The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-02-17
Defines the True Duties of the
Christian Woman.
THE GREAT SERMON GIVEN IN PART
Elected Favorable Comments
From Newspapers.

The sermon preached by Cardinal
Gibbons at the Cathedral in Baltimore
on Sunday, Feb. a, has attracted wide
spread attention. 1t has received ell
comiums from the press and called
forth the adverse criticism of advanced
women at whom it was aimed He took
as his text "The Christian Woman"
and said in part:
Every impartial student of history is
obliged to admit that woman is i'll
debted to the religions of Christ for the
elevated station which she enjoys in So
cial and family life. In pagan countries
before the Christian era, the women
had no rights which the husband was
bound to respect. She was in state OF
perpetual bondage and tutelage She
was treated rather as the slave OF man
than as his equal and companion. And
even to-day in countries where Christi
anity does not exercise dominant in
fluence, she is the newer of wood and
the drawer of water In recent Off
cial report OF our government on "Irri-
cation in India," by Robert w. Wilson,
we find that the work of draining and
canal building is chiefly relegated to
women, who receive for their labor d
cents a day.
But let us look at women in our
country and in the light of American
civilization. What is the condition of
woman among us as soon as she closes
her eyes to teh light of the gospel? She
is not indeed here, as in India, beast
of burden, but is she not too often the
victim of perncious principles and of
moral degradation?
l regard wornan's rights women and
society leaders in the higher walks of
life as the worst enemies of the female
sex. They rob woman of all that is
amiable and gentle, tender and attrac-
tive; they rob her of her innate grace
of character and give her nothing in re-
turn-nothing but masculine boldness
and brazen effrontery. They are habit
ually speaking of woman's rights and
prerogatives and have not a word to
say about her duties and responsible
tiles. They withdraw her from those
sacred obligations which properly be-
long to her sex and fill her with ambi-
tions to usurp positions for which
neither God nor nature ever intended
her. Under the influence of such teach
ers we find woman, especially in higher
circles, neglecting her household duties,
gadding about, never at peace unless
she is in perpetual motion, never as
ease unless she is in state of morbid
excitement. She never feels. at home
except when she is abroad.
When she is at home the home is irk-
some to her. She chafes and frets un-
der the restraint and responsibility Of
domestic life Her heart is abroad. 1t
is exulting in imagination, in some So
cial triumph or reveling in some scene
of gayety and dissipation. Her af-
flicted husband comes home to find it
empty or occupied by woman whose
heart is void of affection for him. She
is i'll at ease; thence arise disputes,
quarrels, recriminations, arrangements,
and the last act in the drama is often
divorce.
I speak the sober truth when I af-
firm that for the wrecks of families in
our country woman has large share
of the responsibility. The remedy for
this is found in the teachings of Christ
Where will woman find the charter Of
her rights and dignity? In the gospel
The Catholic church, following the
teachings of-the gospel and OF the epis-
ties of St. Paul, proclaims woman to be
the peer of man. aye are ALL" says ST.
Paul, "the children Of God by faith
which is in Christ Jesus. There is
neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave
nor freeman, there is neither male nor
female" The meaning of the apostle
is this: That in the distribution of His
gifts, God makes no distinction between
race or condition of life or sex. AS
man and woman are made of tile same
clay and have the same origin, destined
for the same inheritance, so they are
equal in dignity and they should share
alike the blessings and prerogatives Of
domestic life.
But it is chiefly by vindicating the
sanctity of the marriage bond that the
church has upheld the dignity of the fe-
male sex. The holiness and inviola-