The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-08-03

hope the day will be far off when a man.,
religion save as it makes him more God
serving, honester, and juster will be drag
ged into the canvass. We ask only free
dom to worship God. We freely admit
every one else's right to do the same, and
with ali our power we should strive tc
guide opinion 80 that the spiritual may
ever be considered superior to the tenn.
pofal and that they neither conflict nor in
fringe on each other. Nowhere does the
battle of principles rage SO increasingly az
with us, but let it always be un bloody and
be fought with the best of feelings between
the combatants it should be a contest
wherein the least noble motto read:
Truth thine own for truths own sake -"
Undoubtedly the battle is and will be
carried on under many baser devices but
it is our duty to be prepared to stand firm
against every attack. We canuot admit
that this may be done by our youth separ-
ated and divided up in the various clubs of
the country. They are over confident in
their own virtue and strength, and mo-
ment's thought will convince them how
important their faith is, to contend against
the destinations and temptations which be-
set them unaided by sacramental grace and
cut off from the citadel of religion. The
teachings which bridged the years of
youths lndiscretion gradually weaken,
their virtue relaxes and they fall, if not
into sin or liberalism, into an Indifference
which is contemplate because it is tho re-
suit of dreading to leansupon the Church,
and fearing to profess her teachings and
their convictions.
Yet granting that they are panoplied in
virtue, do they of our better class, learned
and honered in the worlds eyes, owe no
duty to their less favored brethren, unlearn-
ed, unhonored and sunk in gross pleasure
wasting their energies in uDrequiting toll.
Absurd as the length to which our doctrine
of the universal brotherhood of men has
been drawn, Catholic cannot refuse to
hearken to the Masters voice sounding in
that supper hall where the whole lowell
ness and beauty Of His character and mis-
sion shone forth. 81 give You new COM
mandment that you love one another as I
have loved you that you also love another"
are no words of mere rhetoric for us. They
demand torgetfulness of self, an endea-
vor to edify our brethren, to bear with
them, but it seems to us they should. no
less include a charity which disreeards the
individual and sees but the fellow man to
be lifted up and made participant in the
temporal distinctions we have attained.
The first objection which will be urged
against Catholics clubs will be, that they
seem llliberal and exclusive. 1t is not Just
to isolate ourselves from our Protestant
fellow citizens, we create an enlargement
between the classes by 80 doing, and the
effects of Catholic example and influence
in the' community would be lost. These
are not necessary consequences of an or
ganization among Catholic youth. There
Is no good reason why Protestants should
not come into our organizations as readily
as we go into theirs, and thus show their
lloerallty as they expect us to show ours.
They can lose nothing, and both of US will
be the gamers in purer and higher plea
sure, -hedged about by the safeguards of
foil ], he loI- Al
But there is no more in this objection
against Catholic clubs than there is In that
80 persistently but idly urged against Ca
tholic schools. We have felt the baneful
effects of Professionalism, not so much in
our children as in infidelizing
them and deadening them to our truth and
Important as it is to save the |
yoang mind from the pernicious influences
of the doubts and calumnies public school
are seen to engender in the |
minds of the young, il seems to us no less |
important to guard the maturing years
against the convictions which these doubts |
may enter into and against the imm orality |
rotten ere it's prime. Necessity appears to |
demand this union on our part if we |
would guard our young men from the fasci-
nations which beset them at every step and !
assail them now as the fiend did Ariosto in
the wood, now as he did Sebastian in the
The faithless he was found faithful. Yet
dangers menace US when banded together
n social clubs.
One of our most cherished cares of the
church is the family, and clubs have more or
ess tendency to draw us away from this holt
est of associations, and to forget it in tue
pleasures ofcommonality. Against this ten
1ency Catholic clubs cannot be too guarded;
out what guard hedges a mind in an asso
,iation whereiR the doctrines not simply of
divorce, not simply of parental disrespect
md independence may be preached; but
wherein free love is openly advocated and
he sanctity of the marriage tie openly
,idiculed and secuted. We have, it is true,
many Catholic associations in our midst,
put most of them are, more properly speak
ng, sodalities. Excellent in their waYsns
these are, they fail to meet the want Of the
lines. After its wont, the illustrious Soci-
,ty of Jesus has inaugurated, and is sue
carrying on .an' association gov
,rned by Catholic principles, yet encOur-
lging every pleasure, every entertainment
hat is wholesome.
Excellent. as this and similar organiza-
ions are, We think We perceive a wider
ield Tor Catholic clubs. Let the student
% college who may peruse this, think OF