The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-08-27
THE PoPEs AND THE PRESS.

THE POPES AND THE PRESS.
When Louis Veuiliot, the great
Catholic editor of France, 7vas alive
he incessantly strove to awaken the
bishops of that country to the necessf-
~ of having the Catholic press sup
ported They did not rouse and the
result is seen in France Of today.
AT present, however, there is a fe-
velfsh anxiety to help the French
Catholic press. An organization called
the Good Press. at Paris, recently has
issued a pamphlet containing the most
striking e1hortation of Leo XIII, and
Plus X from which a few excerpts may
he made. Here are passages which
American Catholics may read with
profit:
with no less insistence we renew
our advice that you should labor with
as much zeal as prudence for the
publication and diffusion Of Catholic
newspapers For in these days peo-
pie form their opinions and regulate
their lives almost entirely by their
reading Of newspapers Letter to the
bishops Of Brazil, 1899
Among the means best adapted to
the defense Of religion there is none,
I'm our opinion, more efficacious and
more suited to the present time than
that which consists in meeting the
press by the press and thus frustrating
the schemes Of the enemies of reli-
gion. Letter to the bishop of vi
emma, 1883.
The saying of the same Pontfff that
"a Catholic newspaper in a parish is a
perpetual mission. is well known
And his successor, Plus X is no less
emphatic in his eXhortation to support
the Catholic press. 1t will be remem-
bered how he once took the stylo-
graph out of the hand of a Catholic
journalist kneeling at his feet, and
blessed it with these wrds:
There is no nobler mission in the
world today than that Of journalist
bless the symbol of your office My
predecessors used to consecrate the
sword and armor of Christian warrirs
] am happy To draw down blessings on
the pen of a Christian Journalist"
And mark the startling warning to
the bishops of France gathered at
Rome two years ago. In solemn tones
he reminded them. In vain you may
build great churches. found great |
schools and multiply missions: if you
do not support a strong Catholic press |
all Your Wrks shall come to naught" |
The new French bishops are aware |
Of the danger that threatens as the /
Bonnie Presse shows. Cardinal Pie /
writes as follows:
The most religious people in the |
world: the most submissive to au-
thoritN, if they only read bad news ]
papers VIII at the end of thirty years
become nation of unbelievers and |
rebels Humanity speaking no preach
ing can hold its own against a corrupt |
press.
Cardinal Laboure is even more en-
phatic.
The hour for building churches
ana decorating affairs is past. There is
only one matter which is urgent and
that is to cover the country with pa
pers which shall teach it the truth
once again."
Cardinal Lavigerie has the same
message
TO found or support a newspaper
destined to enlighten and reclaim
mems minds is, in a sense, as necessa-
~ and as meritorious as the building
of q church"
The Bishop Of Dillon says that the
support Of the press is more impor-
lant even than that of the schools
he Bishop of Blois says that it is
form of aDostolate which is imperious-
y demanded at the present day The
Bishop Of Verdun says that the pope
does not merely recommend Catholics
70 support the Catholic press but or
aers them to do So The Bishps of
sicily at synod subscribed $4,000
frames towards the Catholic press.
III we turn from the ecclesiastics to .
reading Catholic laymen we find the
same insistence on the need of sup
porting the press. Listen, for in
stance to the words of Windthorst:
Foolish people, Men close their
#ouls and they are cntent to build
Others Men derholish their works and !
.'< create new ones, without dream
ing of arresting the army which is Z
more ready to destroy than they can be
punt up again. Why do not they en-
...E lneir money rather in providing
themselves with a powerful press {
'.h would capture public opinion
.. them and. by means of il power I
~ ON that they have lost?"
" must consider the words of
men IN our own country, also =
'" people must be made aware that !
=" language of Cardinal Lavigerie.
ir iu sense. as necessary and .
'"1ous to found a Catholic news
0.' as ii is to build church. The
-a".Ic press is the defender of the
airh and the school. It deserves to Is
supported far better than it is 1T
4"hle thing to build church but
y, oa- ser"us thing if public sentiment
NOT support the press in its con- 90
I'm this country, too, many sub
RIDERS are i'm the habit of cutting
~ me Catholic paper whenever
-.'.eS grow a little severe. 1t must Ii
a.Ae the inhabitants Of the demons O
''ar grin derisively whenever they a
catholic fathers and mothers de- a.
.'IateIE asking that their names Il
'aA be erased from the subscription d,
ol q Catholic newspaper. Some OF
''S ago Cardinal Casanas Of Barcel- III
spain. declared the Catholic OF
the right arm of the church. If b
"@ be true. evidently whoever hurts is
VOL. press or cuts off the visits of one cI
representatives, hurts that arm I'll
V cuts it off Can anyone love the