The Irish standard., 1890-03-08
CHURCH AND STATE.


CHURCH AND STATE.
Pope L.eoIs Encyolical 8 Timely
Document.
The Church Refuses to Bend tho Knee to
the Fleeing and Changeful Politics Of
the Civil Order-Secular Versus 6ecta-
xian Education.
The Holy Fathers recent encyclica1
concerning the relations OF Church and
State, is widely commented upon by
secular papers. and, strange to say. is
receiving praise from unexpected
quarters
The purport Of the Pope's letter, in
regard to politics. is particularly
timely, and nothing could be clearer
than the language which declares the
Church's absolute Indifference to the
type of civi! government
Republics and monarchies are equally
acceptable 80 long as they do not
coerce the conscience of the citizen.
The monarchists in France and in Bra
I'll, the Carlists in Spain. and the par
VlCULdIAAoOS I'll uVi"d SduAOV A0AA w
see that they are aimed at by the an
nouncement that the Church, ''in the
fnlilment of her right and O; her office,
firmly refuses to side with any parties
and TO bend the knee to the feeting
and changeful politics Of The civil
order" The Pontif goes on to say
that while carefully guarding her
rights against encroachment," the
Church cares not by what form OF gov
eminent or by what customs the civil
order of Christian nations is regulated;
of the various kinds of polity there is
none of which she dlsapproves, so long
as religion and moral discipline remain
intact To sully the Church by con-
Meeting her with party strife or by az
tempting to make her an ally in OYER
coming political opponents would be the
act Of mon who abuse religion.
1t is, nevertheless, affirmed with equal
distinctness that the Church cannot but
concern herself about the laws formu
lated in States, for the reason that they
sometimes encroach upon the domain OF
religion. It is even pronounced duty
enjoined by God upon the Church to
make resistance. if at any time the
State does harm to religion, and at all
times to strive that the virtue OF the
Gospel may influence the laws and in
stitu lions of peoples. The deduction
which the Pope proceeds to draw from
this principle is obviously leyelled at
the Italian Government in the first in
stance, and secondarily at those
French politicians who persist in see
ing in Catholicism the enemy of
civil liberty. g. Since," we read,
"the welfare of the State is pe-
ouliarly dependent on the direction
of its governors, the Church cannot
give either patronage or favor to the
men at whose hands she knows only
oppression, who in the broad day re.
fuse to respect her rights, and who
strive to tear asunder civil and sacred
polity, bound together as they are in
their very essence" On the other
hand, the Church is, as she should he,
the defenders of those who, justly APP
preciating what is due to the civil and
what to the Christian State, desire to
work peacefully for the common good
of both. BY these precepts Leo XIII.
defines the rule which Catholics should
follow in all matters of public life.
There is also in this encyclical an in.
teresting reference to the ques ton OF
secular versus sectarian education.
Here again the Pope's language is I'M.
equivocal. ''They who WISH" he says,
ITO wrench society away from Christi
anity, go to the very roots and endeavor
to corrupt the family. They do not
allow themselves to be deferred from
this attempt BY the thought that this
cannot be accomplished without in tict-
ing upon parents the most cruel out
rage, for to parents the education of
their children belongs by virtue of nat
ural right" 1t is, therefore, strict
obligation which is laid by the Pope
upon Catholic parents to neglect no
effort to ''repulse energetically all un-
just violence done to them in this mat
ter, so that they may guard their exclu-
sive authority over the training of their
children" They should absolutely op-
pose their children frequenting schools
where they are Exposed to the fatal
poison Of impiety." Held up as an
example is the course OF those Catholics
who ''at the expense Of much money
and more zeal have established separate
schools for the education of their child
rem" Great stress is laid, moreover.
on home education. IF the young find
in the home practical school Of Chris
tian virtue, the salvation OF society in
the future is in great part guaranteed.
What distinguishes the present letter
is its emphasis aad opportuneness. In
moro than one part OF the world re-
ligion is sore beset by the hostility of
the civil power, and would naturally
deem himself unfaithful to his obliga-
tion should he fail to rouse to sense
OF their dangers and their duties.
The Blessing of the Lambs.
On st. Agnes Day, according to the
old custom, shortly after midday, two
of the canons of the Lateran basilica,
accompanied by their cerimonieri,
pre- sented to the Holy Father the lambs
with whose wool ara made the palliums
for the patriarchs, primates and arch
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