The Washington herald., 1911-08-27

ligion is the press. and the reason for
1t Is obvious Wisely, then, does our
holy father counsel and implore Cath
olics throughout the world to use the
same means and to employ the press
in every form for the defense of the
church and the spreading of the truth.
In this, the Capital City of the ma
tion, what a field there is. with its
$1,000 Catholics. To enter into the
homes of this great number, to point
out to them the best in Catholic litera-
ture, to make clear to them the beauty
Of their religious teaching; this is in
deed a great work. And greater still
will II become when we reach into the
homes where no religion exists al all.
Surely the thought of such work
ought to be enough to make every
Catholic worthy of the name en-
thusiastic.
Naturally the question will be
asked: How is this to be done? The
answer to this question gives the pur-
pose of the society 1t is to promote
the knowledge and Intelligent practice
of the faith among Catholics as well
as among non-Catholics; to stimulate
a desire for higher education among
the laity by publishing and distribut-
ing lists of Catholic books and other
wise encouraging the circulation and
reading of standard Catholic literature;
to refute such published articles as at
tack the faith or are subversive Of
Christian morality: and in general TO
assist in the dissemination of Catholic
truth and perform other educational
and missionary work"
At the present time there are asso
ciated with the Truth Society the fol-
lowing parishes: ST. Aloysius. st. Pat
rick's. Holy Trinity. the Immaculate
Conception, st. Anthony's. Holy Com
forter. and ST. Martins. Right Rev.
Mgr. Shahan. S. T. D., rector OF the
Catholic University: Rev. Joseph ].
Himmell. S. j., president of George
town University: Right Rev. Mgr. Rus
sell, d. D.. rector of st. Patrick's
Church: Rev. Eugene De L. Mcdonnell,
S. j.. president of Gonzaga College. and
Representative Ben Johnson are OFF,
GERS in the Aloysius Truth Society
The provincial of the Society OF
Jesus has expressed to the founder
and president of the organization.
Rev. Augustus J. Duarte, s. J., his
warm approval of the work. Within
the past few months the Catholic press
has been advocating the establishment
of truth societies in every diocese, and
a recent number of the Tablet. of Lon
don. contains an article describing the
Aloysius Truth Society of Washington
as a model to be used m establishing
similar organizations throughout Eng
land
Presbyterian journals are expressing
some surprise that the good old ScotchS
man who presides as Secretary of Agri-
culture has allowed himself to be an
nounced as the honorary president OF the
International Brewers Congress which is
to be held in Chicago in October. It
seems that substantially such an an
nouncement has been officially given
from Washington. The Chicago Conti-
pent expresses itself in the matter thus:
The Continent would like to think that
Secretary Wilson had got into bad COM
pany unwillngly-and 1t suggests to him
that he will please his millions of admir-
ers among the farmers of America by
getting out as quickly as he can At
least. he will surely know that he cannot
afford to go to Chicago to take part in
such an event"
BY ''motu proprio'' of recent date the
Pope introduces some opportune modi-
fications in the ecclesiastical law as to
the observance OF the feast days of
precept." This new legislation, which is
another proof Of the desire of Pope Plus
to unity the laws of the church. does not
affect the United States. No new feast
days are added. In Europe the Epiphany
and the Feast OF S. Peter and Paul are
still holidays of precept. and throughout
Christendom the Feast of st. Joseph is
celebrated with an octave on the Sunday
following the 18th of March, while the
Feast of Corpus Christi will be celebrated
with proper solemnity on the Sunday
after Trinity, and not merely at the prin-
cipal mass Of that day.
Uniform legislation is not the only rea-
son given by the Pope for this important