The San Francisco call., 1910-12-18

NAS SOluleIS anu SdliotS AIoiiuiiiCiiN' -
below Riverside drive, was just and
timely recognition of one of the bright
est philosophic intellects America has
yet produced. No one can read the 125
volumes of his works without being
convinced of this fact.
Doctor Brownson, of course, before
he became a Catholic. was associated
with Fanny Wright in the founding
and remodeling of the public school
system of this country. with the ex-
press purpose of spreading infidelity
through the medium of the schools;
and. in an address, which is preserved
for posterity on page 442 of volume 19
Of his complete works. he has left some
startling revelations regarding their
motives and carefully prepared plan
of action; which. had they succeeded,
would have made our schools as God
less. anti-republican lin the true sense
of the word) and anarchistic as the
Ferrer neutral" schools in Spain. or
the school that founded the new re
public" so called. in Portugal, by de-
liberately tramping upon what we in
America call the "inalieDable rights OF
man, viz: life, liberty and the pursuit
Of happiness"
After groping through all the popular
"isms" Of his day. Doctor Brownson
finally landed. about his fortieth year,
in the bosom of Catholicism. From
that time all his mental difficulties dis
appeared like mists before the sun.
He then bent all the philosophic en-
ergy of his mind toward showing that
Catholicism is not incompatible with
republican form of government He
went still further and boldly an
nounced the thesis that without the
Roman Catholic religion it is impossi-
bic TO preserve a democratic govern
ment and secure It's free, orderly and
wholesome action" Moreover. he built
so strong and logical an argument on
this thesis that no one, short of an
anarchist. can well dispute it; much
less refute it.
On the eighth of this month the
Catholic church throughout the entire
world celebrated the feast of the i'm
maculate conception. The doctrine of
the Immaculate conception CASUALLY con-
founded by non-Catholics with the doc
trine of the virgin birth of Christi,
though a stumbling block to some. sim
ply means that by a special grace of
the Almighty, the virgin who was to be
the mother of his son was preserved
from the taint of Adams sin to f1t her
the better for the exalted dignity of
divine maternity. She was to be- in
the words of the poet, tainted ma
ture's solitary boast"
Although the dogma was not formal
~ defined or officially ruled on till
1854 when Plus TX, with the assent bled
bishops of the world about him. pro-
nounced the decree. yet it has been be-
lieved and taught in the church from
the first. England is said to have been
the first country in the west to keep a
special feast in commemoration Of the
doctrine. The first name given to the
Mississippi was the Conception" thus
indicating the belief of its discoverers.
The feast has special significance
in America; the plenary council of
Baltimore having adopted it as the
patronal feast of the United States
Hence. American Catholics in this coun-
try attend mass on that day from a
sense both of religion and of patriot
ism.
The recent decree "maxima cura"
regarding the administrative" removal
of parish priests from their offices, is
beginning. according to Rome, to re-
ceive the attention its Importance de-
serves; and the consistorial congrega-
ton is being flooded with questions;
one of which is whether it applies to
English speaking countries. Inasmuch
as It is part Of the new code of canon
law for the whole church, of which the
United States, England, Australia, and
other countries form an important part,
it would seem there can be no reason
able doubt that it does.
The decree adds another claim to
Plus KS prophetic title OF "Ignis Ar
dens," mentioned in the so called
prophecy of St Malachy"; as well as
marking another milestone in the prog
ress of English speaking countries
from the missionary stage TO the full
stature of canonical churches.
During the early formative period of
the church in missionary countries.
when almost the only stable law is
that necessity knows no law" and
each bishop is "a law unto himself" !"
the zeal of the shepherd may be
counted on TO do the best for the
growth and protection of his flock. It
was this latitude allowed to American
bishops that gave rise to the anec-
dote, related of Leo XIII. when some
one asked for concession which he
could not grant lie is said to have
replied facetiously that possibly some
American bishop might be able to
grant it.
The new decree. which names nine
causes for administrative" removal
from Office, and the formalities which
must accompany its execution, will re-
lieve bishops of an immense weight of
responsibility, and affords parish priests
an assurance that they are not mere
tenants at will" The decree is in
entire conformity with our American
constitutional guaranty that no one, in
civil matters, shall be deprived of his
liberty without due process of law
In a word, it brings the whole Catholic
flock under that greatest body of hu-
man laws, from which the pandects of
Justinian, the common law of Eng
land. and the JUS Gentium, received
their Inspiration; namely: The canon
law of the church.
Cardinal Newman once told how a
non-Catholic attended the service COM
monty called benediction, in a Catholic
church in England, and afterward gave
a minute description or how the priest,
when he held up the sacred host, man
aged to manipulate secretly a little
bell with his fingers, to make the peo-
pie think that some miraculous occur
renee was then taking place So abb
sorbed was the one who told this tale
in searching for some deception on the
part of the priest, that he failed to no.
tfce the little boy with his surplice on.
who was ringing the bell to fix the
attention of the worshipers upon the
fact that the priest was then giving
benediction with the sacred host.
A case somewhat similar is that of
the sacred fire in Jerusalem. Non
Catholic writer's and correspondents
repeat with marvellous persistency how.
IN Jerusalem, on Holy Saturday the