The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-24
OUR DUTY TO GOD
Rev. Father Burke Discusses It
in Sermon Today.
Compares This With Duty to the
State.
HOW THEY DIFFER.
State Countenances Divorce
Church Does Not.
Discusses Patriotism of the
American Catholics.
low THEY DIFFER

FOIOW112 the mass Was d SERMON Bg
Rev. Father Thomas Burke, of Seneca,
founder of the Catholic federation, on
Our Duties as American Citizens. %
Father Burke is an interesting and
fluent speaker and he was followed
closely by the federation delegates and
the members of the church who attend
ed the services.
Following the services the executive
committee of the federation held bust
ness session
In his sermon Father Burke said: we
read in the American press articles On
patriotism but we read very little OF
our duties toward God. This Is called
the age of progress and society is so
taken up with the affairs Of the world
that many seem to forget the Creator
We hear of material progress, but that
can not save US. Religion is the sal
walton of the nation What then are
our duties toward God and the state?
These questions agitate the world. The
church will not countenance divorce but
the state does. The church viii not
sanction our system of public schools,
as it eliminates God. The church will
not acquiesce in anything against jus
tice and religion. Better to obey God
than man. No government has the
right to rule against justice, truth and
religion for such ruling would be an
arehy.
1.-THE Catholic citizens civil duties
are not only civil but sanctihed. The
principal contention between the
church and state is the question of
educating the young. Among Cath
olics this is not a debatable question.
The state has no right to teach re-
ligion. This belongs to the church
alone. History proves that no state,
ancient nor modern, ever existed with
out religion I mean to say that I'M
To- foc a irr~ffx- q ivl10 I1nd
with the principles of religion, and un-
less they feel dependent upon the SUI
preme being and accountable to him,
he can not be expected to obey civil
laws when these laws can be evaded
with advantage 10 himself, and with
out fear OF detection. No government
that ignores God can expect the al
legiance of the subjects and its civil
law has no solid foundation.
Patriotism, the noblest of national
virtues, burns as bright in the hearts
of Catholics as Of nOn-Catholics, and
why not? For this is our country and
our children's and our children's chill
dren' S country. America, We love thee
and would pour out our life's blood in
thy defense. The Catholic Obeys civil
law for conscience's sake. Those who
know US now and view US through the
prejudiced eye think we can not be
good Catholics and good citizens at
the same time. Catholics fought in
the defense of the country from the
revolutionary war down to and includ-
ing the Spanish war. The Catholic
citizens fought side by side and shoul-
der to shoulder with the non-Catholics
What have we Catholics ever done
that our loyalty should be questioned?
Have we ever taken up arms against
our government and planned its over
thrOW2
I'm this country liberty of con-
science is guaranteed. Let our Amer
lean people not forget that this free
dom was first put into practice by a
colony of Catholics Why should
Of the republic? A republic for which
thousands of Catholics shed their
blood.
1--WE will not yield one hairs
breadth in our love for the govern
ment and for the church; that grand
old church which has stood for 1900
! years; that grand old church whose
missionaries penetrated Asia and the
jungles of Africa and the primeval
/ forests OF our own country. America
was discovered by a Catholic explorer.
In civil life we are American citizens
1 and proud of that title, and we are glad
to be in the happiest and freest country
/ on earth, whose flag has never been
stained by blood on account of religious
tyranny. Liberal and hospitable Anleri-
| ca throws open her gates to religious
exiles from Ireland, from Germany and
/ every country of the globe.
In Europe the church is bound by
the civil authorities. Here in the glor-
ious United States it is free
and exuberant the benign sun
Of liberty seems to have
church in the last hundred years. It
was said that the Catholic church could
not exist in a free country but it has
been shown that in a free field the
Catholic church is the most prosperous
of any in the country despite the fact
that the church 10 al
schools
when this country was born. over
/ a hundred years ago, the Catholic
church had in this country one bishop,
80 priests and 10000 members. In Kan
sas alone today we have three bishops
230 priests and $4,000 members, while in
the United States we have L, 300 priests
and $4,000 900 church members, to saw
nothing Of hospitals, colleges, universe
ties, schools, homes for the aged and
other Catholic institutions. From the
southern to the northern border, from
east to west our doors are thrown Oper
to charity. Still our enemies say thai
the Catholic church is on the point OF
extinction.
The government of the Catholic
/ church and the government of the Unit.
ed States bear great resemblance. The
pope is elected by a limited suffi agt
while the president is elected by uni
] versal suffrage Every Catholic do
. cese has a bishop and home rule anC
y every state has a governor and stat
r government. The Catholic church i
not bounded by national lines. It j
world wide and universal with its cap
+ ital at Rome It's sun never sets.
; THE Catholic church never interfere
z in politics but its members should al
), exercise their citizenship. The Catho
lies Of this country. must become thor
( / oughly Americanized and perfectly i
sympathy with the social life we ex
- ercise less influence today on Legislation
than the weakest denomination w
a are Irish. German. French. SPANS
z, Americans You were all very anxiou
t to get away from the, old country NOV
/, you walk the streets here recognized a
( citizens while your relatives who stage
). in the old country are poor. This