The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-02-27

pare. What time has he to be running
around among the shanties, bringing thu
smallpox home to his children 7 There Ii
no pleasure in visiting such people, ane
surely there is no money in it. The FIVE tt
ten Thousand year is there without it. Ant
go it is not done. Ask the venerable pastor
OF thirty, as he Tolls back with a fine cigal
and the latest novel, why he doesn't dot
his embroidered slippers and quilted dress
ing gown, and go out among his poor. HI
will answer you very truthfully: "We have
none in tbis congregation His people art
all big bugs
This holds good everyw here, according
to class. Take the negroes, for instance
They have their big bugs too, and their
poor trash. The pretentious and ostenta
tious band together and form what they
call "the church," The sickly, the unfor-
| tunate, the needy are not hunted up to join;
| they don't intrude Themselves, and, 30,
| quietly take rank as "siDners."
This is one Of the principal weak spots
in Professionalism as an organization. No
religious institution can be permanent
which is not built up On the N asses. 10 all
old countries nine tenths of the people are
quite poor, and Professionalism has dropped
them every where. Through the remnant
of "a certain blind bigotry, they still call
themselves Protestauts, if any thing, but
they never darken the doors of church.
Their whole religion consists in tradition
al hatred of Catholicity, for which they can
give DO reason.
A religion which ia coLfned to the high.
or orders of society and to a.small fraction
of the population which is thus confined
by its own instincts, and which is essen
TALLY nothing but close corporation of
snobbery, cannot long keep up the pretense
of being religion at all. 1t has but to
stand confessed, practically, in its real ma
ture, and the universal voice of man will
proclaim it an impostor. Religion is made
for men, not for money it is intended to
save soula, not appearances it ia a divine
mission to the creatures of God, not the
creatures of circumstances. The poor will
know it to be an impostor, for they feel
that they too are immortal the rich will
can never delude them into the belief that
they are to be saved just because they are
rich.
In Europe this result is pretty we'll
achieved already. 1t is the power of Gov
alone which sustains Protestant
sm. In England, nine tenths of the people
're practically heathens, and the Estab-
lsbed Church is main tanned in its splendor
My by means of an unjust and arbitrary
imposition upon unwilling taxpayers. In
germany, the vast body of those who are
lot Catholics are Infidels. In both coun-
ort, Professionalism would be but name,
nd one destined to speedy oblivion.
The United States is it's only stronghold,
nd only so because there is comparatively
10 poverty here among our rural populs-
ions. Nearly all our country people are well
nough off to attract the complaisance of
he parsons. In our cities where there is a
apidly increasing element of poverty, Pro-
is falling into it's natural atti-
ude of arrogant contempt for the poor and
Unfortunate. 1t lie there showing its cloven
GOT. But in the country districts that dis
overy will not force itself upon the people
or some time to come.
The whole institution, hewever, as q
'ody, is like a huge tree the heart OF
which has rotted oat, leaving but a shell
% support its superstructure of limbs and
oliage. In appearance its glory is the
m 70 etr pYfh 60
props that keep it up are taken away, the |
irst storm will lay it PROSTATE forever.