The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-08-16

IN CnS Eyes OF the CaCnollc Cnurcnss
America is a republic: the spirit,
the form of government is democracy
the government of the people, by
the people, for the people. Is there
not here, it is asked at least touch
of conflict between my religious faith
and my civil and political faith?
tread upon easy ground, so plain are
the teachings of the Catholic Church
in favor of the rights of the people
in matters of civil and political gov
eminent l again quote from the en-
cyclical letters of Leo XIII. The Pom
tiff writes: There is no power but
from God. The right of command,
however is not in itself linked to any
one form of government. One or the
other form the commonwealth may
rightfully give to itself, provided such
be really promotive of the common
welfare. No reason is there
why the church should prefer one
form of government to another, pro-
vided the form that is chosen be just
in itself and favorable to the common
good. Therefore, the rules of justice
being duly observed, the people are
free to adopt that form of govern
ment which BELTS their temper, or
best accords with their traditions and
customs" America declared itself a
republic: it's government is organized
democracy. In America according to
the teachings of the Catholic Church,
the Republic is the sole legitimate
government: to the Republic Catho-
lies are in conscience obliged to yield
sincere and answering obedience.
God is the source and the giver
of all power: of themselves men have
no authority over other men. The au-
thority of the parent over the child
is from God, who created nature and
so created the family: the authority
of the state is from God, who willed
that men should live within the foster
ing embrace of a social organism. In
this sense, but in none other, a gov
eminent, whatever the form, rules by
divine right. God gives the power;
but the people choose those that hold
it, and mark out the conditions under
which they do hold it. This is SUI
preme democracy: it is the dogma of
Catholicism.
In America the government is the
Republic-the government of the peo-
pie, by the people, for the people.
With you, fellow-Catholics, with you,
fellow-Americans, salute the Repub-
lie: 1 thank God that the people of
America are capable of possessing a
government of this form. The Re
public-it is the fullest recognition of
human dignity and human rights, the
fullest grant of personal freedom, that
due respect for the rights of others
and the welfare of the social organism
may allow. Permit the barbarous on
sIaughts of lawlessness and anarchy
to undermine it's foundations or loosen
the cement binding together it's walls!
Never so long as life still throbs with
in our bosoms! Alter it to empire or
monarchy! Never, so long as our
lips may praise it, or our hands WELD
arms in it's defence.
The Catholic Church in the Enjoy
ment of Religious Freedom.
Would we alter, if we could, the
Constitution in regard to it's treat
ment of religion, the principles Of
Americanism in regard to religious
freedom? I answer with an emphatic
no. Common sense is ours. Common
Justice is ours: a regard to our own
welfare and safety is also ours. The
he
are divided in matters of religious be-
lief: to the American people, to the
whole people, does the country belong
What else, then, could the trainers OF
the Constitution have done, what else
since their time could the Legislators
of the land have done, in equity to-
wards all, in equity to the country as
one nation, to its people as one peo
pie, but solemnly decree, as they did
as they continue to do, equal rights
to all, privileges to none? Necessar
lily religious freedom is the basic life
of America, the cement running
through all its walls and battlements
the safeguard of it's peace and pros
perity Violate religious freedom
against OuI SWOIuS dl0 al
once unsheathed Violate it in favor
of Catholics, against non-Catholics
no less readily do they leap from the
scabbard.
Does Catholicism in America suffer
from religious freedom, allowed
equally to Catholics and to non-Catho
lies? Compare the lot of Catholicism
in America to that of Catholicism il
so many Transatlantic lands, where
the tenets of pagan Caesarism, as t.
the supremacy of the state over the
conscience of it's subjects, do still pre-
vail. There manacles bind hand ant
limb the Bride of Christ: here sht
walks, in queenly mien, free and un
fettered, putting forth, without let o
hindrance, the full exuberance of he
native force and beauty, proving a
every stepping that her life is all he
own, since she lives it without out
ward help or prop; that her blossom
and fruit are all her own, since the
spring exclusively from her bosom
and of their own vigor defy triun
phantly darkening clouds and battlin
tempests.
Had the Catholic Church not live
and thriven in freedom, truth were no
its armor, grace from Heaven wer
not the loneliness of its countenanct
II -,