SOCIALISM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 175, 19 April 1919, Page 8

SOCIALISM

PASTORAL BY NETHERLANDS BISHOPS. "A pastoral recently issued by the archbishops and bishops of the Netherlands on Socialism, states:--1. It is forbidden and absolutely unlawful for a Catholic to be a member of anarchist or socialist associations or lo give activo support to such. . _ 2. A Catholic may not join associations which, although not bearing the name of ni:ar«hist or socialist, are united 'with anarchist or socialist associations or actively support the same. , 3. The Catholic who has joined such associations or activeiy supported them is under the serious obligation of renouncing his membership or of ceasing to give such support. . i. Wherefore, so long as a Catholic is a member of such organisations' and has not at least the firm determination' to renounce hii membership as soon as possible. or so long as he gives active support to such organisations, he cannot obtain absolution from sins, and therefore cannot worthily receive any Sacrament. 5. The Catholic who reads professedly anarchistic or socialistic, publications or nt.lends anarchistic or socialistic meetings puts himself thereby in the proximate' occasion of losing his faith, and so long us he will not abandon this'dangerous occasion, he cannot obtain absolution from sins, and therefore cannot worthily receive any Sacrament. f>. The Catholic who necnpU the teaching of nniu'chists or socialists and is known as such, can no longer be considered a member nf the Church, lie must Ih denied the .Sacraments so long lis he renwins an ndliereat o£ anarchism or socialism.