The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-19
M0NASTICISM
FROM A CATHOLICS STANDPOINT.
Bishop K.Is'. Last L.nt.u L.sturs at III. Csths.
drll r.,tsrdaJ-sons Id,Hof CbBrsA I'ItI.
tuition on the Part Of The OutsIds World
which &c Says Are Wrong.

Another large audience gathered at the
Cathedral yesterday to bear the last Of Bishop
Kain's course OF Lenten lectures.
In introducing his third lecture on MoDas-
tcism, the Bishop stated that bis purpose In
this lecture was TO correct certain false im'
pressioDS entertained by some persons con-
corning monaStic institutions and their in
mates. Many OF the popular objections, he
considered, had been sufficiently answered
In his two former lectures Oh the subject
those to which he would here conflne hts eI'
plantations might be summed up 10 the Iol'
lowing questions:
Fist-HAve not even such religious men
and women as engage In active works, very
much unenploy ed time on their bands? and
does not therefore community life engender
habits Of Incidence, melancholy, etc2
secoud-But are there not religious
monks and nuns-Tho lever leave theiI
mOnastries at all, and who spend all their
time In spiritual exerGisei7 Are not these
useless. telfsh members OF society?
Third-Eyen II Religious serve God most
fsrvently and practice virtue most assdu.
ously, and even promote the spiritual and
temporal good Of very many OF their fellow
beings, by the works Of charity 10 which they
cOnseeraie their lives, could not all these
results be achieved quite as successfully
without their imprisoning themselves within
the gloomy walls OF 4 convent?
FOurLh-FinAlly, do not The inmates oil
monastries and converts surrender their
penonAl liberty, and thereby diyest them
selves OF one OF the noblest attributes OF every
reasonable being? Is not such system op.
posed to the genius Of American institu'
tons, and 10 the spirit Of christianity
To the first query, the Bishop replied by
giving an outline OF the daily duties OF Re
ligOus-showing how every moment OF time
is employed; how the clock work precision
OF community life provides for the duties oil
every hour; aud how the fixed hours OF rest
and relaxation are profitably spent, 30 that
recreation itself, while encouraging cheerful
ness Of spirit, does not encourage Incidence.
In answer 10 the second question, the
Bishop explained that the chief object OF the
cOntemplaIiye orders vAs indeed prayer,
vocal and mental. and he laid great stress on
the efilcscy OF microscopy prayer, Illus
trating and supporting his argument by refer.
ence 10 Holy Wit. "fhCugh the lsraelites
battled brayely under the valiant Joshua, In
the plain" said the Bishop, 'it was Moses,
with hands uplifted In prayer on the noun
tain top, who gained the victory. Ia
this mAterialistic Bge, fsw practice,
as they should, this great Christian
duty OF prayer. Should We not then
rejoice to know that there are some few spots
on earth, where holy souls emulate the burn.
ing fervor OF the angel'hosts In their inceS-
SAINT hOmages OF praise and supplication TO
the Divine Msjesty? Better for the world,
were there more such fayaJed sanctuaries."
The Bishop then Explained how through the
rApacity OF governments, many such holy
A 0 katR tf1NVN les
compelled 10 modify ther primitive rules and
resort 10 the work OF education or other
means 70 support themselves. He alluded 10
the part nuns had taken and were taking In
the glorious work OF christian education, and
declared that their Influence for good In their
office Of christian education, was inconpara'
bly, greater than IL could possibly have been
bad they remained In the world,
To thethird objection, the Bishop replied
that the convent walls were not meant 10
impTison monks and nuns, but on the con-
trary to shut out the world and Its spir t
He showed how absurd was the impression
that nun could not escape, II she wished
and then explained how necessary 10 the
very life OF the MonAstic system was the ex.
clusion Of the outer world, and how imp0sSi-
BILE IL would be TO carry on the work whether
OF prayer or benevolence, accomplished by
religious. without thorough organization
md the discipline OF silence and retirement
Finally, the question Of robbing the In
mates OF converts OF their liberty was dis
cussed at considerable length, the Bishop en-.
tering into an explanation OF the nature OF
freedom III Christian sense, and showing
that he only Stree WHO'S subject TO law; heis
the freest who obeys most perfectly the will
of God. lie spilled these principles to re-
ligious, who hear Gods voice at all times In
the requirements OF their rule and the legiu.
mate commands OF their superiors. Then,
with few words OF commentator OF the
monastlc or conventual life, the Bishop
closed. this interesting subject.