The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-11-21
SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
PREACHED BY BISHOP CARROLL
OF HELENA IN THE PRO-CATHE-
ORAL OF ST. MARY, MINNIE
APoLls, SUNDAY EVENING, NO.
VEMsER 15.

APoLIs, SUNDAY EVENING, NO
VEMBER is.
Many speakers and writers-some
of them prominent representatives OF
Christian denominations-have of late
been saying that Christianity is a fail
ure. In proof of their statement they
point to the decay Of faith in the
supernatural" or to the growth OF
divorce" and the consequent disinte.
grafton Of family life, or to the "slav-
cry OF the wage Garner and the
tyranny Of capital" or to the social
ism and anarchy Of organized labor
or to the outbreak of the greatest war
in the annals OF the world"
1t would be impossible during the
time allotted to lecture critically to
examine each Of these charges. Suffice
it to say that those who make them
confine their view to what happens
here and there, in this or that period
OF Christianity; whereas it is only
upon the broad field of the nations
and the centuries that the action Of
Christianity can be seen in its proper
perspective. They fail to appreciate
the good things Christianity has given
us and the wondrous change it has eff
fected in the life of the world.
What was the condition of things at
the birth Of Christ? Rome was the mis-
tress of the world. Her laws were be-
nign. She had no standing army.
Universal peace prevailed. She culti-
waited the arts and sciences. Her in
tellectual and material civilization was
the greatest the world had ever seen,
or, perhaps, ever will see. Cicero,
though himself not q philosopher, had
summed up in his writings all that the
sages who had preceded him had con-
ceived of man, society, government
and God. Virgil's sublime epic is the
model and despair of all succeeding
poets. julius Caesar was the greatest
general, the greatest law-giver, the
greatest statesman the world has ever
produced. The coliseum was the con-
crete expression of Romes material
splendor, the symbol of her eternity.
-...-.-.-, Pagan Civilization. .. ......
Great as was her intellectual and
material civilization, Rome was moral
" rotten to the core. This was due
firsl Of all to slavery, which made the
rich master a cruel tyrant, and the
poor freeman an idler, dependent
wholly on the liberality of the state
for the subsistence he was not per-
mitted to earn by the labor of his
hands. The mere thought of the gross
immortality that prevailed among the
slaves, and between the slaves and
freemen, is sickening Adultery was
not considered crime and marriage
had almost fallen into desuetude.
Under pagan civilization the state
was everything, and man nothing-eX-
cept in so far as he contributed to the
welfare of the state. Hence, delicate
and deformed children were not per-
mitted to live, and when the popula-
tiCn exceeded a certain limit abortion
was recommended. The law positively
enioined infanticide, and the philoso-
Dhers taught and defended as right
and a duty the prevention of a numer-
ous offspring.
Innocent children were not the only
victims of pagan disregard for human
life. Slaves, culprits, barbarians from
the provinces, were forced to fight to
the death in the amphitheater to make
Roman holiday.
IL such was Rome's conduct, what
must have been her belief? There was
10 religious doctrine, and religious
rites were attended with the most flag
rant violations of moral purity. The
philosophers, having no common
standard of authority, built UP huge
mass of conflicting opinions whicf
tended to the utter destruction of al
gertrude concerning the momentous
questions of human origin and destiny
The existence and personality of God
the nature and immortality of the soul
the freedom of the will, future rewards
and punishments, were all involved in
cbscurity.
The Christian Magma Charta.
Things were thus when st. Peter ap
peared in the Capital of Paganism. H
read to the Romans the Magma Charti
that was to deliver them from tn
thralldom of their passions: Il believ
in Jesus Christ, the only Son of Goo
Who was born of the Virgin Mary, sui
fered and died for us men and for on
salvation"
A century after Peters death Chri:
tianity had entered "the royal palace
the senate and the forum" Two hun
dred years later it ruled the worl
from the throne Of the Caesars.
converted the barbarians and permal
emily established European ciyiliz;
tion. 1t defended the Holy Sepulche
and checked Mohammedanism. 1t Ell
Hghtened the world with its geniu
and brought back among men the vi
tues of primaeval paradise.
What does it stand for today? Il
tegrity of faith, purity of worship, r.
spect for women, the rights of tn
child. the indissolubility of marriag
the abolition of slavery, the dignity
labor, the honorableness of povert
the obligations of wealth, the ignomlr