The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-12-25
SERMON PREACHED BY
FATHER RICHARDSON
AT the Esperanto Interna-
tional Congress in the City
of Barcelona Before it Was
Set Afire by Anarchists
When Arrested the Infa-
nous Ferrer Declared He
Was a Delegate--No Benefit
From the Discourse.

from the DlSCOur8c.
"a new commandment I give unto
you: That you love one another as
have loved you, that you also love one
another.'-St. John 1894.
A new commandment! Why does
Christ, why does the Goldman call
this commandment new? From the
beginning through the entire Scrip
lures does not God remind mankind
that they are brethren eek unos tSh-
guine," made of one and the same
blood? Even with pagans do we not
from time to time meet with chosen
men, with poets and philosophers who
maintain that truth? Remember the
words of the Latin poet: Homo sum,
nihil humani a me alienum esse puto".
I am a man, and 1 consider nothing
human as Indifferent to me. Yes, but
if in theory love for mankind was
known, practically, however, it hAd
no existence whatever, and this corn-
mandment of Christ must therefore
seem like new commandment. 4.
If it was new when Christ pro-
claimed 1t two thousand years ago, it
is certain that from that moment, IL
became the chief foundation of the
New Testament. No Christian has
ever yet dared to deny that that conl1
mand is true law, made obligatory
! In the true religion. 4hd'
though that law is accepted theoret-
ically, is it practically obeyed by tn:
Christian world?
What signifies, for example, the
army in which brothers fight against
brothers. wound them cruelty, xii
them willingly? What means that
mutual hatred to which at times they
dare to give the name Of patriotism
but which is only contemplate i'm.
itation of that noble virtue-a despi.,
able Chauvinism; masked selfishness.
Beloved brethren, sometimes tn.
just man might be tempted to lose
| courage, become a pessimist, and ex.
claim sorrowfully: Men are incorrig.
ible! But no! dear Christian breth.
rem, fellow thinkers, Esperantists!
Before the view which presents it.
self to our eyes today. let US joyful,
exclaim "Sursum cordial" Lift VI
your hearts! The will of Christ will
finally be fulfilled. At some time o.
other the entire human race will obe,
the holy precept of Christ: Love y,
one another.
But if we wish to stop those evils
it is necessary first to seek thei
cause.-the roots of hatred anon.
men.
Undoubtedly the chief among thes'
roots is selfshness, the excess Of
quality which exists in every huma,
being, namely, the instinct of self
preservation. This quality is not pos
itively a vice, but when by its exces
it becomes sels1shness, when every
one thinks about himself and is read
to sacrifice everything in order t.
crafty his passions and vicious in
clinations. then peace and mutual Low
become impossible, and the world to
often resembles a hell.
> Without religion, without the con
viction that men are truly brethrer
born of one and the same Father, low
and human peace were impossible, be
cause 1t would not be logical. D
: beasts. do lions and tigers. by evolu
tion, by means of progress, gradual
become less savage, less cruel? Ger
, tainly not. They Behave quite wei
: quite naturally when they kill and de
: YOUR animals weaker than themselve!
: And believe me, dear fellow thinker
I If at any time the wicked world sue
ceeds in making men believe that tn
' various tribes Of men are not trul
t and really brethren but merely til
Y result of natural evolution from vari
t GUS species of animals, then men voul
quite logically conclude that tn
= strongest the most intelligent among!
: them, would have the same right t
: use and enslave the lower tribes an
: treat them as they do horses and dog
= Hence the great means to conqu,
selfishness is religion, the true religio
g of Christ.
[Sy5|6[S69 T. Z,