2oo THE MEANS OF GRACE 



and supporting the priesthood in spite of the 

 physical and moral defects of its representatives. 



"None but those who love scandal," says Bishop Linsen- 

 mann, "will contribute to the fall of a weak priest and 

 then abandon him to his fate. By honoring its priests a 

 congregation not only gives proof of its high character, 

 but lends them moral support, and in return receives moral 

 support from them." 8 To the unfaithful or renegade 

 priest, on the other hand, may be applied the French 

 proverb : " Men profit by treason, but despise the trai- 

 tor." 9 Don Bosco advises Catholics to be silent rather 

 than speak ill of a priest. St. Vincent de Paul says: 

 " Consider the matter as we will, brethren, we can con- 

 tribute to no higher cause than the training of a worthy 

 priesthood." 10 



The duties of those who have received Holy Orders are 

 treated in "Special Morals." 1X 



Readings. — Pohle-Preuss, The Sacraments, Vol. IV, pp. 52 sqq. 

 — Th. Slater, S.J., A Compendium of Moral Theology, Vol. II, 

 pp. 241 sqq.— H. Noldin, S.J., Summa Theologiae Moralis, Vol. 

 Ill, nth ed., pp. 541 sqq.— S. Woywod, O.F.M., in the Eccles. 

 Review, Vol. LIX, No. 2, pp. 157 sqq. 



epist. 21: "Si carnales patres et Studiosorum Paupcrum, Augsburg 



matres honorare iubemur, quanto 1620. 



tnagis spiritualesf" (Migne, P. L., 11 See Exposition of Christian 



CXLVIII, 601). Doctrine by a Seminary Professor, 



8 Linsenmann, Lehrbuch der Mo- Vol. III.— J. Kinane, "Clerical Ob- 



raltheologie, p. 240. ligations" (under the new Code of 



"On profile de la trahison, et Canon Law), in the Irish Eccles. 



Von dcte-te le traitre." Record, Fifth Series, Vol. XI, No. 



10 Cfr. J. Gretser, S. J., Mcecenas 606, pp. 468 sqq. 



