The Irish standard., 1911-03-04
The DANGERS OF
BAD READING
Bishop Corbett Reminds His People
of the Evil Influence of
Bad Literature.
The Noble Duty of the Press is
to Know the Truth and
Uphold it.

to Lenten regulations Bishop Corbet
of Crookston makes the following
comment on the selection of reading
matter for the home:
The deadly plague of modern so
ciety, men of serious thought will
plication of pernicious books, athe.
istic pamphlets and unrestrained
newspapers. The wicked influence
of this corrupt literature weakens re-
ligion, stains purity of morals and
saps the foundation of the central
truth, the existence of God. Catho-
lies are not free to read whatever
literature they may choose. Their
grave duty is to deny to themselves
and to those under their charge dam
gerous and immoral books. Holy
Church condemns bad books non-
nally by placing them on the index,
and absolutely forbids the reading
thereof, under the pain of sin. Even
pagaNism acknowledged that the
true object of reading was instruction
and not perversion. The Jews exhib-
tied great solicitude lest dangerous
reading would injure the faith and
morals of the people. The early
Christians, who had followed curious
things, burnt their books before ALL
The unrestrained perusal of periodi-
Gals in which the doctrine and his
tory of the Church are falsitied, her
practices ridiculed, ner dogmas con-
demned as tyranny, all religious in
ditferentisln praised, will eventually
diminish the faith in the hearts of
those Catholics, whose Judgment
lacks sufficient discipline to distin-
gush truth from error. Few intel
1ects command the ability of bisect-
ing intricate sophislns and detecting
error clothed in insidious and double
meaning though fluent and elegant
style. Few minds study profoundly
the incontrovertible arguments Cath
Ole theologians have produced in de-
Tense of truth and in REPUTATION of
error, though ever renewed. The
reading public possesses the scantiest
knowledge of our Catholic faith, the
proof of it's reasonable grounds and
jt,y nf
commonly read to the exclusion of
those eNpounding our holy religion,
actually teen with anti-Catholic pref
udlces and most distorted views of
the action Of the One, Holy and Apos-
tolic Church upon the world. The
current literature has become a real
hotbed Of objections against the
Church, of open misrepresentation of
her administration and the villifica-
ton of her clergy. Every pure and
honest man should abhor these books,
which, with pleasing language, though
shameless audacity, depict Infamous
scenes of vice. paint them disguised
in glowing colors and eXtol the low.
est passion of The human heart, at
the expense of virtue and modesty
Never since paganism was public
taste so vitiated and public morality
at such low ebb. as at the present
age. Human life takes it's quality
from the nature of it's reading. Pa
rents especially should strenuouslv
protect the innocence of their chill
dren from the garbage of novel read
ing. BY such sensuous reading their
youthful minds become enfeebled and
incapable OF serious effort A uues-
ton Is it, whether a bad companion
or bad book produces the worst Of
feet.
Parents who do not want to be dis
appointed in their offspring should
Keep close vigilance on their read
ing lest they may lose their holv
faith and morals. Untold good comes
from we'll ordered and we'll patron
lied parish libraries, where an intel
ligent librarian, under the direction
OF the pastor, keeps the books in con-
slant circulation. Numerous public
libraries contain books which calum-
Mate, insult and ridicule our HOLY
Church and describe scenes most
dangerous to the faith and morals of
our children.
Value Of Catholic Papers.
The Roman pontiffs have unceasing.
~ endeavored to restrain the unbri.
died license of corrupt journals,
Newspapers often cater to the de-
PRAYED taste of the age, by making
their readers familiar with unlawful
love, hidden marriages, broken mat.
:rlmonial vows, divorce suits, suicide
and murder. Even common police
court cases are written to fan tha