The Irish standard., 1898-03-05
has passed, but the question still remains


Americans love fair play. They do not
believe that it is just to learn a mans
character from his enemies: II We wish
to know Democratic doctrines we natu-
rally 60 to Democrats for the informa-
ton. 1t we wish to find out what Re-
publicans hold we should apply to Re
publicans for the answer. So it is only
right that when we wish to learn what
the Catholic church teaches we should
question Catholics concerning their
creed.
Catholics are quite willing to give
reason for the faith that is in them. The
church has nothing to hide. She could
not conceal her doctrines even if she
wished. She was not born yesterday
The world is full of her labors. The
shelves of the learned libraries groan
with books written to explain and de-
fend her doctrines. We have no desire
other than that men should see us as
we really are. Light and more light is
the motto of Catholicism.
The relations between church and state
are no new problems in the history of
the Catholic church. She has seen the
rise Of every human government under
the sun and she is destined to live in all
Of them. Her philosophers have studied
the rights of the church and the rights of
the state in every age, and tonight
shall indicate the main lines on which
they work.
AS man is made up of body and soul
he has interests which concern the body
and interests which concern the soul. To
safeguard the interests of the body men
live in a society which is called the state
TO safeguard the interests Of the soul men
live in a society which is called the
church. Hence we have state and
church-the former directly concerned
with material things, the latter directly
concerned with spiritual things.
In every society there must be author
ity. AS men are created free and equal
no man has by any nature authority over
| another man. Hence authority must
come to the state directly from God. That
authority comes to the people and by the
people Is committed to such magistrates
or officials as they may choose. They
may form a republic, kingdom, an EN-.
pire, just as they please; but when they
have chosen the authority resident in the
magistrates it is the authority Of the
r;t
to obey the law, moi lecause OF wrath
but for conscience sake.
| For this it follows tina; a good Catholic
must be good citizen. Good citizenship
is matter of conscience with him, The
| bad citizen is a bad Catholic.
Again, 1t follows that the church does
| not attempt to rule the state. Political
authority comes directly from Cod to the
state and no priest or Pope is made its
| intermediary.
This is our theory. Religion is good
politics are good; but religion and poll.
tics make a poor mixture
Or course. we do not mean by this
that the state is not bound by the ever.
lasting laws of right and wrong. There
| is union of church and state for which
we stand, and that union is that the ten
commandments bind in public life as well
as in private life. We mean by the sep.
aration Of church and state that politi-
clans should keep cut of the sacristy and
| priests should keep away from conven-
| tions.
We can appeal with confidence to our
record In America il we have lived up tc
this theory. How many preachers have
you in office in Oregon? The woods are
full of them. There is not single
priest.
In the civil war the Protestant churches
split i'll two over political question
The Catholic church came out of the. or.
deal undivided because she kept politics
out of the sanctuary.
The Pope it is that gives the patriots
most trouble. If we would only give III
the Pope we might be tolerated; but as
long as we hold to the Pope, and an in
fallible Pope at that, we. arc the subjects
of a foreign power.
Let us see how much there is in theil
fears. All authority has three branches
There is the power that makes laws,
the power that enforcts laws, the powel
that interprets and applies laws. In Tho
United States the supreme executive, leg
islativc and judicial powers arc lodged il
three distinct bodies In England, how
ever, they exist In one body, the house
OF commons. In the church they are
centered in the Pope Now, in his exc
cutivc acts the Pope is not infalliblc.
Neither is he infallible in his legislative
proceedings. In the ordinary questions OF
law and fact which come before him, ht
Is not infallible. But when he speaks
as the supreme court of Christendom OF
constitutional questions, On the fact o
revelation, or on the meaning of rcvela-
| tion, then Christ has promised so
to guide him that he cannot make a mis-
take.
The temporal powell is another bug
bear with certain people, The tempora
power does not lmean temporal powc
over America or France or Spain o