Omaha daily bee., 1884-12-12
THE pLENARY COUNCIL.
SYNOPSIS or THE PASTORAL LETTER b
THE ARCBpIsHOps AND BISHOPS

SYNOPSIS or THE PASTORAL LETTER FRO
II ARoHBIsHoPs ASD BIsHors
WASHINGTON, December 1.-THE pastoral
letter of the archbishops and bishops Of the
United States, composing the third plenary
council of Baltimore, TO the clergy and laity
under their charge, is made public through
the Catholic Mirror. 1t is a lengthy doom
ment, but the following abstract gives the
main points in leading matters which en-
gagged the attention Of the council: Refer.
ence Is made to the great increase of Catholic
Institutions the past eighteen years, especially
in the west, The assembly by Plus of the
general council at the vatican is alluded to as
one of the most important events or our age,
and detailed accounts of its work are given.
The Catholics in Prussia are commended
for their good work in availing themselves
every legal means to check the advances OF
despotism and save their own freedom and
that Of their country. The letter then dis
cusses the following terms: I'VE think we
can claim to be acquainted both with the
laws, institutions and the spirit of the
Catholic church and with the laws, institu-
tions and spirit of the country; and we EN-.
rhatically declare that there is no antagonism
with them. A Catholic finds himself at home
III JUb nlUtu DJhJtS, lUT bub lullu6uSb " hIn
church has constantly been exercised in beh tlf
IF individual rights and popular libertiest
and o right-minded American nowhere finds
himself more at home than in the Catholic
church, for nowhere else can he breathe tina,
atmosphere of divine truth which alone can
make us free. We repudiate with equal
earnestness the assertion that we need to lay
aside any of our devotious to our church to be
true Americans; and the insinuatlon that we
need to lay aside any of our love for our
country's principles and institutions, to be
faithful Catholics. To argue that the Catho.
lie church is hostile to our
great republic because she teaches
that there is no power but from God; because,
therefore, back of the events which led to the
formation of the republic she sees the provi.
dence of God leading that issue and back of
our country's avs the authority of God as
their sanction, this evidently is so illogical
and contradictory an accusation that we are
astonished to hear it advised by persons of
ordinary intelligence. We believe our country's
heroes were instruments of the God of nations
an establishing this home of freedom. To
both the Almighty and to his instruments In
the work, we look with grateful reverence;
and to maintain the inheritance of freedom
which they have left US should ever, which
God forbid be imperiled our Catholic ~citizons
will be found to stand forward, as one man,
ready to pledge anew their lives, th,ir for.
tunes ana UIlelr suCIeu nOnOT, mo less Illogical
would be the notion that there is aught i'll the
free spirit of republican institutions incompat.
ible with perfect docility to the Church of
Christ" Thu attempt to grasp the
property of tho propaganda Is severely
condemned and our government warmly
thanked for the action that saved the Ameri-
can college from contiscation. a considerable
portion of the letter is devoted to the discus
sion Of the education of the Clergy ana their
pastoral rights. Tho subject of christian edu-
cation is treated at great length. The letter
says that the palpable fact that cannot be ig-
nored is that the influence of the schools of.
ten outweighs the nome and the church. 'To
shut religion out of the schools and keep it
for the home and the church is
that will consider religion good enough for the
home and the church, but not for the practi,
cal business of real life" Continuing, the let.
ter says: ''We must multiply our schools un.
til every Catholic child in the lane shall have
within its reach the means of education.
There is much to be done ere this is obtained.
There are still thousands of Catholic children
in the United States deprived of the benefit
of the Catholic school. Pastors and priests
should not rest till this defect be remedied,
No parish is complete until it has school:
adequate to the needs of its children
Christian marriage and indissolubility OF
the marriage tie are treated upon
and in this connection the havoc wrought by
the divorce laws of the country is to be de
plored. The Importance of good reading, es
pecially of the holy scriptures and of support
ing thoroughly the Catholic press is impress
sively declared. Regarding the observance Of
the Lords day the letter says: 'Far is il
from us to advocate such Sunday avs as
would hinder necessary Sunday work, OIL
would prohibit such popular epjoyments a.
are consistent with the sacredness of the day
There is one way of profaning the Lords day
which i! so prolific Of evil results ",
against it our special condemnation
This is the practice Of selling beer or othel
liquor on Sunday or of frequentipg places
where they are sold We hope the SUNDAY
laws on this point will not be relaxed but ever
more rigidly enforced, and we implore al
Catholics for the love of God and our country
never to take part in such Sunday
traffic nor to %patronize or countenanct
it. And we not only direct the attention
of all pastors to the repression of this abuse
but we call upon them to induce all theil
abandon as soon as they can the dangerous
traffic and embrace a more becoming way Of
making a living" The pastoral invokes the
blessing on the cause of Temperance and on all
who are laboring for its advancement IN q
true christian spirit" Forbidden societies
is the next subject treaaed of, and while
Catholics are instructed to shun bad or danger.
Gus secret societies; they are consulted to take
part in good and useful Catholic associations
always remembering, however, that the surest
guide is the church of Christ, The letter
closes with an appeal FIR q generous CO,
operation Of the Catholic people 10 the work
of foreign missions and missions among the
Indians and negroes.