The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-17
CATHOLIC cRuRcH AND IHENEGRO
Sermon on the. subject by Rev. Father
Welbcrs at It. Joseph's Church.


Welbcr- at st. Joseph's Church.
Last Sunday night Rev. Father weibers
| preached at st. Josephs church 10 a
large and representative audience OH thc
Catholic Church and the colored race.
\ lie TOOK for his text Gaiaciahs al. -.
| There IL neither Jew nor rre,h' ne'tleI
bond nor free, there is neither inale lot
female, for. you are all one IN CHRIST
| Jesus" -l-l
! Our blessed Lord. he said, came 10
atone for the sins of the soul. and also
| relieve the Ills OF the body. The Satholc
! Church has from the very beginning ear
( RED out the Instructions OF the ll,'ihe
! Master. She has gone forth, not oniy 10
| teach all nations. nut also beaied society.
| lighted oppression ana tyranny, anu
| brought solace to suffering ana misery.
\ one Of the greatest social eviis OF me
tlme was slavery. perinedtlhS tue very
structure and all laws ana customs OF
society. Tho extent Of this social EVIL
/ may be estimated from the number OF
| slaves. In the year - there We're III
Italy alone. under the Emperor 1laudlus,
| 1882, OD slaves, and only b.!r,pp Tree
men. Wherever the Roman went he re
tanned ana introduced this institution also
II was 10 this KIND OF society thaL tne
Catholic Church came WIN the graz
message from her divine FOUNDER what
a task. St. Peter babe the lame man TO
stand up and walk. and he leaping ",
stood and walked. Had the apostles com
manded these millions OF slaves TO shake
7
would have produced a pandemonium.
TO free them must be the work of ages.
The first steps OF the rising Cnurch was
TO correct erroneous notions by teach-
ing that Saves were human beings VINO
could participate equally In the spiritual
graces that were offered 10y Christ. rms
st. Paul proclaimed IN tho Eplstle 10 the
Galatians: There Is neither jew uor
Greek: there Is neither bond nor Tree.
there is neither male nor female, Tor you
are all one In Christ Jesus.
To the Corinthians he writes. FOR III
one spirit we are all baptized !hio one
body whether Jew or Gentle, bond or
free" And. lest this declaration should
ncite slaves to rebellion. he enI9ihed
obedience. obedience tola hiaher au'holt-
ty-viz.: God. To the Ephesians he "rltes.
You slaves obey those VINO are your
masters according 10 the flesh. with rear
and trembling In the simplicity OF Your
hearts, as 10 Jesus Christ himsei nor
serving TO the eye, as IL were p-earnt ~
men. but as servants Of christ. doing .sIe
will OF God from the heart, mo"
ing that whatever good things a nhN
shall do. the same shall he receive row
the Lord. whether he be bond or Tree
And then he adds. And you, masters, ~
the same thing 10 them, forDearlhS
threatenings knowing that the Lord .oth
of them and you is IN Heaven. ana lneie
is no respect OF persons with MN, tph'
vi =. -. TO the Christian slave inns uoc-
frine came as a revelation ana reSIi-
reotion Thus during the two hundred
and nftv years before the triumph OF the
Catholic Church these teachings were
feavening the who.e mass OF society, pre-
pairing IL for uOb.er and hlghes IDEALS anu
softeninR harsh usage. From the begin
ming the Church declared the man-mission
of the slave a good work. Pope Clement;
as Early "a the first century, speahs OF
persons going into slavery to redeem
others When. later on, greed or money
introduced slavery into America, rope
and bishop appeared again as the chafn-
pions and defenders OF the coiored race.
The Popes have repeatedly declared 10
the world the iniquity Of slavery. among
them Plus IL, In l4S2; later on PAU HI
Urban VIII, Benedict XIV, Gregory
XVI. In our own day we have the noble
letter Of Leo Kill 10 the bishops OF sra,
zil and the work undertaken ny cardinal
L.ayigerie i'm behalf OF the African slave.
II slavery has fingered here and there IN
countries professed.y Catholic the thufcn
has not failed In exhortation, reprooi ana
persistent action-a marked contrast 10
the comparatively recent awakening 81
the conscience Of other denominations 10
the iniquity Of the traffic IN human ploon.
IL the Catholic Church had had a fair
chance in this country, she would nave
done away with slavery In tho same man.
ner as she did In Europe, and thus TINS
beautiful country would have been saved
from A disastrous war, where brother
rose Up against brother and waded
through oceans Of blood. AS II was the
Catrolic Church did AL she could for the
negro. She always proclaimed that he,
too was OF tire race OF Adam. that he was
redeemed by the same Saviour. that he
had rights which could not be violated
without SIN: that his marriage could not
he dissolved BY any human power. and
that he was never allowed 70 obey in
things which were contrary to the law Of
God. The same priest baptized the child
OF the master and the slave. and the slave
went 10 the same priest to make his con-
fession as his master. and after that knelt
side by side with his master 20 receive
the Lords body and blood. When mas
ter and slave had gone 20 meet their COM
mon judge. the same priest OBLIGATED at
their funeral. The CatrOlic Church has
gone farther than this. She has raised
negroes TO the priesthood. the highest
honor which she can bestOw on any Nv
an The catholicity Of the Church
was we'll shown when some years ago
large numbers Of Catholics, and even Pro-
testans, both white and colored. knelt
down on the street In Washington, 10 re-
ceive the blessing Of a colored priest
one colored man. Martin de Pones, has
been declared blessed" by the Church,
and another one, full-blooded negro,
Benedict OF San Fratello, has been de-
clared a saint"
We have here in the United States four
different colored bisterhoods Amongst
them the colored sisters of Baltimore. the
'ODlates OF Providence" are affiliated to
the order OF the same name in Rome.
consisting OF the most aristocratic ladies'
In Baltimore there are a college and semi
nary Tor the training Of men for the
cclorcd missions. Here the colored stu
gents are together with the whites. and
attend the same lectures. The Catholic
University OF America. i'm Washington
also admits colored students
In conclusion. the speaker said: THE
solution or the great problem, exercising
so many minds in this country. must
come from the proper understanding Of
our duties as Christians. and OF those
lofty sentiments dictated by the Spirit OF
God: There Is neither Jew nor Greek:
there Is neither bond nor free: there is
neither male nor female, for you are all
one In Christ jesus"
Church oi the sacred Heart.
At the childrens mass at Sacred Heart
church sunday the pastor continued his
instruction on the Sacrament Of the Holy
Eucharist. and az the high mass the
assistant pastor preached on the parable
Of the prodlgal son. At vespers. which
are now sung at night. the pastor con
tinued HIS exhaustive instruction on The
Sacrament of Penance, the subject being
Confessions Is IL Necessary. ana II -,
When His arguments and illustrations
were exceedingly forcible. and We're lis
tened 10 with profound attention. Comics
sion OF mortal sins, he said. Is a neces-
sary means OF salvation as baptism.
BY law of the church. ali her members
must 20 TO confession at least once a
year under penalty OF communication.
whether guilty OF mortal sin or not: but
the AT least does not mean only" and