Evening journal., 1908-07-06
SOLEMN SERVICES
AT CATHEDRAL
Father MCKenna, of New
York, breaches Sermon on
Church and State

According to the Roman martyrology
yesterday was the Feast OF Saints Peter
and Paul, apostles. and in the Cathedral
solemn services were held. The eel =
brant Of the mass was the Rev. Father
McKenna; deacon, the Rev. Father
NrKenna Of New York. sub-deacon the
Rev. Father Dougherty. Vicar General
Lyons occupied a seat within tho
sanctuary. Benjamin X. Donohoe. a
seminarian, was master Of ceremonies
The sermon was preached by the Rev.
Father IKenna of New York. He to *
as his subject, Thou art Peter. All
upon this rock. will build my church"
etc. Upon this saying Of Christ. tHe
speaker based his sermon as proof OF
the divine promise to st. Peter that
the gates of hell would not prevail
against His church. Subjoined to tn }
was a declaration that the church was
TO be supreme on earth, from which
declaration Father MKenna cited log
ical proofs drawn from theology, phil
osophy and history as to why tho
church should be a governing power
like the state. He said as states have
governing heads, so must the church.
The state is mans greatest happiness
temporarily considered. The power OF
the state is the greatest of human
powers, hence its sovereignty which Is
an attribute of the state. Authoritative
is its voice. We dare not question its
authority because that begets disloy-
atty. But as the state is governed
through falllble laws she can err. The
church and state should dwell together
on earth. The church is the noblesi
conception of Divine wisdom; the state
the greatest endeavor Of mans work
The one the embodiment Of law and
happiness. The other OF the happiness
that is TO come. The church
speaks by Divine authority, the state
does not, and Christ says "he that hear,
you hears me-" The state is not ir.
fallible nor is It perpetual. but IN,
church possesses these attributes, foi
without them she could not exist. To IN,
erring voice Of Caesar, whom tn,
speaker personified as the state, Il
the unerring and never dying voic'
of the church. States may rise in al
their greatness rise 10 power and opu
lence, to civic good or evil, but IN 3,
fail and die and crumble and cease n
time TO exist. There was Rome thi
greatest state that ever existed. who's,
counterpart has never been seen, bn
Rome fell and died. But the churcl
shall never fall nor die. for we hea
the voice Of Him who said; 'Behol,
am with you all days. even to tlu
contamination Of the world
The church and state dwell side b,
side as two kingdoms. Each of thesl
Kingdoms lays claim 20 mans allies
lance. The state speaks and she i
obeyed; the church speaks and she 4
disobeyed, but Christ said she woul,
be the light Of heaven to which man.
would be blind; that she would y
scourged and prosecuted.
The speaker then spoke on the tw
classes Of persons within the churc
whom he styled as critics and le
ciples The first class find fault wit
the church. her laws and who ar
vainly guided in their judgment by IN
precepts Of the world, the other cles
see nothing but good in the churc
and al she does.
The speaker in closing paid his re
spects TO the Liberal Catholics. an
the "isms" against which the churc
has to fear.
The collection taken up vesterda
was for the benefit Of the Pope's Jubile
fund which the Catholics of Americ
are raising to help defray the expens
OF the Vatican which has suffered som
curtailment since the trouble in France