The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-02-29
THE TERMoUM7AM AND COLORADO cATHoLc FEBRUARY

. was being draped in black for the
funeral, and early Tuesday morning
the heavy black casket was carried
into the sanctuary, to repose in front
of the altar, on the spot where death
had come to him in the discharge OF
his sacred duty.
The candlesticks were draped in SOM
Der wrappings, and the festoons OF
black bunting lined both side walls of
the church. Solemn high mass for the
repose of the soul of the dead priest
was offered while a congregation which
taxed the capacity of the church knelt
in prayer.
The body lay before the altar all
through Tuesday, and at 10 o'clock on
Wednesday morning the faithful gath
cred for the funeral service. There was
not standing room in the wide aisles.
and the choir loft was unable to hold
one-half of those who tried to gain
entrance to it.
The celebrant of the high mass of
requiem was Rev. Father Francis
ONeil, o. P, pastor of st. Dominic's
church in North Denver, selected be-
cause of the friendship existing be-
! tween the Franciscan and Dominican
orders. Father William Organ, the
close neighbor of the monks at St.
Elizabeths and the pastor of st. Leo's
church, preached the following sermon:
That any sermon is attempted on
! this solemn occasion is not because of
Father Leo, the simple Franciscan
| friar, who is dead, nor even because of
| the high offense against the Almighty
Father Of us all, who lives, but because
of the society in which we live and its
outraged and loosened bond of law.
Crimes such as that of last Sunday are
assaults on no mere individual; they
are against you and me and all of us.
They strike and wound law and justice
in her holy sanctuary whence breathes
the very life of the civilized state.
Father Leo was struck down, the
murderer confesses, because he was a
priest and not for any fancied griev-
dnce or imagined injury that the MUIR
derer had received from him. He new
er knew the dead priest he had never
spoken with him; their lives except in
that one dread moment of blood and
sacrilege had never touched. Nor did
he kill him, as priests have been killed.
in hatred of his special creed. But the
fiend knew that the priest was some
outward symbol and present ambassa-
dor of that only authority by which
kings reign and magistrates execute
justice and human law rears itself in
awful dignity and finds its sanction
And because the murderer had revolt
ed against Gods authority his rebellion
went to it's uttermost logical conclusion
in action; he revolted against its pres
ence in the world of human law and
broke it until it gushed human blood;
he revolted against it's outward symbol.
the priest, and slew him.
THE murderer was logical. The an
archist is never truer to his diabolical |
principles than when he slays a Cath |
olic priest and slaps him at the altar
of God. 1t matters not that the indi- |
vidual priest possesses little of the |
worlds power or goods, nor desires !
them for himself; it matters not even |
that he is follower of that blessed |
Francis who chose Lady Poverty for |
his bride and gave his great love to the |
poorest things and the most unloved.
Wherever he is the Catholic priest in
some great way carries in himself that !
church of authority and of God and ex-
ternates her to men. He is an officer
In that great army whose framp is
around the world: whose discipline is
most perfect; whose organization is
most infinitely refined; whose banners
are forever set against the enemy of
disorder and anarchy in the hearts. in |
the speech and in the actions of men
as opposed to just human government
and divine rule.
Yes, he was logical. He might hate
he ministers of other Christian bodies,
out not with similar hate-the impo-
ent hate that Stays. for they, alas,
Ire too divided to be dangerous to him.
He might hate a king, for he rules;
1ut kings come and go and kingly pol
cies have their chances and changes.
But the Catholic priest is slain but to
i've and the Catholic policy, the Cath !
'iic accents of morality are unchanged
nd Interchangeable as the throne of
iod. He saw this at home in Italy, '
hat it is not the parliament of the
ling that saves his crown to him: it {
S not the army of Italy that saves her t
rom the spelling of the socialist and t
he red hand of the anarchist; though
weakened by many defections, the one
trong, coherent, unyielding power is
till an imprisoned pope and an ill s
sed church. {
And hence the whole foul brood of O
hem, the Socialist who breaches and t
he anarchist who translates the ser '
ION into red deeds. come here hating ! 7