The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-10-29
;NEEP OF SOCIAL
STUDY CONSIDERED
Catholics Should Take the Initiative,
Says Reverend Father
Platter,
Widely Known as Author of Cath
olic Social Work in
Germany"
A Problem That Cannot be Solved
by 1ndiscrilninate
Almsgiving.

The subjoined article on The Need
OF Social Study" from the October is
sue of the official organ OF the German
Roman Catholic Central Society, the
Central Blatt & Social JUSTICE" is
from the pen OF Rev. Chas. D. Platter,
S. j., England. Father Platter is wide
ly and favorably known in this coun-
try as the author of Catholic Social
Work In Germany" a work that recent
ly Was enthusiastically welcomed and
commended by members of our eDisco.
pacy. We take pleasure in presenting
this article to our readers.
The Need of Social Study.
The word study" may possibly
alarm my readers, and their alarm
may be increased when the word 80.
cial' is pretixed to it. They will pic.
ture formidable array of Blue Books,
or row of. stodgy volumes on Soci-
ology which pour almost daily from
the press. I'VE have not time and
no inclination for social study" they
will protest. Eve have our work to
do all day, and our few spare hours
are needed for rest and relaxation Let
the experts fight out the social prol,-
lem amongst themselves and leave is
in peace"
No, my dear sir or madam, there is
no cause for dismay: neither is there
excuse for inaction You are not
called upon to line your shelves with
Blue Books. No serious encroachment
is suggested upon your rest or rclax;.-
ton. But to social study in one of it's
many forms you are called You are
called to it by the voice of the Holy
Father, by your principles as Cath
T olic, and by any instincts that you may
possess of common commiseration for
the miseries Of your fellow-men. As ia
The Pope's View
, Of the matter there can be no doubt
. "The social question" says the present
Pontiff, deserves to have all the Cath
olic forces applied to it with the great.
f est energy and constancy"
. This involves study, and study not
only by the experts and leaders, but
by the rank and file. Catholics must
learn to take an intelligent interest
in the social question. Otherwise
their energy and constancy' will be
aimless and even harmful. All can
and ought to contribute to what may
call the corporate Catholic social ex.
perience. The priest and the layman
the worker and the student, rich and
poor, all can help throw light on this
most difficult Of problems.
ut is for Catholics to take the ini.
tiative in all true social progress, to
show themselves the steadfast defend
ers and enlightened counselors Of the
weak and defenseless, to be the cham
pions Of the eternal principles OF JUS
tice and Christian civilization" So
wrote Leo XIII to Cardinal Langenieux
in 1896. But enlightenment on social
questions is not gift infused into lie
at baptism, or conferred up lis al
, confirmation It has to be worked for
p and worked for not by our leaders
alone, but by us all. If the general
body of Catholics is not an enlightened
body, it will be no champion of the
eternal principles. ~ forbid the Cath
, olic laity to be Inactive" wrote Lee
XIII to the Bishop of Terragona. But
/. activity, to be useful, must be based
Z on knowledge; and knowledge implies
= study.
"But you are mixing up two distinc,
things" it will be objected. "The
, charity Of Christ urges me to bring
l. men to Him, to save their souls, tt
r spread His supernatural religion
These things are on quite different
! plane to social questions, which arc
: concerned with material things. an
told to save mems souls, not to care
for their bodies"
The objection is plausible, but un
Catholic. 1t rests on false view O.
the supernatural. While it appears t.
elevate the supernatural, it really de
: grades it. Be sure of 1t, we shall no