The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-06-03
CHARITY OF THE CHURCH.
1t Is as BoundIess and as Deep as
the Sea,

Because the Catholic church is MOI
forever Haunting her charity in the
face of the public. there are those who
lose sight of the great work which
she doneS in this line. or at least they
profess to ignore it. In a sermon de-
livered in the Baltimore cathedral not
long ago, Cardinal Gibbons spoke al
! some length of the various benficent
institutions of the Church.
IF the question were asked he
said. what is the most attractive fea-
ture of the religion of Christ what
is the most powerful and persuasive
argument to draw men within her fold
various answers would be given. For
there are many roads leading to the
spiritual Jerusalem. Some would be
drawn to the bosom of the Church by
the marvellous unity of her faith,
which binds her children together in
every cline. Others would be at
tracted by the peerless anctity of her
moral code. Others would be invited
to join her ranks by her world wide
Catholicity. encircling the globe from
pole to pole. Others would be 'impeled
by that admirable chain of apostolic
succession. reaching back to the prim-
tive days of the Church. Others again
would be inspired to show obedience
to the Church for the principle of I'M
erring authority, and by her clear ring
ing voice crying out amid the babel
of conflicting sounds: Thus saith the
Lord
For my part, much as admire the
unity of faith in the religion of
Christ. much as l admire the sanctify-
ing influence of her moral teaching and
her Catholicity, embracing every ma
ton and cline, much as l admire her
uninterrupted apostolic succession and
her voice speaking with unerring au
thority. | am drawn toward her still
more forcibly by that wonderful sys-
tenn of organized charity and benevo-
lence which she has established
throughout the world for the comfort
and alienation of suffering humanity.
"Montesauieu. the well known
French philosopher, has truly said that
the Catholic religion. which was estab
lished to prepare men for a life of
felicity in the world to come. con-
tributes more than any other institu
ton to their happiness in the present
world.
God created man in His own image
and likeness. as the Scripture declares
to us This fact that the Divine inn
press is stamped on the human soul
invests him with a moral grandeur all
his own The Church. therefore, pro-
sets no mercenary price, on man.
Great in her estimation is the dignity
of the citizen. but still greater is the
majesty of the man. While he has
certain. responsibilities toward the
state in which he lives. he possesses
an inherent dignity independent of
those relations.
THE religion of Christ sets her face
against ante natal as well as post
natal infanticide. She denounces such
a crime as the murder of the inno-
cent. whether it is committed by the
mother to hide'her shame and to escape
the cares and responsibilities of moth
erhood or committed by one who pros
titutes the noble profession of physi-
clan for his own selfish ends. She re-
CARDS such homicide more unjusti-
fable than the murder of d man in
mortal combat, because the innocent
victim cannot defend himself.
Woe to the country and state which
encourages 'childless
families 1t is a land without joy, be-
reft of the dews of heavenly benedic-
ton. Happy is the land which fosters
the growth of children. The. royal
Psalmist thus addresses the God-fear
ing man surrounded by a wife, and lit
tie ones; Thygwife shall be asa fruit
full vine on the sides Of thy house; thy