The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-03-31
CARDINAL VAUGHAN ON THE
CATHOLIC PRESS.

CARDINAL VAUGHAN ON THE
CATHOLIC PRESS.
In his Lenten pastoral Cardinal
Vaughan devotes considerable thought
and attention to Catholic journalism,
| and believeing the subject of great in
| terest to our readers in these inter-
| mountain states we select the following
paragraphs for their perusal:
eve take this opportunity to offer
few observations on the mission of
the Catholic press. The spirit manifest
ed by some Catholic papers in England
| during the last year has given pain
to many Catholics and has been a
cause of some anxiety.
Catholic journals are perfectly free
to take any line they please in mat
| trs purely political and national, in lit
erature, science, art the debatable
ground of sociology, and other subjects
which have not been decided by the
church. Herein they are free as all are
free. There can be no desire to fetter
their liberty within these ample do
mains, when language and temper are
kept within the bounds of propriety.
But when it comes to questions di-
rectly concerning religion, such as the
policy of the church, the character and
conduct of the Sovereign Pontiff, of
the Roman Congregations, of the Car
dinals, in curia, Of Bishops in their
official capacity, of the laws and dis
cipline Of the church, of the clergy in
the discharge of their appointed &C.
clesiastical duties, the case is alto
gether different. This is holy ground.
THE Church is governor by a HER
archy, not by a House of Commons.
Her constitution is divine, and not de-
pendent, like political machine, upon
popular agitation and the see-saw Of
public opinion. Bishops have received
divine mandate to rule and govern
their flock. They are teachers and
judges in matters Of faith, moral con-
duct and ecclesiastical discipline. 1t is |
chiefly for them to determine the policy |
to me followed in defense or further !
ance of Catholic claims. The appeal |
against them is not to the people. but |
to ecclesiastical tribunals and to the |
Sovereign Pontiff.
The office and the honor Of a Cath
ole journalist is religiously to follow |
the lead of the Church in matters that
concern the Church; to strengthen her |
action upon the world; to defend the |
faith and Catholic interests with skill |
and with courage; sentire cum ecclesia
in all things so to inform and convince
his readers that they may intelligently
and joyfully cooperate with the Epis-
copate, and thus present to outsiders
the spectacle Of a church knit together
not only in one faith, but in the disci-
pine of a common spirit
But if a Catholic journal habitually
fail in its mission, by weakening re-
spect for authority, by cooling the allie
glance of Catholics, by sowing suspi-
cions, doubts, discords and scandals
among the faithful, by opening its col
umns to the propa cation of false and
theories, by fostering a
proud spirit of independence and Of
carping criticism in the sphere of re-
igion, its circulation becomes noxious,
ike the spread of a plague or a pest.
And then, what is to be done? If
good counsel fail, the priests and the
people have the remedy in their own
hand, by ceasing to support it. They
IAN do this of their own initiative, from
heir own good senee and Catholic 10y
atty, without recourse to the last step
n such cases, a formal denunciation by
authority. Let this much
suffice.
THE Catholic press in these days has
indeed a high and. noble mission, open
o the well instructed Catholic lavman
IS we'll as to the priest. 1t seems to
lave become a necessary adjunct to the
spiritual influences which generate and
protect fervor and loyalty among the
.hildren of the Church, and spread the
light Of faith and the just claim of the
Church, even beyond her own pale.
you ought, therefore, almost as a
'eligious duty, value the Catholic press.
o exact of it the true Catholic ring and
'pirit, and to promote it's circulation
whenever it faithfully fulfils its mis-
'ion-and this without being too hard
lpon it, if through oversight, pressure
# time or accident, there occur an oc-
,asional slip or error Of Judgment.
I'VE have thought it right to say thus
much, for the press is a power for evil
Is well as for good and so far as it
Processes to be Catholic it fails under
he direct purview of the Bishops Of the
church,