The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-04
When the Church and Government
Agree 1t VIII BE Time Enough
for Them to Worry.
CATHOLICS MUST BE CAREFUL
1T is EASY TO AROUSE PREJUDICE
TO THEIR INJURY.
Duty of Respect for the Governments
Some People Born to CIamor-The
Archbishop's Position.

ST. PAUL Mimi, Aug. S.-Archbishop
Ireland, preaching this morning in the
Cathedral, said:
THE Apostle Paul gives this counsel,
Not 10 be more wise than it behooVe thee
to be wise. but wise unto sobriety, and ac-
cording as God hath divided to every one
the measure of faith In the mind of the
of in undue measure and without proper
regard to circumstances, of time and place
change into things perilous and hurtful.
And this is undoubtedly what is happening
in the case of the frey zeal in defense of
Catholic interests which seems TO be
coveting an explosion at the present time
among certain classes of American
Catholics. The interests of the church, IL is
said. are made to suffer at the hands of
the government in its newly acquired
dependencies, and the call to. arms is
sounded from the rostrums of Catholic
societies. and through the columns of
Catholic papers. to the perturbation of the
whole Catholic body, and. indeed, Of the
whole country. The moment has come to
say to Catholics-be wise, be Jealous, unto
sobriety and according as God hath divided
to every one to measure faith-and such
counsel 1 take the liberty to give to my
hearers.
"Who are they who complain and pro-
test 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? Certainly he has not complained;
rather, has he been heard from in very diff
ferent tones. Have the ecclesiastical au-
thorities in the dependencies invoked our
aid? In no instance have they so acted;
where they have been heard from, as in
the case of Porto Rico and of Cuba, it was
to tell us in plainest words that they had
no grievance although from irresponsible
sources it had been on several previous oc
casions dinned into our ears that the church
was robbed and prosecuted in both these
islands. Bishop Blenck, of Porto Rico, open
ly rejoices that the American flag rather
than the Spanish guards his diocese; and
the hierarchy in Cuba are thanking God
that church interests there were settled by
the government of Washington before
Cuban parliament was allowed to sit down
in Havana. The archbishops of the States
meet together once year in Washington
each one representing the whole hierarchy.
1t cannot be said that they are needless of
the welfare OF the church; and yet they
have sounded no alarm.
INDIVIDUAL COMPLAINTS.
Whatever complaints have been heard
come from individual Catholics or from So
cieties of Catholics; in neither case is there
warrant to represent others than the men
themselves, or the societies them
selves who do speak Societies of Catho-
lies are organized for purposes of their
own, usually with the intent to secure
special aid or comfort to such as are MEM
bers thereof Restricted to those purposes,
they are within their sphere, and are en-
titled to respect. To venture beyond those
purposes and assume general direction of
the church is quite another thing. 1t must
be remembered that there are hundreds of
thousands of good and influential Catholic
laymen, members of no mutual benevolent
society, who have commissioned no society
to speak for them. 1t must, too, be re-
membered that soldiers of the church as
soldiers of an army of whatsoever kind
whether single or whether in companies or
regiments, must await the action of the
commanders before they undertake to act
for the whole organization. Be wise ac-
cording God hath divided to every one
the measure of faith
There are some very important matters
10 be considered by Catholics before griev-
ances are proclaimed action is taken to
remedy them. The utmost care must pre-
Vlously be had to make ones self sure the
grievances do exist and that they are of suf-
ficient 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 and unimportant
is to weaken ones position in the presence
of real or serious grievances. if al any time
such may exist. The habit of querulous-
ness brings inevitably the penalty that of
being passed over unceremoniously on all
occasions, even when now and then the
matter complained of deserves attention
Ihen TOO, to complain needlessy is to be
guilty of injustice toward men and insti-
tuuons, the iniquity of the act being the
more grievous as the men or the institr-
I
nifty of Importance. The government of the
nation, as few other things call for fair
treatment and respect on the part of citi-
ZenS; public attacks upon il. overt suspi-
clOuSneSS of its acts and motives beget dis
loyalty and lower among the people civic
virtue. the lifebloOd of national life and
security.
Catholics have in the past suffered much
from calumny and distrust. and in their
defense their appeal has been TO fair play
and to honest judgment. OF the eouitahle
\ tleN col,.
and their religious faith from their fellow
citizens and for the country let them in
their turn be high eXemplars in their own
dealings with their fellow-citzens and with
/ the country.
NEED FOR CAUTION
Most cautious at all times must Catholics
in America be not TO stir W latent pre-
judice and smothered animosities. of
/ which, experience teaches, there is no small
share here and there i'm the community.
and which but little provocation is needed
to fan into fire and flame. Better. often.
it is to endure some suffering than to give
a pretext for opposition and social turmoil.
1 Nothing is to be more dreaded in America
/ than hatred and warning among citizens
/ in the name of religion. and il behooyes all
/ classes of the population TO do their utmost
/ 10 nurture and maintain peace and harmony.
/ II behooves Catholics, even more than
/ others. TO be models of prudence
/ ana good Will in this regard. The
\ simplest approach among them 10 form
/ political party on the basis of religious
I interests would be fatal 10 those interests
and fatal TO public peace. 1t is quite easy
for a few 10 kindle d fire which will
threaten ravage 10 a whole community
and which a whole community will find il
an arduOus task TO eXtinguish.
Nor is public agitation necessary I'm
/ America 10 redress grievances II grievances
/ do exist, whether such grievances have
origin. as is more often the case from
mere inadvertence. or as IL more rarely
| happens from malice, forethought on the
part of individual officials OF the govern
ment. / say 1t advisedly, and Iam pre-