Yes & No

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or Prohibiting the free exercise thereof. --U.S. Constitution, First Amendment

Nothing about Catholicism so confuses --and often dismays--U.S. Protestants as the stand of the Church on freedom of worship. Does Catholicism support the first article of the Bill of Rights? In U.S. practice, yes; in principle, no.

The August issue of the undenominational Christian Herald presents a question-&-answer analysis of the Catholic position. The Herald asks the questions, takes its answers verbatim from the pamphlet Freedom of Worship, published by the Paulist Fathers with the imprimatur of Cardinal Spellman. Excerpts:

"What is the position of the Roman Catholic Church toward other creeds? '. . . The very existence of any other church is opposed to the command of Christ that all men should join His one Church. . . .'

"Does each American have the right to choose his religion? 'The mere fact that a person sincerely believes a certain religion to be true, gives him no genuine right to accept that religion in opposition to God's command. . . .'

"Does the Roman Catholic Church ever tolerate other religions? '. . . Pope Leo XIII explained this point tersely when . . . he wrote: "The Church indeed deems it unlawful to place the various forms of divine worship on the same footing . . . but does not on that account condemn those rulers who, for the sake of securing some great good or of hindering some great evil patiently allow custom or usage to be a kind of sanction for each form of religion having its place in the state."'

"What is the attitude of the Catholic Church in non-Catholic countries? 'In a country like the United States, where the religious affiliations of the citizens are so numerous and so diverse . . . complete equality for all religions is undoubtedly the most commendable policy. . . .'"

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