The evening times., 1899-09-19
CATHOLIC AND CITIZEN
Archbishop Ireland Upon the Subjes
Of Christian Democracy.

Archbishop Ireland Upon the Subject
of Christian Democracy.
PARIS, Sept. 19.-Archbishop Ireland
has written the following letter to a friend
| in France. giving the Pope's idea on Chris
tian democracy:
Christian development OF the democratic
| movement is the central point of Leo Kills
action. 1t is at once the most delicate and
the most inyincible point in 1.-THE most
delicate because new order of things is
to be organized; the most invincible be-
cause the force of things and the imperious
impulses of history would impose sooner
or later that solution, either by revolution
| or by gradual reform.
Il do not understand, / confess, the per-
| sistency with which certain Catholics fight
| against Christian democracy. Christian
democracy is an effect of the internal labor
| OF the evangelical fermentation in the hu-
man mind, an effort toward the application
| OF the Gospel to social organization. The
| TWO democratic principles equality before
the law and participation of all citizens IN
| the government by universal suffrage
| have no logical foundation except in the
primary notions of Christianity, and may
not find an effective realization except un-
| der the breath of the Christian spirit.
| Whereas visible nature gives lessons
| and examples of inequality exclusively,
revelation teaches that men, all under the
same title children of God. are equals in
| the view OF their common Father: and un-
der His commandments. This essential
equality gives, and alone may give, ba-
sis as well as reason for equality of all
the members of a nation In view of the
| power that comes from God and in view
OF the positive law, the justice of which
| resides in conformity with the divine pre-
| cepts. Practically, civil and political
| equality has reality and solidity only in so
far as is respected the divine paternity
that is the origin and warrant of universal
| equality, of the dignity of the human per-
sonality.
On the other hand experience shows that
every man is necessarily beholden TO a So
cial frame and thereby engaged in relations
| that recessitate subordination to rule
and to an authority. Experience teaches
nothing more. II is the Catholic doctrine
which gives to man the certainty that.
created in the image and likeness of God,
he has an intelligent and free will that.
| called upon to exercise his activity under
inexorable solidarities and dependencies. he
| IS free to do or net to do an act, and is thus
the responsible author OF his acts.
Catholic doctrine leads him thus logically
/ into pursuing, like the normal development
of his dignity. the growth of the role OF
his will and into seeking this growth in the
only path that the conditions of life open
| 10 HMM participation in the functions of
power, in the making OF the laws, the doub-
lie necessity OF which imposes itself upon
him. This progress is not truly to be real
| lied and TO be made fecund in so far as
men maintain communication with the di-
vine light from which comes to them, with
the intelligence OF their personal dignity.
the notion OF the positive characteristic Of
liberty.
The democratic regime increases the OBJ
legations OF the simply faithful toward the
church and extends the field of their de-
votion by making of them active members
of the governmental body and by opening
to their efforts access to the higher ranks
of the civil hierarchy. 1t imposes upon them
a share in the duties appertaining to the
| sovereigns, and creates for every one of
| them personal responsibility in the situa-
tion # the church. This situation depends
upon the ascendancy which they know how
TO take as citizens, on their collaboration in
the common work, and on the conviction
which they know how to impress that the
fruitfulness of their civic cooperation pro-
ceeds from their entire fidelity TO the in
spirations of integral Catholicism.
Where the State is obliged TO consider
Catholic citizens it is-even when ii pro-
claims itself exterior and superior to all
religious consideration-called upon TO
consider practically the Church itself 1t
is thus that in fact, thanks to the play of
democratic institutions. Catholicism, sys-
tematically ignored in certain cases or in
others debarred from rhe distinguished po-
stion wherein~it was held by the ancient
regime, has taken or retaken a growing
place in public life, in spite of the laicising
of European initiators In modern states .
Monsignor Ireland writes of his last voy-
age in Europe. where. he says, he has seen
| everywhere expressions of good wiz ex-
| tended toward the realization OF Christian
democracy. He has been in Rome He
knows that Leo XIII speaks always with
sympathy of the methods and of the ac-
| tions in government that characterize the
United States and its democratic or
| ganization.
He comments upon the letter of Leo XIII
to Cardinal Gibbons about Americanism
He draws from it an admirable programme
OF action in the United States:
I'VE live among divided society sni so
We place ourselves resoiutely on the
ground of common rights. 1t is the ETH
tude that the Brazilian bishops have rec
commended since the fall OF Dem Pedro
and that Europeans take in countries
where the unity of faith has been broken.
That method CT action is the one that en-
| ldiio-lH TIE Ey pOluSSlS Vi multiplicity
confessions OF faith-Gistinction between
religious society and civil society. and the
duty to render unto the one and the other
the things that are due them
1T is the method of action that the cir
cumstances inspire and impose when-mi-
nority or majority-the Catholics form
only portion of a natural organism.
They canot be politically exclusive. In
the face of them and beside them other
forces and other ideas rise Not to see
them or to act as if one did not see them,
is to work in ignorance and in imprudence
ITO consider all the realities, to aim in
the quality OF citizens a government of
justice and of equality for all, which in
sures effective respect for Catholic con-
sciences, for their convictions and for their
obligations, and thus to safeguard in fact
the rights of the church and of religion, to
mingle intimately with national life and
present ourselves, in accordance with the
commandments of our faith themselves,
as co-operators in the common work
such Is our plan of conduct
AMERICANS USED AS SLAVES.