The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-09-17
COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHURCH.

tDMBiIhEN1S lO HE N10hNh
OF direct compliment to the Church
one does not find many in the secu-
lar press, because, apparently, our sep
arated brethren have not yet reached
the point where they can repress their
prejudices enough to find it in their
hearts to praise, though of indirect
compliment one finds an abundance
Every one now recognizes that the
Catholic church is very different from
the other churches. 1t has its in
Huence among the people in quite a
different way II is of the people and
for the people and with the people,
and not something to which they feel
distant relationship. 1t is theirs. Its
clergy come from the masses of the
people. Its ArchbiShops We're poor
boys a generation ago. There Is no
such democratic institution as the
Church in existence at the present time
I'm the opportunities that it provides
for the humblest to rise. 1t is not in
luence that helps, though the Church
is but a human institution, so that in
Auence may unfortunately at times
have its appeal, but it is personal quail
tiles that make the man and give him
ecclesiastical dignities when he de-
serves them says the Union and Times
IL Is lIllS phase OL Al4C '~oeAlOA4S
church-not only her care for the
poor. but her being of the poor, ac-
cording to Christ's promise, the poor
ye shall always have with ye"-which
attracts attention. L is popular
Church. popular in origin, popular in
development, popular in continuance,
popular in every phase of its long and
wide existence.
Miss Vida ScuddeT. writing to the
June Atlantic. calls attention TO the
fact that one of the reasons why the
Catholic church is not as much liked
by many Of the classes as ii would
otherwise be is that il is the Church
Of the masses. She puts it in bad COM
pany with Socialism, but the compli-
meHt is worth noting. 1t is also worth |
noting that the reason many philan-
thropIc movements of the modern |
times fail is because they are not or
the popular character Of the Church. |
Miss Scudder said:
TO speak plainly, is it not overture |
that the first instinct among the phil |
autar0pically disposed is distrust of |
any movement of truly popular origin? !
Three great forces-nOt imposed from
without but born from within-are to-
cay affecting the intellectual and emo
,onal life Of the working people
trades unions Socialism and the Ro-
man Catholic church. These forces do
NOT agree among themselves any more
than the forces which affect the upper
classes agree: but they all operate with
power. they seek in one sense to sup
port from without or from above. In
aI. there is the note of genuine democ-
lae.. And TO all three alike the at
utlde of the world of privilege-aca-
lamic. commercial, religiOus-is one
ot distastes and suspicion. 1t is no
wonder that the Socialists claim that
class psychology dominates the situa-
un1 for all the stirring of our social
c1mpunction and our administration q
Nolisons pills. Our salvation, as we
have cgutended, is to accept and util-
~ I'D movements Of truly popular ORR
gin instead of this. we habitually dis
trust and oppose. We repudiate these
living powers, and our futility is our
punishment" (The last sentence is
some time ago President Woodrow
Wilson of Princeton, talking about the =.
place Of churches and universities in
Oh" time emphasized the same differ
e.aa between the Church and the
churches when he calls attention to
sae fact that at least the Protestant
churches and TO a great extent the
I|ersrties. serve the classes and not ,
Sae masses Of the people. He said: ;
trust I may be thought among
me last to blame the churches, yet ] {
Zee. il my duty to say that they at Z
east the Protestant churches, are serv-
ing the classes and not the masses of I
Ae people. They have more regard
'E pew rent than for mems souls. They /
l.g depressing the level of Christian )
.ndeav0r." $
If makes Catholic feel good to note 1
Aa' tho Catholic church is left out OF i
.'ming 10 realize that Christ came TO s
me Inst 10y special exception as 1t were !
e are glad that educated people are /
'mIng To realize that Christ came TO \
me poor, for the poor to them, more !
yen than for others, il possible, and /