St Andrews Seminary - Mapav Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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We might close with a quotation from Har' S A T O R flict with the teaching of the Church, if he is logical, he revises this theory, and if illogical, he persists in error, saying with those whom Arnold Lunn calls infalliblists : I feel this to be true - therefore it is truesl declare it so. Some may say that the Church teaches doc' trines which cannot be demonstrated, and there' fore is just as illogical as is the theorist. Now, the acceptance of doctrine as fact, though it can' not be demonstrated, depends upon faith. In the case of the Church it is faith in a doctrine ref vealed by God and dependent upon His Good' flict with the truths of the Church, even those truths which cannot be demonstrated, the reason' able man, the true scientistis forced by his own reason to yield to the teaching of the Church. Therefore there can be no conflict between the true Church and true science. However, there will always be discord between the pseudofscienf tist and the theories which he would make true by declaration, and the Church which finds fault with science only because that science is un' scientific. ness and Truth. In the case of the scientist, it is a doctrine revealed by a man and dependent upon his own sentiment regarding what is true. There can be no doubt as to which type of faith is the more reasonable and the more scientific. nack, speaking about the philosophic system of the Church: Scholasticism is simply nothing else hut scientific thought and it is merely perpetuat' ing an unwarranted prejudice when it is thought that this part of the general history of science When the theories of science come in con' should be designated by a special name. I SON OF GOD Son of God - With all His goodness, Shining forth In all His fullness. Son of Mary - Man in perfectiong Showing forth His tender affection. Sun of justice - The hope of the sorry, Shining forth In eternal Glory. GEORGE HYNES, '40 twentyfsix

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1 9 3 9 The Church and Science Catholics have so frequently heard the denial of the existence of a conflict between the Church and science that, in some cases, they regard that denial as based upon the authority of the Church. They forget that this is a reasoned conclusion based upon the validity of human reason, and not upon faith. Science is a knowledge of things in their proximate causes. It is founded on experience and generalizations and deductions drawn from those experiences. Scientific experiment demands accuf rate instruments and most careful observation and under such conditions the possihility of error is minimized. Therefore we must admit that facts proved by sciencific experiment are not to be def nied nor the logical conclusions drawn from them. When these conditions are fulfilled we say that the science is true v- it represents things as they are. Now, on the other hand, we have the Catholic Church, founded by Cod and guided by Him, Who is the source of all truth. To deny that such a Church teaches truth would deny the truth and goodness of God and the validity of human reason by means of which these attributes can be discovered. It is very evident that there can be no conf flict between true science and the true Church because they both represent reality-things as they are. In this way if the Church makes a state' ment, science cannot contradict Her and still ref main true. True science is reasonable for it is built upon logical reasoning from observed facts. The Church is reasonable, for none of her doctrines is contrary to reason and many of them can be proved by reasoning upon the knowledge of ex' perience. So, if we were to admit that there can exist a conflict between Church and science, we must deny the validity of human reason with vtihich each is in perfect harmony. If we deny the validity of reason, we wipe out science and there' fore, the conflict. That is all very well, it may be objected, JosEPH LYNCH, '39 but it is not to be denied' that the Church has come in conflict with the teachings of scientists. Does not that give the lie to your conclusion? You must remember that we defined science as a certain knowledge, and it is with this definite knowledge that the Church can have no conflict. However, in the scientihc method there is one step which, while it is a perfectly logical step to take, does not proceed in a logical manner. This is the step in which scientific theories are formed and it is with these theories that the Church occasionally has difficulty. We said that this step does not proceed logic' ally. It lies more in the field of fancy and imag ination than in the field of strict logic. The scien tist tries to picture in his mind what is taking place in reality. He does not proceed slowly and surely, step by step, but draws a mental picture of what he thinks may possibly be occurring in nature. He is like an artist who here and there gets a brief and somewhat hazy glimpse of his model. He fills in the blank spaces with what he thinks is probably truly there, but as these points cannot be demonstrated, they remain merely a guess and, possibly a very pretty picture. We also stated that a man is logical in taking that step, and he remains so as long as he rememf bers that the result of his labor is a theory and not certain scientiic knowledge. Man is naturally interested in mechanism g he always wants to know how and why a thing works. So it is rea' sonable that he should seek to explain natural phenomena. The purpose of science is utilitarian and so, if this step yields practical application, and it does, a scientist is perfectly logical in using it. However, the theorist ceases to be logical when he forgets that he is theorizing and treats his picture as a scientific fact and demands for it the respect that demonstrable facts command. When he comes upon a fact with which his theory does not agree, if he is logical, he revises his theory, if he is illogical, he tries to get around the fact. In the same way, when he comes in conf twentyfjive

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1 9 3 9 Liturgy and Leisure We have been told by those who may be sup' posed to know that when our industrial world adjusts itself, men will have more leisure time on their hands. Now herein, we think, lies a potential field for proponents of the Liturgical Revival. Why cannot this leisure time be turned in the right direction? Why couldn't we educate our Catholic people in the old and good ideas? Why cannot we teach our working people to relate their daily labors to the service of God which finds its fullest expression in the Mass? We must relearn that our Creator comes first, not last, we must offer Him our Hrstffruits, not fag ends. And we must get rid of the notion that a few short, distracted moments will sufiice for things eternal while things temporal receive many long, attentive hours. With proper liturgical training, we can bring it home to the humblest denizen of the working world that the cloister has no monopoly of the divine praises, of meditaf tion, and of what we rather unfortunately call the religious life. He will come to realize that very much of His creature's time must be spent in deliberately and explicitly worshiping the Creator. And then the time may come when the Father's house will be an always warm and wel' coming hearth for the members of the eager and joyful Christian family, who will gather daily, not once a week to pour out spontaneous praise and worship. As things now stand, we have become ex' ceedingly parsimonious in the matter of prayer. It is not so very long ago since Catholic and Protestant alike knelt down reverently each night at the bedside to say definite prayers. Today most people excuse themselves, and this seemly and profitable habit has died out. Countless men and women who would be shocked if anybody accused them of irreligion are content to breathe a few pious ejaculations between the sheets or while dressing and undressing. They salve their consciences with the comfortable theory that the Creator is a very indulgent Being who knows how busy we modern people are. As for public worship, millions of Protestants will not go near anything save a bright, brief service. There are thousands of Catholics who never hear High Mass and rarely appear at Low Mass until after the Epistlek Sharpshooter Catholics, one pastor P. VINCENT PORTER, '39 calls them, Down on one knee at the door. But ours is no Sunday religion. Holy Church acts on the words of the Prophet, Seven times a day will I give praise unto Thee. She knows nothing of the modern quotation, Once in seven days will I dole Thee out one stinted hour. We must take cognizance of the admonition, Young men and maidens, old men and children, praise the name of the Lord. There must be praise to the Holiest in the height and in the depth. We are to bless the Lord continually and MI-Iis praise must be ever in our mouth. Now these thoughts brings us around to an idea which we have long held. In reaction from and in protest to the neopaganism that displays itself in erotic art forms, mad music, racefsuicide and widespread immorality, Catholics will have to become more and more an isolated body. Not isolated, however, in the sense of a cowering in catacombs, but rather in the sense of what has been called a usplendid isolation. It will be an isolation of men and women for whom Credo is an exultant hymn and not fas some thinkj a disciplinary theological recitation. Along this line, the Liturgical revival will be an enormous help. Already we have the Missa Recitata in which all the faithful join. And who knows but that a generous bestowal of Catholic leisure on the praise of God will enrich the Church with new treasures of hymnody and devotional exercises? Of course the Psalms will always remain the chief song of the Church, for the simple reason that the psalmists were inspired by the Holy Ghost. But the Church has never confined Herself to the Psalter. Centuries after David, she had her Am' brose and her Thomas Aquinas, her Prudentius and her Bernard. Demand brings supply, and there is no reason why a new age of Faith shall not bring us new canticles as grand even as the Lauda Sion or the Te Deum. And thus we shall have our isolafour isle of Catholic outrightness. It will not be an island corroded smaller and smaller by the raging tides of unbelief around it. Rather it will be an island growing ever wider and wider through the rich alluvial deposits brought down by its own streams and through the shrinking of the hostile tides. For an outright Catholicism will be a growing Catholicismg because, as St. John said, our Faith is the victory that overcometh the world. twentyfseven