The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE. 423Convictions (and sentences to death).Execution*.1864. France 9 51867. England and Wales 27 10Ireland 3These figures, which are from authenticatedsources, do not bear out our accusers in their assertion that murders are more prevalent in Catholicthan in Protestant countries. The statistics of thiscrime are limited, or they are not in very generalcirculation. But we have more extensive information in reference to the other great crime which, it ischarged, prevails to a much more alarming extentin countries under Catholic influence, viz., illegitimacy. Here again we shall meet statistics withWecounter-statistics, to refute unjust declarations.do not wish to be understood as advocating the immaculatenessof Catholic communities. We franklyadmit and heartily deplore the disorders whichCatholics commit, but we deny that they are worsethan their Protestant neighbors and still roci e em;phatically do we deny that the Church is responsiblefor their disorders.The Journal of the Statistical Society of London,of the years 1860, 62, 65, 67, gives the number ofillegitimate births in England and Wales as 6J inevery hundred, whilst in the Catholic kingdom ofover two in theSardinia the number is slightlyhundred, and in Ireland three in every hundred. Ifthe test of illegitimacy is a correct index of thepass frommorality of a country, how refreshing to