The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-02-07

Father John, being accused by Wins
low of recommending Catholics to con-
form to the spirit of the age, and thus
favcring the liberalism" which he
himself condemns, launches off in a
clear and concise statement of the
Catholic standpoint He defines what
is and what is not "liberalism"l
CONVERSATION IL.
Il cannot understand Father Johns
Spite" remarked Winslow, against
Louis Veuillot, the most intrepid de-
fender of Catholicity in Europe. I
should naturally suppose him a man
after his own heart He is a high
toned papist, a bold and earnest ultra
montana, a fearless defender of those
very things in ecclesiastical history
which timid Catholics seek to conceal
or to explain away-a straightforward
journalist, who fixes his eye on the
right and pursues it steadily in spite
of friend or foe"
With Louis Veuillot as a man,
have nothing to do" answered Father
john. Il owe him no spite and only
wish him we'll He is, as a Catholic
journalist, power, and a power for
evil as we'll as for good. His journal
has acquired an influence over the
Catholic mind of France and elsewhere
that l believe injurious to the interests
CT religion"
1T seems to me, Father john" inter
posed De Bonneville. that if it We're
so, the French bishops and clergy, and
especially the pope, would detect the
fact, and caution the faithful against
it Are you likely to be better informed,
to be sharper sighted, and more de-
voted to the interests of religion than
they?"
Your argumentum ad verecundiam,"
answered Father John, admits no re-
ply, and if insisted on puts an end to
ali discussion The Univers is not
dogma of faith; it is not the holy see,
nor an integral institution of the
church; and whether its policy is favor
able or unfavorable to religion, ] sup
pose is an open question, on which l
am free to express my honest opinions,
without offending either the pope or the
French bishops and clergy. To great
extent it leads the Catholic mind of Eu
rope, because it appeals to it's fear of
liberalism. it's dread of socialism, and
it's traditional devotion to, absolute
monarchy. It is on the winning side,
and defends not a noble though a lost
cause, but triumphant despotism. 1t
opposes, too, much that is really bad,
really dangerous, both to society and
the church. and so far really deserves
the support of Catholics. But l do not
like its spirit, which lacks breadth and
discrimination. 1t is often able, and
furnishes admirable essays on subjects
of great Importance; but it has fanat-
ical hatred of parliamentary govern
ment. and fails to be fair, honorable
and just to its friends.
There is no doubt in my mind" in
terposed Diefenbach, THAT the Univers
represents the popular sentiment of the
larger number of European Catholics.
Catholics of Europe have suffered i'm
mensely from revolutianists, and nat
urally welded to order and averse to
all public agitation, they honestly con-
clude that the real interests of society
and the church require them to rally
around the government and strengthen
the hands of power. In 1S4S the gov
ernments were too weak, and for the
moment were obliged to yield to the
mob. Order has been restored and
peace maintained only by strengthen
ing the government and arrayinS It
against the revolutionists."
Very true" replied Father John.
But the weakness of the governments
in 1913 arose precisely from the tact.
that they had neglected to march with
the sentiment of their respective ma
tions. and had failed to use their thirty
years of peace to give the nations con-
stitutions in harmony at once with the
rights of the people and the stability
of power. Their present policy is to
render their power more absolute, and
by more rigid measures of repression to
keep down all opposition. This policy
may do in moments OF actual rebellion,
if it can be carried out but it will not
do for the governments of Europe to
rely on it as their permanent policy.
The system of repression will fail in the
most critical moments, and no govern
ment is stable that sustains itself only
by its army The real and er-groW-
ing public sentiment of Europe is OPP
posed to absolutism, and that sentiment
you cannot change. You may suppress
for day. month, year, perhaps
years. its expression; but it. exists, and
is every day gathering strength, ana
at moment when the governments
least expect it, it will break out with
resistless force, and fill the whole earth
with terror. Certain that the policy OF
repression cannot, in the long run, be
a successful policy, am opposed to
those one-eyed and short-sighted pub
licists who would commit Catholfcity
to it's keeping, and involve Catholic
interests in its maintenance. The revo-
luton is not ended, and it is perfectly
idle to dream of eXtinguishing it by
armed sorce. The Catholic should feel
certain of this, and do his best to guard
against a new outbreak by removing
the cause. Catholicity is not needed to
sustain Caesarism, and it cannot do it
effectually, because between 1T and
Caesarism there is an innate incom-
patibility. and Catholics when they at
tempt to do it, do not and cannot carry
with them the force of their religion.
They are as Samson shorn of his locks.
But it is needed by the liberals, be-
cause an infidel republic, with or with
out monarchy. can never sustain itself
in Catholic Europe. 1t would lack the
essential element of order. and degen-
crate at once into demagogie and an
archy The true policy of the Catholic
who looks to the real interests of both
religion and society, is to labor to de-
tach liberty from its present unnatural
alliance with infidelity, and the Catho-
lie cause from its present forced ALI
ance with Caesarism, so as to prove to
the world that it is possible to maintain
social order without despotism and lib
erty. without infidelity or rejection of
the church. The liberals of Europe can
not be brought back to the church so
long as they suppose returning to her
involves their submission
to Caesarism, or political absolutism-
except by miracle of divine grace,
which no man has a right to expect.
Humanity speaking, the thing is impos-
sible."
You would have Catholics join the
onnosition and get up revolution