The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-04-16

communities of families in the economy of
the church, would be to deny her beauti-
fnl adsptability to all grades and varieties
OF virtue and good works. That she
should reject and oppose socialism, with its
corttge Of free love, heresy, blasphemy,
covetousness, naturlism, and woman's dis
Persion, let us loudly declare but to say
tat there should be in the system of the
church place only for such apostolic com
munltes us are composed Of celibates, would
be to condemn her history, which tells US
Of the community at Jerusalem, and of the
reductions Of Paraguay. We cannot sup
pose there is grade Or kind Of real per
fection that the church would reject, if, iu-
deed, that grade or kind be in conformity
with Evangelical counsel II is said that
keeping the vow Of poverty would be too
hard for married peoI vi are naturally
imPelled to seek riches - axe Of their
children. II il said -. arental bias,
solicitude, and duty would create great
gssat obstacles, hard to be overcome.
SupPosing this, still we say, all things are
possible with God The merit Of those
~ho, With God, could couciliate these two
obligations, and accomplish both, would
only be greater in the eyes Of the church
Certainly, no Catholic will say that the
couusels in regard to voluntary poverty are
meant only for celibates, and that only
celibates are entitled to gain the consequent
blessings. Blessed are the willing
poor, for theirs is the kingdom of
beaven." Certainly, man and wife are
entitled to earn the benefits Of this willing
poverty as well as any monk or nun. The
married poor are entitled to make the same
sacrifice and take part in the same work to
enhance the glory of the church, and 10
merit the same reward Association makes
the sacrifice and the work possible to the
celibate. 1t creates similar possibility
for married people. The wondrous powers
Of combined labor and economy are well
known. The fields in that direction are
wide and free. and ready for good seed.
Instead of thinking that associations Of
married people are in any wise incompati-
bic with Catholic doctrine and Discipline,
little reflection will convince us that it is.
on the contrary. the long-neglected link
that completes the circle Of good works.
In6dels would fain seize the position, and
try to adapt it to naturalism and cupidi-
ty; but their attempts have been simply
ridiculous. The reason is obvious the
vow Of poverty and all its consequences
is possible only in and through the mo
tives inspired by the Christian religion.
They cannot exist and cannot be i'm.
itated outside. True association, that
which is productive of moral good and
social happiness, that which springs from
charity, belongs to Christianity, and it is
impossible to separate it from ber. 1t
was praotised BY the primitive disciples,
it was praised and taught by the fathers
of the church, it was, and still is full
filed by the celibates in the monasteries,
it was successfully applied in the reduc-
tons to a Whole people and we con
clude that the place once occupied by
sanity tribes and families under the wing
Of the church is still vacant and open to
their return and re-establishment
coNcLUDD.l