The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-06-08
The Catholic Encyclopedia,

The apnearance of Volume l of the
Catholic Encyclopedia marks new
epoch in English literature II Is in
deed, a signal triumph for me tran
| scendent scholarship and eruultlon OF
the intellectual leaders of our grand old
| church; and therefore cannot ran of
| being perennial source of the greatest
gratifcation and satisfaction to all
| loyal Catholics. Viewed from every
standpoint of excellence, this truly
great work sheds a radiant lustre of
distinction upon its publishers It's Illus
trious editors, and its army Oh lntellec-
tual and scholarly contributorS-the lat
ter numbering over one thousand and
representing twenty-seven different ma
tionalities.
The Literary Digest, in mastery
review of this first volume or the En-
cyclopedia, extols the work in unmeas-
ured terms of praise and conlnehda-
ton. declaring that considered as an
achievement of scholarship alone, it
will command attention" The writer
of the article just referred to (who, by
the way, seems eminently competent to
pass judgment upon the questions and
problems involved, seiZes the oppor-
tunity thus presented, to pay we'll
merited-and, apparently lrreslstlble-
tribute to the wonderful vitality and
resourcefulness of Catholicism, in the
following remarkable language: Con
trary to the expectation OF It's oppon-
ents, the marvellous adaptability of the
Roman church proved competent to
withstand the apparent menace of the
new ideas. Resting not solely upon the
foundation rock of the Scriptures, but
upon tradition as well, Catholicism has
been able to withstand the assaults of
science upon the traditional conception
of the Bible, to maintain its position,
and to cement, as 1t were, into its I'M
shaken structure the missiles of its as
sailants. Thanks to the enlightened
boldness of minority of Catholic
scholars and to the encouragement they
received from a liberal pontiff in love
with the future, the most populous of
the Christian churches has been official
ly placed in the van of modern
thought" The reviewer then adds,
again referring to the Encyclopedias:
THE general intellectual significance of
the work before us is in line with this
advance of liberality of thought" and
closes his significant and erudite arti-
Gle thus: IF future volumes maintain
the standard set by the first, the Cath
Ollie Encyclopedia will long remain
classic work of reference"
The Charleston Is. CO News and
Courier is equally as laudatory 0't3lis
most illustrious production, declaring:
This Encyclopedia must be regarded
as a marvellous contribution to the re-
ligious literature of the world and
the Boston Herald pronounces it 1.-The
most notable addition to reference lit
erature of modern times"
And these expressions are accurately
typical of an almost, If not quite unan-
imous voice of the press, and fairly in
dicative of praise and appreciation
freely emanating from all sources-cler-
ical and lay Catholic and non-Catholic.
Tremendous, therefore, and intensely
salutary, must be the influence of this
publicat ton, in the spread
and propagation of Catholic truth. AL
ready has it found its way into nearly
one hundred and fifty public and uni
Yersity libraries and will, no doubt, be
as the standard of authority
on all questions relating to Catholic
doctrine and history, and the attitude
of the church on the manifold problems
vitality effecting the interests of the
race of man, past and present
1t is easy to understand, therefore,
why our clergy-prelates and priests
wherever the English language is spo-
ken. manifest such earnest solicitude
for the widest possible distribution of
the Catholic Encyclopedia. In view of |
the unbounded and freely EXPRESSED |
admiration of the on-Catholic world |
for this remarkable work. it would be |
that Catholics anywhere !
should long fail to manifest the MOST |
lively and ardent interest in this grand |
literary achievement in behalf of their !
'ondly cherished cause. Aside fromi the |
Keen personal interest that this Work |
must possess for every intelligent land |
devoted Catholic, it should be esteeIhed |
In enviable privilege to aid in pronhot- |
ng its distribution by every practical !
Die and reasonable means at his chm
nand.