Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-12-12
THE CATHOLIC PASTORAL.

THE CATHOLIC PASTORAL.
The pastoral letter of the archbshops
and bishops of the Catholic Church 10 tie
United States as adopted by the Third Pie
nary Council, lately in session in Baltimore,
opens with a reference to the last Plenary
Council eighteen years ago, and the won.
derful growth of the Catholic communion in
this country during that comparatively
brief interval. In view of this growth it
was deemed expedient, if not absolutely
necessary, to examine anew the legislation
of previous councils. After referring in
terms Of approval to the work accomplished
by the Vatican Council, the pastoral dwells
at considerable length upon the growth of
skepticism and irreligion in the United
States, and of the tendency toward that
false civilization which hides its foulness
under the name of nlightenment-involv
ing, az it does, the undisguised worship Of
mammon, the anxious search after every
ease, comfort and luxury for maui Is physical
WELT being, the all absorbing desire to pro-
mote his n atsrial interests, and the uncoC-
Germ, or rather contempt, for those of his
higher and better nature" Out Of all
this, it declares, must grow hear :.
less materialism, which Is the best
SOL 10 receive the seeds of un5eli, f al d
irreigion which threaten to desc
late he country at no distant day, aud the
bishops insist that in such o condition Of al
fairs the first thing to perish will be popular
| liberty, "for men who know not God or re-
lgion can never respect the inalienab' 9
rights which man has received from bis
| Tho uta in cnoh he
come a despotism, whether its power lie
| lodge in the hands of one or many" The
pastoral exhorts all Catholics to oppose
these tendencies with the teachings of their
church, and reiterates the declaration OF
the Vatican Council that the authentic
spokesman of the church sis the successor
of St. Peter in the Apostolic See of Rome
declaration which, it adds, though ''al-
was the belief and practice of the church, !"
evoked storm of obloquy and resulted in
| the arraying against the church of kings
of the earth" and "princes assembled TO
! gelber." Particular meLtion Is made Of
Prince Bismarck's nti-Catholic policy,
which, it is stated, after struggle lasting
| fourteen years, has resulted in failure, the
rulers of Prussia having been compelled ito
| fall back on the patriotism Of the Catholic
| body to stay the threatening march of 50
ciaism and revolution" The relations Of
the Catholic poity to American institutions
are next considered, aud the declaration is
made that there is and can be no conflict
between them. The language Of tho pas
toral on this point is bold and explicit.
1--WE think" say the bishops, I'VE can
claim to be acquainted both with the laws.
institutions and spirit ofthe Catholic Church.
and with the laws, institutions and spirit
of our country, and we emphatically de.
clare that there is no antagonism between
| them" The bishops repudlate with equal
earnestness" the assertion that Catholics
| need to lay aside any of their devotedness
to their church to be true Americans, and
the iusnuation that they need to lay aside
any Of their love for their country's princi
| D es and institutions to be faithful Catholics
! This idea is elaborated with great earnest.
ness and force, and the declaration is made
that :'to argue that The Catholic Church is
ht stle to our great republic" is $50 illogical
al contradictory an accu a.ion that we are
astonshed to hear it advanced by persons
of ordinary intelligence" The present con.
| dtion Of the Holy See and the efforts OF the
Italian government TO deprive it Of THE
consecrated patrimony Of religion and char
ity" are adverted to, and particular mention
is made of the attempted spoliation of the
Propaganda and contscaton Of the Ameri.
can College, the latter averted by the action
of the United States government, for which
the bishops express their gratitude. The
present Ponttf is extoled for his energy
and wisdom, and especially for the interest
he has manifested In the progress of the
church in the United States. Passing to the
consideration of topics of more special
character the pastoral takes up the subject
of the education of the clergy, and states
that one of the first cares of the council was
to provide for the more perfect education of
asprants 10 the priesthood by leDgthening
and widening the course ofstudy. The pas
toral rights fthe clergy was another subject
which received much thought and careful
consideration on the part Of the council, es.
pecially the hxity of their tenure Of Office
and the inviolabeuess of their pastoral au.
thority within proper limits. The de!ibera-
tons of the council on this head were also
directed toward the fuller application in this
country, in which the church is emery
ing from a missionary state, of the lawsgov
erning ecclesiastical organization aud disci-
pine. With regard to the contraction Of
church debts, the pastoral says that while
such obligations are often necessarily incur
red, in order to meet the wants of rapidly
growing population, 1t is the earnest wish
Of the bishops that existing debts should be
liquidated as soon as possible in order that
the money now consumed in paying inter-
est may be employed in ''the great improve
ments still to be made, and especially in
helping on the glorious work of Christian
education" Special stress is laid on the
church's solicitude for the education Of the
laity, who are expected in the great com
ing combat between truth and error, be-
tween faith and agnosticism," to bear an
important part in the fray. The school, it
is declared, fought pre- eminently to be un-
der the holy influence of religion" although
1.-The friends of Christian education do not
condemn the State for not imparting reli-
gious instruction in the public schools as
they are now organized, because they well
know that it does not lie within the pro-
vince of the State to teach religion" The
multiplication of Catholic schools and the
elevation of the standard of instruction
\, ~ L o.~ll