The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-06-28
u b 3 50 Ola i D EST
The Holy Father w rites OF Work
ingnenIss socities.

The Holy Father Writes OF Work
ingnean1IIs' sooities.
4 His Letter TO rhe Archbishop of Cologne.
& The Good VIII Of the church Toward
che Poor andaIts Willingness to succor
5S Them. 53s#as N II s
The Holy Father has addressed to the
Archbishop Of Cologne an important
letter in Latin, Of which the following
is 8 translation: Y.
VENERABLE BROTHER, HEALTH AND THE
APOSTOLIC BENEDIcTIoN:
You are not unaware of the great
perils and difficulties which the Social
question presents, and Of which the
gravity is 50 serious that even those
who are at the head Of hergreat States
of Europe are preoccupied by it. You
know, too, that for a long time past
We have endeavored to set forth the
intimate cause of this evil and the
remedies which are most suitable.
Moreove in the letter We, wrote re-
GENTLY to His Majesty the Emperor of
Germany and King of Prussia, who,
with extreme courtesy, had written to
Us on the occasion of the distinguished
conference lately held on this subject
at Berlin. We clearly explained the in
terest We took in succoring the poor
workingmen, and in assuring them, so
far as We could, of our good will. It
cannot have escaped your prudence
that however great the means which
The civil power may be able to employ
to alleviate the condition of the work
ing classes, the Office which the Church
discharges in this salutary work is
more important. For the divine force
inherent in religion which penetrates
the minds and hearts of men directs
and moves them III such q manner that
they readily follow the path of justice
and honor. BY native right the Church
is the faithful depository Of the truth
revealed by God, and she represents
Christ our Lord, Who is the wisdom of
the Father She is the inheritor of the
charity of Him who being rich became
poor for us, 80 that rich and poor alike
could reproduce His image by being
raised to the dignity of children of
God, and He has so loved the poor that
He has reserved for them the most dis
tinguished marks of His benevolence.
It is by Him that the holy doctrine of
the Gospel has been given to us-the
most precious gift to humanity for i'll
placing beneath the eyes of all the i'm
mutable rights and dutios Of each, this
doctrine alone can smooth away the
difficulties resulting from inequality
Of condition which has its root in the
very nature of men. Thus the people
who would adopt the true Gospel doc
trine as the rule of all their aspirations
and of all their public and private &C
tions would follow the surest course
and obtain the happiest results. This
is certainly the feeling entertained
with Us by the Bishops of the German
Empire who have given Us proof of
their pastoral zeal by many excellent
works which they have undertaken
and accomplished in order to secure
suitable succor for the poor and the
1aboring classes. But, that the action
of the Church may be more complete
and efficacious as the requirements OF
the times demand, all the means and
aids which are at the disposal of the
Church, and which are calculated to
lesson the gravity of the evil, must
be brought into requisltion by
the forces shat are united and
that tend in the same direction. 1t is.
above all, necessary to induce the peo
pie by patient and assiduous action to
enter on a moral reform and to accus-
tom themselves to conform their public
and private lives to the doctrines and
examples of Jesus Christ. Moreover,
care must be taken that in the ques-
tions arising between different classes
the precepts of justice and charity
should not be isolated, and that differ
ences should be adjusted throu gh the
paternal and authorize intervention
of the sacred ministers of religion.
Finally, it is necessary to endeavor to
render the troubles of the present life
more tolerabIe to the poor, and to act
in such way that riches should serve
those who possess them as means not
30 nurse oupidity or to commit acts of
injustice but to give succor abundant
~ IT. order to acquire more abundant
treasures in Heaven.
We, therefore, deem worthy of great
praise what is being done by the in,
dustrious charity of the Germans in
providing for peaceful societies Of
workingmen places in which they can
.honorably meet together: in opening
schools AND training houses for fe-
males, so that the young of both sexes
may receive good and suitable ed uca>
ton; in founding pious congregations,
and in performing other similar good
works. For these things tend to make
tho life of the working classes less
hard, aud to relieve them from pecun-
larry difficulties, but also to keep them
IL she practice Of religion and sound
sssss Jgals It would, indeed, be extremely
pleasant to Us to see that with the
tirmness Of resolution which distin-
Suishes them with the cooperation of
their clergy and Of the faithful, and
under the happy auspices Of religion
the same auspices under which the
works We have already mentioned have
been performed-the German Bishops
were able to extend more and more