The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-02-19
Dsmoerssy and the Church.

IL There is nothing in the democratic forl
r Of government that necessarily conflict
with the Church, and perhaps it would b
the most favorable Of all, il it were one
Church holds from God, not from man o
if it were understood and admitted tina
what the democracy recognizes as the right
of man, and which are anterior to civil so
ciety and independent of it, are really tn
rights of God, which civil society, how
take away, but is bound 10 recognize ant
protect by its legislations itA Jurisprudence
and its entire material force, if necessary
A democratic government, which is based
on the sovereignty of the people in the
temporal order alone, can, without depart
tect the freedom and independence of the
Church, and will do 80 wherever the people
| are really Christian, for the Church repre-
sents higher sovereignty than theirs, is
above it, but not contrary to it.
The true Catholic doctrine is that what
ever is given, whether by the State or indi-
viduals, for religious purposes, when once
given, is given to God, is His, and the
Church holds it from Him as His represen-
tive on earth, not from the State, whether
king or people is te State and conse-
quently the State has no right to appropri
ate or tax it without her consent or the
consent of the Supreme Pontiff, the gu
never unreasonably withhold it. There is
no reason in the world why democratic
government should not accept this doc
trine, and act on it. By SO doing the two
powers might move on in harmony or con-
cord together, each assisting the other.
But Jacobinical democracy rejects, and its
prevalence, while it frees the Church from
the oppression of feudal lords, modern
monarchs, and French parliaments, subjects
her to the still greater oppression of infdel
who are the irresponsible |
leaders of the people. Whether the demo-
cratic movement proves successful or not, |
this much is certain, that for long time to |
come the people will govern their govern
ments, instead Of being governed by them,
and the Church will have to struggle for her
lights, for her freedom and independence,
against the combined influence of feudal-
sm, monarchy, and democracy. Society
5 undergoing revolution even more pro-
ound than it underwent by the Barbarian
onquest Of the Roman Empire, than the
evolution that established feudalism, or
hat which overthrow feudalism and estab-
shed absolute monarchy, so ably repre-
ented by Cardinal Richelieu and Mazarin,
nd Louis XIV, of France. In each of the
reyious revolutions the Church suffered
ardly less than under Pagan Rome, and
er sutferings from the revolutions now
Ding on bid fair to be the severest of all. =
he world and all the powers of the world
e armed against her, and the people, to a
arful extent, have lost their faith in the
pernatural, and are filled with the spirit
disobedience, not only to ecclesiastical
but to all civil authority. They
G disobedient now, not simply from the F
ullition of passion, but from sy stem, as
ey say, from principle. Satan has organ
I'd his forces and marshaled them with T
IL more perfect order than on any former at
casion, and if we did not know that the :,
lurch is founded on a rock, and the gates t
hell shall not prevail against her, we
ould despair of her future, and at the same
ne, of tue future of civil society. TO
man eyes there is no favorable issue, and
liverance can come only from God Him c
f, and probably not without the blood of
ole armies of martyrs. Yet deliverance
II come, order will be restored, and tri-
,phant wickedness be refuted.-N Y. Ct
Diet.