The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-10-22
TIE CATHOLIC DEAD.

| Church who in the Solemn Sacrifice, in the
| Breviary recited daily by her priests and in
the prayers daily used by the faithful,
earnestly duplicates for their eternal re-
pose.
The soil of England contains the remains
of forty generations of Catholics, who for
the space of Thousand years lived and
died In tie communion of the Catholic
| Church, and neither the ravages of heresy
nor the lapse of time has obliterated the
traces of the care aud veneration with
which the Church regarded the last resting
place of her departed children.
Every church and every chapel which
has been preserved to our day contains
evidence OF the fact that the Catholic reli
| gion was then what it is now, it's dogmas
unchanged, it's faith unatered, and it's
practice substantially similar. A few
| words on the tombs and monuments of the
Catho ic dead of the past will not be I'm
interesting, and may give come useful
| ideas.
The fret thing that strikes the observer
of the old monuments and grasses is that
the effigies of the deceased persona are al
most invariably repi esented with TIE hands
placed IN the attitude Of prayer This fully
| conveyed the idea that every man died or
ought to die in the spirit of penitence.
As penitents ard not trusting in our
merits must we face tho messenger of God
called Death. The inscriptions on the
| tombs breathe the same spirit. We give a
few examples: 80 Christ Jesus, have
mercy and pity on Alice Brunham, and
make her partaker of eternal life and the
mercy of Thy Passion, which with Thy
Blood made our Redemption" Jesus, that
dIest on ties, on us have mercy
and pity" "Christ, Gods Son, born of
soul of Jane Kerril." Every inscription had
the request, "Of your charity, pray for the
soul of" such and such a one.
Ecclesiastical emblems were employed
very extensively on ancient monuments.
Symbols of the Holy Trinity or our Blessed
these are cross with five wounds, the
Holy Lamb with cross and banner, the
pelican feeding her young with her own
blood, the sacred monogram, III S also
representations of the resurrection. The
Blessed Virgin with Infant Saviour, and
the Annunciation are very common. The
saints with their emblems were placed on
the tombs of individual whose names they
bore, such, for example, as St. Andrew
with cross saltier, st. Bartholomew, with
knife, ST. Peter with his keys, St. Paul
with sword, etc these emblems referring
to the mode in which the saint was mar
tyred or to some of his prerogatives, or to
some event in his life. Such as St Chris |
TOPPER bearing the Infant Saviour, ST. Ann
instIucting the Blessed Virgin, st. Stephen
with grIdiron. aud st. Laurence in Deacou's |
vestments. So also are seen the angel of
st. Matthew, the winged lion of st. Mark, |
the winged OK of ST. Luke or the eagle of
st. John. The Sacred Heart is also repre-
sented in monuments.
Very curious are the monuments which |
show the profession of the deceased. Tht |
builders or founders of churches. The |
Bishops have their mtres and paatrrn! |
stats and priests hold the cbaiice sud the
Host. They are clad III the euca&IstIc |
vestments, with copes and chasuhes and
abs. As ecclesiasCics we're buried ia full |
dress, their effigies exactly represent their
costume.
After the Reformation, pious, humble J
and affecting inscriptions ike those above
quoted Disappeared, and in place of them
were long and pomp0us eulUgiQms of the
deceased setting fnrth hIs generally ina
giuary) virtues. No humble Jesus mercy,
Mary help no Pray for the soul of no
" Sweet Jesus, mercy" no humble posture,
no hands clasped in prayer-ail these Ca
thollc and Christians signs and symbols
disappeared. Instead of the cross was the
Pagan urn, symbolIcal of nothing except
cremation. Instead of the patron saint was
the DEATHS head of the skeleton instead of
some beautiful symbol of faith, hope and
charity, a lot of foolish and imaginary
- cherubs," nondescripts composed of q
head with two wings and no body, singing
without any lungs. And instead of the cry ,
for mercy, a long catalogue of the merits of ,
the deceased. Let any man with grain of
common sense study the monuments erected
to the Catholic dead, and the spirit of the
designs and he will conclude that none of
the countless misrepresentation of the Ca
tholic faith, that assert that the tendency
of lts devotions is to foster spiritual pride,
and to cause man to rely on his own merits
and forget his Redeemer, is, of all other,
the most false and calumnious. The men
of the middle ages could and did commit
great crimes, and 30 can the men of our
day. But the men of the middle ages, and
the women, too, could repent and do pen \
ance. And that is what our modern crimi-
nails cannot do. Carried away with passion,
the men of old could massacre their enemies P
and torture men for treasures. Seized With
remoTse, they could fast for days, give all
they possessed to the poor, and walk bare.
foot to Rome or Jerusalem.
The men of to-day can form their fringe"
can drink wine mingled with the widows
tears, to the accompaniment of the orphans ]
yroans. They can squeeze the hearts blood fa
Of the poor, can carry on devastating wars o.
for " glory or rectifcaton of frontiers." B