Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-08-16
Union Is the Law of Life, Of
Strength, Growth and
Development.
American Republic Owes Its
Prosperity to the Union OF
States.
SHOULD STIR CATHOLIC LAITY

Cardinal gibbons, VINO uellNereu
the opening address Sunday evening
at the opening of the Catholic FEEDER
alton convention, dwelt upon the I'M
portance of unity and spoke in part
part as follows:
"Union is the law of life, Of
strength and growth and of develop
ment. Disunion is the law of weak
ness and disintegration. The Amerl-
can republic owes its material and
political prosperity to the union and
cooperation of the several States. III
those States were disunited and ex-
erting their forces in opposite direc-
tions, like the present republic of
Mexico. we would never have at
tanned the prosperity that has
marked our career. For four years,
during the civil war, we were dis
united; and the result was shedding
of fratricidal blood, with imminent
danger of the dissolution of the ma
ton. The same principle can be
Justly applied TO the influence or
union of religious and moral forces
in the development of Christianity.
An enlightened and Jealous laity is
The most luminous periods OF thc
church's history have been epoehs
conspicuous for laymen who have
vindicated the cause of Christianity
by their eloquence and their writ
ings, as we'll as by the sanctity NJ
their lives. The golden age of
Christendom gave birth to a long
line of learned and intrepid apol-
ogists of the gospel. Among them |
might mention Justin Martyr,
Minutius Felix, Athanasius, Arnobius
and Lactantius, who is styled the
Christian Cicero. Among the no.
table defenders of the Catholic re-
ligion in the Nineteenth century
mention Chateaubriand, Montalem-
bert. the Count de Maistre and
Frederick Ozanam in France;
CORES, Windhorst, Mallinclkrodt in
Germany; Donoso Cortes in Spain;
Sir Kenelm Digby, Allies, William
G.. Ward and Frederick Lucas in
England; the peerless O'Connell In
Ireland; Brownson and many other
lights in the United States.
when the laity are united with
the Bishop and the clergy in the
cause of religion and humanity,
then there is no such word as fail.
We are bound to succeed, for God Is
with us, and if God is with us who
can be against us? II where two
or three are gathered together in
the name of Christ, He declares
that He is with them. surely his
influence is paramount and IRE
sistible when the voice of the Bishop
and clergy is re-echoed by the
multitude of earnest workers assem-
bled before me today. Then indeed
we form triple cord which can not
be broken We establish triple
alliance far more formidable and
enduring than the Triple Alliance oil
earthly potentates, for theirs is an
alliance only of flesh and blood, but
ours is a confederation cemented by
the divine virtues of faith, hope and
charity. And why. my brethren,
should you not cooperate With us?
Are we not all, clergy and laity,
children of the same heavenly
Father? Are we not all brothers
and sisters of the same Jesus ChrlstT
Has He not as much care for you
as He has for me? Are we not al
sanctified by the same Spirit?
There are diversities of graces.
says the apostle. but the same
Spirit There are diyersities Of
ministries, but the same Lord.
There are diversities of operations,
but the same God who worketh al'
in all. We are all in the same bark
of Peter, tossed about by the same
storms and sharing the same sur
shine. Your interests are our inter-
ests. We are all steering our course
toward the same eternal shores.
We are all heirs prospective OF the
same heavenly kingdom. There Is
not one reward for the priest and
another for the laity. There is not
one kind of crown for the Pope ane
another for the peasant. The tiara
OF the Pope and the Bishops mitre
will not shine more brightly than
the Widows hood in the kingdom OF
heaven unless they are adorned with
the jewels Of righteousness. The
Apostle st. Paul pays the following
beautiful tribute to the Christians OF
Thessalonica. You became followers
of us and of the Lord, receiving the
NOiu IN mum AtAUaAoAioh wiz JNy
of the Holy Ghost, so that you we're
made a pattern to all who believe
In Macedonia and Achaia-and in
every place your faith which is to-
ward God is gone forth
Brethren OF the laity, we Of the
clergy need your help. We learn
from the history Of the primitive
church what valuable aid the early
Christians rendered to the Apostles
in the propagation Of the Gospel.
and II the Apostles with all their
piety, zeal and grace, fresh from the
inspiring presence OF their Master.
could not have accomplished what
they did without the assistance OF
the laity. how can we who have not
the measure OF their gifts, how can
we hope to spread the light OF truth