The Irish standard., 1898-04-16


ton which humanity still asks-'What |
is truth
Tho novelties OF science having failed |
to answer this question satisfactorily, |
the disappointment instead of diminish
ing has only whetted tho appetite, and
men are more eager for truth than ever.
They are turning again to tho church,
the pillar and ground of TRUTH and With |
the knowledge which comes of expert
ence with novelties weighed and found
wanting. they arc able to appreciate the
more profoundly the truths of Christian-
ity, and eXclaim, % beauty, ever ancient,
yet ever new
I'm no country as in our own do we
find y moro striking illustration OF what
| have said-that Christianity is sure to
spread in an atmosphere of constitu-
tional freedom. In the beginning Of this
century the Catholic population of the
United States was about 10000 Today
the Catholic population is between ten
and twelve millions Our material
wealth in church buildings, schools and
| asylums has, kept pace with tho increase
OF the faithful.
Tho fundamental law of Christianity
is love Of God and love of our ncighbor.
When men have made this law their rule
| of life in the rounting-housc and foreign
/! office, ns we'll rs IN tho church and
! h0mc we shall not have long to wait for
| all friction between labor and capital to
! disappear aud all war and r,lmors of
| war to cease.
| christianity offers us tho truths; she
cannot forco us to accept them. we
| shall probably have to receive many hard
knocks before wo have sense enough to
become thorough Christians"
| Right Rev. Mgr. Thomas J. Conaty ID.
| d.. rector of tho Catholic University,
says: "All expression or conjecture MS
to tho future Of religion. philosophy or
politics. at least In their relations to
| peoples. is more or less futile and likely
| to ho prcsumptuous and vain. We cam
not fully discern tho causes of events
already accomplished, much less forcsco
| tho happenings OF tomorrow in tho act
| ing causes OF the present hour.
! 'ln tho course of tho century now end
with mighty movements. intellectual
moral, social and political. yet Ehc Is
credited with marvellous success. Criti-
cism has not weakened her foundntions
sclcnco and philosophy llavo not changed
| her dogma, neither has any phase Of
politics affected her constitution. In the
struggle some Of her children have fallen
away, but MANY others havo been at
| trnccd to her fold. She enters tho new
I century with an organization thoroughly
perfected, II hierarchy fully developed
| and activities capable for all demands
| ''Ihc IDEAS characteristic of this CEN
tury arn liberty, progress, science, Jus
tco and equality; hut these havo been
exaggerated and led nstray. for they
havo been divcHtctl OF divine authority
and supernatural life. In their trllo ma
turo all these ideas irc essentially Chris
tinn.
| u
to meet tho demands of the modern
spirit. to guido science illumino the in
tcllert and snvo society. Outside the
church there Is cry for that Christian
unity which tho church alono possesses.
Tho hopes of tho one true church. tho
| aged Pontir who has added lnstro to the
century now clopng shows tho way to
success by the establishment Of Chris
tian life in civil and domestic society, in
| rulers and In people, because trllo life
can como to us only through Christ.
"rho Church Of Christ will live. The
century will be great If IT. seeks for guild
anco at her hands"
Rcv. Sylvester Malone. tho venerable
rector Of ST.. Peter and Paul's church,
brooklyn. writes us follows
Such n collection OF opinions rs you
propom To publish must set millions
thinking upon ono of the most important
and interesting subjects at the close OF
tho nineteenth and beginning Of the
twentieth century. | am glad yOu have
enlisted the eminent Catholic divincs
named in your note.
For myself / should rather leave SO
broad and comprehensive Il subject with
men of moro varied knowledge and wider
experience. Still no one should decline
to speak who has anything Mt all to say
nd rem, when invited TO do so.
81 am not nn uptimist nor am | Il pes
simist, for | am sure the good God keeps
Il vast amount. Of good in the heart OF
man in every age and among all peoples
Believing i'm God, ! cnn never for u
moment allow tho Thought to take
possession Of my mind :hat evil will in
the nineteenth or tho twentieth or the
twenty y-lilst century gain tho asccndAncy
over the good there Is in the world.
at Is an omen Of great import that
tho Catholic church al the close OF tho
nineteenth century has at its head Leo
Kill, Il Pontlff who may in the provl-
denco OF God himself establish in the
twentieth century his way of dealing
with world SO full of honest differences
Tho hold the doctrine Of unity in truth
has taken on this ago will be strength
cncd in tho coming ages and presages