The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-06-09
MESSENGER SUNDAY JUNE 1878

T is done by the press and by public speak
ing, but more especially and more effec
lively by the former. Every body who ha
candidacy to promote or a measure Il
advocate must secure an "orgsn." Th
press, therefore, becomes at once q uni
versal power for good and for evil, ant
/ lovers of truth and justice, that 10 of pub
lie and private welfare, cannot afford t.
leave such field without combatant.
This is truth which many Catholics dc
not seem to realiza. One reason why the
Catholic prees does not flourish "a well al
non Catholic .'urnalP, even in countries
almost entirely Natholic, is no doubt this,
tnat Catholics caznot in conscience descend
to the style of writing that moet pleases
human passions, the fiction and fact that
pander to concupiscence, and the slander-
ous and detractious stories that crafty
| envy aud hatred.
i There is little use in dwelling in the
| newspaper upon this cause of disparity ;
| it is but one instance of that general
physical prevalence of vice over virtue,
which is to be found in the whole of human
history since the ain of Adam, and which
Christ foretold sbould ever be one of the
sfa ctions of His Church.
Nevertheless there is another resson for
the weakness of the Catholic prsss-thst
Catholics do not properly appreciate its
usefulness.
Many seem to regard the taking OF q
Catholic jouraal IS a matter of supereroga-
ton; their subscription to such q paper
10 to them like . subscription to q church
in foreign country - something from
which they must look for nothing except
reward 10 Heaven. Now there 10 no more
charity in subscribing to good paper than
from whom you get more than the value
OF what you psy him you are simply |
looking to yonr own interests, and "No- |
body is properly said to have charity |
towsrds himself: love must be directed |
to another in order to be cbarity."-(St.
to endeavor to diffuse Catholic writing, |
and still more charitable to devote, with |
little or no compensation, to the Catholic |
press, talents that might procure worldly |
ease 10 any other occupation, with more
over far fewer contradictions.
But what, some may ssy say, are the
great benefits that can be gained from
Catholic paper A very little reflection
will show. The Church has received from
Almighty God the highest of missions-to
guide souls to eternal happiness, and,
moreover, as his Holiness Leo XIII.
pointed out in bis Encyclical, has been the
foundress of what modern civilization has
most reason to boast of. 1t is then of the
utmost importance that we should know
what the practical applications of the
teachings of the Church are, what positions
'he is taking with regard to the issues that
ire arising, what she is willing to grant,
md what che must refuse, what her lead
ng members are doing and saying, what
ire her triumpbs and her losses. We must
,e able to communicate our thoughts, and
% operate for the we'll being of Church
md society. We must also know what our
Idversaries are doing, and be prepared to |
meet their assaults, to refute their argu-
nents and explode their fctions. Now
md then measures are proposed which
fleet our dearest interests, while seeming.
y perhaps having q different object the
mask muet be torn away. All this knowl- q
dge cannot certainly be obtained unless
y means of q Catholic press.
Moreover, even in obtaining Information :,
f a merely secular nature, there is always j
lore or less danger from the Medium we
lake use of We must supply means of =
moving without contamination even mat
ers not strictly ecclesiastical. There are ,
atholics who take no paper bnt a weekly;
ley wish aud need to know the political |
vents politics, therefore, cannot be al
'gether excluded from Catholic paper
lat wishes to supply Catholic's demande.
here are some narrow minded persons
ho, because they find in a Catholic journal o
'methipg that conflicts with their ideas al
1 politics or nationality, stop their .,
while at the same time VI
ou will find such persons pay
g subscriptions to papers that are
ainly injurious to faith and morals
Du may insult their faith and lay a snare AZ
r their virtue, but do not say any thing
bout them or their projects for the benefit
their country-C@sar before God, earth
efore heaven. We must expect to meet re-
ith contradictions in everything we uu- Ab
ertake. No man would give up his busi-
sss because of little difficulty in collect az
g one of his bills there is just as little fol
isdom in anybody who, for a small per- r
nal affair, or a disagreement on a minor J
sue, would ceaee to subscribe to a paper.
."The children of this world are wiser in
eir generation than the children of light" yu
Accommodations of knowledge and ex-
,rience of the most useful kind are the re-