The Irish standard., 1902-03-01
what it may be presumed everybody
will pronounce to be bigotry.


minister was a poor invalid whose
doctor prescribed diet consisting
mainly of chicken. The clergyman's
parish was very small and was stu
ated in remote country region, the
inhabitants of which We're entirely
of the agricultural laboring class.
There were but one or two cot
tagers who reared chickens, and
the supplies for the invalid soon
failed. The anxious clergyman, find
ing all other resources of no avail, ap-
piled at large monastery in the
neighborhood and, of course, found
his difficulty at once solved. On re-
turning to his wife the unsuspecting
clergyman told her of his success,
whereupon she fatty refused to take
nourishment which had it's source in a
stronghold of Romanism! Again, at
Il meeting convened in a London sub
urb with regard to Il social charity,
Catholic priest was invited to speak,
There We're several clergymen on
the platform, one Of whom, perceiving
the presence of a priest, rose and pub
licly declared that ale, the speaker,
could not remain on the same plat
form with a priest. And, again,
dissenting family of musical tastes
frequently lent their aid in concerts
given in Catholic room, but when
near relative of this family entered
the ministry it was considered i'm
proper by the family to make fur
Their appearances under Catholic au-
spices. In this case it Is to be OBJ
served that the concerts were in no
way sectarian. Once more Cath
Ole institution wishing to help in To-
cal social movements provided one
year string band free of cost to add
to the attractions of a flower show in
the neighborlood. AS may be mag
lned. the fact that the band was a
good one and the terms so easy gave
satisfaction to most people, But the
unucky show was much dependent
upon the long purse and wide in
fluencc of one of its lady patrons.
This lady on learning that the music
provided was the result of Catholic
energy and talent threatened to with
draw her support from the show if
such an arrangement was allowed to
occur again. That the lady's feel
ings We're not unsharcd by others
may be inferred from the fact that
the Catholic fiddle has never entered
the show since.
Space forlids detailed accounts of
how professional men have forfeited
much of their practice on embracing
the Catholic faith: of how other pro-
fessonal men convinced of Catholic
truth remain outside the fold for fear
Of the consequences of real or imagin-
airy bigotry: of shops Stunned simply
because the proprictors We're Cath
OlicS, and. in short of hindranceS set
up in every walk of life by religious
prejudice and bigotry. The examples
given will suffice to Indicate what is
meant exactly by bigotry and lead lis
to distinguish the vcritablc bigot from
the man who merely acts accordin" to
his conscience In each instance there
is something more than an obstinate
and unreasonable adherence to creed
something more than intolerance:
there is an attempt to make religious
that which is not religious In tile
examples above mentioned chicken
broth. music. concerts. law and medi-
cine were quite beside all religious
principles. And that would seem to
he the popularity of the bigot prop
erly so called; so far as he holds tena-
ciOusly to his creed he may be al
lowed to he conscientious, but when
he makes his creed a thorn in the
side of his ncighbor The exercises not
religion, but higotry.
would suggest then that n bigot
may be defined as one who exercises
religious principles on undue matter.
But some Catholics may urge against
this that when n non-Catholic minis
ter in his pulpit inveighs against
what he calls Romanism we believe
ourselves right in calling him bigot.
and this though he he only acting in
harmony with his belief or form of
creed. True, but can 1t be shown,
with any force that our religion or
our practices are due matter" in the
non-C Catholic pulpit? Surely this
must be answered in the negative
spite of the fact that non-Catholic
sects so often seem to have no reason
for their existence but to protest
against the Catholic church. 1t is
absurd to suppose that one body of
christians should exist simply to OPP
pose and calumniate another. No
sect will admit such reason for its
being, as it implies breach of the
great law of charity. Catholicism in
a dissenting pulpit is "undue matter"
and preachers who indulge in TRADES
against Rome are bigots.
But may not Catholic be n higot
also? Certainly he may. and he is Il
bigot when he brings his religion to
bear on undue matter, when he is