The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-04
Criticisms Have Not Been Made by
Authorized Representatives of
the Church
LATENT PREJUDICES ARE
EASY TO BE STIRRED UP
Sober Judgment Is Enjoined Until the
Result of the Negotiations Is Made
known-The Sovereign Pontiff Has
Not Complained and Others Have No
Reason To.

morning, Archbishop Ireland made ref
erence to the outcry which is being
made by certain sections of the Cath
olic press and laity against the alleged
injustice to which Catholic interests
are being subjected in the newly ac-
qulred dependencies of the United
States. He advises sobriety of judg-
ment and the refraining of criti-
clsm until the matter can be viewed in
the unprejudiced light of full informa-
ton. The text of his sermon is as fol-
lows:
''The Apostle Paul gives this counsel
not to be more wise than it behoVeth
to be wise, but to be wise unto So
briefly, and according as God hath di-
vlded to everyone the measure of
faith In the mind of apostle things
most excellent, if made use of in un-
due measure and without proper re-
gard to circumstances of time and
place, change into things perilous and
hurtful. And this is undoubt-
edly what is happening in
the case of the fiery zeal in defense of
Catholic interests which seems to be
coveting an explosion at the present
time among certain classes of Ameri-
can Catholics. The interests Of the
church, it is said, are made to suffer
at the hands of the government in it's
newly acquired dependencies and the
call to arms is sounded from the ros-
trums of Catholic societies and
through the columns of Catholic pa
pers to the perturbation of the whole
CathoHc body, and, indeed, Of the
whole country
The moment has come to say to
Cathollcs-be wise, be jealous. unto
sobriety, and according as God hath
dlVlded to everyone to measure faith
and such the counsel 1 take the lib
erty to give to my hearers.
Pope Has Not Complained.
Who are they who compsNin and
protest and call upon Catholics to be
up and doing? Are they those who
might claim to represent the church
in its general, or even local interests?
Has the sovereign pontiff spoken?
Certain he has not complained: rather
mas he been heard from in very differ
ent tones. Have the ecclesiastical au-
thor1t1es in the dependencies invoked
our aid? In no instance have thew so
acted; where they have been heard
from, as in the case of Porto Rico and
OF Cuba, it was to tell us in pIainest
words that they have no grievances.
although from irresponsible sources it
had been on several previous occasions
olnned into our ears that the church
was robbed and prosecuted in both
those islands Bishop Blenck, Of Porto
Rico, openly rejoices that the Ameri-
can nag, rather than the Spanish.
guards his diocese; and the hierarchy
in Cuba are thanking God that church
interests there were settled bv the
government of Washington before a
CuDan parliament was allowed to sit
down in Havana. The archbishops of
the states meet together once a wear
In Washington-each one representing
the whole hierarchy
1T cannot be said that thew are
needless Of the welfare Of the church.
and yet tins, have sounded no alarm.
Whatever complaints have Leen heard
come from individual Catholics. or
from societies of Catholics; in neither
case IS there warrant to represent 9TH
ers than the men themselves or the
socletles themselves who do speak. So
cleueS of Catholics are organized for
purposes of their own usually. with
the intent to secure special aid or com
tort to such as are members thereof.
Restricted to those purposes, they are
within their sphere, and are entitled to
respect.
They Step Beyond Authority.
TO venture beyond those purposes
and assume general direction of the
church is quite another thing. 1t must
be remembered that there are bur-
l.
ential Catholic laymen, members of
no mutual benevolent society, who
have commissioned no society to sneak
for them. 1t must, too, be remembered
that soldiers OF the church, as soldiers
OF an army of whatsoever kind, wheth-
er slngly or whether in companies or
regiments, must await the action ~
commanders before they undertake to
act for the whole organization. BE
wise according as God hath divided to
everyone the measure of faith
There are some very important
matters to be considered by Catholics
before grievances are proclaimed or
action is taken to remedy them The
utmost care must previously be had to
make oneself sure that grievances do
exist, and that they are of sufficient
magnitude to be taken hold of in a
manner to awaken public attention.
To complain, either when there is no
reason or when the reason is slight or
unimportant, is to weaken ones po-
sition in presence of real or serious
grievances, if at any time such may
exist. The habit or Querulousness
brings inevitably the penalty, that OF
being passed over unceremoniously on
all occasions, even when now and then
the matter complained of deserves at
tentiOn Then, too, to complain need
lessly is to be guilty of an act of in
justice towards men and institutions.
the iniquity of the act being the more
grievous as the men, or the institu-
tions, that are the objects of it, rise in
dignity or Importance. The govern
ment of the nation, as few other
things, call for fair treatment and re-
spect on the part of citizens; public
attacks upon it over the suspicious
ness of it's acts and motives beget dis
loyalty and lower among the people