Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-26
CENTENARY CELEBRATION.
Ceremonies in the Catholic Cathedral at
New Orleans.

| Ceremonies in the Catholic Cathedral al
| New Orleans.
The centenary celebration by the Catholics
of New Orleans took place yesterday. At sun
rise salute of fifty guns was fired on the
levee. AT o'clock the clerical party left the
archbishop's residence and proceeded to the st.
Louis Cathedral, where, at 10 am. the solemn
pontificai mass was begun. Cardinal Gibbons
and other prominent prelates were IL the sane
tuary. Sermons were delivered in French by
Dominican Father Henry Hage and in English
by Most Rev. z. j. Ryan, archbishop Of Phila-
delphia.
ARCHBISHOP RYAN ARGUMENT.
The sermon of Archbishop RYAN was an e,o-
quent and forceful argument for Christianity.
He said that this centennial an evidence OF
the establishment and permanent: existence of
the Christian religion. in spite of all obstacles.
evidence of its divine origin.
Continuing. ne said: IL know OF no argument
stronger. more popular and more unanswera-
BILE than this one. Arguments for the divine
origin o. Christianity derived from prophecies
and miracles presuppose faitn in ali these as
grounds for proof. Hence such arguments
avail only with those who believe in revelation
But my contention is directed to reason alone
and presupposes only belief IN wel-asce--
tanned historical facts and in causality-tnat is.
that effects must havS causes. and such causes
must be in proportion to those effects. Here
Is a platform upon which all reasonable men
can meet. Now. there are two facts in the
history OF our race which infidelity canno.
deny nor skepticism doubt. These facts are
first. the existence this earth of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and. secondly. that in every CEN
tucy since His death there has been an institu-
ton known among men as the Christian
Church. Its establishment and continuance
in
history. as Christ himself was the most wonder
fui parsonage In the annals OF our race.
IF there be any fact OF history perfectly GER
tain it is that Christianity CONQUERED. notwith-
standing the obstacles il had to overcome and
the inadequacy. humanity speaking. of the
means adopted to overcome them. Within a
century. as we are informed. not only bv
Christian authors. but such pagan writer's as
Tassitus. Piinv. Juvenal and Periphery. the new
religion was proclaimed and practiced through
out great portion of the Roman empire. Soon
afterward 1t spread throughout the entire
world. 1t is impossible to account for this
phenomenon, except on the superstition OF a
supernatural power that made use of the weak
things of this world to confound the strong.
The force OF this argument mas been keenly
felt by the enemies of Christianity. and they
have attempted to assign various human rea-
sons for these wonderful effects Gibbon. the
author of the Decline and Fall os the Roman
Empire. assigns five such causes. namely: The
zeal of the early Christians for the propagation
OF their faith. their belief i'll a future state of
existence. tine miracles said to have been per-
formed, the great sarctity of their lives and
the unity o. their organization.
mo one can doubt that these were great
causes FOR the propagation OF Christianity.
Bat looking more closely into the subject any
rational man mus: say that these causes Them
selves were but the effect OF primary cause.
We must. therefore. look for the cause of the
causes. What power inspired that courageous
zeal? What power wrought those miracles,
produced that wonderful sanctity and thai per-
feet union. and gave strength to the doctrine of
future state which has been previously
| taught? Zeal had been exercised before. mira
Giles were performed before. sancitv and unity
! and the doctrine of future state had been
recognized before, but it was Christianity that
caused men to perfectly realize them, ard in
realizing them they became tine effects of Chris
tianity, and therefore was Christianity the
cause of these causes. and therefore the cause
Of their effects"
| In concluding the archbishop said:
And what l have said of the conquest and
/ propagation of Christianity in the early ages
and through the church history. in spite OF
tine obstacles that oppose IL and the inadequate
human means for attaining victory, is true of
! it in every part of the world. Each diocese is
/ the church i'll miniature. The same truths to
/ be taught. the same passions to be overcome
and the same means to vanQuish them. The
year tuat raw tue IOuuuatLOu O4 OiOcese OF
/ New Orleans witnessed the execution in Paris
of King Louis XVI. The infidelitv of the
( French revelation found but too many fol-
| lowers in this new France. But it found also
most devoted French and other ecclesiastics to
refute and repcl it. The terrible object lesson
| in France of tl.o appalling scenes of blood and
carnage. the necessary consequences of the in
fidelity that preceded them, was a mighty argu-
ment against the adoption OF that infideilty on
| these shores.
Here. thank God. tine church may act out
| in freedom her mission to humanity. All she
asks is to be let alone by the state in the prose-
cution of this mission. Church and state should
move in parallel lines, which never meet. They
should feel more friendly to one another, for
/ the power of both comes from God. Catholics
in this country should be most thoroughly and
cordially in harmony with its government and
! institutions. have saia that the church and
state should move in parallel lines. But l re-
member that mathematics tells us that in GER
tain circumstances two lines will forever APP
| proach. and yet never meet. So would ! have
the church and state in this country. Ever III
| harmony, each in its own sphere, ever ap-
preaching, but never meeting or clashing,
which our Constitution forbids."