Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-03-29
IRELAND ON POPE LEO XIII.
THE ST. PAUL ARCHBISHOP PREACH
ES IN WASHINGTON.
Urges Catholics TO Follow ObedientIy
and TrustinEly the Leadership
of the Roman POntin-Cath-
olicism in America.

Washington. March 2S.-Archbishop Ire
land, of st. Paul, preached tonight at st.
Patrick's church on Pope Leo XIII. This
is an age, he said. of wondrous social and
political transformations, of great intellect
ual activity, of great discoveries and in
ventions, and asked what is to be the po-
stion of Catholics toward the age. Re
plying to his own query, he said it should
be one of sympathy, of jealous co-opera-
tion and prudent direction. Such, he stat
ed, is the position "of our chief leader,
Leo Kill
The archbishop said: Leo is the provi-
Dental pontiff given to this church in this
new era of humanity to show that the
church is of all ages, as is her founder.
Christ Holding fast to the Divine organi-
zation of the church and to principles of
faith and morals, Leo recognizes the social
and political changes which are coming
upon humanity, and adapts the human
forms of the church to the new surround
ings. He recognizes the wondrous discov-
cries and inventions of the age. and he
blesses and encourages them. seeing in
them the development of Gods own crea-
ton; he blesses and encourages progress
along all its legitimate lines; he extols
ton and the greater happiness of human-
ity. The encyclicals of the pope, especial
ly that on labor and that on the republic
Of France. prove him to be indeed the pom
tiff of the age. Catholics should follow
the direction of their great leader and aid
him in fulfilling the divine mission assigned
to him to dominate in the name of Christ
and of Christ's faith this modern world
and conquer it to religion.
There are Catholics in every country
who more or less consciously and effective
ly keep themselves aloof from Leos lead
ership. They imagine they understand bet
ter than Leo does the situation Of the
and perishable forms, which they mistake
for the absolute and the permanent. they
would have the church and the world stand
still. Thus. in France. to-day. despite
Leo's repeated invitations to see in the re-
publican form of government which the
people have adopted the representation of
ment of the nation, certain Catholics cling
to dead empires and monarchies. and re-
Well in his late address has Leo called such
Catholics refractaires or rebels. Be there
In the future no refractaires in America.
There are. We must confess. divisions
among Catholics in America-not, indeed,
in matters of faith and morals, but in ten
denotes and movements and adaptations of
action to modern circumstances and sur
roundings. There should be for us but one
tendency and one movement, those indi-
Gated by the pope. Opposition to his direc-
us. as among French Catholics, with the
specious titles of conservatism and ira
ditionalism and religious fear of the new,
1t is nothing but rebellion. Those who re-
sist the direction given by the pope are re-
fractaires and rebels.
IL Is asked sometimes are not Catholics
divided on the lines of race? Not at all
| speak for myself, and in what l say /
know l speak for all true Catholics and
loyal followers OF the pope. There is for
me no race. and no color and no language
rise above all such accidentals and recog-
nize as my brethren all who work for God
and truth. When French Catholics are
with the pope. am with them; when they
are against the pope, L am against them
My position is the same with German
Catholics. or Catholics of other races. II
differ from some of them, it is because of
their ideals not because of their race 1t
is we'll that this be understood. Efforts
have been made to identify certain refrac-
taire tendencies with whole races. This
Is wrong: it is unjust to those races the
great number of which are most loyal to
the pope most ardent to follow his direc-
constituted leaders are too willing to pose
as representatives of races. which they
boil: misunderstood and msrepresent''
The archbishop concluded his discourse
by a reference to the special love of Leo
for the American republic and to the duty
of Catholics to be models Of good citizen
ship and of loyalty to American institu-
tioEs.