The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-08-27
Physical Force.

Physical Force. |
In the Catholic World, for September
already at hand, we find an eloquent ar
ticle entitled: GA page Of the Past and q
Shadow of the Future" in which the dying
embers of an old persecution are pictures
quely painted in their ashes beside fresh
pile of combustibles not yet fully ignited'
but which, at any moment, spark OF the
old fire may kindle into devastating
flame of new persecution. There are sew
erai expressions, however, in which, II we
rightly understand them, We can hardy
coincide. The author says:
And religion stands this day as our divine
Lord stood centuries ago in the Garden 90. OF
Gethsemani, with lukewarm and timid !ls
ciples in numbers, and with Judas strig srhS
with honeyed words to betray her. .thI1 v
sword she may not use, nor any eartniy
weapon for, if God would have it SO, co1la
He not send her twelve legions of angels But
no ; she stands as she stood, unarmed.
We may misunderstood the drift OF the
passage quoted, but it seems to us that' IN
some material respects, there is grea'
difference between the position of religion
to-day and it's position on that day "nen
it's Divine Founder bade Peter put up DIS
sword. Then His followers were Few
hundreds, now they count by hundreds OF
millions. Then any attempt to maintain
their rights by mere human force wouio
have been preposterous: now it woulo No
entirely feasible. Death inflicted at that time
ON q number of their enemies would not nave
resulted in q successful maintenance of the
rights of Christians, all resistance would
have been instantly overpowered. Con-
sequently though Peter or some other Chris
tian could have killed one or perhaps sever
al of their oppressors, such action would
have been in no sence justifiable. 1t
would have been blow struck in the
cause of vepge ance and not for the triumph
of justice. =,
And to this day the Church says to all
from whom resistance would be vain, "Put
up thy sword" No matter how grevious
the wrong, how sore the provocation, let
no mans blood be shed unless thereby the
wrong can be righted. Let there he no
revolution against tyranny, however grind
ing. if it is to result in making matters
verse, if it is to lead through strife and
want, and defeat to a subjugation more
complete than before. Such proceeding
would be not only contrary to common
prudence and good sense, but to morality
and religion. Every life taken in such
cause would be a victim on the shrine OF
senseless hatred. Every such death would
be really a murder.
But if Peter had been surrounded by
a troop of Christian soldiers equal TO th'
band of Roman legionaries who came u
seize his Master, if he had been supported
by an army equal to that at the call
Pontius PLATE, if he had been backed by
Christian Empire as powerful az that
Pagan Rome, would it not have been
dastardly act in him, an undying disgrac
. to his nation, to have permitted the selzin
! of his Lord and thus been accessory 10 III
subsequent torturing and murder7 hehgio
| ia always meek and humble under insul
? whether in power or out of power, but Is
!, WAYS. also, invincibly firm in resistin
! wrongs which 60 further than mere sensioh
g ty, when it has the power to do. Christian
y ara not required to subject their person
:, families and fortunes to every caprice OF Il
i interruptions and wicked. Physical resls
Y apce ia very often not only permissible d
of obligation.
y To speak of our own times, it has be-
10 confidently said that Catholicity in Pal
i was stronger than the Commune duril
to the last seige. If so, was it a true idea
le Christian meekness in good Catholics
Id stand by and see their Churches deseera1
Id their Priests insulted, their Arcnoisn
tic murdered and their city burned oug
they not to have combined against snc'
M mockery of government, which cial"
for the mantle of Caesar while it ignored
of throne of God The Pope saw fit to defe
i his States by. force of arms. Was he wror
Ids In the days of the Crusades Christian
at girded on its armor to defend the rights
YES Christendom in the Holy Land. Was G.
Al Al wrong Would it be wrong now for CAT
o. lie nations to assert and re-estaoiish
on n rights of the Church wrongfully subver
90 in the Papal states7 But if the Natio
81 powers will not act, what then Must