08-16-2026, 06:51 AM
PART THIRD.
I. What prevents honest Protestants from becoming Catholics?
— The ignorance of the teachings of the Church, an almost unconquerable prejudice against the Church, the stronger because imbibed at their mothers' breast, confirmed by education, and never combated. With the best faith in the world, they look upon the Church as a school of superannuated superstitions;* her holy authority a tyranny, an usurpation; her priests cunning fellows who cheat the people; her children so many dolts who believe whatever they are told to believe.
Bossuet, after having battled with the ablest ministers of his time, came to the conclusion that ignorance was the greatest obstacle in the way of conversion from Protestantism. After such an experience he published his Exposition of the Catholic Doctrine, which took all ministers by surprise. Astonished to find dogmas, qualified by them as ridiculous and superstitious, so simple, so evident, so great, they charged Bossuet with having disguised the truth to serve his cause. Whereupon he submitted his work to the Pope, and to almost all the Bishops of France, and published a second edition with an authentic approbation of the Holy See, and of about fifty Bishops. It brought back to the Church the great Turenne, the Marquis de Dangeau, grandson of that Duplessis-Mornay who was called the Pope of Huguenots, together with a train of distinguished men.
The ignorance of Protestants in regard to Catholic doctrine is beyond all belief. Do they not assert that we worship the Blessed Virgin, look upon her as a goddess, attribute to her a divine power? Do not many among them charge us with adoring the Pope, selling the Body and Blood of Christ, setting a tariff on confession, and affirm such absurdities as they should be ashamed to impute to men of sense and education?
The Catechism is the most available book to place in the hands of Protestants, — the book we put in the hands of children.
I. What prevents honest Protestants from becoming Catholics?
— The ignorance of the teachings of the Church, an almost unconquerable prejudice against the Church, the stronger because imbibed at their mothers' breast, confirmed by education, and never combated. With the best faith in the world, they look upon the Church as a school of superannuated superstitions;* her holy authority a tyranny, an usurpation; her priests cunning fellows who cheat the people; her children so many dolts who believe whatever they are told to believe.
Bossuet, after having battled with the ablest ministers of his time, came to the conclusion that ignorance was the greatest obstacle in the way of conversion from Protestantism. After such an experience he published his Exposition of the Catholic Doctrine, which took all ministers by surprise. Astonished to find dogmas, qualified by them as ridiculous and superstitious, so simple, so evident, so great, they charged Bossuet with having disguised the truth to serve his cause. Whereupon he submitted his work to the Pope, and to almost all the Bishops of France, and published a second edition with an authentic approbation of the Holy See, and of about fifty Bishops. It brought back to the Church the great Turenne, the Marquis de Dangeau, grandson of that Duplessis-Mornay who was called the Pope of Huguenots, together with a train of distinguished men.
The ignorance of Protestants in regard to Catholic doctrine is beyond all belief. Do they not assert that we worship the Blessed Virgin, look upon her as a goddess, attribute to her a divine power? Do not many among them charge us with adoring the Pope, selling the Body and Blood of Christ, setting a tariff on confession, and affirm such absurdities as they should be ashamed to impute to men of sense and education?
The Catechism is the most available book to place in the hands of Protestants, — the book we put in the hands of children.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre