BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-04-21

basis, more is harmony with modern
ideas. What makes this particularly
interesting is that it is attributed in
part to the movement among the Ro-
man Catholics in this country known
as "Americanism" which concerned the
Vatican few years ago, The results
of this controversy have been farreach.
ing. It affected the Church in France
and in Germany, and through the lat
ter country it spread to Austria, giving
considerable impetus to the Liberal
movement in that country which before
had been nebulous and uncertain.
Until recently the leading spirict of
the new movement has been Prot. Ehr-
hard of Vienna University, whom for
months past the U1tramontanes have |
made desperate efforts to outs from his
seat. Recently, however, new cham
pion arose at Innspruck in the person
of Prof Wahrmund. who occupies the
chair of canonica1 law in the univer-
sity there. Two 1ectt res which he de-
Ilivered, combined with the fierce at
tacks of the UltramontaneS in the
Reichsrath and in their press, have
won for the Liberals allies even among
those who heretofore have been count
ed among the Conservaties.
:, DR.. Wahrmund, in his first lecture,
advanced the proposition that as scien-
tific investigation was the endeavor to
ascertain the truth and acquire know
ledge, naturally those who believed
themselves already to be in the posses
sion of the divine truth had no need Of
further effort. For them attendance at
a university-that is, place for the
cultivation of genuine and pure science
was superhuous. This lecture reused
the Ultramontanes, and DR. Wahrmund
was attacked with such bitterness that
a week later he was moved to go even
further. He contended that the propo-
sition advanced by him had long been
: commonplace in intellectual circles,
but that it acquired significance in his
} mouth, as he had for half a lifetime
t devoted himself to the study of the
conditions of the Church. and because
he was not an enemy of the Church but
! Catholic "savant" who had innumer
able times used his pen in its defense.
Then he proceeded with startling
: candor to reveal the faults and weak
nesses of the conservative Catholics
The conservative section, he said, OBJ
stinately maintained the old traditional
standpoint and demanded unconditional
subjection to Rome. Indeed, in Aus
tria, they insisted that this was the
only means of salvation, not only for
the soul but for the state. It was
unnecessary for him to say on which
side was the preponderanCe of intel
lectual force; but the Conservatives
made up for their deficiency in that re-
spect by their possession of power and
by the ruthless terrorism they exer-
cised. Their blindness was destroying
!. the vitality of the Catholic Church.
The latter had long since lost its ST.
: premacy among The most nightly edu-
Gated section of the community, and
+ now one sees religious indifference
spreading daily among the middle
. classes, while Radical Socialism is de-
t stroying the very basis of Christian faith
: among the masses.
: It isjdoubtful that such bold speak
ing has ever been heard in Catholic
. Austria, certainly not in Catholic
university by one of its professors, but
it won extraordinary support from all
sides. The half hearted rebuke g1ven
to DR.. Wahrmund by the minister of
education in reply to interpretations
made in the Reichsrath aroused sharp
criticism in all the papers with the
single exception of the Ultramontane
"Vaterland' A more significant result,
however, is the abandonment of the
Lower Austrian Church Congress
which was to be held this month for
fear, it seems, that the Liberals
should prove to be too strong for the
comfort of the Conservatives. Moderate
ly conservative papers are joined with
the Liberals in their demand for a
frank discussion of the various questions,
and this the bishops are desirous of
avoiding And the government, sus-
pecting connection between this Lib
era1 Catholic movement and Pan-Ger-
manisn, sets its face against it.