St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-01
AIMED AT SLATTERY.
Cardinal Gibbons Delivers Sem
NATIONAL Sermon

satiORaI Sermon.
Cardinal Gibbons, in his sermon tor
day in the cathedral, said: IL
How true it is that history reii
peatS the same calumnieS that were
uttered against our LORD and SaviS
our in His day, the same calumnies
that were circulated against the
primitive church are ventilated today
against the church of God, her
clergy and members. Let me give
one instance out of a thousand that
1 might bring forward to illustrate.
the subject. The Catholic church Is
Jealous of the honor and moral recti-
tude of her clergy. 1t is her constant
aim that they should walk in inno-
cence and blamelessness of life And
whenever any of the clergy is known
to have contracted any degrading
habits incompatible with his sacred
calling he is withdrawn from the ae-
tive pursuits of the ministry until he
mas given marks of reformation. The
church has too much reverence for
COO, she has too much respect for
the la1ty, she has too much respect
for the clergy themselves, to suffer
any unworthy priest to minister at
her altar But we find it very hard
10 please our enemies. They are very
inconsistent. If we were to retain a
degenerate clergy in the exercise of
the pubic ministry they would point
the niger Of ScOrn at us and saw
oee now low is the moral standard
OIL the catholic clergy If we dismiss
one of them from the service of tho
altar they will forthwith pick him
up from the gutter and receive this
Iailen angel with open arms. They
VIII embrace him as long-lost
orother and take him to their bosom
ana lead him about the country like
some strange animal and exhibit
MIN to public gaze.
lie IS sure, of course. TO nisranro-
sent and malign the church: for wba+
man ever spoke kindly of the mother
whom ne had inSulted and dishonoredp
ans masters are sure to dictate the
subjects on which he is to sneak
whlch are popular and attractive for
.he Tune being, such as the everlast.
ing lnquls1tion, patriotism. the con.
iesslonal and the pope They affect
10 believe this man in his fall whom
they would not hear when he was
honored in the sanctuary. If il ia q
SIN TO tell jocose lie; If it Is a. crime
10 calumniate ones neighbors. how
snail we characterize the offense of
those who malign the largest body of
Cnrlst1ans In the world? And the
calumny becomes still more renre-
hensiDle when uttered from Christian
pulpit, which ought to be the chair
of truth.
You may cover with mud Wash
lngton's and Taneys monuments in
this city, but heavens wind and rain
VIII make them clean again.. So God.
In His own good time, will dispeI the
clouds of calumny and vindieate
truth
The cardinal counseled his hearers
10 harbor no spirit of resentment or
lll-W1ll towards those who are guilty
OF calumny They should rather have
pity and commiseration. 1t is only
God and the sons of God that have
the herofsm to forgive. When we pos
sess the treasures of Divine faith.
when we possess the blessings of oDi-
vine grace, when we have the we'll
rounded hope of an eternal recompense.
we can well afford to smile at the
storm of words that may assail us as
we proceed on our pilgrimage to the
City of God. al