The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-04-13
cHURcHMEN in SCIENCE.
Ecclesiastics Who Have Deserved
Well of Posterity.

Catholic Churchmen in Science" is
/ the title of an important book which
! James J. Walsh. NJ. D., Phi. D.. Ii D.
professor of medical history, Fordham
University medical school. and pro-
fessor of physiological psychology in
st. Francis Xavier's college. New York
Is the talented author and of which
the Dolphin Press. Philadelphia, is the
publisher. In this book DR.. Walsh
gives satisfying answer to the cues
ton: Is there a conflict between reli-
sloE and science. Here are the lives
Of seven distinguished founders in as
many different sciences who We're
Catholic churchmen. They lived in
every century from the fifteenth to
the nineteenth. They were deeply be-
loved by their fellow clergymen. They
passed peaceful, happy lives in the sue
cesSful pursuit of science They were
geniuses in the best sense of the word
Far from their science interfering with
their religion in any way they were
all faithful ecclesiasties of more than
ordinary devotion to their religious
duties
Thus. Stetsen. the great anatomist
and founder of geology. was made a
bishop just after he had published
books on these subjects Father Mem
just after completing his wonderful SET
of experiments and observations which
shed 50 much light on heredity. Lin
acre, the founder Of the Royal Col
leEe of Physicians, threw up his hon
ors and emoluments as royal phySi-
clan TO Henry VIII TO become a priest
of the church within a decade before
the English church had to be reform
ed Was there every better evidence
that the supposedly needed Reforma-
uGn was a mere prcteXt? Father Kir-
cher. the Jesuit scientist. the first to
see microbes, the first to teach thar
insects carry the germs Of disease. the
founder of the great Kircheriam mu-
scum still eXistant in Rome. and a
writer in all branches of science was
invited to teach science in Rome the
year after the condemnation of Cali
leO-a condemnation which is falsely
supposed to show that religion and
science are in conflict
How few Catholics know these
things. or that that great astronomer. |
Copernicus, wrote some beautiful
hymns to the Blessed Virgin. or that
the first TO suggest that the affinities |
Of the chemical substances were Xix,
the loves of human beings. was a |
Bcnedictine monk, the famous Bash |
\ dlenllHe. VINO insisted that all chem !
cal experiments should begin with .
prayer. In the history of science. as I
Il all other history. all the objections
against the church disappear before
he advance of real knowledge. 1t is
that is dangerous.
Every Catholic should read the boot
ma know the lives of the great Cath
'lic scientists. then he will be able
O answer objections that are so Otter,
Urged from supposed history
Or. Walsh is To be congratulated on
he service he has rendered to his fell
DIV Catholics in this respect. by this
most entertaining and instructive vol
me. He has already deserved well OF
he Catholic public who have had the
Measure Of listening TO his excellent
ectures and of reading his magazine
rticles. We are all the more pleased
herefore 10 welcome him into the
ED Of more permanent literature. ]
md a word of credit is due also TO
he publishers of the beautiful volume
hey have given US. and for the SPLEEN
i'll portraits they have secured of the /
hurchmen scientists whose careers !
re- here recorded.