The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-24


4 the gains and losses of three gen
erations, our inheritance from the
mast. our own administration of the
same and the prospects of our descehu-
ants. Religion can only gain from sueh
survey, for she is a world teacher on SO
large a scale that all ordinary human
methods of comparison and summary are
too dwarfed and insufficient for her her
message is to all humanity; hence only
the most universal criteria are r1ghuy
applicable to her 1t seems to me that
this is especially true of the Oldest MS
torical form Of Christianity, which is Ho-
man Catholicism. The Roman Church
has had q message for all humanity In
every age ever since st. Clement
nenned his famous epistle to the Corin-
thians or St. Victor caused the Chris
tian world to meet in special councils
for the solution of a universal difficulty
1t Is no mere coincidence that, at the
opening of the last century of this mys;i-
cal and wonderful cycle of 1900 years, the
Bishop of Rome should again address the
world in tones whose moderation and
sympathy recall the temper and the argu-
ments of St. Clement, his far-away pre-
decessor and disciple of st. Peter
The year 1900 was very disheartening
one for Catholicism. 1t still stood erect
and hopeful. hut in the midst of politi-
cal and social wreckage, the result OF a
century OF skepticism and destructive crit
icism that acted at last as sparks for an
ungovernable popular frenzy, during
which the old order appeared to pass
away forever and a new one was inaugu-
r,-f4h
The tree of political liberty was every
where planted and the peoples of Europe
promised themselves life of unalloyed
comfort for all future time. Catholicism
was the religion OF the majority of these
people, and was cunningly obliged to bear
the brunt of all their complaints, justified
and unJustifiable. although the authori-
ties of Catholicism had long protested
against many of the gravest abuses of
the period. sustained in formal defiance
of the principles and institutions of the
Catholic religion. The new Caesar threat
ened to be more terrible to the independ-
ence Of religion than any ancient one, and
the revenues and establishments by which
Catholicism had kept up its public stand
ing and earned the esteem and gratitude
of the people were swept away or quasi
ruined.
All the acquired charges and duties of
the past were left to the Catholic re-
ngion; yet the means to carry them on
were taken away. sometimes by open vio
lence. sometimes by insidious measures.
but always by gross injustice. TIE final
incidence of this injustice was on the
common people, since the Church was
after all only the administrator of very
much that she was thus dispossessed OF.
With this overturning of all the conditions
of Catholic life came new problems, new
p trials, and a period of indefinite, uncer-
tain circumstances that were finally set
at rest only at the Congress of Vienna in
1876, by which an end was put to the po-
litical changes that began with the revo-
luton of 1879.
The modus vivendi then reached and
soon consecrated by a series of concor-
OATS has remained substantially the basis
of the dealings of Catholicism with the
Governments of the Old World. Only one
formal and permanent violation of this
legal situation has taken place, the vio-
lent and unjust dispossession of the Holy
See by the Government of the House of
Savoy, in fiasrant violation of every title
that could be invoked by a legitimate civil
power. Elsewhere Catholicism has under
gone much suffering both in the States
of the Old World and in the Republics of
South America. But, the above vital
conflict apart, the old century closes with
no very acute or intolerable condition of
things, although there is much that does
not reply to our ideas Of fairness and JUS
tice.
THE VATICAN COUNCIL.
The chief event of this century from
the point OF view of Roman Catholicism
IS undoubtedly the holding of the Vatican
Council. Since the Council of Trent the
Bishops of the Catholic world had not
met in common under the guidance of the
Bishop OF Rome. The grayest interests of
religion seemed at stake after more than
a century OF public infdelity end the
overthrow of all former safeguards of
faith. The character of doctrinal au-
thority and its visible tangible possessor
were declared by the dogma of Papal in
fallibility. The genuine relations of rea-
son and revelation were set forth in un-
rnistakable language.
The troubles that followed the close OF
the Council in some parts of Europe were
neither serious nor long-lived. since its
teachings were in keeping with the gen
eral sense of Catholicism. 1t promoted
notably, mutual respect and concord
among the Bishops and gave to the null
titudos of Catholics in the Old and New
Worlds a new sign OF the unity and in
ternal vigor of the Church. The scene.
of the Council are indelibly fixed in my
memory. for was the youngest and hum
blest of the 667 Bishops who composed It
A General Council is the very highest &C
OF the life of the Church, since It present.
within small compass. and at once, al
the movements that have been developing
In the course of centuries and offers t.
all the faithful and TO all outside tn
Church Straightforward answers TO all tn
great ecclesiastical problems that come u
for settlement. Had the Vatican Counc
been finished it would have taken up tn
grave subject Of ecclesiastical discipline
That is reserved for the reopening OF tn
Council at some future date.
THE MISSIONS OF CATHOLICISM
II is incumbent on the Catholic Churc
10 spread the teachings OF Jesus Chris
and this by his own divine command
Going. therefore. teach all nations
In this century she has not been VI
faithful any more than in others. No pol
tion of the vineyard has been neglected
the martyrs blood has watered som
parts more abundantiy. but in all the mi.
sionary has toiled without ceasing, hs
spent himself. In the Far East Cathol
missions have been carried on in Indi
China, Tibet, TonlSin. In every part
Africa, northern, central. and souther
r,rIeeta and nuns of the CATH