Evening journal., 1893-09-14
THE CATHOLIC RELIGION
Cardinal Gibbons's Speech
Read BY Bishop Keane.
KEEP ONES SELF UNsPoTTBD'

Never is an Act More GodIIke Per-
formed Than when Sunshine is Brought
to Hearts That Are Dark and Desc
Iate-SIan who Helps His Fellows Ap-
proachest Nearer Go@
CHICAGO, Sept 14.-Cardinal Gibbons
much. talked-of speech was read to-day
before the religious parliament. The
powerful address was read by Bishop
Kene, Of Washington, Cardinal Gibbons
being indisposed.
Gibbons Powerful Address.
Cardinal Gibbons read the following
paper on "The Needs of Humanity Sup
piled by the Catholic Religion." 1--WE live
and move and have our being in the
midst Of a civilization which is the legiti-
mate offspring Of the Catholic religion
The blessings resulting from our Chris
tian civilization are poured.out so regu-
larly ano so hbundantly on the
intellectual. moral and social world
like the sunlight and. the air
of heaven and the fruits of the
earth, that they have ceased to excite
and surprise except to those who visit
lands where the religion of Christ is
little known. In order to realizo ade-
quately our favored situation we
should transport ourselves in spite to
ante, Christian times snd contrast the
conditions of the Pagan world with our
own.
Before the advent of Christ the whole
world, with the exception of the
secluded Roman Province of Palestine.
was buried in idolatory. Every striking
object in nature had its tutolary
diviHities. Men worshiped the sun, and
moon, and stars of Heaven. They wor-
shipped their very passions. They
worshiped everything except God, to
whom alone divine homage is due. In
the word of the Apostle of the Gentiles,
They changed the glory of the incor-
ruptibie God into the likeness Of the
corruptible man. and Of birds and beasts
and creeping things. They worsbiped
and served the creature rather than the
l 1ltalNAs WIN 10 BAEbccA ANAENtIs
"But at last the great light for which
the prophets Of Israel had sighed and
prayed, and towards which even the
Pagan sages had stretched forth theii
hands with eager longing, arose and
shown unto them THAT sat in darkness
that the shadow of death The trutl
concerning our Creator, which haS
4 N.4s I. Twr1.
and there it might be shelters
from the world wide idolRtry. wa
l now proclaimed and in far create
elearness and fulness unto the who'll
world. Jesus Christ taught all mankind
to know the one, true God, God exist
ing from eternity to eternity, a Go,
, who created all things by His power. VIII
governs all things by His wisdom, AM
whose experimenting Providence watche
over the affairs of nations as we'll as o
man, without whom not even bir
falls to the ground
"This idea of theIDeity consonant I
:. our rational conceptions, was in strikin
contrast with the low and sensus
notions which the pagan world ha
= formed of its divinities
"The religion of Christ imparts to U
not only a sublime conception of Goo
! but also a rational idea OF man an
u his relations to his Creator. Befor
the coming of Christ, man wa
y a riddle and a mystery to himself. II
y knew not whence he came nor whittier b
1t was going. He was cropping in the darl
All he knew for certain was that b
was passing through bri,
8 phase of existence The past an
70 the future were enveloped in a mis-
le which the light of philosophy WI
/. unable to penetrate. Our Redeemer hs
in dispelled the cloud and enlightened l
, regarding our origin and destiny al
the means of attaining it. He b;
rescued men from the frightful lab
or rinth of error in which Paganism hs
ID involved him.
I. eve alleviate the sorrows Of other
,a Never do we perform an act more Go,
/ like than when we bring sunshine
} hearts that are dark and desolat
q. Never are we more like to God thi
es when we cause the howe
on of Joy and gladness to bloom
b. souls that were lry and barren befoI
Religion, says the Apostle, 'pure al
defiled before God and the Fat her
this--to visit the fatherless snds...tl
a widow in their tribulation a
n to keep oneself unspotted fro
rn this world" Or to borrow {
he words of the Pagan Cicero: 'Homir
,at ad daos nulla re propius accedunt Out
sp salute M hominious dando There is
he way by which man can approach to I
at Gods than by contributing to the Welt
of their fellow creatures.