THE ORANGE PARADE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16606, 18 July 1914, Page 13

THE ORANGE PARADE.

TO THJt XDITOR. Sir,—A not uncommon trick with, some bigoted Protestants when attack- f ing the Catholic Church is to ring in the name of some.individual whom nobody knows, and whoso existence would be most difficult to prove. Having invented their man, they proceed to invest him with some responsible; office in the Catholic Church. He must he, at least, a priest, "and in the case of a woman, a nun with the title " escaped " prefixed. Then some old, wornout and oft-refuted falsehood against the church is put into his or her mouth; and the trick is done. And should this unknown individual say that "Catholics are not allowed to read the' Bible," his wofds must be infallible truth with these bigots; even though' the Pope and all the bishops in Council assembled should say the statement is false. . •*''•:■.:

The letter of Pope Pius IV. to Arch-, bishop Martini of Florence, dated* Rome, April, 1778, .which I quoted in i my last letter, proves to the hilt, that' Catholics are not only allowed, but en-, couraged to read the Bible. The Pope's letter is found.on tho first page of the. Catholic Bible. But all this will not. satisfy Mr Allan Job. of Linwood, who; seems to be suffering from a bad attack,) of anti-Catholic prejudice. Mr Allan-' Job tells us that a certain Padre. Genecchi, of the Jerome Society, stated in the Church of Santa Maria at Romethat Catholics were • hot allowed to read the Bible.

It seems rather strange that no Catholic priest or layman ever heard of Padre' Genecchi till a Linwood resident' discovered him in the far-off city of. Rome. Wo are not supplied with any. dates that might enable us to discoverwhen Padre Genecchi appeared on this j earth or when he made the statement' attributed to him. We do know that' there is no Society in the Catholioj Church called the Jerome Society to which Genecchi is said to belong, and, ■ as there are about twenty churches in; Rome called "Santa Maria," it is imgjssible to know.in which* of them adre Genecchi appeared. The creation of imaginary persons hurling false accusations against the Catholic Church is becoming too common a vice with, a certain class of bigots. Even 'if sucnj a person as Genecchi ever existed (and', I doubt it) and made the statement at--? tributedito him whilst'lawfully oxercis-? ing his ministry, the letter of Pope Pius* IV. proves the" statement to be utterly false. But none axe so blind as those who will not see.—-I am. etc., , LYTTELTONIAN. Lyttelton, July 17. *