The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-07-06

Position of Our Holy Church.

one another in their furious hurry to sweep
away the divinely- ordained privileges OF
the Catholic Church and the inviolabie
rights of Catholic consciences. Aud Free
Switzerland gives proof of her love OF
liberty by trampling under the feet of law
the liberties of the descendants of the Ca
tholic William Tell.
In France the Radical Republicans are
muttering their curses against affairs and
thrones and waiting for the day when they
may have another communicate Carnival of
blood. In Spain the freedom shouters are
doing what they can to dig a grave for Ca
tholicity.-Aud so the war against the
Amounted church continues. When will it
end mo man knoweth. How will it end
The lips of Prophecy have told it.
The Church is never SO much like her
divine Founder as when she is suffering.
These days she is in one of her Agonies.
But her prayer is like her Lords: "Not my
will but thine be DONE" In this country
the church is singularly free from persecu-
ton. Perhaps too free. In her days of
prosperity and in lands where she has not
suffered the fidelity of her children does
not reach that intensity of her religious
| Idea to be found when and where she wears
the crown of sharpest thorns and bears the
heaviest Cross. Mark the effects of her
persecution in Europe on her true children
there. Every week we receive news of
pilgrimages of immense numbers flocking
to neglected shrines and in the very sim
plicity of their fearless faith manifesting
to an unbelieving world the glory of
their religion. So much SO that
kthe Italian Government strives to for
bid those peaceful but powerful pilgrim
ages. The faith of some Of her children is
waning,-but the faith of more is aroused.
In times like ours when the Supernatural
is mocked true Catholic Hearts should
| manifest their Faith. Times of great suf-
'erings are times of great graces. Out of
the dark ness of the Crucifxion came the
light of salvation. And the story of Cal
vary is the History of the Church of the
Crucifed.
The Governments of men, in our days.
these Vesper times of the world, have con-
spired against TIE Church. They wish to
destroy lser power from the face of the
|
law. But they will fail and fall. They
rule to- day-they go down to graves to-
morrow and the Everlasting church
holds in her ritual the De Profundis of
every power that ever will oppose her,
| CHURCHES OPEN IN SUMMERTIME desire to
publish list of the churches in the city of
| New York which will be kept open during the
summer, together with the hours of service,
ETC. The clergy will obiige US, and esPeci ally
by sending such information to this office.
The above is from the New York Church
Journal and Gospel Messenger, organ of
the Protestant Episcopal Church. We are
happy to oblige the Editors of that Jour
nal by informing them that every one of
the Roman Catholic churches in the city of
New York will be kept open during the
entire summer-not merely on Sundays but
during every day of the week. We hope
that he will publish the list of those ever
| open churches And we will return the
compliment by publishing the list of those
churches which are closed in summer time,
if he will be so kind as to send us such
list.
We can understand the philosophy of
ClOSluB uESJ- CLASS ueaJFoS OF opera houses
during the hot weather. But we cannot
understand the theology of closing Chris
tian churches in like manner-unless, in
deed, those churches are ruled by like
fashion. a The Roman Catholic religion
takes no vacation. The God of the Cath
Ollie is God in summer as we'll as in winter.
And bis temples are open in all seasons
in fashionable as we'll as in unfashionable
hours. We cannot understand that minis
try which, every summer, takes baggage,
bible. band box and baby, and hurries off
to some fashionable watering place leaving
its flock at the mercy of any stray shep-
herd who may come along.
Truly that is religion of physical COM
fort which closes its churches and abandons
its ministrations-just because the days
are too hot,-but it does not look like the
religion of the Cross.
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