The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-10-09
The Catholic Situation.

The Very Rev. DR.. O'Brien Dean of Linn
erick, and founder of the Catholic Young
Mems Societies, delivered lecture in
Liverpool on the 9th ult., on " The Catho
lie Situation" After referring to the origin
and usefulness of the Young Mems Societies,
the Rev. lecturer went on to say, that
1t was not his (the lecturers) business to
vindicate Louis Napoleon. If he had raised
his nation to position of grandeur, and had
filed it's Golfers with what men in these
days most valued; if he has placed it fore
most in Europe, and had it recognized as
the greatest in power-he did not think
they should triumph in his fall. Something
more, too, was to have been expected from
French chivalry for the Emprrss-that
woman who stood like Raphael-an an
gel of every form of good in a land that
had once n heart to value the woman who
sat down in the cholera hospitals, who
laid her fair hand upon the fevercd brow
of misery, and who had dragged her only
child from bed to bed of suffering in order
to teach him the sympathy that was due to
humanity and to the dignity of the subjects
he was intended to govern. She had, it
was said, insured her life for all she was
worth in order to sustain the charities she
left behind her, and surely she deserved
more thapto pc obliged to fly by night for
refuge to u foreign country from the land
she had loveasso we'll. They might say
that the Catholic situation had little to do
alton was simply the relation OF the Church
with surrounding events, and the Judg-
ments which they formed regarding the in
fiucnce of those events upon her good
estate. The situation simply the
change in things all around, but not i'll the
condition Of the Church; and the Catholic
situation for the last 300 years had been in
meeting the ever-varying complaints aud
reasonings of those who were never two
DAYS the same; until now, unless the poor
Ritualists-those poor things vino put on
the old clothes of the Church ADD called
themselves priests-they hardly knew any
of the doctrines of the time of tilc Reforina-
ton; and they were met rather by the gain
saying of all TRUTH than by contradiction
or variation in the truth such as IN those
former days they were obliged to conflict
with. Referring to the Catholic situation
as represented by the Ecumenicai Council,
the very Rev. gentlemen said that 1T was
Something to nearly 500 bishops from
all realms under the sur gathering round
an old man of seventy-eight, to pre- the
faith that yet existed, and the gra,I Yprac-
teal vitality existing in the souls Of men
from the rising to the setting of tile sun.
AS to the infallibility dogma, that was no
new doctrine. 1t was merely II plomuiga-
ton of doctrine which had always existed.
The Catholic situation of the time required
that there should be a constant vigilance
and Il ready hand to strike at error. The
| councils-tl,e influence OF the pen and the
platform was too great to wait for a coliec-
| ton of bishops to destroy 1T, and, therefore
nothing was more necessary than to have,
if possible, an authority that could not be
re sisted. Now there was no ccelcsiAStic of
any note in the Roman Catholic Church
| that had not alwaysrheld IEfltli biiity tO be
| a doctrine, although "a. doctrine that could
be without heresy gain sayea uutli the
other day, when nothing more was done
than to give special powers to the Holy
Father against those persons who enter
tanned the idea that there could he 6,
Catholic Church not holding the Catholic
doctrines. After remarking upon t',e
peaceful attitude with which, he satd, the
Pope always met his enemies--Eiany OF
whom had passed away while he remained
the Very Rev gentleman referred to the
education question, and the Catholic situa-
ton in regard to it. He reminded them
Ethat in that matter they were fighting Il
great battle in which their best interests
were involved, and that they must make
whatever sacrifices might he neccssarysto
secure the religious teaching Of their chill
dren. Education vas, he said, the Catholic
question of the hour; but the Catholic 81 tRa
ton of the world was one of great triumph.
He did not like to enter much into some
matters, but he thought he n.igiS/say that
| it did not appear that Italy conidt be long
without becoming IL Republics Neither d
! it appear that Spain would, be long without
| joining France and Italy; and it WAS not
likely that those three Republics would be
| long without some trouble; sothat we were
as likely as ever we had been since the
! year 1000 to have a general war. There
| fore, union was never more Heeesssstt III q
the exertion of strength was never more
needed amongst Catholics for the purpose
of saving themselves, and being in some
part, the saving of others. In conclusion,
the lecturer said that there were great days
coming, and there was grand union OF
parties and a grand hope; and, i..dss.i he
| thought that there never was 4 tllae more
| hopeful for the future of then country. and
faith than the present age. There was q
spirit of manhood growing up that knew
how to respect itself, and There was q
spirit of intelligence that knew how tp val
ne the schoolmaster. They had grown be
You'd the isnorances of the past. their feel
| ings were more respected now, aud tlnir
ideas were more acceptable to the legisla-
tors of the country. than they were thirty
years ago. -
A NEGLECTED. SOURCE OF PROFIT For
IRELAND.-A correspondent of one of the
London papers writers: