the Church, the Pope, bishops, and priests are persecuted can have in his heart no childlike love for his mother, and can not possibly be a good Catholic.
4. As a good Catholic you must, before all things, give proof of the respect and love you feel for the Church by carefully obeying her commands and conforming to her decrees. For how could a son be said to love and honor his mother, were he to show himself indocile in regard to her, and heedless of her commands?
In the same way judge for yourself whether he can really be a good Catholic who says : " I am a Catholic and will remain one; but it is net necessary to bother about Pope, bishops, or priests." Or is he a good Catholic who, on the slightest pretext, neglects to hear Mass on Sundays and holy-days, who scarcely ever goes to hear a sermon, and who, when Easter approaches, has to be driven to the confessional? Do you imagine that such people as these in the depth of their heart regard themselves as good Catholics?
5. There is another highly important thing which you must and will do, if you are a truly good Catholic; you will and must give honor and pleasure to your mother the Church by your good conduct — by an upright life. On this point the words of Jesus are eminently applicable; "Not every one that saith to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of My Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. vii. 21). Not every one who speaks eloquently for the Catholic cause and appears zealous on its behalf is on this account a good Catholic; but he only who unites to this
