The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-27
BENEFITS OF CATHOLICISM.
Bishop Chatard Tells What the Catholic
Church Has Done for the Country.
The Growth Of Its Infiuence-A Reference
to Mr.. Moody's Methods-Spirit of
the Religion.

The lecture of Francis Silas Chatard. bishop
of Vincennes, delivered last night, at st. Jo-
seph's Catholic Church. was listened to by an au-
dience that was at once large and attentive. 1t
was not an exclusively Catholic attendance,
however, as many of the auditors were Protest
ants. The Bishop spoke, essentially, as follows;
what has catholicty done for our country
This subject may have somewhat of strange
sound. Do we not all know that the Catholic
Church is the church of God, and,
being so, is always the bencfactress OF
the human race? How, then, could she
do aught else but good for this beloved
country of ours! And does not the good she
does grow with her growth and wax strong with
her strengthe IT wished to epitomize what she
has done for us it would be enough TO call your
attention to the dimensions of the church In the
beginning of the first century of American indie
pendence; to show you the one bishop and the
$4,000 Catholics of America at that time: and
now bid you look at the grand assembly OF the
archbishops and bishops in the late plenary
council of Baltimore. This wonderful develop
ment of the church means also the like develop
ment OF her energies for good. The result IS that
the benign aud salutary influence of the church
has permeated every stratum OF social HE.
What she has done | class as follows: " Inc
work proper of the spread of religion; " the
work of Christian charity; 81 the work Of social
amelioration Each of these is a theme IN itself
1t is not my purpose to speak at length of par
ticular men, save as they come to be Identified
with the special work treated of. The history or
America, however. mas some Catholic characters
that shine brilliantly IN the galaxy OF those VINO
have contributed to the weil-being OF our he
public We are ali familiar with the name of
Archbishop Carroll, who so periodically labored
in the cause of American independence from the
tyranny of England, and with that of his cousin
Charles Carroll, who signed the Declaration
| You are familiar with the part that France
Catholic country had in our Liberation; That
| expedition had more to do with the
spread Of Catholicity than was dreamed OF.
| When the American forces saw the piety and re-
| igious reverence of the gallant officers and sol
| ders of France as, on a Sunday, they assisted
at what non Catholics style the dannable super
stition of the mass it was no longer possible to
| despise openly the Catholic faith and practice
and our holy religion assumed a position which
| she has not even yet i'll England. where parlia-
mentary and established church is in possession
and despscs all who differ with it, be they Cath
oc or -conformist.
Catholic men began to fill public positions, and
| though as we have too much cause to know,
Catholicity mars mans prospects in the poilti-
| cal world. yet Catholics have held high places IN
government. Chief justice fancy was a Catho-
lie who never denied his faith. l re-
member him as l his familiar fig
ure pass where l sat in the Cathedral
at Baltimore as he went to his pew to assist at
the holy sacrifice of the mass and his intelligent
| face and quiet. simple, yet dignifed bearing re
main indelibiy fixed on my memory | was
| walking one day in the streets of Rome when
heard some call me. Looking around, saw
the sculptor Rhinehart justly styled by the
| English the best Of the American artists. He
asked me if l had known Chief justice fancy
| On my telling him that had, he asked me to go
/ to his studio, where he had made statue OF
4 him for the State Of Maryland He hpd made
it from photographs, out had left out many OF
the features of decrepitude that showed them
| selves in the pictures. looked at 1T with adj
miration This statue of Marylands great legal
| liOht and Catholic citizpn aNOPOS the DOrtalS
| of the State Capitol. Since his day descend
ant of Charles Carroll also Catholic, proud Of
his faith. has been the choice of the people for
| Governor of that State. | might name many
more but it will be sufficient to pass by
| individuals with tho mention of the single
| name of Charles O'Conor, man of sterling
character. but who failed by reason of his relig
ion co achieve the advancement he would other
wise doubtless have attained in the government
| disabilities now happily disappearing.
THE spirit of our religion was seen in our mis-
sionaries everywhere. The ,Jesuts who came
| with Lord Baltimore came to do a great work.
| They came to preserve the faith in the cclonists
| and to convert the heather. That influence ex-
tended over the whole country. They were not
tyrannous in regard to the opinions of others.
At the settling of the province of Baltimore
| majority of the settlers were not Catholics
The Bishop proceeded to show the tolerance of
| that colony of Catholics, which was in strong
contrast with all other colonies Of its time, OPP
| preston and persecution for opinions being the
| Bancroft, the Bishop said he understood that his
toriau had recently changed. He did not wonder
| at this change because of the influences which
| have surrounded Mr.. Bancroft, who has been
near Bismarck. who certainly cannot be called u
friend of the Catholic Church. Of the early leg
isators ninety in number, who gave the toler-
| ant, benefcenI government to Lord Cccirs col
ony. the majority were Catholics. 1t was the
| Catholic Church that formed all and gave the
| tone of that church to all that was done
| The Bishop. reading from ST. Thomas Aquinas,
the Angelic Doctor, showed that the attitude of
| the Catholic Church was such that the tyrant
friend of the lowly and the OPP
pressed--the friend of humanity. I'm the interior
movement of the will man is not bound to obey
| man, but only God; for all men are by nature
| equal" AS member Of society coming In rela-
ton with his fellow man, he is bound to obey law.
He showed the great institutions. educational
and charitable, the church has built up in this
country. paying glowing tribute to the work OF
the Sisters of Charity and other Sisters In hos
| pital work during the war and since-their care
for the orphaned and for foundlings who were
brought up by the church tc be valuable mem.
bers Of society instead of being, as would hap
pen were it not for the church. added
to the criminal classes. These sisters get
only their food and the clothes that cover them,
| having taken vows of poverty. The church
trains the young in sound Christian morality.
Other schools teach natural sciences and danger
| Gus tenets. The tendency is to pantheism, which
| is a menace to morality. Bishop Foster, in his
recent address before the Methodist Conference
at Baltimore, spoke of the dangerous restless
ness of the masses of the people, and that the
Methodist Church was not reaching the masses.
The Catholic Church does reach down to the
masses. Two gentlemen, neither of whom we're
Catholics, were talking. One remarked to the
other the difference between Catholics and
Protestants. The Catholic church goers many
of them, go as early as o'clock in the morning.
The Protestants go at 10 o'clock n more com
Portable hour. The Bishop said that Mr.. Moody
had referred to the dangers threatening the
country, and that the masses of the people must
be reached He is an earnest man. and as such
respect him He is laboring to save men in
Tie way he thinks best Now the Catholic
Church is doing that work. The Catholic
| Church teaches submission TO law