The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1874-09-27
The Press and the Society Of St. Paul.
London Register, Sept. ST.


day. The general diffusion of education
throughout Europe has made the masses
susceptible to its influence, and at the same
time the progress of different arts has made
literature SO cheap that it is within the
reach of all. Even in our own country
every day brings forth it's scores of news
papers. The Press teens with books of all
kinds. We can hardly realise the condi,
tion of our forefathers three or four hun
dred years ago, when few books that
would hardly M one of our shelves com.
posed the whole library of castle, and
when newspapers and magazines were
things unknown.
1t may be that, even looking at the mat
ter from q merely intellectual point of view,
our gain is less than we are at first sight
inclined to suppose: 1t may be that the
general diffusion of knowledge has been
accompanied by a loss of depth and thor
oughness, but it is rather with the moral
than with the intellectual aspect of the
Press that we are at this moment con-
cerned.
These two aspects, though for the sake of
brevity and convenience, we may consider
them separately, are, nevertheless, most
closely united, and for a simple reason.
God, the Sovereign Truth and Sovereign
Goodness, is the object alike of our intel
lectual and moral perfection. Our intel
lectual development has relation to His
Infinite knowledge, and our moral devel-
opment to His Holy Will. Moreover, ths
moral and intellectual parts of mans nature
cannot be severed. Each acts and reacts
on the other. The intellectual powers of
a man whose moral state is good, will be
in better condition than those of man
equally gifted by nature, but under the
dominion of passion or vice.
A vast proportion of the literature of the
day is of a most dangerous nature. The
age is an age of liberty, and in most coun-
tries it is to be feared that the liberty of
the Press amounts to license. Publications
openly opposed to all morality and religion
are widely circulated amongst US. They
are in the hands of the young and ignorant,
and of those large masses who never attend
public worship of any description. The
poison of immoralty and unbelief is not
confined to one portion of our literature.
While we have the corrupt cheap paper
periodical for the poorer classes, we
have for the rich the sensational novel,
and the philosophical or historical work
tainted with rationalism and unbelief.
Besides those books and papers, to which
every one protesting to be Christian must
object, we, as, Catholics, have section of
tue Press specially directed against us.
Volumes are written to prove that there is
no such thing as Church, that each one
of the doctrines which God has revealed to
US, and which some heresy has rejected, is
q deadly errer, each one of the practices
by which our belief in such doctrines is
expressed, an act of superstition or idolatry.
The devil, in fact, is at work, and is max
ing fearful use of this powerful engine of
modern civilization and progress.
1t is time that something should be done.
The enemy must be met on his own ground.
The Catholic Church has ever been the
guardian of literature. She has ever en-
couraged learning and cultivation. Ever
promoted the development of all the powers
of the human mind.1
Hitherto isolated efforts to stem the evil
of an ungodly Press have been made but
now the moment for some united and gen.
eral action seems to have come. Two
things have to be done the circulation of
evil has to- be checked, and pure and
Christian literature has to be provided in
it's stead.
This work has been begun. AS yet it
is in it's infancy but it has received the
blessing of the Holy Father, and has been
placed under the patronage of the great
Apostle st. Paul. 1t owes its origin to
Canon Schorderet, of Fribourg. He has
founded community entirely devoted to
the work of the Press at Fribourg, and the
second centre has just been established at
Lyons.
The Libcrte, of Fribourg, and the Echo
de Fourriere, at Lyons, are published by
the Society of Sc. Paul.
A few extracts from the Report, read by
Canon Schroderet at the Congress of Ca
tholc Committees, which met last April in
Paris, may serve to interest our readers in
this most important undertaking .
"lnIorder practically to define the duties of
Catholics with regard to the Press, we must
know it's present position in the world and
the part which its plays in the fierce
warfare waged by Revolution against the
Church.
"Modern discoveries, steam, electricity,
the perfection attained by machinery and
by the art of printing, have given the
Press most important place in the con-
ticts of the day.
each insult inflicted on the Church, in
the most distant part OF the globe, is at
once echoed throughout the world. Every
calumuy, every scandal is soon made known
to the universe.
"Iou will say, This s very true but
thanks 10 the Prees every wound inflicted
on the Church is at once met by tender and
irateinal sympathy.
- But can the influence of the good
portion OF the Press make up fcr- the |
nischief worked by tie revolutionary
Press
The children Of darkness are wiser, more
courageous, more skilful than the children |
of lnbt. Tho nnti- ChrIstiaD prasa bnISs |