The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-02-15
EFFECT OF CATHOLIC INFLUENCE.

Addressing recent interdenominational con-
rention The Problem of the City" Bishop
Walton Of Oakland paid the following remarkable
tribute to the Catholic church:
II want to ask you how we could take care OF
the millions of foreignborn who come to our cities
ll5 police forces could handle them and control
them, were it not for the conservative influence of
the Roman Catholic church! 1t is to these people
steadying factor. In itself it is great police
power : : | don't want to challenge you
Professionals but isn't it fact that the Roman
Catholic church holds It's children closer than any
other! And so long as this is 50 It's influence is
most important in dealing with the problem of the
cities"
The late uttterance of Bishop Walton of Oak
dand praising the conservative influence of the
Catholic church over the foreign clements in this
country and admitting frankly the ability of the
same to come into close touch with her people, has
been the subject of comment and the occasion for
much favorable criticism The avowal of this
church dignitary, who evidently is a man of good
Judgment and Of much zeal should be taken SER
iously by the members present at the nterdenomna-
tional convention. The bishops tribute is not the
first Of the kind that has come from nom Catholic
sources. The complaint has gone forth from these
pupits time and time again touching on the non
attendance at meetings and religious exercises and
frequently by way Of contrast and as a rebuke to
non-Catholic iRdifferentism the Catholic attend
ance has been held up as a notable example and ex-
cepton. The Ministerial associations have puzzled
their brains means and methods. have devised
various schemes to attract the general public, and it
seems with only spasmodic results Some have
made of their churches theatres. almost club rooms
some have done. and still do sensational advertis
ing, and curiosity seekers frequent them in the
same spirit they would show and. firing of one
sort of acrobatics and juggling reserve their at
tention for a bill. When one house does not
furnish this variety in church vaudeville they pat
ronize another. This applies to the MATTER of
church attendance
Religion represents dignity stability serious
ness and when.a man goes to a church it is that he
may derive good from it. that he may be set again
IN the right path, that his soul may feel it has come
in contact with the holy that his dormant spirits
may be awakened and seek consolation and strength
in the promises of his God. When preachers seek
themselves: when theirspulpits become disturb
ing center for local political agitation: when. TO
attract crowds instead of becoming teachers ..cum
polesOdIe ndoehtes' 'heN serVlely pander TO ephe-
neral tastes; when. to appear learned. they give
off ON Sunday the result of superficial readings Of
the week from encyclopedias on science. whether
that science be higher criticism anthropological or
geological or social; when instead of preaching the
saving beauty of Chriss doctrine, they, whilst pre-
tending to be Christian try to shatter the very foun
dations of the edifice-how can they expect the
serious world to take them seriously When Cath
ohcs attend mass on Sundays they feel it is an
obligation. They are taught, furthermore, that it
is the House of God. sanctified by his presence in
the Eucharist that the preachers efforts are only
part of sublime series of religious ceremonies.
They do not attend because they expect the latest
in the sensational line, but because it is the proper
place to find inspirations for week of stern