The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-05-30
A Remarkable Tribute.

one Of the finest tributes called forth
BIZ the centennial celebration last week
NJ the archdiocese of New York. is
the following from the Evening Post
Of that city:
Remembering the old and bitter
snti-Catholic feeling, it marks the
great transformation that today it
would be true 10 say that the Protest
ant churches would look upon the ex-
tnction or withdrawal of the Catholic
churches as a great calamity. This
does not imply that religious or even
theological conviction has broken down
but that tolerance has broadened and
that cur eyes have opened to see the
facts. We are certain that Protestant
denominations would be simply aghast
and appalled, if they were asked to
take over the work of the Catholic
church in New York. They could not
begin 10 do it. Even if they had the
physical resources-the men and money
and bUildings-they would have neither
the mental nor moral ability. For long
years now the Catholic church in this
great port has been receiving and con-
trolling and assimilating one influx of
foreign peoples after another 1t has
held them for religio- md it has held
them for citizensh one can So
berry reflect upon Fla. -7st labor Of
education and rest T v5l out becom-
ing convinced that II has been an in
aspensable force IN or public life.
The Protestant churches have been
ana are now more than ever untitled,
whether by temperance, or methods.
30 attack so gigantic = problem. They
lack the authority--tDe compelling
force Of supernatural fears. if one in
Nts Nothing but a venerable and
universal Institution. always the same
yet always changing, could have taken
asr incoming children-the raw mate
nal Of Americans-and done for them
nat the Catholic church in this city
has done during the memorable CEN
Jug now rolled past.
Even those who cannot pretend to
speak of Catholic dogma with entire
sympathy must confess that some of
rs moral results have been admirable
ana useful. The firm stand of the
.lurch in the matter of marriage and
U'oTce for example. seems more and
more blessing as the laxness of law
ana Of custom in that respect goes on
Increasing other churches have been
l'ieed, If only out Of shame at the
weller ri marital relations into which
american society seems sometimes 20
p falling. To initiate and pproximate
'f Isiu standards Of Catholics. We
"o9d not maintain that the Catholic |
.o>uon Is an unmixed good: it has
rs Incidental evils: but the testimony |
.Aieh it has borne to the ideal of the 1
--Hslan family is something which |
.eHnot be overlooked when those who |
ae not sons OF the church are reckon |
"'s Up their debt TO her
~ a criticism often made is that the |
.dtao.ic church IN this country, par
..-ulaf.T in New York City, has been |
go much given to going into politics
and that it has accepted with
-l question gifts from sources that 4 |
nypAet could not have looked at with /
L-oahcaged eyes. But we
"loN Of no Protestant church that is
-- ~ 10 cast a stone on this account.
NJ Is ruth is that all churches. under
on nee system. have TO take their
51.. Wherever they find IL, devouuy
,;s. that the Lord will sanctify the
~, and as for a church in politics,
mn, would back the Methodists against
'SJnnilcs any dav."