Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-01-27
OBSERVE SObRIETY and
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES, .
IS PART OF A CHAPTER OF VERY
GOOD ADVICE GIVEN By
POPE LEO.
ENCYCLICAL ON SOCIALISM
WARNS CATHOLICS To DISCERN BE-
TWEEN MATERIAL AND SPIRIT
UAL WELFARE.

ROME, January 26.-The following
is summary Of the Popes encyclical
on Socialism. issued to-day:
The Pope commences with recalling
his two previous encyclicals on social
questions QUOD APOSTOLIC NUMER-
IS AND RERUM NOVARUM and says
the sequel of these enclycicals was that
the Catholics devoted all their activity
! to social works, in order to help the
| working classes. The pontiff here re-
| views all that has been done in this
| direction, the foundation of labor bu-
| reaus, funds established for the bene-
fit of the rural classes and working
mans associations of all kinds He
considers the appellation Christian
| Socialism" incorrect, and says Catho-
lies who occupy themselves with social
| questions are sometimes also called
Christian Democrats" But even this
| qualification is attacked by some peO-
| pie as being ill-sounding. DiyergenCes
| having arisen therefrom the Pope ard
emily desires to eliminate them. Care
| full distinction must be drawn between
| socialism and Christian democracy.
| The first concerns itself solely with
| material possessions, always seeking
| to establish perfect equality and a
| common holding Of goods. Christian
| democracy on the contrary respects
| the principles of divine law and while
| seeking material amelioration has in
view the spiritual welfare of the peo-
| pie. Christian democracy, moreover,
must not be confounded with p0liti-
| cal democracy, for the first can and
ought to subsist as does the church
| herself, under the most varied polit-
| ical regimes. Christian democracy
also ought to respect the laws of legi-
| innate civil authority. The appella-
ton Christian Democracy therefore
contains nothing which might offend
| any one. These Emergencies having
now been dispelled Catholics should
| continue to devote their cares to So
| cial questions and the amelioration of
| the lot of the working classes. The
| Pope encourages the zeal and action Of
| those Catholics who consecrate them
| selves to this eminently useful work.
The ensyclical eulogizes the giving
| of aims, which the socialists wrongly
| regard as insulting to the poor. Aims.
| on the contrary, serve to tighten the
| ties of social charity. 1t matters lit
! tie whether this action Of Caholics in
| favor of the working classes is called
| the social action of Catholics or Chris
| tian democracy. The essential point
| is that Catholics should act together to
| preserve the community Of effort and
| sentiment. Idle, useless questions
| ought, therefore, never to be brought
up in the press or public assemblies.
| Catholics must act so as to not engage
in disputes
The pontiff concludes with exhort-
ing Catholics to inspire themselves
| with these principles and TO incucate
them. They must urge the people and
| workmen to shun everything invested
with a seditious or revolutionary char
actcr, respect the righs Of others, be
respectful to their masters and observe
sobriety and religious practices Thus
will social peace again become -four
i5hing throughout the world.