The Irish standard., 1888-10-20
THE ORDERS OF The CHURCH
To Mont Catholics the Life of Catho-
lie Religious Has But Few
Attractions.
FREQUENT MISREPRESENTATION.
The Caution Exercised Before Candidates
are Permitted to Enter on the
Life Of Religious.

are Permitted to Enter on the
Life Of Religious.
[Catholic atan,iard.]
The fact that members Of Catolie re-
lgions order. with very Few exceptions
| continue in the life to which they nave
devoted themselves is d subject OF con-
stant misrepresentation by noI.C .Catho
lies, and especially by Protestants. 1t
is fact which is we'll understood by
Catholics and is capable Of being easily
explained, yet it is one which the great
majority Of non- Catholics do not and
will not understand.
In one way this is not at all snrpris
ing. TO a person who looks at the life
Of Catholic religious from 8 n0n-
Catholic point Of view, that life has 40
attractions whatever. IL seems TO be
dull and gloomy, fitted only for q mis-
anthrope, for person weary OF living
disappointed, soursd aud disgusted with
the World Itappears to be a life Of TN
endurable monotony, OF endless rou-
tine irudgery and lapor, Of meaningless
morti itication, self-repression and insult
ferahle bondage.
Nor, as we haye already said, is this
to be wondered at. For just this the
life ct religious order is to {. person
wiso has not . real vocation for it. Ct
is only The actual vocation to it, and
the divine special grace which attends
upon it, that sweeten what without
that vocation and grace is intensely biz
Ter and which, make the servitude and
aonegation of the world. its PLEASURES
and pursuits, which the religious accept
of their own volition, to be 20 lhem the
highest freedom and happiness.
This, dlsbelievesin in Christianity, as a
divine religion, and also Protestants
canuot comprehend. For the former
have no belief whatever in the reality
and power OF divine grace, and with
the latter it is a dogma OF his religion
to deny the special grace which trans
forms the religious life from what it
naturally is, or would be without that
grace. and which also transfnsing the
soul OF thetrua religious, elevates, puri
ies and transforms their desires, inten-
tions and purposes. AS we have said
the Protestant cannot understand This,
because private judgement is to him
the tribunal of highestauthority for the
Interpretation Of divine revelation, and
consequently FOR the guidance Of his
conscience and the shaping of his IDEAS
of duty. Thus submission and oDedi-
ence to whatever is beyond himself, be-
come bondage and slavery; and thus
the declaration of our Divine Lord
whatsoever is the greatest among you
let him be as the least, and he that is
the leader as he that serveth, land the
truths that the declaration involves, are
incomprehenslble to him.
1t is owing to this want Of compre-
hension by Protestants of the nature
and conditions OF the religious life and
of the divine special supports aud hap
piress attending upon it, and it is diff
culs if not impossible for Protestants
to accept the fact that lifelong continu
auce in that life is the free voluntary
choice and the sincere and profoundly
cherished desire and purpose of mem
bers of religious orders, with a very few
rare exceptions. Protestants cannot or
will not understand this They are en-
tirely sceptical as to the truth hat the
longer those who have vocation to the
religious life and who persevere in cor
responding with the grace attending
upon it, continue in that life, the more
deeply enamored they become with it,
and find enjoyment in what naturally
is irksome. distasteful, unpleasant and
repu.sive.
Hence, too, it is that so many Pro-
testants seem unable to clear their
minds of the extraordinary notion that
Catholic religious continue in the life
thev have chosen through the influence
of some kind of constraint and compul-
sion constantly exercised over them If
the personal acquaintance Of such per-
Sons with Catholic converts and the
evidence of their own senses convince
them that there are no dungeons and
chains and fetters to prevent the escape
OF the religious inmates. vet, contrary
to all the assurances that can he given
by the religious themselves and by all
other Catholics, they nevertheless inn
agine that constraint aud compulsi0n
is exercised in some occult and mysteri-
.ous way; constralnt which though
visible to all the world. yet overpowers
the religious and make them virtual
slaves And this utterly nnfonnded
notion, notwithstanding all denials and.