The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-01-14
CATHOLIC PURITY.
Statistics Showing the Superiority
Of Catholic over Protestant
Countries in Morality.
POWER OF THE CONFESSIONAL
The Restraining influence Of the
Sacrament Of Penance on
Nations Morals Illustrated.

\ sacrament OF H6Qa0Co On q
Nations Morals Illustrated. 4
The London Catholic Truth Society In
one of it's pu blications shows ccnclusiyely
that the Confessional is not the devils
arsenal" ss misrepresented by Protest
ant fanatics and ex-priests, but that it's
efficacy and great moral power is seen ii
the comparison based on statistics be-
tween Catholic and Protestant nations in
Europe. "By their fruits ye shall know
them," and if the superiority Of Catho-
lies over Protestants in their moral hab-
it's be not attributable to the Confessional
how can it be accounted for? If Prot
estabts are less moral than Catholics.
because Of their superior culture, as they
claim, then their refinement is superb
cial and a detriment to them spiritually.
How does confession affect the morals
of those who practice it?
1t is generally admitted that the vir.
tue which most clearly marks the moral
condition Of nation, the virtue which.
shows most distinctly the restraint of
moral and religious principles upon the
home life of nation, is female chastity.
Where this is held in honor the passions
and impulses of both sexes are held in
check; where it is not held in honor the
result becomes apparent in the large pro-
portion which 'illegitimate births bear to
those which are legitimate.
Let us apply tho test Of the moral COM
dition of q people to Catholic and Prot.
estant nations.
Roughly speaking, we may call Teu-
tonic nations Protestant, and Latin ma
tions Catholic; and in study on the
moral condition of Europe, DR.. Fonsa-
griyee, Of Montpelier, say
ut is proved that there is in Europe
an average illegitimaoy of fifteen to every
hundred births. I thought it would be
an interesting study to compare the ex-
tent of illegitimacy among European ma
tions of Teutonic and Latin origin, end
I found it IS per cent. with the former,
and only 6 per cent with the latter"
In other words. the proportion of ille-
gitimacy is nearly three times greater
among Protestant than it is among Cath
olic nations. But we can get more defin-
ite statistics than these. Though per-
haps no country can be quite strictly
designated as purely Catholic, we are
sufficiently accurate il we say, for in
stance. that Sweden and Prussia are
Protestant, and Spain and Italy Catho-
lie.
In Spain and Italy, then, the great ma
jority Of women practice confession, and
are influenced by it, whereas in Sweden
and Prussia it is practically unknown.
Applying our test we find the average
thus given by Mulhall: Sweden, 10 IL
legitimate per 1000 births; Prussia, so
Legitimate per 1000 births; Italy, 66 il.
legitimate per 1 900 births; Spain, IS ille-
climate per 1000 births.
Moreover, in one and the same conn
try, where there are Catholic and Prot
estant districts, the excessive ratio is al
ways In the Protestant districts. For
example in Germany, the Rhine pro-
vinces are mainly Catholic, whereas
Prussian Pomerania is Protestant; the
proportions in these two, dietricts are:
Pomerania 9.95 illegitimate per 1000;
Rhine provinces, 2.79 illegitimate per
LOCO. Coming nearer home, we find the
same results in the United Kingdom,
classifying England and Scotland as
Protestant and Ireland as Catholic. The
same authority gives these figures:
Scotland, 80 illegitimate per 1000 births;
England, 45 illegitimate per 1000 births;
Ireland, % illegitimate per 1000 births.
In Wigtownshire, in Scotland, the pro-
portion riaes to $50 per 1000, and in
Norfolk to s., whereas in Ireland We find
the same phenomenon as in the Catholic
and Protestant districts Of Germany. DE-
Forbes, 9 Protestant. says:
ut is curious to remark how strik-
ingly the results here conveyed CORES
pond with the confessional theory; tho
proportion of illegltimate children coin
Gliding almost exactlY with the relstiivs
proportions of tho two lions Il s.,
Catholic and Protestant in sach pro.
vince, hsing large where the Protestant
element q larpe, and small whore il il
small. "a Connaueht where The proper,
tion of Protestant To Catholic ID only q
4 to g q, The proportion q iinegii giitimats
children g itinnate 8 only in23,5
but il Jlster where tll,e prop zion ion off:
Protes staa,ts to OAtholic s. q Ito i.
(neerly squ.. te prop ton of e iilleeiti-