The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-02-16
BISHOP KAIN's SERMON.

by high sense o! duty-a sense of duty
which compels us to assemble around the
altar OF the living God. We are here,
my dear brethren, not to offer a eulogy
to the memory OF Plus *, one OF the
greatest and best Popes who has ever
occupied the chair OF st. Peter. These
services are not intended to do honor to
the departed, but they are intended TO
call for Gods mercy upon him who has
entered the other wor d. What lesson
are we taught today We are taught
dear brethren, as we gather around this
altar, that no matter who that man may
be who has passed away from time to
eternity, no matter how exalted may
have been his position, we are not to
presume that his salvation is secure,
but we are to implore in his behalf the
clemency of the good God. We
are taught 10 avoid sin, even the smallest,
and that it matters not how careful we
are, still, when We die, the Church will
call Upon God for HIS mercy upon and
clemency towards all His children.
How often in the past seven or eight
NtdTS, uhs lub auNI-SubuOiN PiNSc ~
sounded with the absurd charge that we
made sort OF God out of the Pope, con-
founding instability with impeccsbility,
they imagine that if he is an unerring
teacher of revealed truth, he must be also
sinless. this were SO, why drspe
the Church in mourning? 1t Is
not my intention this morning
to pass culogy upon or to even sketch
the great life and usefulness of Plus IL.
What the Church wants TO do is TO pray
for his soul. AT some future time, per-
hsps on Sunday next, | will speak of
these things. When Plus ~. opened
his eyes upon the Christian world nearly
a hundred years ago, alas what a sad con-
ditlon was the Church placed in. 10
France he found the land bstned in
blood; IN England, the land after which
so many Catholic hearts have sighed,
tina. it might be joined to the Church
again, the Catholic religion was almost
unknown, and even in ireland it was but
littls known; and as for America, we
had just received our first Bishop. To-
day we have sixty or more Bishops gov
erning the focks Of Christ. For all this
we should be grateful TO the great de-
parted. Almost every Bishop in our
land is an sppointee of Plus lA.
and in England our faith has again
begun to show itself. We are accus-
toned, sometimes, in reading the anti
Catholic press, to resd that the Church
is on the downward march; that she has
been losing ground. It is false. Never
was the Catholic Church 30 prominent
among the nations of the world; never
did she occupy such q position as she does
to-day, and most OF this Is due to Plus
TX. Pray for his soul with earRestness,
because be has done more for the Church
in America than any Pope before
him had the power 10 do.
So long as this world
lasts the church of God will continue TO
do its noble work, and Popes will be
raised up 10 govern the church. Popes
whom future generations will love and
revere, but for US OF this generation, our
Pope will always be the great and good
Plus IN We will always think of him
as kind, benevolent father. l ask you,
my dear Catholic brethren, not to-day
alone, but every day, to remember in
your prayers, this good Pontiff who has
governed the church so wisely and so
well. / would ask you TO love Gods
holy church. ! Know that you DO love
il. | know that there is at this day q
most wonderful love and affection for the
Holy See. l beg you 10 cherish tbs,
feeling of loyal sttschmen! to the Holy
See which is the centre of the Catholic
faith and discipline. Be always willing
to resent the assaults upon the rights
and prerogstives Of your church.
Now as conclusion, beg you thst
during the few days that will intervene
before the election of new Pope. YOU
pray that the choice OF his successor
may be worthy Of the good Plus. Pray
that he may be full OF wisdom. Oh, We