The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-01-07
APosToLATE OF THE PRESS.
An Intention Recommended and
Blessed by Pope Plus x

here is no doubt that If St. PAM
were living now, he would make a. very
vigorous use Of the press: for +bara
never was an instrument with sucb a
eiHilc influence in swaying mems
MINDS As matter of fact, it not ONLY
SWa1s but manufactures minds. 1t sun
plies judgments, convictions. in1nrae-
s.ons suspicious, that are deyoured
with men breakfast foods and made
into new meals at every edition that is
Toeled off the press which is now
about every hour of the day. and late
into the night. Like the words of the
apostles, the words of the newspaper
man are heard at the ends of the earth.
ana perhaps with greater, and certainly
with more immediate, universally.
For good or for evil the mighty ma
chine is grinding necessarily. and on
account Of the downward tendency of
fallen nature and the fierce energy of
bad men, it is doing incalculabla harm.
Even papers that are not professedly
scandalous chronicle so many crimes.
and under the pretext of news furnish
50 many vile details that the edge is
worn off the public conscience. and
even respectable people will now dis
cuss horrors which they would turn
from with loathing a few years ago.
Putting it at its lowest level in harm
doing, who can reckon the expenditure
Of time exacted by the newspaper habit
I'm porting over the interminable sheets
that are put in our hands, and which
give US not only delight. but get US
into tempestuous moods if we are not
promptly supplied at the appointed and
expected time. every morning and even
ing. For the large majority of people
divine service on Sundays is now sup
planted by the Sunday editions which
have grown TO be as big as folio vol
unes and are read with more devotion
and accepted with greater faith than
was even accorded to pastor or pope.
The immense power thus put at the
disposal of men who hate Christian
teaching and defy Christian morality
VIII explain the wreckage around US.
They use the power unsparingly and
unrestingly. and If there ever was an
occasion where the children of light
can learn from the children of dark
less it is in making use of this power.
Would that we had some editorial St.
Paul, But the trouble is that even if
We had, Catholics would not buy his
paper. The apathy about Catholic read
ing matter. and sometimes the open
flouting of Catholic literature by Cath
olics who consider themselves intellec-
tually above it. suggest that if there
are not PaulS there are Jobs in the
Catholic editorial chairs of our own
and other countries. If one-twentieth
part of the money that is given yearly
for d yellow journal, not to speak of
the iunumerable extras, were con-
tributed to Catholic paper or mag
azine. we could easily have an efficient
and even brilliant Catholic press.
Catholics need a sharp awakening to
the sense of their dereliction Of duty
i'm this respect: and perhaps sharper
me to their infractions of the moral
code In patronizing and bringing into
their families the horrible sheets as
ztIely printed and edited as their con-
tents are offensive, and which do so
much to warp the moral sense, to oblit-
crate the distinction between right ana
wrong. and TO fill the mind and mag
nations Of young and old men and wo-
men. with thoughts that should never
no allowed admittance. If ever BOY
colt was permissible it is there; and
myn bers of the League of the Sacred
Heart cannot be too Jealous in avoid
g such contamination and inducing
others to follow their eXample.-Mes-
saruor Of the Sacred Heart.