Which are the fasting days ? A. The fastdays are the weekdays of Lent, certain Vigils; and
*
the Ember-days.
lent. A time of fasting and penance, beginning on Ash Wed
nesday and ending at mid-day on Holy Saturday. It
reminds us of the fast of our Lord for forty days in the
desert, after his baptism.
Vigil. A watching, the fast-day before a certain great feast
Ember. The ember days occur four times a rear, viz the
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday next after the’first
Sun-lay in Lent; in Whitsun-week ; next after the 14th
September ; and next after the third Sunday in Advent
On these occasions we ask God’s blessing on the fruits of
the earth ; and that He will grant good pastors to His
Church, aB it is at those times they are usually ordained.
237. Q. What are days of abstinence ? A. Days of
abstinence are days on which we are forbidden to take
flesh-meat, and soups made from meat.
238. Q. Which are the days Of abstinence ? A. The
days of abstinence are all Fridays! except any Friday on
which a Holyday of Obligation falls; the Wednesdays
of Lent (in England); the four Vigils (unless one falls
on a Sunday) ; and the Ember-days.
239. Q. Why does the Church command us to fast
and abstain? A. The Church commands us to fast
and abstain that so we may mortify the flesh and
satisfy God for our sins.
■Mortify the flesh. To punish our bodies and weaken tempta
tion, and thus make us more fit for prayer and meditation.
*Lent ends at mid-day on Holy Saturday. The Vigils are those
of Pentecost, the Assumption, All Saints, and Christmas.
tl. When December 26th falls on a Friday the abstinence is at
present dispensed in England.
!. When one day of abstinence immediately follows another
leave is given to eat meat on the second, except tn Lent.
�THS EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
43
‘240. Q. What is the third Commandment of the
Church ? A. The third Commandment of the Church
is ‘ To go to confession at least once a year.’
At least once a year. We are bound to go once, but of course
we ought to go several times.
241. Q. How soon are children bound to go to con
fession? A. Children are bound to go to confession
as soon as they have come to the use of reason, and are
capable of mortal sin.
Capable of mortal sin. Able to do it, and to know that it Is
a mortal sin.
242. Q. When are children generally supposed to
come to the use of reason ? A. Children are generally
supposed to come to the use of reason about the age of
seven years.
243. Q. What is the fourth Commandment of the
Church? A. The fourth Commandment of the Church
is ‘ To receive the Blessed Sacrament at least once a
year, and that at Easter or thereabouts.’
Thereabouts. The time appointed in each diocese for ful
filling our Easter duties. This is usually between Passion
Bunday and Low Sunday, but a Bishop may extend the
time for his diocese.
244. <?. How soon are Christians bound to receive
the Blessed Sacrament? A. Christians are bound to
receive the Blessed Sacrament as soon as they are
capable of distinguishing the Body of Christ from
ordinary bread, and are judged to be sufficiently
instructed.
245. Q. What is the fifth Commandment of the
Church ? A. The fifth Commandment of the Church
is ‘ To contribute to the support of our pastors.’
246. Q. Is it a duty to contribute to the support of
religion? A. It is a duty to contribute to the support
of religion according to our means, so that God may
be duly honoured and worshipped, and the kingdom of
His Church extended-
�44
THE explanatory catechism
247. Q. What is the sixth Commandment of the
Church? A. The sixth Commandment of the Church
is * Not to marry within certain degrees of kindred, nor
to solemnise marriage at the forbidden times.’
Certain degrees, <kc. Certain states of relationship, as first or
second cousins. In the Catholic Church none can contract
matrimony whoare related by blood up to the third degree
inclusive, unless they obtain a dispensation or leave to do so.
Solemnise. To do anything in a religious or solemn manner,
with all the ceremonies.
248. Q. Which arc the times in which it is for
bidden to marry with solemnity? A. The times in
which it is forbidden to marry with solemnity without
special leave are from the First Sunday of Advent till
after Christmas Day, and from Ash-Wednesday till after
Easter Sunday.
Ash Wednesday. So called because ashes are blessed and.
distributed on this day, to remind us of our origin and of
our end.
THE SACRAMENTS.
CHAPTER VL
249. Q. What is a Sacrament? A. A Sacrament is
an outward sign of inward grace, ordained by Jesus
Christ, by which grace is given to our souls.
Sacrament. Something that is sacred or holy. Three things
are required in order to make a Sacrament—(1) Outward
sign, which consists of two parts, viz., the matter, or the
outward sensible things used in giving the Sacrament; and
the form, or the words said when applying the matter.
(2) Inward grace, or the invisible effect of the Sacrament on
the seul. (3) Instituted by Christ ; that is, it must have
been ordained or appointed by our Lord as a means of
giving grace to our souls.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
45
250. Q. Do the Sacraments always give grace ? A.
The Sacraments always give grace to those who receive
them worthily.
Worthily. With the proper dispositions.
251. Q. Whence have the Sacraments the power of
giving grace? A. The Sacraments have the power of
giving grace from the merits of Christ’s Precious Blood,
which they apply to our souls.
252. Q. Ought we to have a great desire to receive
the Sacraments? A. We ought to have a great desire
to receive the Sacraments, because they are the chief
means of our salvation.
253. Q. Is a character given to the soul by any of
the Sacraments ? A. A character is given to the soul
by the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy
Order.
254. Q. What is a character? A. A character is
a mark or seal on the soul which cannot be effaced,
and therefore the Sacrament conferring it may not be
repeated.
255. Q. How many Sacraments are there ? A.
There are seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation,
Holy Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy
Order, and Matrimony.
There are seven. The Sacraments may be divided into two
classes—(1) Sacraments of the dead, viz., Baptism and Pen
ance. They are so called because they alone have the power
of raising the soul from the death of sin to the life of grace.
(2) Sacraments of the living, viz., Confirmation. Holy Eu
charist, Extreme Unction, Holy Order, and Matrimony,
In order to receive these five Sacraments worthily, the soul
must be spiritually alive, that is, in a state of grace. There
are some Sacraments which leave a special mark or charac
ter on the soul, viz., Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Order.
These can only be received once; the others may be received
more than once. All the Sacraments, when received
worthily, either give or increase sanctifying grace. A
Sacrament is said to be received validly when the matter
and form ordained by Christ are properly applied by the
minister to one who is capable and willing to receive it.
�46
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
A Sacrament is received lawfully or fruitfully, when be
sides what is wanted for its valid reception, there are in
tire person receiving it the dispositions required to obtain
the grace of the Sacrament.
I.
256. Q. What is Baptism ? A. Baptism is a Sacra
ment which cleanses us from original sin, makes us
Christians, children of God,and members of the Church.
Baptism. This word means a washing. Baptism is the most
necessary of all the Sacraments, as without it we cannot be
saved or receive any of the others; it is the beginning of
our spiritual life. There are three kinds of Baptism—(1)
Baptism of water, which is the Sacrament; (2) Baptism of
desire; (3) Baptism of blood, or martyrdom. A person may
be baptized when there is a aoubt about a former Baptism.
The words, ‘ If thou art not already baptized, ’ are added to
the usual form. This is called Conditional Baptism.
Outwa. d eipn. Tho matter is wator blessed on Holy Saturday
and on the eve oi Whtt-Sunday, and is applied in three wavs
—(!) by immerston, or being dipped in the water; (2)
. elusion, or having the water poured on the person;
(3) aspersion, or being sprinkled with the water. Baptism
by effusion is the mode chiefly in use. The form consists
of the words, 11 baptize,’ &c.
Effects. Cleanses the soul from original sin, andactual sin,
if any; remits both the temporal and eternal punishment;
gives habitual or sanctifying grace.
Institution. When instituted, not quite certain; but became
of obligation after the Resurrection, when our Lord said to
His Apostles, ‘ Going therefore, teach ye all nations; bap
tizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost.’ (Matt, xxviii. 19.)
Minister. A priest; in a case of necessity, any other person.
Christians. Followers of Christ. At Antioch, in Syria, the
disciples were first named Christians. (Acts xi. 26.)
257. Q. Does Baptism also forgive actual sins ? A.
Baptism also forgives actual sins, with all punishment
due to them, when it is received in proper dispositions
by those who have been guilty of actual sin.
258. Q. Who is the ordinary minister of Baptism ?
4- The ordinary minister of Baptism is a priest; but
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
47
any one may baptize in case of necessity, when a priest
cannot be had.
Case of necessity. When the person would most likely die
before a priest could attend.
259. Q. How is Baptism given ? A. Baptism is given
by pouring water on the head of the child, saying at
the same time these words, ‘ I baptize thee in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’
260. Q. What do we promise in Baptism ? A. We
promise in Baptism to renounce the devil and all his
works and pomps.
To renounce. To reject, to give up.
Works and pomps.. The temptations of the devil to make us
commit sin.
261. Q. la Baptism necessary for salvation? A.
Baptism is necessary for salvation, because Christ has
said, ‘ Unless a man be born again of water and the
Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God.’ (John iii. 5.)
II.
262. Q. What is Confirmation ? A. Confirmation is
a Sacrament by which we receive the Holy Ghost, in
order to make us strong and perfect Christians and
soldiers of Jesus Christ.
Confirmation. Being made firm or strong in our faith.
Outward sign. The matter consists of the imposition of hands
and the anointing of the forehead with chrism, which is
made of olive-oil mixed with balm, and blessed by the
Bishop on Holy Thursday. The form consists of the words
' I sign thee,' sc.
JSfects. Gives the Holy Ghost and a special Bacnunental
grace which strengthens and perfects the soul.'
Institution. The exact time of institution is not given in the
Gospels, but it is almost certain that it was after the Resur
rection. Instances of its administration by the Apostles—
(1)SS. Peter and John, being sent to confirm the Samari
tans, laid their hands upon them, and they received the
Holy Ghost (Acts viii. 14-17); (2) St. Paul at Ephesus:
‘And when Paul had imposed his hands on them, the Holy
�48
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
Ghost came upon them, and they spoke with tongues, and
prophesied.’ (Acts xix. 6.)
Minister. A Bishop. The Pope may confer the power upon
a priest to administer Confirmation in a case where it is
very difficult to obtain a Bishop ; but even then the chrism
must have been blessed by a Bishop.
263. Q. Who is the ordinary minister of Confirma
tion? A. The ordinary minister of Confirmation is a
Bishop.
Ordinary. Usual; the person who has the power in his own
right.
Minister. The person who administers or gives a Sacrament.
264. Q. How does the Bishop administer the Sacra
ment of Confirmation ? A. The Bishop administers the
Sacrament of Confirmation by praying that the Holy
Ghost may come down upon those who are to be con
firmed ; and by laying his hand on them, and making
the sign of the cross with chrism on their foreheads,
at the same time pronouncing certain words.
265. Q. What are the words used in Confirmation ?
A. The words used in Confirmation are these : ‘ I sign
thee with the sign of the cross, and I confirm thee with
the chrism of salvation; in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.’
III.
266. Q. What is the Sacrament of the Holy Eucha
rist? A. The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is the
true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ together with
His Soul and Divinity, under the appearances of bread
and wine.
Holy Eucharist. Holy thanksgiving. This Sacrament is so
called because at its institution our lord gave thanks to
His Father ; also, because it is the chief act by which we
praise and thank Almighty God. It is also called the ‘ Holy
Communion,’ the ‘Holy Host,’ the ‘Viaticum,’ Ac. The
Holy Eucharist is the greatest of all the Sacraments, for it
contains our lord Himself, from whom all graces come.
Outward sign. The matter consists of wheaten bread and
wine of the grape. The form consists of the words; • Thh;
is 5£y Body ;’ ‘ This is the chalice,' &c.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
49
SJects. Gives us our Lord Himself; increases ea’ictifylng
grace ; and gives a special grace which nourishes the soul.
Institution. On Maundy Thursday, at the Last Supper, when
Jesus took bread and blessed and broke it, and said, ’Take
ye, and eat: this is My Body.’ And taking the ohalice,
He said, ‘This is My Blood of the new testament, which
shall be shed for many unto remission of sins.' (Matt.
xxvi. 26-28.)
Minister. A priest, or sometimes a deacon.
I7hder tAe appearances, Ac. It looks, tastes, smells, and
feels like bread and wine. These appearances are some
times called the accidents ot the Sacrament.
267. Q. How are the bread and wine changed into
the Body and Blood of Christ? A. The bread and
wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ
by the power of God, to whom nothing is impossible
or difficult.
268. Q. When are the bread and wine changed
into the Body and Blood of Christ? A. The bread
and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of
Christ when the words of consecration, ordained by
Jesus Christ, are pronounced by the priest in the
Holy Mass.
Words of consecration. Over the bread : ‘ This is My body.’
Over the wine in the chalice : ‘ This is the chalice of My
Blood of the new and eternal testament—the mystery of
Faith—which shall be shed for you, and for many, to the
remission of sins.'
269. Q. Why has Christ given Himself to us in the
Holy Eucharist? A. Christ lias given Himself to us
in the Holy Eucharist to be the life and the food of
our souls. ‘He that eateth Me, the same also shall
live by Me ; ’ ‘ He that eateth this bread shall live for
ever.’ (John vi. 58, 59.)
270. Q. Is Christ received whole and entire under
either kind alone? A. Christ is received whole and
entire under either kind alone.
,
271. Q. In order to receive the Blessed Sacrament
worthily what is required ? A. In order to receive
the Blessed Sacrament worthily it is required that We
be in a state of grace, and fasting from midnight.
�50
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
Fasting from midnight. The person to receive Holy Com
reunion must not partake of any food or drink whatever
from twelve o’clock the previous night. Those who are in
danger of death may receive Holy Communion without
fasting. It is then called the Viaticum, because it
strengthens those who receive it at the end of their jour
ney through life.
272. Q. What is it to be in a state of grace ? A.
To be in a state of grace is to be free front mortal
sin, and pleasing to God.
273. Q. Is it a great sin to receive Holy Commu
nion in mortal sin ? A. It is a great sin to receive
Holy Communion in mortal sin, ‘for he that eateth
and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judg
ment to himself. (1 Cor. xi. 29.)
274. Q. Is the Blessed Eucharist a Sacrament only ?
A. The Blessed Eucharist is not a Sacrament only; it
is also a sacrifice.
275. Q. What is a sacrifice? A. A sacrifice is the
offering of a victim by a priest to God alone, in testi
mony of His being the Sovereign Lord of all things.
276. Q. What is the Sacrifice of the New Law?
A. The Sacrifice of the New Law is the Holy Mass.
The Mass. The oblation or offering made or sent to God by
the ministry of the priest. As a sacrifice, the Holy Eucha
rist is commonly called the ‘ Mass.’ In the Mass the Blood
of our Lord is not visibly shed as it was on Mount Calvary.
277. Q. What is the Holy Mass? A. The Holy
Mass is the Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Jesus
Christ, really present on the altar under the appear
ances of bread and wine, and offered to God for the
living and the dead.
278. Q. Is the Holy Mass one and the same Sacri
fice with that of the Cross? A. The Holy Mass is
one and the same Sacrifice with that of the Cross,
inasmuch as Christ, who offered Himself, a bleeding
Victim, on the Cross, to His Heavenly Father, con
tinues to offer Himself in an unbloody manner on the
altar, through the ministry of His priests.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM ,
51
279. Q. For what ends is the Sacrifice of the Mass
offered ? A. The Sacrifice of the Mass is offered for
four ends: first, to give supreme honour and glory to
God ; secondly, to thank Him for all His benefits ;
thirdly, to obtain the grace of repentance; add fourthly,
io obtain all other graces and blessings through Jesus
Christ.
The ends. The objects for which it is offered.
Benefit. A favour, a good deed.
280. Q. Is the Mass also a memorial of the Passion
and Death of our Lord ? A. The Mass is also a memo
rial of the Passion and Death of our Lord, for Christ
at His last Supper said, * Do this for a commemoration
of Me.’ (Luke xxii. 19.)
IV.
281. Q. What is the Sacrament of Penance? J.
Penance is a Sacrament whereby the sins, whether
mortal or venial, which we have committed after Bap
tism are forgiven.
Penance. This word is used in three different senses—(1) as
a moral virtue which leads us to hate and avoid sin ; (2) as
the penalty which we suffer for past sin ; (3) as the Sacra
ment by which the sins committed after Baptism are for
given.
Outward sign. The matter consists of the acts of the penitent,
viz., contrition, confession, and satisfaction. The form is
the priest's absolution.
Effects. Takes away actual sin and eternal punishment due
to sin : it also restores habitual grace and the merits of
good works done in a state of grace.
Institution. ‘Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose sins you
shall forgive, they are forgiven them ; and whose sins you
shall retain, they are retained.’ (John xx. 22, 23.)
Minister. A priest approved by the Bishop.
282. (J. Does the Sacrament of Penance increase the
grace of God in the soul ? A. The Sacrament of Penance
increases the grace of God in the soul, besides forgiving
sin ; we should, therefore, often go to confession.
283. Q. When did oar Lord institute the Sacrament
�52
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
of Penance ? A. Our Lord instituted the Sacrament of
Penance when He breathed on His Apostles and gave
them power to forgive sin, saying, ‘ Whose sins you
shall forgive they are forgiven.’ (John xx. 23.) j
234. Q' How does the priest forgive sins ? A. The
priest forgives sins by the power of God, when he pro
nounces the words of absolution.
Absolution. Pardon ; taking away of guilt, and at least in
part, of punishment.
285. Q. What are the words of absolution ? A. The
words of absolution are : ‘ I absolve thee from thy sins,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost.’
286. Q. Are any conditions for forgiveness required
on the part of the penitent ? A. Three conditions for
forgiveness are required on the part of the penitent:
Contrition, Confession, and Satisfaction.
287. Q. What is Contrition? A. Contrition is a
hearty sorrow for our sins, because by them we have
offended so good a God, together with a firm purpose
of amendment.
Contrition. A deep sorrowfor sin, with the determination of
avoiding it in the future. There are two kinds of Contri
tion—(1) perfect, or that felt for having offended God alone;
(2) imperfect, or the sorrow we feel for our sins because by
them we lose heaven and deserve hell: this is also called
attrition. Sorrow for sin must be inward—that is, it must
come from the heart; it must be supernatural—that is, it
is not enough to be sorry from a human or natural motive;
it must be universal—that is, it must extend to at least all
mortal sins of which we are guilty.
388. Q. What is a firm purpose of amendment? A.
A firm purpose of amendment is a resolution to avoid,
by the grace of God, not only sin, but also the dangerous
occasions of sin.
Occasion of sin. Anything that may lead us into sin.
289. Q. How may we obtain a hearty sorrow for our
sins? A. We may obtain a hearty sorrow for our sins
by earnestly praying for it, and by making use of such
®©nsideratioixs an may lead us to it.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
53
Earnestly. Having a strong desire ; being fervent and sin
cere, with intensity.
Such considerations, <tc. Such thoughts as will help us to
be truly sorry for our sins—such as thinking on the good
ness of God, the sufferings of our Lord on account of our
sins, the happiness of heaven, the misery of hell, &c.
290. Q. What consideration concerning God will
lead us to sorrow for our sins ? A. This consideration
concerning God will lead us to sorrow for our sins, that
by our sins we have offended God, who is infinitely
good in Himself and infinitely good to us.
291. Q. What consideration concerning our Saviour
will lead us to sorrow for our sins ? A. This considera
tion concerning our Saviour will lead us to sorrow for
our sins, that our Saviour died for our sins, and that
those who sin grievously ‘crucify again to themselves
the Son of God, making Him a mockery.’ (Ilcb. vi. 8.)
292. Q. Is sorrow for our sins, because by them we
have lost heaven and deserved hell, sufficient when we
go to confession? A. Sorrow for our sins, because
by them we have lost heaven and deserved hell, is
sufficient when we go to confession.
293. Q. What is perfect contrition? A. Perfect
contrition is sorrow for sin arising purely from the
love of God.
294. Q. What special value has perfect contrition ?
A. Perfect contrition has this special value—that by
it our sins are forgiven immediately, even before we
confess them ; but nevertheless, if they are mortal,
we are strictly bound to confess them afterwards.
295. Q. What is confession? A. Confession is to
accuse ourselves of our sins to a priest approved by
the Bishop.
Confession. To make known our sins. We are bound to
confess all our mortal sins.
To accuse ourselves. To lay the blame on ourselves; to tell our
sins; to acknowledge, as from an inferior to a superior. We
muBt make our confession humbly, truthfully, and briefly.
296. Q. What if a person wilfully conceal a mortal
�54
the explanatory catechism
em ji confession? A. If a person wilfully conceal a
mortal sin in confession he is guilty of a great sacrilege,
by telling a lie to the Holy Ghost in making a bad
confession.
Conceal. To keep secret; to hide completely.
297. Q. How many things have we to do in order to
prepare for confession ? A. We have four things to
do in order to prepare for confession: first, we must
heartily pray for grace to make a good confession;
eecondly, we must carefully examine our conscience ;
thirdly, we must take time and care to malts a good
act of contrition; and fourthly, we must resolve by
the help of God to renounce our sins, and to begin a
new life for the future.
298. Q. What is satisfaction? A. Satisfaction is
doing the penance given us by the priest.
Satisfaction Making atonement or payment for; repairing
a wrong done. The penance given by the pripst in con
fession usually consists in the saying of some particulal
prayers or doing some good work. The guilt of sin and
its eternal punishment are taken away by a good con
fession ; the temporal punishment may be taken away by
performing the penance given by the priest, by prayer,
fasting, alms-deeds, and Indulgences.
299. Q. Does the penance given by the priest always
make full satisfaction for our sins ? A. The penance
given by the priest does not always make full satisfac
tion for our sins. We should therefore add to it other
good works and penances, and try to gain Indulgences.
300 Q. What is an Indulgence ? A. An Indulgence
is a remission, granted by the Church, of the temporal
punishment which often remains due to sin after its
guilt has been forgiven.
Zndu^cnce. A releasing or letting off from punishment.
There are two kinds of Indulgences—(1) plenary, when the
whole of the punishment is remitted or forgiven; Impartial,
when only a part of the temporal punishment is taken
away. Conditions for gaining an Indulgence are—(1) the
person seeking it must be a Catholio; (2) he must have the
intention of gaming it; (3) he must be in a state of grace:
(A; He ni'ist perform the sweesary good woike ordered for
.jieining it.
�THE EXPLANATOHV CATEOH1SHI
5.5
V.
301. Q. What is the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?
A. The Sacrament of Extreme Unction is the anointing
of the sick with holy oil, accompanied with prayer.
Airfrwne Unction. The last anointing, being given only in
danger of death by sickness.
Outward sign. The matterr consists of oil of olives blessed by
a Bishop; the form consists of the words used by the priest
whilst anointing the sick person : ‘By this holy anointing,
and of His own most tender mercy, may the Lord forgive
thee whatever thou hast committed by thy sight.’ The
eyes,ears, nostrils, mouth, hands, and feet are each anointed,
and the form of words repeated, except in cases of urgent
necessity, when one form of words is sufficient for all.
Effects. Cleanses the soul from venial sin ; takes away guilt
of unknown mortal sins which have not been forgiven in
any other way; increases habitual grace; restores health
where God sees it to be desirable.
Institution. Used in the time of the Apostles, according to
James (v. 14,15): ‘Is any man sick among you,' <fcc.
Minister. Each prieBt in his own parish.
Anointing. Pouring or rubbing oil on anything.
802. Q. When is Extreme Unction given ? A. Ex
treme Unction is given when we are in danger of death
by sickness.
303. Q. What are the effects of the Sacrament of
Extreme Unction? A. The effects of the Sacrament
of Extreme Unction are to comfort and strengthen the
soul, to remit sin, and even to restore health, when God
sees it to be expedient.
Expedient. When it is fit.
304. Q. What authority is there in Scripture for the
Sacrament of Extreme Unction ? A. The authority in
Scripture for the Sacrament of Extreme Unction is in
the 5th chapter of St. James, where it is said: ‘ Is any
one sick among you ? Let him bring in the priests of the
Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him
with oil in the Name of the Lord. And the prayer of
faith shall save the sick man ; and the Lord shall raise
him up : and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven
him.’ (St. James v, 14. 15.)
�56
THE EXPLANATORY
CATECHISM
VI.
— 805. S’
*s
Sacrament of Holy Order? A.
“° Order is the Sacrament by which Bishops, priests,
y
*
and other ministers of the Church are ordained, and
receive power and grace to perform their sacred duties.
“W
P10 ministry, consisting of seven degrees, viz..
Po5t’?T>. ^^dsr, Exorcist, Acolyte, Sub-deacon, Deacon,
and Priest. The first four are called the minor or lesser
orders; the remaining three are called the holy or greater
orders. The, Priesthood has two degrees ef power and dig
nity—(1) that of the Bishop, whose office it is to govern the
particular district given to him (called a diocese), to give
Confirmation and Holy Order, inflict censures, pronounce
excommunications, gTant Indulgences, <fcc.; (2) that of the
rriest, whose office it is to offer sacrifice, preach to the
people, administer the Sacraments, <fcc.
Outward,signi. The matter consists of the imposition of the
Bishop s hands. The form consists of the prayer said by
the Bishop; m the case of a priest—1 Receive power to offer
sacrifices for the living and the dead, in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost’
Effects. Increases habitual grace: gives power to exercise
sacred functions. Tlio orders lower than the diaconate
were probably instituted by the Church and therefore do
not give grace.
Institution. Time of institution not certain. Its sacramental'
+h»^Ct-er ?£°Ved
the following = ‘ Neglect not the grace
tinn In tkee’/>whicJ was glven by Prophecy with imposi
tion of thehands of the priesthood.’ (1 Tim. iv. 14.) And
I admonish thee that thou stir up the grace of God
which is in thee by the imposition of my hands.’ (2 Tim. 1.6 )
Minister. A Bishop only, in the case of the greater orders.
VII.
Sacrament of Matrimony ? A.
Matrimony is the Sacrament which sanctifies the con
tract of a Christian marriage, and gives a special grace
to those who receive it worthily.
Matrimony. The contract or agreement by which marriagb
is blessed and made holy and pleasing to God.
Outward sign. The matter consists of the mutual giving up
of the contracting parties to each other. The form, consists
of the words and outward signs by which the man and
woman accept each other as husband and wife
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
5?
Effects. Increases habitual graoe, and helps parents to bear
the burdens and difficulties of the marriage state and bring
up their children in a Christian manner.
Institution. It is not known exactly when this Sacrament
was instituted, but it is supposed by some to have been
when, in speaking of marriage, our Lord said : 1 What God
hath joined together, let no man put acunder.’ (Matt.
six. 6.) Others say it was raised to the dignity of a Sacra
ment at the marriage-feast at Cana.
307. Q. What special grace does the Sacrament of
Matrimony give to those who receive it worthily ? A.
The Sacrament of Matrimony gives to those who receive
it worthily a special grace, to enable them to bear the
difficulties of their state, to love and be faithful to one
another, and to bring up their children in the fear of
God.
308. Q. Is it a sacrilege to contract marriage in
mortal sin, or in disobedience to the laws of the Church?
A. It is a sacrilege to contract marriage in mortal sin,
or in disobedience to the laws of the Church, and,
instead of a blessing, the guilty parties draw down
upon themselves the anger of God.
*
309. Q. What is a ‘ mixed marriage ’ ? A. A ‘ mixed
marriage ’ is a marriage between a Catholic and one
who, though baptized, does not profess the Catholic faith,
310. Q. Has the Church always forbidden mixed
marriages? A. The Church has always forbidden
mixed marriages, and considered them unlawful and
pernicious.
Pernicious. Hurtful, very injurious.
311. Q. Does the Church sometimes permit mixed
marriages? A. The Church sometimes permits mixed
marriages, by granting a dispensation, for very grave
reasons and under special conditions.
v
Dispensation. An exemption or freeing from some law or
duty.
312. Q. Can any human power dissolve the bond of
*For the marriage of a Catholic to be valid there must be
present: (1) cither the Bishop or the Parish-Priest or another
Priost duly delegated, and (2) two witnesses.
�58
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
marriage ? A. No human power can dissolve the bond
of marriage, because Christ has said, ‘What God hath
joined together let no man put asunder.’ {Matt. xix. 6.)
Human pouter. The power of man, like that used in a divorce
court, which may be allowed by the law of the land, bulls
certainly forbidden by the law of God.
Dissolve. To undo; to separate; to loosen.
Bona. Anything that binds or fastens together.
CHAPTER VII.
OF VIRTUES AND VICES.
SIS. Q. Which are the Theological Virtues ? A. The
Theological Virtues are ‘Faith, Hope, and Charity.’
(1 Cor. xiii. 13.)
Theological. Belonging or relating to God. Faith, Hope,
ana Chanty have God for their direct object and motive.
The matter on which our faith is exercised is called the
object; why we believe is termed the motive.
virtue. Doing one's duty; the opposite to vice, which is a
blemish or fault.
814 Q. Why are they called Theological Virtues ?
A. They are called Theological Virtues because they
relate immediately to God.
316. Q. What are the chief mysteries of Faith
which every Christian is bound to know? A. The
chief mysteries of laith which every Christian is bound
to know are the Unity and Trinity of God, who will
render to every man according to his works; and the
Incarnation, Death and Resurrection of our Saviour.
316. Q. Which are the Cardinal Virtues? A. The
Cardinal Virtues are ‘Prudence, Justice, Fortitude,
and Temperance.’ (Wisd. viii. 7.)
Cardinal. Principal or chief, from Latin Cardo, a hinge. All
other virtues either depend or spring from them.
Prudence. This virtue enlightens our mind, and leads us to
take proper and effectual means for securing our salvation,
Jurffce. Giving what is d»e to God, our neighbours, and
eursolves’
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
59
Fortitude. Having courage to resist anything which may
hinder our salvation, and to bear bravely all trials for the
love of God.
Temperance. Being moderate in all things. ' He that is
abstinent, saith the wise man, shall increase in life.'
(Ecd. xxxvii.)
®17- & WhY are they called Cardinal Virtues ? A.
They are called Cardinal Virtues because they are, as it
were, the hinges on which all other moral virtues turn.
818. Q. Which are the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost?
A. The seven gifts of the Holy Ghost are: 1. Wisdom;
2. Understanding; 3. Counsel; 4. Fortitude; 5. Know
ledge ; 6. Piety; 7. The fear of the Lord. (Isa. xi. 2, 3.>
319. Q. Which are the twelve fruits of the Holy
Ghost? . A. The twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost are ?
1. Charity; 2. Joy; 3. Peace; 4. Patience; 5. Be
nignity ; 6. Goodness; 7. Longanimity ; 8. Mildness;;
9. Faith; 10. Modesty ; 11. Continency ; 12. Chastitv(Gal. v. 22.)
320. Q. Which are the two great precepts of Charity?
A. The two great precepts of Charity are : 1. ‘ Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and
with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and
with thy whole strength.’ 2. ‘Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself.’ (Mark xii. 30, 31.)
Precept. A commandment, a maxim.
321. Q. Which are the seven Corporal Works of
Mercy? A. The seven Corporal Works of Mercy are:
1. To feed the hungry ; 2. To give drink to the thirsty;
3. To clothe the naked; 4. To harbour the harbourless;
5. To visit the sick; 6. To visit the imprisoned ; 7. To
bury the dead. (Matt. xxv. ; Tobias xii.)
Corporal works. Those done for the benefit of the body.
822. Q. Which are the soven Spiritual Works of
Mercy? A. The seven Spiritual Works of Mercy are :
1. To convert the sinner ; 2. To instruct the ignorant;
3. To counsel the doubtful; 4. To comfort'‘the saz-
�6o
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
rowful; 5. To bear wrongs patiently; 6. To forgive
injuries ; 7. To pray for the living and the dead.
Spiritual works.
Those done for the benefit of the soul
323. Q. Which are the eight Beatitudes ? A. The
eight Beatitudes are: 1. * Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 2. Blessed are
the meek ; for they shall possess the land. 3. Blessed
are they that mourn ; for they shall be comforted. 4.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice;
for they shall have their fill. 5. Blessed are the merci
ful ; for they shall obtain mercy. 6. Blessed are the
clean of heart; for they shall see God. 7. Blessed
are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the
children of God. 8. Blessed are they that suffer per
secution for justice’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.’ {Matt. v. 3-10.)
Eight Beatitudes. Eight blessings. The virtues pronounced
blessed by our Lord in His Sermon on the Mount.
324. Q. Which are the seven capital sins or vices
and their contrary virtues ? A. The seven capital sins
or vices and their contrary virtues are: 1. Pride;
2. Covetousness; 3. Lust; 4. Anger; 5. Gluttony;
6. Envy ; 7. Sloth. Contrary virtues : 1. Humility;
2. Liberality; 3. Chastity; 4. Meekness ; 5. Temper
ance ; 6. Brotherly Love; 7. Diligence.
Lust means impurity; sloth means idleness.
325. Q. Why are they called capital sins ? A. They
are called capital sins because they are the source's
from which all other sins take their rise.
326. Q. Which are the six sins against the Holy
Ghost ? A. The six sins against the Holy Ghost are :
1. Presumption; 2. Despair; 3. Resisting the known
truth ; 4. Envy of another’s spiritual good: 5. Ob
stinacy in sin ; 6. Final impenitence.
Obstinacy in sin. Being determined to go on living in sin
final impenitence. Not repenting even at the horn- of death.
�6i
THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
327. Q. Which are the four Bins crying to heaven
for vengeance ? A. The four sins crying to heaven for
vengeance are : 1. Wilful murder (Gen. iv.); 2. The
sin of Sodom (Gen. xviii.); 3. Oppression of the poor
(Exod. ii.); 4. Defrauding labourers of their wages
(James v.).
Oppression. Being very unjust or cruel, harming a person.
Defrauding. Taking away by deceit or by cheating.
328. Q. When are we answerable for the sins of
others 1 A. We are answerable for the sins of others
whenever we either cause them, or share in them,
through our own fault.
329. (J. In how many ways may we either cause or
share the guilt of another’s sin? A. We may either
cause or share the guilt of another’s sin in nine ways •.
1. By counsel; 2. By command ; 3. By consent; 4. By
provocation; 5. By praise or flattery; 6. By conceal
ment ; 7. By being a partner in the sin; 8. By silence;
9. By defending the ill done.
Counsel. To give advice or direction to a person.
Provocation. To incite another to do something.
Defence of the ill done. Taking the part of a bad person or
of his wicked actions, and trying to justify them.
330. Q. Which are the three eminent Good Works ?
A. The three eminent Good Works are Prayer, Fast
ing, and Alms-deeds.
Eminent. Remarkable, being above others.
Alms-deeds. Works of charity.
»
331. Q. Which are the Evangelical Counsels? A.
The Evangelical Counsels are voluntary Poverty, per
petual Chastity, and entire Obedience.
Evangelical. Being in accordance with the doctrine of the
Gospel. The writers of the Gospels are called Evangelists •
they are S3. Matthew, Mark. Luke, and John.
Voluntary. Of one’s own free will or choice.
Perpetual. Going on without ceasing.
Entire Obedience. Being obedient in everything that is not sin.
332. Q. What are the four last thingB to be ever
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THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
remembered? A. The four last things to be ever re
membered are Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven.
(Eccl. vii.)
CHAPTER, VIII.
THE OHBISTIAN’S BULE OF LIFE.
333. Q. What rule of life must we follow if we hope
to be saved? A. If we hope to be saved, we must
follow the rule of life taught by Jesus Christ.
334. Q. What are we bound to do by the rule of
life taught by Jesus Christ? A. By the rule of life
taught by Jesus Christ we are bound always to hate
sin and to love God.
335. Q. How must we hate sin ? A. We must hate
Bin above all other evils, so as to be resolved never to
commit a wilful sin, for the love or fear of anything
whatsoever.
336. Q. How must we love God ? A. We must love
God above all things, and with our whole heart.
337. Q. How must we learn to love God ? A. We
must learn to love God by begging of God to teach us
to love Him : ‘ O my God, teach me to love Thee.’
338. Q. What will the love of God load us to do ?
A. The love of God will lead us often to think how
good God is; often to speak to Him in our hearts;
and always to seek to please Him.
839. (?. Does Jesus Christ also command us to love
one another? A. Jesus Christ also commands us to
love one another—that is, all persons without exception
for His sake.
Without exception. Not leaving out one.
840. Q. How are we to love one another ? A. We are
„ to love one another by wishing well to one another, and
praying for one another ; and by never allowing our
selves any thought, word, or deed to the injury of anyone.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
63
841. Q. Are we also bound to love our enemies?
A. We a,re also bound to love our enemies; not only
by forgiving them from our hearts, but also by wishing
them well, and praying for them.
342. Q. Has Jesus Christ given us another great
rule ? A. Jesus Christ has given us another great rule
in these words : * If any man will come after Me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and
follow Me.’ (Luke ix. 23.)
343. Q. How are we to deny ourselves? A. We
are to deny ourselves by giving up our own will, and
by going against our own humours, inclinations, and
passions.
Humours. Our own dispositions.
Passions. The natural inclinations of the soul
344. Q. Why are we bound to deny ourselves ? A,
We are bound to deny ourselves because our natural
inclinations are prone to evil from our very childhood ;
and if not corrected by self-denial, they will certainly
carry us to hell.
Prone. Inclined or disposed to do a thing.
345. Q. How are we to take up our cross daily?
A. We are to take up our cross daily by submitting
daily with patience to the labours and sufferings of
this short life, and by bearing them willingly for the
love of God.
Submit. To resign or to yield, to give way.
346. Q. How are we to follow our Blessed Lord?
A. We are to follow our Blessed Lord by walking in
His footsteps and imitating His virtues.
347. Q. What are the principal virtues we are to
learn of our Blessed Lord ? A. The principal virtues
we are to learn of our Blessed Lord are "meekness,
humility, and obedience.
348. Q. Which are the enemies we must fight
against all the days of our life? A. The enemies
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THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
which we must fight against all the days of our life
are the devil, the world, and the flesh.
349. Q. What do you mean by the devil? A. By
the devil I mean Satan and all his wicked angels, who
are ever seeking to draw us into sin, that we may be
damned with them.
350. Q. What do you mean by the world? A. By
the world I mean the false maxims of the world, and
the society of those who love the vanities, riches, and
pleasures of this world better than God.
351. Q. Why do you number the devil and the
world amongst the enemies of the soul ? A. I number
the devil and the world amongst the enemies of the
soul because they are always seeking, by temptation
and by word or example, to carry us along with them
in the broad road that leads to damnation.
852. Q. What do you mean by the flesh ? A. By
the flesh I mean our own corrupt inclinations and
passions, which are the most dangerous of all our
enemies.
Host dangerous of all our enemies. Because we always carry
them in our hearts, and can never get rid of them. The
Sacraments cleanse our souls from sin itself, but the
inclination to commit sin, or concupiscence, as it is called,
always remains.
353. Q. What must we do to hinder the enemies
of our soul from drawing us into sin ? A. To hinder
the enemies of our soul from drawing us into sin, we
must watch, pray, and fight against all their sugges
tions and temptations.
Suggestion. Something proposed or hinted.
354. Q. In the warfare against the devil, the
world, and the flesh, on whom must we depend ? A.
In the warfare against the devil, the world, and the
flesh we must depend not on ourselves, but on God
only : ‘ I can do all things in Him who strengtheneth
me.’ (Philip, iv. 13.)
�HIE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
65
CHAPTER IX.
THE CHRISTIAN’S DAILY EXERCISE.
355. Q. How should you begin the day? A. I
should begin the day by making the sign of the cross
as soon as I awake in the morning, and by saying
some short prayer, such as ‘ O my God, I offer my
heart and soul to Thee.’
356. Q. How should you rise in the morning ? a.
I should rise in the morning diligently, dress myself
modestly, and then kneel down and say my morning
prayers.
Diligently. Attentively, industriously.
Modestly. With decency.
357. Q. Should you also hear Mass if you have time
and opportunity? A. I should also hear Mass if I
have time and opportunity, for to hear Mass is by far
the best and most profitable of all devotions.
358. Q. Is it useful to make daily meditation ? A.
It is useful to make daily meditation, for such was the
practice of all the Saints.
Meditation. To consider thoughtfully.
359. Q. On what ought we to meditate? A. We
ought to meditate especially on the four last things,
and the Life and Passion of our Blessed Lord.
360. Q. Ought we frequently to read good books ?
A. We ought frequently to read good books, such as
the Holy Gospel, the Lives of the Saints, and othei
spiritual works, which nourish our faith and piety, and
arm us against the false maxims of the world.
861. Q. And what should you do as to your eating,
drinking, sleeping, and amusements? A. As to my
eating, drinking, sleeping, and amusements, I should
use all these things with moderation, and with a desire
to please God
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THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
862. Q. Say the grace before meals. A. ‘Bless us,
0 Lord, and these Thy gilts, which we are going to
receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord.
Amen.’
363. Q. Say the grace after meals. A. ‘We give
Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all Thy benefits, who
livest and reignest, world without end. Amen. May
the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy
of God, rest in peace. Amen.’
364. Q. How should you sanctify your ordinary
actions and employments of the day? A. I should
sanctify my ordinary actions and employments of the
day by often raising up my heart to God whilst I am
about them, and saying some short prayer to Him.
365. Q. What should you do when you find yourself
tempted to sin? A. When I find myself tempted to
sin I should make the sign of the cross on my heart,
and call on God as earnestly as I can, saying, ‘ Lord,
save me, or I perish.’
366. Q. If you have fallen into sin what should you
do ? A. If I have fallen into sin I should cast myself
in spirit at the feet of Christ, and humbly beg His
pardon by a sincere act of contrition.
867. Q. When God sends you any cross, or sickness,
or pain, what should you say? A. When God sends
me any cross, or sickness, or pain, I should say, ‘ Lord,
Thy will be done ; I take this for my sins.’
368. Q. What little indulgenced prayers would you
do well to say often to yourself during the day ? A. I
should do well to 6ay often to myself during the day
such little indulgenced prayers as—
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and
ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
In all things may the most holy, the most just, and
the most lovable Will of God be done, praised, and
exalted above all for ever.
�THE EXPLANATORY CATECHISM
6/
O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all
praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.
Praised be Jesus Christ, praised for evermore.
My Jesus, mercy ; Mary, help.
366. Q. How should you finish the day? A. I
should finish the day by kneeling down and saying
my night prayers.
870. Q. After your night prayers what should you
do? A. After my night prayers I should observe due
modesty in going to bed; occupy myself with the
thoughts of death ; and endeavour to compose myself
to rest at the foot of the cross, and give my last
thoughts to my crucified Saviour.
�APPENDIX.
A SHORT FORM OF MORNING PRAYERS.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. Amen.
Blessed be the Holy and Undivided Trinity’ now and for
ever. Amen.
0 my God, I believe in Thee; do Thou strengthen my
Faith. All my hopes are in Thee; do Thou secure them.
I love Thee with my whole heart; teach me to love Thee
daily more and more. I am sorry that I have offended
Thee ; do Thou increase my sorrow.
O my God, how good hast Thou been to me, and how
little have I done for Thee! Thou hast created me out
of nothing, redeemed me by the death of Thy Son, and
sanctified me by the grace of Thy Holy Spirit. Thou hast
called me into Thy Church, and Thou givest me all the
graces necessary for my salvation. Thou bast preserved
me during the night past, and given me the present day,
wherein 1 may serve Thee. What return can I make to
Thee, 0 God, for all that Thou hast done for me ? I will
bles3 Thy holy Name, and serve Thee all the days of my
life.
I offer to Thee, 0 my God, all my thoughts, words,
actions, and sufferings; and I beseech Thee to give me
Thy grace, that I may not offend Thee this day, but that
I may faithfully serve Thee and do Thy holy will in all
things.
Our Father. Hail Mary. I believe in God.
An Act of Faith.—I firmly believe that there is one God;
and that in this one God there are three Persons, the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost; that the Son took to Him
self the nature of man, from the Virgin Mary’s womb, by
68
�APPENDIX
<59
the power of the Holy Ghost; and that in this our human
nature He was crucified and died for us; that afterwards
He rose again and ascended into heaven ; from thence He
shall come to repay the just with everlasting glory, and
the. wicked with everlasting punishment. Moreover, I
believe whatsoever else the Catholic Church proposes to
be believed; and this because God, who is the sovereign
Truth, who can neither deceive nor be deceived, has re
vealed all these things to this His Church.
An Act of Hope.—0 my God, relying on Thy almighty
power and Thv infinite mercy and goodness, and because
Thou art faithful to Thy promises, I trust in Thee that
Thou wilt grant me forgiveness of my sins, through the
merits of Jesus Christ Thy Son ; and that Thou wilt give
me the. assistance of Thy grace, with which I may labour
to continue to the end in the diligent exercise of all good
works, and may deserve to obtain the glory which Thou
hast promised in heaven.
An Act of Charity.—0 Lord my God, I love Thee with
my whole heart, and above all things, because Thou, 0
God, art the sovereign Good, and for Thine own infinite
perfections art most worthy of all love; and for Thy sake
I also love my neighbour as myself.
An Act of Contrition.—0 my God, I am sorry, and beg
pardon for all my sins, and detest them above all things,
because they deserve Thy dreadful punishments, because
they have crucified my loving Saviour Jesus Christ, and,
most of all, because they offend Thine infinite goodness;
and I firmly resolve, by the help of Thy grace, never to
offend Thee again, and carefully to avoid the occasions
of sin.
Holy Mary, be a Mother to me.
0 my good. Angel, whom God has appointed to be my
guardian, enlighten and protect me, direct and govern me
during this day.
All ye Angels and Saints of God, pray for me.
May our Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and
bring us to life everlasting ; and may the souls of the faith
ful, departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
�7©
APPENDIX
A SHORT FORM OF NIGHT PRAYERS.
In the name or the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. Amen.
Our Father. Hail Mary. I believe in God.
I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever a
Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John
the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and to
all the Saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought,
word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech the
blessed Mary ever a Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel,
blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul,
and all the Saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me.
0 my God, I believe that Thou art here present; and
that Thou observest all my actions, all my thoughts, and
the most secret motions of my heart. I adore Thee and
I love Thee with my whole heart.
I return Thee thanks for all the benefits which I have
ever received from Thee, and particularly this day. Give
me light, 0 my God, to see what sins I have committed
this day, and grant me grace to be truly sorry for them.
Here examine whether you have offended God during
the day, by any thought, word, or deed, or by neglect
of any duty.
0 my God, who art infinitely good in Thyself, and in
finitely good to me, 1 beg pardon from my heart for all
my offences against Thee. I am sorry for all my sins, and
detest them above all things, because they deserve Thy
dreadful punishments, because they have crucified my
loving Saviour Jesus Christ, and because they offend Thy
infinite goodness ; and I am firmly resolved, by the help
of Thy grace, never to offend Thee for the time to come,
nd carefully to avoid the occasions of sin.
Here put yourself in the disposition you desire to be
found in at the hour of death.
0 my God, I accept of death as an act of homage and
adoration which I owe to Thy Divine Majesty, as a punish-
�APPENDIX
71
Blent justly due to my sine, in union with the death of mj
dear Redeemer, and as the only means of coming to Thee,
my beginning and last end.
Into Thy hands, 0 Lord, I commend my spirit; Lord
Jesus, receive my soul.
O Holy Mary, be a mother to me.
May the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and all th6
Saints pray for us to the Lord, that we may be preserved
this night from sin and all evils. Amen.
0 my good Angel, whom God has appointed to be my
guardian, watch over me during this night.
All ye Angels and Saints of God, pray for me.
May our Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and
bring us to life everlasting; and may the souls of the faithful
departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
THE FIFTEEN MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY.
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES.
1.
2.
3.
4.
B.
The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin,
The Visitation.
The Nativity of our Blessed Lord.
The Presentation of our Lord in the Temple,
The Finding of our Lord in the Temple.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Agony of our Lord in the Garden.
The Scourging of our Lord at the Pillar.
The Crowning of our Lord with Thorns.
The Carrying of the Cross by our Lord,
The Crucifixion.
THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES.
THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Resurrection of our Lord.
The Ascension of our Lord.
The Descent of the Holy Ghost on the Apostles.
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into heaven
The Coronation of our Blessed Mother in heaven.
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APPENDIX
SALVE REGINA.
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy; hail, our life, our
sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished
children of Eve. To thee do we send forth our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn, then,
most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us;
and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of
thy womb, Jesus. O clement, 0 pious, 0 sweet Virgin
Mary.
THE ANGELUS.
To be said morning, noon, and night, in memory of God
the Son becoming man for our Salvation.
1. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary:
And she conceived by the Holy Ghost.— Hail
Mary, &c.
2. Behold the handmaid of the Lord :
Be it done unto me according to Thy word.—Hail
Mary.
3. And the word was made Flesh :
And dwelt amongst us.—Hail Mary.
F. Pray for us, 0 Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of
Christ.
Let us pray.
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, 0 Lord, Thy grace into our
nearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son,
was made known by the message of an Angel, may, by His
Passion and Cross, be brought to the glory of His resurrec
tion, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
May the Divine assistance remain always with us.
And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
THE DIVINE PRAISES.
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
�APPENDIX
73
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste Sponse.
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.
CHIEF HERESIES.
1. The Arians, founded by Arius, an ambitious cleric of
Alexandria, who denied the divinity of our Lord, and
said that He was not begotten of the Father, but made
by Him ; that He was not equal to, but inferior to, the
Father. These heretics were condemned at the Council
of Nice, a town in Bithynia, a.d. 325, under Popo
S. Sylvester I. The Nicene Creed was drawn up at this
Council.
2. The Manicheans, who taught that our Lord did not
take to Himself a real body, but only the appearanoe of
a body, something similar to what the angels assumed
when they visited holy persons, &c., as mentioned in
Scripture. They also said that there were two gods, a
good one and a bad one. These heresies were commenced
about a.d. 326.
8. The Macedonians, founded by Macedonius, who had
usurped the See of Constantinople. He denied the God
head, of the Holy Ghost, and said that He was only a
creation like the angels, but of a higher order. This
heresy was condemned at the First Council of Constanti
nople, A.D. 381, under Pope S. Damasus.
4. The Pelagians, founded by Pelagius, a native of Britain.
He denied the existence of original sin in the soul of man,
and taught that without the aid of grace man is perfectly
able to fulfil the law of God. This heresy was con
*
demned at a council of African Bishops held at Carthage,
a.d. 416; the decision of the council being confirmed by
Pope S. Innocent.
5. The Nestorians, founded by Nestorius, Bishop of Con
stantinople. He taught that there were two separate.
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APPENDIX
persons in our Lord, one the Son of God, and the other
the son of man; and that the Blessed Virgin was not the
Mother of God, but of the man Christ. This heresy was
condemned at the Council of Ephesus, a.d. 431, under
Pope S. Celestine I.
6. The Eutychlans, founded by Eutyches, who taught
that there was only one nature, the divine, in our Lord.
He said, .that at the moment of the Incarnation the human
nature was absorbed by, or changed into, the divine.
This heresy was condemned at the Council of Chalcedon,
A.D. 451, under Pope S. Leo the Great.
7. The Semi-Pelagians taught that the beginning of Faith
and first desire of virtue came from the powers of man
alone, unassisted by divine grace. They also said that
the grace of final perseverance can be merited by our
own efforts, and is not a free gift of God. This heresy
was first taught by some priests of Marseilles. It was
condemned at the Second Council of Orange, A.D. 529;
the decrees of the council being confirmed by Pope
Boniface II.
8. The Monothelites said that Jesus Christ had no separate
human will, but only a divine one. They were condemned
at the Third Council of Constantinople, a.d. 680, under
Pope S. Agatho.
9. The Iconoclasts, or breakers of holy images, rejected
the use of holy images and pictures, and the practice of
paying them due respect. They were condemned at the
Second Council of Nice, a.d. 757, under Pope Adrian I.
10. The Greek Heresy and Schism was commenced by
Photius, who, though not a priest, took unjust possession
of the See of Constantinople. This schism was con
summated in a.d. 1054, by Michael Cerularius, who broke
entirely away from the supremacy of the Popes, and
established what is called the ‘Greek Church.’ The
Greeks say that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father
alone, instead of from the Father and the Son, as taught
by the Catholic Church from the beginning. Photius was
deposed and condemned at the J’oiwfh Council of Con-
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75
ttantinople, a.d. 870, under Pope AdrianII., and S. Igna
tius was restored to his See.
11. Heresy of Berangarlus, who was Archdeacon of Angers,
He said that the Body and Blood of our Lord are not
really present in the Holy Eucharist, but only in figure.
He was condemned at Rome a.d. 1078.
12. The Aioigenses taught that there were two Gods and
two Christs; they condemned marriage, denied all the
Sacraments and the Resurrection of the Body. It was
whilst preaching to these heretics that the devotion of
the ‘ Rosary,’ was revealed by the Blessed Virgin to S.
Dominic.
13. The Waldenses taught that it was a heinous sin for a
magistrate to condemn to death for any crime; that it
was a mortal sin to take an oath ; and that the clergy
became reprobates by holding one farthing’s worth
of property. The Albigenses and Waldenses were con
demned at the Third Lateran Council, under Pope
Alexander IIL, A.D. 1179.
14. Heresy of Wlckliff. This man taught that the Pope is
not the Head of the Church; that Bishops have no
pre-eminence over simple priests ; that all ecclesiastical
powers are either forfeited or are in abeyance during
mortal sin; that man is bound to sin; that God ap
proves of sin ; that confession is quite useless ; and that
temporal princes should cut off the head of any ecclesi
astic who sinned, &c. These doctrines were, after the
death of .Wickliff, preached by John Huss and his
followers in the towns and villages of Bohemia. Con
demned at the Council of Constance, a.d. 1414.
6. Heresy of Luther. Luther was a monk of the Order of
8. Augustine, and professor in the University of Witten
berg. Pride and jealousy induced him to attack the
Ancient Faith, and invent a new creed. Pope Leo X.
having granted a plenary indulgence, Luther was an
noyed that the commission to preach it was given to the
Dominicans and not to his own Order. He then attacked
the doctrine of indulgences itself. He also
that
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APPENDIX
Faith alone will save mankind ; that the sacrifice of the
Mass is an abomination • that there is no necessity for
confession, abstinence, fasting, or any mortification what
ever. He said that priests might marry ; he denied the
supremacy of the Pope; be wrote against purgatory, free
will, and almost every article of Christian belief.
16. Calvin, who is regarded as second only to Luther, was
the founder of Presbyterianism. His chief stronghold
was Geneva. He taught, among other things, that God
created mankind on purpose to damn the greater number
of them ; that God predetermined the Fall of Adam with
its consequences; and that man has practically no free
will. He renounced not only the Pope, but bishops and
priests also.
At the Council of Trent, held from 1545 to 1563 a.d.,
the heresies of Luther, Calvin, and others were con
demned. The ‘Creed of Pope Pius IV.’ was drawn up
at this council.
17. The Jansenists, so called after their leader Jansenius,
Bishop of Ypres, in Flanders. He maintained that man
was not free; that it was impossible to keep some of
God’s commandments; that all good works of un
believers are but sins; that God will punish us for not
practising virtues which are not in our power; that
our Lord died to save only a few privileged souls, and
not the whole human race. Two illustrious French
Bishops, Bossuet and Ftnelon, defended the truth against
these heretics. Christopher de Beaumont, Archbishop of
Paris (1746-1781), was also a great champion of the true
faith, and by his virtues and exertions did much to put
down this heresy, which bad already been condemned by
the Holy See.
18. The Modernists, who attempted to explain the faith by
rationalising it. Condemned by Pope Pius X.
COUNCILS.
A council is an assembly of the Prelates of the Church,
called together by their lawful head, in order to decide
questions concerning Faith, or Morals, or ecclesiastical dis
cipline. The following are the chief kinds of Councils:—
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1. A General or (Ecumenical Council, being one to which
the Bisho^js of the whole world are lawfully summoned
by the Pope, or with his consent, and presided over by
him or by his legates. Its decrees must also have the
approval of the Sovereign Pontiff. General Councils are
Infallible—that is, they cannot teach us anything wrong
in Faith or in Morals. 2. A Provincial Council, which
is a meeting of the Bishops of one province. 3. A
National Council, which is a gathering of the Bishops
of one country. 4. A Diocesan Council, which is a
Council composed of the Bishop and clergy of a diocese,
and is usually called a Synod.
The following are the names of tbe General Councils
which have been held up to the present time. The first
eight were held in Asia, or the Eastern part of Christen
dom ; and the remainder in Europe, or the Western
part:—
1. First of Nice, a.d. 325, condemned heresy of Arius.
2. First of Constantinople, A.D. 381, condemned heresy of
Macedonius.
3. Council of Ephesus, a.d. 431, condemned heresy of
Nestorius.
4. Council of Chalcedon, A.D. 451, condemned heresy of
Eutyches.
5. Second of Constantinople, A.D. 553, condemned books
of Theodorus favouring Nestorian heresy.
6. Third of Constantinople, a.d. 680, condemned heresy
of Monothelites.
7. Second of Nice, a.d. 787, condemned heresy of Icono
clasts,
8. Fourth of Constantinople, a.d. 870, condemned and
deposed Photius, author of Greek Schism.
9. First Lateran, A.D. 1123, regulated rights of Church
and Emperors in election of Bishops and Abbots.
10. Second Lateran, a.d. 1139, condemned heresies of Peter
of Bruys and Arnold of Brescia.
11. Third Lateran, A.D. 1179, condemned heresies of Wal
denses and Albigenses.
12. Fourth Lateran, a.d. 1215, for general legislation.
13. First of Lyons, a.d. 1245, decreed a general crusade.
14. Second of Lyons, A.D. 1274, decreed the double pro
cession of the Holy Ghost.
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APPENDIX
15. Council of Vienne, A.D. 1312, abolished order of Knights
Templars.
16. Council of Florence, a.d. 1439-45, a reconciliation of
the Greeks took place.
17. Fifth Lateran, a.d. 1512, for re-establishment of dis
cipline in Church.
18. Council of Trent, a.d. 1545-63, heresies of Luther,
Calvin, and others condemned.
19. Vatican Council, a.d. 1869-70, solemnly deoreed the
infallibility of the Pope in the following words: ‘ We
teach and define that it is a dogma divinely revealed:
That the Pi.oman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedrd
—that is, when, in the discharge of his office of pastor
and teacher of all Christians, by virtue of his supreme
apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding
faith or morals, to be held by the Universal Church
—is, by the divine assistance promised to him in
blessed Peter, possessed of that infallibility with
which the Divine Redeemer willed that the Church
should be endowed in defining doctrine regarding
faith or morals; and that, therefore, such definitions
of the Roman Pontiffs are of themselves, and not
from the consent of the Church, irreformable.’
PRINCIPAL FEASTS.
1. * he Nativity is a solemn feast kept on the 25th of
T
December, in honour of the birth of Christ. It is also
called Chrtstmas from the Mass of the birth of Christ.
On this day priests are allowed to say three Masses in
honour of the three births of our Lord : (1) His eternal
birth in the bosom of His Father ; (2) His temporal birth
in the stable at Bethlehem; (3) His spiritual birth in the
hearts of the just.
2. * he Circumcision is a feast in memory of the day
T
upon which our Lord received the adorable name of
Jesus, brought down from heaven and made known to
Note.—The FeastB marked with an asterisk * are the Holidays
of Obligation in England.
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79
yhe Blessed Virgin by the angel Gabriel. This festival
is kept on the eighth day after Christmas, and is a very
ancient one. In the sixth century the Church made it a
solemn feast, in order to atone in some way for the
crimes committed by the Pagans on that day, which is
the first in the year, and is consequently called New
Year’s day.
o. * he Epiphany is a feast kept on the 6th of January,
T
in honour and memory of Christ’s manifestation to the
Gentiles, represented by the three kings of the East,
Gaspar, Melchior, and Baltassar, who, guided by a
miraculous star, came to adore Him. This festival is
also called Twelfth-day, because it is celebrated on the
twelfth day after Christmas.
4. The Purification is a feast kept on the 2nd of February,
in honour of (1) the Purification of the Blessed Virgin in
the Temple at Jerusalem, and (2) the Presentation of our
Lord on the same occasion, according to the law of
Moses. This feast is also called Candlemas, because
before the Mass of this day the Church blesses candles
and makes a procession with blest candles, in the
hands of the faithful, in memory of the divine light
with which Christ illuminated the whole Church at
His Presentation, when the aged and holy Simeon called
Him, ‘A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the
glory of His people Israel ’ (& Luke ii. 32).
B. The Resurrection is a feast in honour of our Lord’s
rising again from the dead by His own power on the
third day after His Crucifixion. It is kept on the first
Sunday after the first full moon following the 21st of
March, and occurs sometimes a day and sometimes a
few weeks after that date. It is called Easter, from
‘Oriens,’ which signifies the East or Rising, and is one
of the titles of Christ: ‘ And His name shall be called
Obeens ’ (Zach. iv. 12).
6. The Annunciation is a feast kept on the 25th of March,
in memory of the angel Gabriel being sent to our Lady
to announce to her that she should be the mother of
God. At this time our Lady was living at Nasareth.
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APPENDIX
7. * he Ascension is a feast kept on the fortieth day
T
after Easter, in memory of our Lord’s Ascension into
heaven from the top of Mount Olivet, in presence of His
Blessed Mother and His Apostles and disciples. He took
with Him the souls of the just who had died before His
coming.
8. Pentecost is a solemn feast kept on the fiftieth day
after Easter in honour of the coming of the Holy Ghost
upon the heads of the Apostles, in the form of fiery
tongues. The word ‘Pentecost’ means fiftieth. The
time from Easter to Trinity Sunday is the Paschal time,
which is a joyful preparation for this feast. It is also
called Whitsunday, from the Catechumens, who were
clothed in white, and were admitted on the eve of this
feast to the Sacrament of Baptism.
9. Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Whitsunday,
and is a day on which the Church honours in an especial
manner one God in three persons. The * Gloria Patri ’
is a prayer in honour of the Blessed Trinity. This devo
tion began about the end of the ninth century.
10. * he Feast of SS. Peter and Paul is kept on the
T
29th of June, in honour of the prince of the Apostles
and the great Apostle of the Gentiles, who were both
martyred on this day at Borne. S. Peter was crucified
with his head downwards, as he felt himself unworthy
to die in the same manner and posture as his divine
Master. S. Paul, being a Boman citizen, was beheaded.
11. The Invention of the Holy Cross is a feast established
in memory of the miraculous cross which appeared to
Constantine, a.d. 312, and of the finding of the true
cross by S. Helena, a.d. 326, after it had been hidden
and buried by the infidels for 180 years. This feast is
kept on the 3rd of May.
12. “Corpus Christi is a feast instituted by the Church in
honour of the Body and Blood of Christ, really present
in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. The
festival is kept on the first Thursday after Trinity
Sunday. The observance of this feast became general
�APPENDIX
about the year 1312, after the Council at Vienne.
8l
It
was established tn order to assist in making reparation
for the sins committed against our Lord in the Blessed
Sacrament; and to reanimate the devotion of Christians
towards that adorable mystery.
13. .The Visitation is in memory of the Blessed Virgin’s
visit to her cousin S. Elizabeth. This feast was estab
lished by Pope Urban VI., and was afterwards extended
to the whole Church, in the fourteenth century, by Pope
Boniface IX. The 2nd of July is the day on which the
feast is kept.
14. * he Assumption is kept on the 15th of August, and
T
is in memory of our Lady being assumed or taken up into
Heaven, both soul and body, after her death.
15. The Nativity of our Lady is a feast in honour of her
birth, and is kept on the 8th of September. It is of very
ancient origin.
16. The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is a feast established
in the seventh century in memory of the exaltation or
setting up of the Cross by Heraclius the emperor, who
regained it from the Persians. He carried it on his own
shoulders to Mount Calvary. This feast is kept on the
14th of September.
17. The Feast of Michaelmas is kept on the 29th of
September, and is in honour of S. Michael, prince of the
heavenly host, who remained faithful to God, and de
feated Lucifer and the apostate angels in a great battle
fought in heaven in defence of God’s honour (Apoc. xii. 7).
18. * he Feast of All Saints is kept on the 1st of November,
T
and was established at Rome by Pope Boniface IV. On
this day we honour all the Saints, especially those who
have no fixed festivals during the year.
j.9. Commemoration of All Souls is a day set apart by the
Church in memory of all the faithful departed, and upon
which special prayers are said that they may be freed
from their suffering, and soon obtain everlasting rest in
heaven.
the dead.
On this day priests may say three masses for
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APPENDIX
20. The Presentation of our Lady is a feast kept on the
21st of November in honour of Mary, who was presented
in the Temple of Jerusalem by her parents, S. Joachim
and S. Anne.
21. Palm Sunday is the Sunday immediately preceding
Easter Sunday, and is in honour of our Lord’s triumphal
entry into Jerusalem. It receives its name from the cir
cumstances of palm branches having been thrown under
the feet of our Lord, the people crying out, ‘ Hosanna to
the Son of David’ (S'. Matt. xxi. 15). On this day palms
are blessed and distributed to the faithful.
22. Maundy Thursday is a feast in memory of our Lord’s
Last Supper, when He instituted the Holy Eucharist and
washed His disciples’ feet. During Mass on this day the
Bishop most solemnly blesses the holy oils used in the
administration of the Sacraments. There is only ono
Mass on this day in each church. The priest consecrates
two Hosts, one of which he receives, and the other is
placed in a chalice and carried in solemn procession to
an altar prepared for its reception, called the ‘Altar of
Repose’ or the ‘Sepulchre.’ Here it remains till Good
Friday, when it is taken back to the High Altar, where
the priest communicates.
23. Ash Wednesday is a day of public penance, and is so
called from the ceremony of blessing ashes on that day,
with which the priest signs the people with a cross on
their foreheads, at the same time saying, ‘Remember,
man, thou art but dust, and to dust thou shalt return.’
Lent begins with this day.
34. The Rogation Days are the Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday of the fifth week after Easter. They are
days on which special supplication is made for pardon
of sins, peace, fruits of the earth, temperateness of the
seasons, &c.
26. Holy Saturday is the day before Easter Sunday, On
this day the new fire, the Paschal candle, and the baptismal
font are blessed.
�APPENDIX
»3
VESTMENTS, &c.
1. The Amice is a white linen veil which the priest first
passes over his head and then covers his shoulders with.
It represents the veil with which the Jews covered the
face of Christ when they buffeted Him in the house of
Caiphas and bade Him prophesy who it was that struck
Him (S. Luke xxii. 64).
2. The Alb is a large white tunic which descends to the
feet. It represents the white garment that Herod put
on our Lord.
3. The Girdle is a cord passed round the waist and used for
holding up the Alb.
4. The Maniple is a vestment whioh the priest carries upon
his left arm.
0. The Stole is a vestment which the priest passes around his
neck and crosses over his breast. The girdle, maniple,
and stole represent the cords and bands with which our
Lord was bound during His Passion.
6. The Chasuble, or outward vestment, represents the
purple garment with which Jesus was clothed in derision
as a mock king in the house of Pilate. Upon this garment
is a large cross to remind us of that which Christ bore to
Calvary.
In these vestments the Church makes use of five colours,
viz. (1) White on the feasts of our Lord, the Blessed Virgin,
of the angels, and of saints that were not martyrs. (2) Red
on the feasts of Pentecost, of the finding and exaltation
of the cross, and of the apostles and martyrs. (3) Purple,
which is the penitential colour, is used in the penitential
times of Advent and Lent, and upon Vigils and Emberdays. (4) Green on most other Sundays and ordinary
days throughout the year. (5) Black on Good Friday and
in Masses for the Dead.
7. The Corporal is a square piece of linen upon which
the Host rests from the Offertory to the priest’s Com
munion.
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APPENDIX
3. The Pall is a square piece of linen, by which the cup
of the chalice is covered. The corporal, the pall, and
the altar-cloths, of which there are three represent the
linen in which the dead body of Christ was shrouded and
buried.
9. The Chalice is the cup which the priest uses at the
altar, in which to consecrate, and from which to receive,
the precious Blood of .our Lord.
10. The Paten is a golden plate upon which the priest puts
the Host, which he offers and consecrates in the Mass.
11. The Ciborium is a sacred vessel resembling a chalice,
closed with a lid, in which the Holy Eucharist is kept for
the use of Communicants.
12. The Monstrance is a kind of portable tabernacle made
in such a manner that the Blessed Sacrament may be
distinctly seen by the faithful. This vessel is sometimes
called the ‘ Remonstrance.’
13. Lighted Candles are always uHon the altar during
Mass (1) to honour the victory and triumph of Jesus by
these lights, which are tokens of our joy and of His
glory; and (2) to denote the light of faith with which
we are to approach Him, and to signify that Christ is
‘the true light which enlighteneth every man that
cometh into the world.’
14. The Missal is the Mass-book wherein the holy service
is contained.
15. A small bell is occasionally rung during Mass to give
notice to such as cannot see the altar of the more solemn
parts of the sacrifice.
16. Incense is symbolical of prayer, according to the words
of David: * Let my prayer, 0 Lord, be directed as in
cense in Thy sight.’ The priest is incensed because he
is the representative of Jesus Christ. To offer incense
to a person was a mark of great honour among the
ancients.
17. The Tabernacle Veil is to remind us of the presence of
our Ijord i-n the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.
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85
THE HIERARCHY.
Thb Church on earth is composed of two great parts,
viz., those who teach, and those who are taught. The
former consists of—
L The Pope, who is the visible head of the Church, the
successor of St. Peter and Bishop of Rome. His chief
advisers are the Cardinals or princes of the Church.
They are seventy in number, and mostly reside in the
neighbourhood of the Holy See. The Pope is elected
by the College of Cardinals.
2. The Bishops, who are the successors of the Apostles.
Each bishop rules a district called a diocese. Several
dioceses form a province, and the Bishop who governs
the chief diocese in the province is called an Archbishop.
A diocese is divided into parishes or missions, in which
live one, or two, or more priests.
3 The Priests are men who have received Holy Orders.
A priest chosen to be Bishop is raised to this high office
by consecration. The faithful in each parish or mission
are under their priests, who have to preach the Word,
administer the Sacraments, offer sacrifice, and direct in
the way of salvation those committed to their charge.
The priests are under their Bishops, and all the Bishops
are under the Pope. There are several Popes who have
occupied the pontifical throne over twenty-three years
each.
PRINCIPAL DEVOTIONS.
1. The Stations of the Cross is a devotional exercise in
stituted as a means of helping us to meditate on, and
have sympathy for, the sufferings of our Divine Lord.
The early Christians had the deepest love and venera
tion for those piaces made sacred by the sufferings and
presence of Jesus Christ. Devout pilgrims went to the
Holy Land, from the farthest narts of the earth, to visit
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APPENDIX
Jerusalem, the Garden of Olives, and Mount Calvary,
To enoourage the piety and devotion of her children, the
Church granted many and great indulgences to those
who with true sorrow visited the scenes of our Lord’s
Passion. Now there were many who wished to share in
this devotion, as well as the spiritual blessings attached
to it, but who, through various causes, were unable to do
so; therefore the Church sanctioned the establishment
in ohurches of the ‘Stations of the Cross,’ whioh are
fourteen in number. The same indulgences are granted
to persons who practise this devotion as are granted to
those who visit the Holy Places.
2. The Three Sours’ Agony is a devotion specially prac
tised on Good Friday, in honour of the three last hours
of the life of our Lord, We meditate upon His sufferings
on. the Cross, and upon His seven last words. The devo
tion usually begins at twelve o’clock, the hour our Lord
was nailed to the Cross, and finishes about three o’clock,
being the time He died.
3. The Sacred Heart. We owe to the Sacred Heart of
our Lord the same worship of adoration that we owe to
His Humanity, for it is personally united to the Divinity.
By practising this devotion, we honour the infinite love
of the Heart of Jesus for all mankind, and, in some
measure, repair the outrages to which He is exposed in
the Blessed Eucharist. This devotion was revealed to
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, of the monastery of
Paray-le-Monial, who lived in the seventeenth century.
This festival is kept on the Friday after the octave of
Corpus Christi.
4. The Five Wounds. We honour the Five Sacred
Wounds of our Lord, and have devotion to them,
because they are the channels through which the
Prebious Blood flowed for our redemption.
5. The Precious Blood. We honour the Precious Blood
of our Lord, and have devotion to it, because it is the
price of our redemption, and our salvation is due to its
merits. This festival is kept on the 1st of July.
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87
6. The ‘O.uarant’ * or ' Forty Hours’ ’ Prayer is a most
Ore
solemn form of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
This devotion was first instituted in Milan in 1534, and
received the formal sanction of Pope Clement VIII. in
1592. It begins and ends with a High Mass and proces
sion, and accompanied with particular prayers.
7. The Benediction is a short and less solemn kind of Ex
position, which takes place after Mass sometimes, but
usually after Vespers, or as an evening service. After
the * Tantum Ergo’ has been sung, the priest makes the
sign of the cross with the Blessed Sacrament over the
people.
8. Vespers and Compline form a part of what is called the
* Divine Office,’ which all priests are bound to say every
day, and which is divided into seven hours or portions to
be said at certain hours. Of these the evening hours are
‘Vespers,’ which means ‘evening’; and ‘Compline,’
which means ‘ finishing,’ because it finishes the Office.
The order of Vespers is as follows: (1) Five psalms,
with antiphons; (2) the Capitulum, or Little Chapter ;
(3) a hymn; (4) Versicle and Response; (5) the Magnificat,
with its antiphon; (6) the Prayer; (7) Conclusion, after
which comes an anthem to the Blessed Virgin. Of these
there are four, which are taken in turn according to the
S6&S0Q
The order of Complin is as follows : fl) The Confiteor,
etc.; (2) three psalms, with one antiphon; (3) a hymn;
(4) a little Chapter; (5) the song of holy Simeon, the
’’Nunc Dimittis ’; (6) the prayer ; (7) one of the four
anthems used at Vespers.
9. The Angelas is a devotion in honour of the Incarnation
of Jesus Christ. It consists of three versicles or little
verses, each followed by a ‘ Hail Mary.’ .This devotion
reminds us how the mystery of our Lord’s coming into
this world was made known to Mary ; and how, on her
giving her assent to be the Mother of God, the Incarna
tion actually took place. It receives its name from the
first word with which it commences.
10. The Rosary is an easy form of vocal and mental prayer
in honour of our Lady. It is divided into three greater
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APPENDIX
parts, called respectively the Joyful, Sorrowful, nnd
Glorious Mysteries. Each of these la again divided into
five smaller parts, which commemorate some event eithei
in the life of our Lord or in that of the Blessed Virgin.
Whilst meditating upon each of these mysteries we say
one ‘ Our Father,’ ten * Hail Marys,’ and one ‘ Glory be
to the Father.’
The devotion was revealed by our Lady to S. Dominic
in the thirteenth century whilst be was preaching to the
Albigenses in France. There are several indulgences
attached to its recitation, and a special festival has
been instituted in its honour, which is kept on October
7th.
There is another form of this devotion, called the
‘Living Rosary,’ which has many indulgences attached
to it. The fifteen mysteries are divided among fifteen
people. Each person says one mystery every day for a
month, when a new distribution takes place for the next
month, and so on throughout the year. In saying the
Rosary it is the practice to use a set of beads made
specially for this devotion, which help us to say the right
number of ‘Hail Marys,’&e., without being distracted
by counting, or thinking of the number. Indulgences
may be gained by using blessed beads.
11. The Scapular consists of two square pieces of woollen
stuff, joined to each other by two strings, so that one
piece may hang over the breast, and the other over the
back, of the wearer. It represents the habit, or dress of
a religious order. The scapular must be blessed, and put
on each person in due form, by those who have the right
of investing with it. If the scapular i3 worn out, or lost,
you may make another for yourself, and wear it with the
same advantages and privileges as at first without having
it newly blessed. This does not apply to the soapular of
the Blessed Trinity, which must be blessed every time it
is renewed. The scapulars are each made of a different
coloured material. The following are the chief scapulars:
(1.) The Scapular of our Lady of Mount Carmel, the colour
of which is BROWN, and is the one mostly in use. It was
revealed by our Lady to 9. Simon Stock, superior of th«
�APPENDIX
89
Carmelites, in the beginning of the thirteenth century.
On the 16th of July, the day the vision took place, the
Church keeps the feast of our Lady of Mount Carmel.
(2.) The Scapular of the Seven Dolours, the colour of which
is BLACK, was founded in the thirteenth century by seven
gentlemen residing in Florence, whom the Blessed Virgin
herself, in a vision, ordered to wear a black habit in
memory of her dolours.
(3.) The Scapular of the Immaculate Conception, the colour
of which is blue, was instituted by S. Cajetan of Vicenza,
and by John Peter Caraffa, Archbishop of Chieti, who
was afterwards Pope Paul IV., and died in 1559.
(4.) The Scapular of the Blessed Trinity, the colour of
which is white, was instituted in France in the twelfth
century by S. John of Matha and S. Felix of Valois.
To the latter our Lady herself appeared wearing this
scapular.
(5.) The Scapular of the Passion and of the Sacred Hearts
of Jesus and Mary, the colour of which is RED, was re
vealed to a nun belonging to the Sisters of Charity of
S. Vincent de Paul by our Lord on the 26th of July
1846.
Each of the above Scapulars is connected with some
particular religious order. The brown scapular is con
nected with the Carmelites ; the black with the Order of
Servites; the blue with the Order of Theatines, or Clerks
Regulars; the white with the Order of Trinitarians for
the redemption of captives; and the red with the
community of the Sisters of Charity of S. Vincent de
Paul. A Scapular medal may now be worn in place of
a Scapular.
12. The ‘Agnus Dei’ is a tablet of wax on which the figure
of our Lord, as the 1 Lamb of God,’ is stamped. These
tablets are solemnly blessed by the Pope, on the Saturday
after Easter, in the first and every seventh year of his
Pontificate.
SACRAMENTALS AND CEREMONIES.
Sacbamentals are certain pious practices and things
which are not in themselves Sacraments, but bear a
�9°
APPENDIX
kind of relation or resemblance to them. The principal
difference between them is, that the Sacraments were
instituted by our Lord as the channels of grace, which
they give to all who receive them worthily; whereas the
Sacramentals were instituted by the Church, and do not
of themselves give grace, but produce their effects by the
prayers and blessings of the Church, and depend chiefly
on the pious intentions of the persons who make use of
them. Religious ceremonies are certain signs or actions
established by the Church for the more solemn celebra
tion of the Divine Service. They assist us in elevating
our souls to God and to the contemplation of holy things.
They represent in a visible manner mysteries invisible in
themselves, and thereby make it easier for us to meditate
on them. The following are some of the principal Sacra
mentals and Ceremonies:—
1. Holy Oils, which are employed in administering several
of the Sacraments. They are of three kinds, viz., Oil of
the Sick, which is used for the Sacrament of Extreme
Unction, and with which the different senses are
anointed; Oil of Catechumens, which is used at Baptism,
the person to be baptized being anointed with it on the
breast and between the shoulders ; and Chrism, which is
used at Confirmation, at the consecration of a Bishop,
and of some things specially set apart for the service of
God. The Holy Oils are all olive oil; but the Chrism is
oil mixed with balsam.
3. Holy Water is natural water mixed with a little salt
and blessed by a priest. It reminds us of our Baptism,
and strengthens us against the evil of wicked spirits. It
is in constant use among Catholics. We use it in going
in and coming out of church: in the morning when we
rise, and at night when we retire to rest. When we go
to High Mass the first thing is the * Asperges,’ or sprink
ling of the people with holy water by the priest, to re
mind us that we should be pure and holy when we appear
in the presence of God, and assist at Mass with attention,
innocence, and piety. At the entrance of every Catholio
church is placed a ‘ holy-water etoup,’ and whenever any
thing is blessed it is almost always sprinkled with holy
�APPENDIX
91
-water. Ever since the time of the Apostles holy water
has been in use. Pope Alexander I., who was out the
seventh Pope from S. Peter, makes mention of it in one
of his epistles.
3. Blessed Candles. On the feast of the Purification
candles are blessed before the Mass of the day and
distributed among the people, and lighted and oarried
in procession. This is to remind us that our Saviour,
who is the light of the world, appeared for the first
time on that day in the Temple. It is customary for
Catholics to keep blessed candles and palm-branches in
their houses.
4. Blessed Ashes. On Ash Wednesday ashes are blessed
and placed on the foreheads of the people to remind
them that they are only dust and ashes, and that they
ought to enter upon the holy season of Lent, of which
this is the first day, with a lnsmble and mortified
spirit.
5. Blessed Palma. On Palm Sunday, the first dav of
Holy Week, which is the name given to the week of
our Lord’s Passion, branches of palm and of other trees
are blessed and carried in procession to remind us of the
triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Some
of these are afterwards burned to make the Ashos for
the Ash Wednesday of the following year.
6. The Paschal Candle is blessed and set up on Holy
Saturday, and is the first symbol placed before us on
that day of our Saviour risen from the grave. The five
grains of incense which are inserted represent t)ie five
wounds of our Lord and the ‘ sweet spices' which em
balmed His Body. This candle is lighted, duringthe time
of the high Mass and Vespers ou Sundays and Festivals
in Paschal time, to remind us of the apparitions which
Christ made to His disciples during that period.
7. The Altar is the place of sacrifice—as it were, another
Calvary whereon is celebrated the memorial of Christ’s
passion and death by the pure and unbloody sacrifice of
the Mass. It also represents the table used for the Last
8upper.
�92
APPENDIX
8. The Crucifix, or image of our Saviour on the cross, is
placed upon the altar, that, as the Mass is said there in
remembrance of our Lord’s passion and death both the
priest and the people may have before their eyes during
this sacrifice the image which puts them in mind of those
mysteries.
^h® Tabernacle contains our Lord really present under
the appearance of bread in the consecrated Host; there
fore we bend the knoe in homage and adoration when wa
enter or depart from the church.
^^®en Lights set on a triangular figure on
ednesday, Thursday, and Friday in Holy Week, during
the office of Tenebrae, correspond to certain parts of the
office. The triangular figure signifies that all light of
grace and glory comes from the Blessed Trinity. The
light put under the altar at the end of the office is to
signify the burial of our Lord and the darkness that over
spread the earth at His death. The noise made is to
remind us of the earthquake and the rending of the veil
of the Temple, which happened at the same time,
IL The Drop of Water put into the wine in the chalice by
the priest signifies the union of. the divine and human
natures in Jesus Christ.
12. The Consecrated Elements are elevated by the priest
in the Mass, to represent the elevation of the cross after
our Lord was nailed to it.
13. The Blessing at the end of Mass by the priest represents
the benediction which our Saviour gave to His disciples
before He ascended into heaven from the Mount of
Olives.
14. The Latin Language is used in the celebration of Mass
and most of the other ceremonies of the Western Church,
in order that the service of God may be everywhere the
same; that the same words and prayers may be used, in
order to avoid the changes to which all living languages
are so subject; that the Pastors in all countries may
understand one another; and that Catholics passing
from one country to another may have no difficulty
in joining in the public service, it being the same
everywhere.
�APPENDIX
93
THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST,
1. Wisdom, which teaches us to direct our whole lives and
actions to the honour of God and the salvation of our
souls.
2. Understanding, which enables us to comprehend more
perfectly the great mysteries of our faith.
3. Counsel, which leads us to make a right choice in things
relating to our salvation, and to avoid the deceits of the
devil.
A Fortitude, whereby we are enabled to undergo and
despise all dangers for God s sake, and to be firm and
constant in the performance of our Christian duties.
5. Knowledge, by which we know and understand the wil]
of God, and learn the duties of religion, and distinguish
good from evil.
6. Piety, which makes us devout and zealous in the service
of God, and faithful to Him in all things, and put the
duties of our religion in practice.
7. Fear of the Lord, which checks our rashness, keeps us
from sin, and makes us obedient to the law of God, and
dread ever offending him.
THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY GHOST.
L Charity, which enables us to love God above all things,
and our neighbours as ourselves, for God 8 sake.
2. Joy, which enables us to serve God with cheerful hearts.
8. Peace, which keeps us unmoved in our minds, and helps
us to enjoy a perpetual calmness of conscience, in the
midst of the storms and tempests of the world.
4. Patience, which enables us to suffer willingly and with
resignation all the trials of this life for the love of God.
5. Longanimity, by which we persevere steadfastly in our
duty ; and never stop or grow weary whatever trials wa
may have to endure.
�94
APPENDIX
6. Goodness, by which we avoid injuring others, and are
always ready to be of servioe to others.
7. Benignity, which causes us to conduct ourselves towards
others with kindness and sweetness of temper, both in our
manners and conversation.
A Mildness, which keeps back all motions of passion and
anger, and makes a person really amiable, and beloved
both by God and man.
9. Fidelity, which enables us to keep to our engagements
and fulfil our promises. ■
10. Modesty, which enables us to observe a becoming
deportment and reservation in all our outward actions,
and avoid bestowing an undue amount of' praise upon
ourselves.
11. Continence, which enables us to restrain and resist
carnai inclinations, and become abstemious both in our
meat and drink.
12. Chastity, by which we are enabled to keep a pure soul
in a pure body, and have a great love ana esteem for
angelic purity.
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES AND TRADITION.
The Holy Scripture, or Bible, is the written word of
God. From the beginning the Church has considered
the Holy Scriptures as a treasure entrusted to her
keeping. The Bible is divided into the Old and the
New Testaments.
1. The Old Testament, which consists of twenty-one
Historical Books, relating to the history of the early
ages of the world, or to that of the Jewish nation;
seven Moral Books, consisting of prayers and holy
maxims ; and seventeen Books of Prophecies.
The Historical Books are: The Pentateuch, or five
Books of Moses, vis., Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Num
bers, Deuteronomy; the Book of Josue; the Book of
Judges ; th a Book of Ruth ; the four Books of Kings; th
*
�APPENDIX
two Books of Chronicles or of Paralipomenon; the Book
of Esdras ; the Book of Nehemias ; the Book of Tobias ;
the Book of Judith; the Book of Esther; and the two
Books of the Maccabees.
TAe Moral Books are : The Book of Job; the Psalms;
the Proverbs; Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher; the Canticle
of Canticles; the Book of Wisdom ; and Ecclesiasticus.
The Books of Prophecies are those of Isaias, Jeremias,
Baruch, Ezechiel, Daniel, Osee, Joel, Amos, Abdias,
Jonas, Micheas, Nahum, Habacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus,
Zacharias, and Malachy.
2. The New Testament, which consists of the four
Gospels, or histories of the life of our Saviour Jesus
Christ, viz., the Gospel of S. Matthew, that of S. Mark,
that of S. Luke, and that of S. John ; of the Acts of the
Apostles, by S. Luke; of fourteen Epistles of S. Paul,
viz., one to the Romans, two to the Corinthians, one to
the Galatians, one to the Ephesians, one to the Philippians, one to the Colossians, two to the Thessalonians,
two to Timothy, one to Titus, one to Philemon, and one
to the Hebrews ; of one Epistle of S. James, two Epistles
of S. Peter, three Epistles of S. John, and one Epistle of
S. Jude, and the Book of the Apocalypse.
It belongs to the Church alone to explain to us the
meaning of the Holy Scriptures.
rradition consists of the truths of the Catholic Faith
revealed by Jesus Christ to His Apostles, and handed
down to us through the teaching of the Church and the
writings of the holy Fathers and Doctors. The Fathers
and the Doctors of the Church were men distinguished
by their writings in explanation or in defence of Revela
tion. Some of the chief ones among them were the
following: 8. Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, who
endured from the Arians a long and severe persecution
in defence of the true faith ; died A.D. 373. <8. Basil the
Great, Archbishop of Caesarea; d. 379. S. Gregory
Nazianzen; d. 389. 8. John Chrysostom; d. 407.
S. Cyril of Alexandria; d. 444. S. Ambrose, Archbishop
of Milan; d. 397. S. Jerome; d. 420. 8. Augustine,
Bishop of Hippo in Africa; d. 430. Pope 8. Leo the Great;
�<;6
d. 461.
(O.S.B.),
Aquinas
d. 1274.
Liguori;
APPENDIX
S. Gregory the Great; d. 604. S Bernard
Abbot of Clairvaux; d. 1153. <S. Thomas
(O.P.); d. 1272. S. Bonaventure (O.S.F.);
B. Francis of Sales; d. 1622. S. Alphonsut
d. 1787.
FORM OF CONFESSION.
After you have prayed to God for His grace to help you
(o make a good confession, and carefully examined your
conscience, repeat the Act of Contrition; then enter the
Confessional, and, kneeling down, make the sign of the
Cross, and say: ‘ Pray, father, give me your blessing, for I
have sinned.’ Then say the ‘ Confiteor ’ down to ‘ through
my most grievous fault.’ After you have done this, tell the
priest how long it is since your last confession, and accuse
yourself of your sins, taking care to tell, to the best of your
recollection, the number of times you have committed each,
or any circumstance which may add to its guilt.
When you have told all your sins, say : ‘ For these, and
all my other sins which I cannot recollect, 1 most humbly
ask pardon of God, and penance and absolution of you, my
ghostly father.” The priest will give you a penance,
which you must take care to perform in due time and in
a penitential spirit. He will then pronounce over you the
words of absolution, during which you will say the Act of
Contrition, and afterward leave the confessional, and give
God thanks for having allowed you to partake of the
^race of this great Sacrament.
Made and printed in Great Britain.
�O SALUTARIS.
1 O salutaris Hostla,
Quw coeli pandis ostium ;
Bella premunt hostiha,
Da robur, for auxilium.
2. Uni trinoque Domino
Sit sempiterna gloria,
Qui vitam sine termino
Nobis donet in patria. Amen.
LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
I
Bancta Dei Genitrix,
I Sancta Virgo Virginum,
I Mater Christi,
I Mator divinte gratia,
.Mater purissima,
f Mater castissima,
Mater inviolate,
Mater in ternerata,
Mater amabilis,
Mater admirabilis,
Mater boni coneilil,
!
F®
a
Vas honorabile,
Vas insigne devotionis,
Rosa mystica,
Tunis Davidica,
Tunis eburnea,
Domus aurca,
Foederis area,
Janua coeli,
Stella matutina,
Salus infirmorum.
Refugium peccatorum,
Consolatrix affllctorum,
Auxilium Christianorum,
Regina Angelorum,
Regina Patriareliarum,
Regina Prophetarum,
Regina Apostolorum,
Regina Martyrum,
Regina Confessorum,
Regina Virginum,
Regina Sanctorum omnium,
Regina sine labe originali concepts,
Regina Sacratissimi Rosarli,
Regina pacts,
Agnus Del, qul tollls peccata mundi,
Parce nobls Domine.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
Exaudi nos Domine.
Agnus Dei, qul tollis peccata mundi,
Miserere nobis.
V. Ora pro nobls, sancta Del
Genitrix. R. Ut dignl efficlamur
promissionibus Christi.
Ora pro nobii.
■ Kyrie eloieon.
' Christe eleison.
■ Kyrie eleison.
; Christo audi nos.
Christe exaudi nos.
Pater de ca-lis Dene,
Pill Redemptor mundi Deus,
■Spiritus Sancte Deus,
I Sancta Trinitas, unus Deus,
J fiancta Marla,
O
3
•d
3
SS
o
op
Mater Oreatoris,
TANTUM ERGO.
Mater Balvatoris,
1. Tantum ergo Sacramentum
2. Genltori, Genltoque,
VirgoVeneremur cernul:
prudentissima,
Laus et jubilatio,
J Virgo veneranda,documentum
Et antiquum
Salus, honor, virtue quoquo
I VirgoNovo cedat ritui:
prredicanda,
Sit et benedictio,
I Virgo potens, supplementum
Prwstet tides
Precedent! ab utroque
I VirgoSensuum defcctul.
clemens.
Compar sit laudatio. Amen.
| Virgo Fanem de ccbIo prsestitistl <
V, fidelis,
B ■senium injustiti®,
Speculum se habentem. [Alleluia,•Is. [Alleluia.] B. Omne deleota'
Bedes sapien ti®,
■ Causa nostr® lastitia,
I Vas spirituals,
�PUBLISHERS, BOOKSELLERS, AND
COMPLETE CHURCH FURNISHERS
COMMUNION & CONFIRMATION MEMORIALS.
CRUCIFIXES. To Wear, to Hang, or to Stand. An
unrivalled selection at all prices.
FRAMED PICTURES. At 9d., Is. 9d , 2s., 4s., 8s.,
and upwards. Largest selection in Great Britain.
GUILD BADGES.
Large variety kept.
Special Dies
cut to order.
HOLY WATER FONTS. China from Is. each ; White
and Gilt, Is. Sd. upwards.
MEDALS of every description and in all metals.
Miraculous from l.Jd. per doz. Children of Mary from ljd.
each. The New Scapular Medal from Id. upwards.
PICTURES FOR DISTRIBUTION.
Is. 6d., 28., 2s. 6d.,
per hundred.
ROSARIES.
Cocoa, Cocotine, and in Colours.
At
3d., 4d., 6d., 13. each. Silver mounted, from 2s. upwards.
ROSARY CASES.
Ed, 6d., 8d., 9d., 10d., Is. to
Is. 6d. each.
SACRED HEART BADGES. Jd. and id. each.
SCAPULARS. All kinds at Id., 2d., and 3d. each.
STATUES. Plaster. At Is., Is. 6d., 2s., etc.
Coloured Plaster, 3s. 6d.., 43. £d., 6s., and upwards.
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�
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Victorian Blogging
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A collection of digitised nineteenth-century pamphlets from Conway Hall Library & Archives. This includes the Conway Tracts, Moncure Conway's personal pamphlet library; the Morris Tracts, donated to the library by Miss Morris in 1904; the National Secular Society's pamphlet library and others. The Conway Tracts were bound with additional ephemera, such as lecture programmes and handwritten notes.<br /><br />Please note that these digitised pamphlets have been edited to maximise the accuracy of the OCR, ensuring they are text searchable. If you would like to view un-edited, full-colour versions of any of our pamphlets, please email librarian@conwayhall.org.uk.<br /><br /><span><img src="http://www.heritagefund.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/attachments/TNLHLF_Colour_Logo_English_RGB_0_0.jpg" width="238" height="91" alt="TNLHLF_Colour_Logo_English_RGB_0_0.jpg" /></span>
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Conway Hall Library & Archives
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2018
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Conway Hall Ethical Society
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Pamphlet
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Title
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The explanatory catechism of Christian doctrine, chiefly intended for the use of children in Catholic schools, with an appendix
Description
An account of the resource
Place of publication: London
Collation: 96 p. ; 12 cm.
Notes: Part of the NSS pamphlet collection. Publisher's series list on back page.
Publisher
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Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd.
Date
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[n.d.]
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N213
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Catholic Church
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[Unknown]
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<a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/"><img src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /></a><span> </span><br /><span>This work (The explanatory catechism of Christian doctrine, chiefly intended for the use of children in Catholic schools, with an appendix), identified by </span><a href="https://conwayhallcollections.omeka.net/items/show/www.conwayhall.org.uk"><span>Humanist Library and Archives</span></a><span>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</span>
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application/pdf
Type
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Text
Language
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English
Catholic Church-Catechisms-English
Catholic Church-Doctrines
NSS
Religious Education