The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-07-26
CARDINAL BOURNE ON RELIGIOUS INDIFFERENCE

Wn6n the CnanS6 CAME, men ulu not
at once alter their conception OF Chris
tianity. We have seen in recent years
how, in spite of our present number
less sources of information and means
of communication, far-reaching
change in our civil polity may be ac-
complished without any general real
ization of it's consequences. And in
the sixteenth century many years
must have passed before the ordinary
average Englishman awoke to the
fact that the conception OF Chris
tianity which alone he had been taught
was being displaced by something for
eign and alien to the past history of
his country. He knew doubtless that
there had been another quarrel be-
tween Pope and King, between Eng
land and the Roman Curia. But these
contests and strivings, bitterly lament
able as they were, never touched
directly the conception of Christs
Church as the divinely appointed and
divinely protected exponent of the
Truth of God.
There were those also who knew
that changes were in progress, and
who longed for change, and did what
in them lay to promote and hasten on
that which in their eyes appeared a
desirable reformation. | find it very
hard to pass condemning judgment
on our forefathers of the rank and
file, the poor. the simple, the un'
learned, who in those dark, uncertain
tumultuous days, hardly knowing what
they did, strayed aside from that cen
tre of unity of faith which to so many
must have seemed to have forgotten
the mission of guidance entrusted tC
it.
We have travelled far since those
days. AS the years went on, those
who had, in their ignorance or limo
cence thought to find away from
Rome a safer path to Gospel Truth
must have discovered that they were
in truth following will O. the Wisp,
| which, dancing ever before them, lurec
: them on until they came to desolat'
region whence all landmarks of be
lief had disappeared. Mems minds ad
J just themselves slowly to changes il
religious belief Principles are adopt
ed the consequences of which are no
at first apprehended.
The FaIIibIe Religious Guide.
The transference from Ecclesiastica
: Authority to the Crown of supreme
jurisdiction in even spiritual cause
n small h1I
it clearly made points of doctrine de
: pend upon CIVIL and, therefore, fal
: lible authority Thus finality of dec
o sion on disputed questions of religion
+ belief became an impossibility. Wha
King and Parliament said today, the
p could with equal right, unsay or. gain
f say tomorrow. Again, the acceptanc
+ of only one rule of faith, namely, tn
\ Bible, to be interpreted by each ind
: vidual in accordance with his owl
= rights and inspirations, meant rapidl
= diverging difference of opinion; an
4 the history of those days shows hoy
o rapid the divergence was. Can W
!. wonder that the ordinary busy mar
,. much engrossed in the daily concern
G of his family, business, and profession
!, has grown weary of uncertainty, an
G has come to the conclusion that it wi
i be time enough for him to go to churc
O and to give heed to professors of RI
O ligion when the latter have made u
4 their minds what they themselves rea
+ ly believe, and what they are prepare
Il to teach as definitely calling for men
n credence? 1t is, we are convinced, a
= attitude of mind such as we here ou
n line which is responsible for the star
T. ling falling off in attendance at churcl
i and the abandonment of religious pra
!. tice which those outside the Catholi
d Church openly admit and constant
.. deplore. Englishmen still cling to
n vague, respectful belief in God, wit
If a reverence for, and often great resii
l. nation to, His holy will; but the o
1- ganized practice of religion, except
9- so far as it gives expression in sui
d able decorous manner, on special o
e casions, to such vague recognition
S the Almighty is losing all attractio
N for them. And in the case of your
d men there is a growing tendency
If view the public external expression
G. religion as unnecessary, and unwa
,s ranted by any facts of religion whiC
they are prepared to accept.
Views of Marriage.
Nowhere has departure from the O
20 ideal prevailing in the sixteenth ce
n tury been more complete than in tt
n conception which now prevails of Il
" contract which is the essential boI
ID of family and social life-namely, tt
10 marriage tie Then it was regarded {
O. solemn contract of a strictly sacre
n. character, so inviolable that, whe
n once contracted and duly consuI
At mated, no power but death could NAL
n it null. That was, and is, the Chri
n tian and Catholic conception of ma
ID riage; and the conception which pr
n. vailed in England $50 years ago.
d. was a very high and lofty ideal, ma
II ing a demand upon weak human n
r. ture which only Christianity, with
10 mighty supernatural helps, could NAL
of endurable.
in Now the Christian ideal of indiss
&C. luble marriage has gradually bet
VS. frankly rejected. Parliament slow
ey from Henry VIII onwards uproott
is the old foundations, until in 1857 Il
1T Divorce Act opened out to all faciliti
IS of annulment of marriage which h;