The Irish standard., 1896-05-09
EVOLUTION And D0GMAS
Father ZahIn's Views Upon 1elenao
and Religion 0:s-
80: - - CURSED. sss''. ~

= Is - i.
- cussed. y. g - (.
WILL NOT BIZ DISTURBED n aozE
Has Other Similar WORKS u Con
temptation Which Hp VIII ss
Puai!sh. &
cam I sum moned to Rome TO defend
the position which I have taken In re-
gard to evolut:on?' Dr.. zahm, whose
evolution and Dogmas' has created a
great stir in church circles, smiled as ne
repeated the question put to him by an
interviewer recently.
"Well, hardly; in fact most men would
look upon my mission to Rome as some
thing of a.. promotion, am sent, nor
called, to the Vatican--but sent to repre-
sent nv congregation and my superior
general at the papar court, a POSITION
which cannot be called unhonorabie.
can readily understand how the impress
sion got abroad that am to be censured
for daring to advocate eVolutloh, ioi
there are scores Of persons who realty
think I deserve reprimand OF some sort
and are quick to scent 1t from afar. g.
"Three years ago, when gave my hrst
lectures on Science and Faith, at I .il's
Catholic simmer school, l was pounce9 g
uron in much the same manner, ano
prophecies of things dire We're u9!ereo
bv nv critics. l have never Deen als ss1-
pinned, as they have put it, and | i e NOV
likely that I shall be. The 1rouDe -
that we have a great many pious persons fsel
in America who are more orthodo4 tnstn =
Leo XIII. and the holy office.
II have been put down as as'lpeIal,
and in a way may be called one: b p !.
when it comes to a question OF Iaatn ana N !
dogma, I am as vigorous an ultra-moHs
tame as the most radical OF my crillles,
who seem to think that because man Is
iutolerant of error he should be 1ntoier-
amt OF persons, and that a man VINO 70, Is
liberal with individuals on controvertea
questions must necessarily be hetefo-
dox
.s.My views may not be looked upon
with. favor by all in Rome. ! 90 NOT ex-
pect SO much, and really do not care
for the approval of anyone. but Know
that every eminent man Oh science
throughout Europe is in perfect sympa-
thy with my views. My colleagues In = the
International Catholic scientific congress
are adilerents to the theory as ! nola Y,
and venture to say that the Twentleth
century will not. be very old before nine
out Of every ten thinkers and students
VIII be evoiutionists, as opposed 70: De
levers in special creation.
IT have been criticised for holding
views which are hostile to religion. .b ~
the old views can no longer be held. Insy
were good enough to explain during me q
middle ages questions which are still ~
controversy and which are not OF Ia alt /
but the researches of modern sclence haVa
made a thousand discoveries IN ploiogy,
palaont61ogv and archaeology: IS W IlEesa
throw new light on these questions an 1le!
suggest solutions which never could haVe
occurred to medieval scientls .:':s s.
ut is amusing to study the dlHere -
points Of view taken by my cen s y -, "a z,
American they unite In denounGng me az
u liberal and radical, and vet | READ g
fortnight ago in one Of the most prom.
inent Catholic reviews OF Europe tnat I
am entirely too conservative, Utmost ah
old fogy! In Catholic France ana ltalyi
which are supposed to be- very: con efya-
tive, my books have been translated and g
have attained as great q sale as the Eng
lish editions. and although j N.Y.; latest
book, Evolution and Dogma, 81 a. been
out only few weeks, have had many !!
letters asking for permission TO put y
into French and German and italian.
One OF them comes from q well known
man of Malta. 1. 5 &, si5rsii
"How is my work looked upon By my
superior general? Well. Lsllaves never
discussed the question, with ,hdn, and y
do not know his views on evolution. But
Il do know that he is q cultured. broad-
minded man, who IL willing that every
body should be free toelect his own point
Of view He knows me well enough to
feel assured that 4 will write nnthing that
will ba tamerarious, much less scat1d aaoas
or heretical. He seems to hav We simta
confidence in me, in these latteTa, and.
perhaps, the best evidence Esof 1t 2ts. his
calling me to Rome 40 his assistant al,d
representative at the Vatican. The pro-
curator general is the oftfeial Tepresen
tatiye Of the congregation and 81 4 sb,lsis
ness with the holy see y transacted
through him. How long 8sha stay! ]
do; not know. WIN oontlra,as HI
erary end scientific work I3 can aay
nothing t1antil + sarriyo satt Roi1e pIas
what my new dltdes are JIG IA snrts lliIs.
however that AK give y AZ
ssfes or work. haYe seveTa sin
u empiati Tor, somewhat te
stliSs which I have a1reaIi v13tteM but