The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-19
CATHOLIC AS
A CITIZEN
He Stands Ready
to Defend His
Country.

1T is alleged that the allegiance of
Catholics to the Pope interferes with
their allegiance to their country" said
Father Megevney last night at the
Catholic church in his defense of the
doctrines of the Roman faith. There
is no reason why 1t should be so. The
truer the Catholic is to his teachings,
the more faithful will he be to his
country He will not only reverence
the head of his church, but he is bound
to respect the head of his nation and
all those who exercise lawful jurisdic-
ton in the land wherever he may be.
What the Catholic maintains is this:
That wherever there is a clash of inter
ests, God is to be served to perfect
harmony. The interests of eternity
must not be sacrificed for the inter
ests of time. The interests of the soul
must not be jeopardized by those of
the body. There Is no reason why
there should be because in a we'll
| regulated state of affairs, there is a
| perfect harmony possible between
church and country.
This cry set up by an organization
of black-leg politicians, because that is
all they are, this cry set up a few years
ago, was simply a calumny wrought out
of the whole cloth and worked for the
political interest there was in it. They
were the A. P. AS. l am told that
they tried to get a foothold In Hawaii
and that you drove them into the sea,
and it Is to be hoped. n. 6he interest
of decency, you will keep Nefem there.
Look at the history of any country,
and where that country was involved
with some other country, and you will
find the Catholics, as well as others,
fought bravely for their liberties. The
| address of George Washington to the
| Catholics Of the United States upon the
| occasion of his inauguration as presi-
| dent, was full OF praise for the Roman
| Catholics of the nation, for their brave
defense of the country during the time OF
1.-THE Revolution, and he said: ct Is to be
hoped that all honest men will appre-
ciate your Yalor and your sacrifice for
| the country's welfare" When the Ques-
| ton of war with Mexico-it was the
| United States against a Catholic coun-
try-came up, Catholics absolutely died
! in the cause of the Union. In the war
with Spain, again 1t was against a Cath
Ole country, and yet not one Catholic
was q traitor to his duty as a. citizen
ana as q soldier.
| Where the difficulty has been of do
nestle nature, and you In these Islands
have known such Acknowledgement has
been the attitude assumed by the Cath
Ollie church? Rather than jeopardize the
Interests of souls, rather than add con-
fusion to the domestic situation, they
did as you know from your own obserya-
ton here, held nobly and silently aloof
from all political entanglements. All
honor to them for it.
i I was talking to a prominent non-Cath-
Ollie In these Islands a few days ago. and
he said to the glory of tie Catholic
church, During all the political turmoil
the Catholic church held absolutely aloof
from it ALL" 1t was brother raising his
arm against brother in the turmoil. and
due to the blessed peace of our minis
tiers the church did not add to the con-
fusion of the situation.
In ,Ae above language uttered in de-
tense; of the Catholic as a citizen and as
Christian Father Megevney concluded his
last address in the Jesuit mission. The
church was filled with a congregation
which was not alone Catholic, but had
, in it many protestants, who were made
acquainted with the answers which the
, church has to the objections made by
non-Catholics to certain of Its doctrines
, and practices. Fathers Bodrman and
Megevney have been alternating In -.leir
lectures in the cathedral, but as there
Is no lecture tonight, and the final one
is to be delivered tomorrow evening by
Father Boarman, Father Megevney's ad-
dress was made the basis Of an appeal
to the people to recognize the status of
the Catholic with reference to his indi-
. viduality in the state as apart from the
church. He spoke on the doctrines not
generally understood by non-Catholics.
He said, in part:
1 have no thesis to prove tonight, nor
have L any proposition to demonstrate.
But as there are certain ideas or rather
notions prevalent in almost every vicin-
ity. and especially amongst some of our
nom Catholic brethren, regarding what
, the Catholic church teaches on various
points, L thought it well to take up a
few of those points to show how the sub
ject has been Inexperienced altogeth-
err l have had occasion in my mission
airy experience to meet many converts
and in the vast majority of cases l have
been told by them that their conversion
to the Catholic religion was delayed, in
some instances, for many years, because
Of misunderstanding which they had re-
garding certain teachings of tnat church.
We need not inquire whence come these
misapprehensions which arise, They are
born of ones enyirons, but whatever
their origin, they are there, and will do
the harm unless we are on our guard
lagainst them. There are some who af-
firm that Catholics do not believe that
Christ is the only mediator between God
and man. This is false as vel! as alb
surd. They remind US that we have a
hierarchy Of saints to which we pray
and whose mediation we are constantly
seeking before lie throne Of the Most
High. Therefore they affirm he is not
your only mdiator. l may say in the
present case that the Inference is alto
gether illogical and unwarranted by the
pre- Iuises. Even granting that Catholics
inplore the saints for help and aid, it
does not follow that they have another
mediator besides Christ, for they forget
that whatever power We attri- ute to the
saints before the throne of God, what
ever efficacy is attributed to them is all
through the merits of Jesus Christ
There never was a man before His COM
ling just as there never will be another
men until the day of Judgment who is
saved except through the merits Of
Christ We repeat that all the power