Morning journal and courier., 1882-11-24

Socialism.
 [Frona the London Times
 Yesterday (Nov. 5, in all the churches of the Roman Catholic province of Westmins- ter, an sEncyclical Letter" from Pope Leo XIII, addressed to ''The Patriarchs, Pri- mates, Archbishops and Bishops of the Cath olic World in Grace and Communion with the Apostolic See," was publicly read. The letter was written on the occasion of the seventh centenary of the birth of St. Francis of Assist, and in the course of his review of the saints career, his Holiness takes the op- portunity of contrasting the social condition of the nineteenth with that of the twelfth century.
 'sThe period (the twelfth century, is," says His Holiness, sufficiently we'll known, with it's character of mingled virtues and vices. The Catholic faith was deeply rooted in men $ souls, and it was glorious sight to see mul- titudes, infamed by piety, set forth to Pal estine, resolved to conquer or to die. Never theless. icentiousness had greatly impaired popular morality, and nothing was more needed by men than return to Christian sentiments. Now, the perfection of Chris tian virtue fies in that disposition of the soul which dares all that is arduous and difficult it's symbol is the cross, which those who would follow Jesus Christ must carry on their shoulder. The effects of this disposition are heart detached from mortal things, severe self-denial, and gentle and resigned endur ance of adversity. In fine, the love of God and of one's neighbor is the mistress and sovereign of all other virtues; such is its power that it survives all the hardships which accompany the fulfllment of duty, and rende1s the hardest labor not only bearable, but agreeable. There was dearth of such virtue in the twelfth century; for too many among men, enslaved by the things of this world, either coveted madly honors and wealth or lived life of luxury and self qualification. All power was centered in 8 few, and had for the most part become an instrument of oppression to the wretched and despised masses and those even who ought by their profession to have been an example to others had not avoided the conta- zion of the prevalent vices.
 ''The extinction of charity everywhere was followed by moral diseases manifold and deadly-envy, jealousy, hatred and minds slightest pretext neighboring cities waged war among themselves and fellow citizens armed themselves against one another. " Picturing Francis of Assist as a reformer specially called to wage war against the then prevailing vices of society, the sovereign Pontiff portreys him as ''amid the effemina cy and fastidiousness of the times'' going about roughly clad, begging his bread from door to door, and not only enduring what is generally deemed most hard to bear-the senseIess ridicule of the crowd-but even welcoming it with wondrous readiness and joy.'' His twelve companions are described Poor ignorant, unrefned; they mingled with the people in the highways and in the public squares with no preparation of place or pomp of rhetoric, they set themselves to exhort men to despise earthly things and to think of the time to come. It is marvellous to see the fruits produced by the enterprise of such workers apparently so inadequate. Crowds gathered round them eager to hear them; faults were bitterly bewept, injuries were forgotten, and peace was restored by the appeasing of discords."
 At the close of the biographical review his Holiness alludes to the condition of society in the present century. He says ''It is manifest that from this one man host ot benefits has accrued to both the Christian and the civil commonwealth. But, inasmuch as his spirit, so thoroughly and so pre-emi nently Christian, so wondrously suited to all times and places, no one can doubt that the Franciscan institutions will be of the great est benefit in this our age, All the more so because the character of our times for divers reasons appears to approach the character of those days. Just as in the twelfth century, so nowadays hath divine charity grown not a little cold, and great is the derangement of Christian duties, partly through ignorance, partly through negligence: Tho greater part of men pass their lives in a like frame of mind and with like desires, seeking for the comfort of life and eagerly pursuing pleasure. Revelling in luxury, they are ex-