The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-02-01


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SOCIAL UNREST AND ITS CURE.
Christ committed to her. View her
record in the past. The workmen OF
today should heed the counsels OF
the Church She gave the laboring
man liberty when he was slave, she
nursed him gently and consolingly
to freedom when he was serf and she
made him contented and happy, by
the spirit of piety and charity, when
he was a craftsman.
Equality and Inequality of Men.
The Church holds that men are
created equal, possess the same ma
ture, the same creator, God; and are
brothers in Christ. Each, by serving
God, may equally obtain his eternal
salvation, but inequality in other re-
spects prevails everywhere. Unequal.
ity is evidently necessary in society
No two men are really equal in mental
and physical ability. Difference OF
wealth has existed in every age
Christ solemnly declared that the poor
you will always have with you. Pain
sorrow and hardships will ever follow
man from the cradle to the grave, but
should be used as means to attain
heaven. Riches, the Church holds
should be employed to procure eternal
life.
The Rights of Property.
The rights of property are based on
the immutable and eternal laws OF
God whose command is: "Thou shalt
not steal" Justice and right are above
the will of man. Man has a natural
right to acquire and retain property
which is one of the ordinary means
of sustaining life, which socialism
would destroy. The practice of all
ages has consecrated the principle OF
private ownership. The same prin'
ciple is confirmed and enforced by civil
laws. The divine law even forbids
to covet that which is anothers
What organization could, reasonably
and justly, claim the right to dispose
of another's goods? A Catholic, there
fore, is bound in conscience to aban'
don the socialistic party, for it is NOR
ally wrong to sanction stealing, the
destroying of legitimate authority, the
disruption of the family and the loosen
ing of the matrimonial bond. AS
guardian of faith and morals, the
Church must combat socialism, which
tends to rob man of his belief in God
to confiscate property without due
compensation and to deny the author
ity of the Church. No honest man
indeed, can conscientiously join sc
odious an organization. The Church
inculcates a sense of duty to the mil
lions of poor by continuing Christ's
work of counseling peace, self-denia
and forbearance. To remove socia
discomfort, she cures the heart anC
intellect of humanity, softening the
one and dissipating the errors of the
other and thus lettering the condition
of the toiling masses by bringing {
spirit of content among them, and {
sense of justice among the masters
Men should recognize God, the Church
insists, as just judge, able and read!
to sanctify and reward honest labor
to vindicate the claims of justice ant
to punish crime. Peace, in the mids
of poverty and troubles, would be thu
outcome of such salutary thoughts
Men would, therefore, condemn all re
sistance to lawful authority, as con
trary to justice and offensive to God
Revolutionary means will never b.
sanctioned by loyal and practica
Catholics, who regard the life here
below as short avenue leading III
to a glorious eternity.
The Honor of Poverty.
The multitude should understand
that poverty is not dishonorable
Christ loved poverty, having selected
it for his portion. Born in poverty
living in poverty, teaching by the way
side, the seaside and on the mountain
top, not even having place, WHEREOF
to lay his head, our Lord and Saviour
died in poverty. Humanity needed {
God of poverty. Mankind abused the
value of riches in the pursuit of mani
fold pleasure, forgetting that the true
character of man must be measured
not by wealth, power, influence, o.
position; but by his moral fortitude tt
combat the evils of life. Povert!
elevates mans character and prepares
him for great achievements. Povert.
is no obstacle to everlasting life, bein!
far more helpful than wealth. Two,
to you rich," says the Eternal Truth
that is, they that trust in riches
'Amen, say to you,'' says Christ
''that a rich man shall hardly ente
into the kingdom of heaven" Tn
Catholic Church is in closer union wit
the poor than any other organization
The Catholic Church was founded, in
deed, for all mankind, but the lowl
and poor of Christ she presses to he
bosom as a delighted mother. TIL
Church builds spacious temples, with
in whose sacred walls the people
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