The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-06
CATHOLICS As CITIZENS.
Father Dornin's Patriotic
Sermon to the BeneVo-
lent Legion.
THE CHURCH NOT UNDERSTOOD
She Teaches Loyalty to
Country and Love
Of Patriotism.

street, last eyentng the Key rather
Dornin, OF st. Bridget's Church, preached
a sermon on ''The Duties of Catholics as
Citizens Of his Great Republic The
sermon was preached to the Paulus Hook
Council Of the Catholic Benevolent
Legion. Representatives of Jersey City,
Palisade, Advance, Greenyille, Security
and Father Corr Councils were also pres
F. Thornton, State President of the
Legion.
Father Dornin said among other things:
Man Is not alone a creature to exercise
a power at the domestic hearth, but a
being endowed with qualities which befit
him for the highest sphere of usefulness,
which enable him to assert his right and
dare maintain them. Every man at the
head of a family has his share of work
to perform and as a member of society
must do his part.
Every child growing up around the
domestic hearth is a unit and an i'm
portant unit hat cannot be ignored, and
the greatest care should be exercised in
its development as a good and patriotic
citizen of this glorious Republic. Every
citizen of this grand Republic should
exercise his rights and declare them as
did st. Paul. We have inherited the
Roman sentiment Of ST. Paul, have as
serted our rights and have dared to main
tain them.
when men seek to scatter about seeds
of discord and endeavor to breed ignor-
ance, it is the duty OF every Catholic citi-
-. ~ 10000 -. ,;-h,t.r . "a I,a x5olxv occarf
them.
why is there so much prejudice
against the Catholic Church? Are the ar
guments against it we'll founded? Are
we not as patriotic as other citizens? We
preach only the Gospel, not politics, and
yet men are sowing the seeds of preJu-
dice and casting them in the eyes of the
people that they may not see the beautiful
unity of the Catholic religion. but when
they are brought to understand they are
forced to admire. When they see one
gangrenous or dead limb of the church
they abuse the entire body and consign
tito perdition. They say:-'Come, let US
look at this most degenerate body OF
Christians and curse it to our hearts
content But all this is simply because
our church is not rightly understood,
principally by those who are so blinded
by prejudice that they cannot or will not
see its holy grandeur.
.Th only teaching of the Cathoile
Church aside from the Gospel is love OF
country and patriotism. The first duty
of a Catholic citizen IS obedience to the
law of the land, the sa~credness OF citl-
zenship and the Catholic Church COM
mands obedience to he laws. Every
Catholic who disregards the laws OF the
land turns his back upon the Catnehc
Church.. The Lord commanded obedience
to law. and directed Simon Peter Wnere
to find money and pay the tax imposed
upon him. The Catholic Church teaches
the same doctrine in all countries. Lei
every soul be subject to the authority OF
law Everyone should love his neighbor.
He who loves his neighbor and loves his
| country and obeys the law is a good and
loyal citizen. They say we are opposeS
to patriotism. If they mean that pa
| triotism is a belief in anarchy or political
| corruption our faith is opposed TO 81
s,1ch doctrine, but in our UNDERSTANDINGS
| Of patriotism as love of country ms
| Catholic Church loves and upholds VILE
| ali its heart. It desires to raise men g
a higher level, make them better, ele-
waite them in the respect of their Fellow
men and instil into their minds that pa
| triotism that will inspire them to sasfi-
fee their lives, if need be, to defena
this glorious country from all foes. Ihe
| Catholic Church is here for that purpose
It's history of the past, the mounds erect
cd over the tombs of the dead, the rehes
Of the saints and all things sacred TO the
+ Church combine to teach us true and pure
patriotism.
Love of country. He that loves Coo
fulflls the law. Love for one another
goes to form every essential OF patrlotlsn.
but faith is required to overcome op-
stacles and overcome unwarranted at
tacks upon us. Without faith there IS no
NATIVE for love: without faith there is
only s~elfshness. Faith teaches US thal
| God loves US. and Jesus Christ teaches US
to love our %neighbor. that It is our duty
to live for our neighbor, and, II duty De
| mands, die for him. 80
| as they owe duties to their families, q
! sacred duty from which no American
citizen is exempt, no matter now exalleo
| he may be, not even the Chief Executive
| is clear from this duty. IT you do not
| obey the law you are guilty of an I'M
| pardonable crime against God and man
| and no authority in Heaven or on earth
1 can exonerate you from that duty. Thai s
| the teachings of the Catholic Church,
| How shall we heed these words? The
| glories Of the past and the command Of
| God point the way. Reunited is one OF
the most efficient ways, as unity is es-
| sential in social order as well as in the
| domestic circles, for in both, as in tbs
| architectural system, there must be unity
of construction as we'll as the necessary
material
The speaker then directed his remark
to the G. b.. L., stating hts object and the
| benefits to BIZ derived from membership
1t is a strictly benevolent. not a secret
| organization. and therefore all its doings
can be made public. which he said should
increase Its numbers, although the present
number, 5000, is quite an army. He advo.
Gated the joining of this Organization by
! heads of families, instead of starving
living bodies to death to pay for insur-
| ance to give a corpse a magnificent
| funeral. He knew of cases where families
| actually suffered for the want Of the
necessaries of life In order to pay life In
| surance. He advised the members te
| sho more zeal, to keep up the good rec
ord of the Legion and by patriotism. love
of country and love of their fellow mer
prove loyal citizens Of this most glorious
/ Republic