The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-05-02
GENERAL INTENTION FOR MAY.
Pope Plus Recommends to the Apos-
tIeship of Prayer the Interests of
Employer and Employed.

employer ana EmPIoySu'
The social problem of the relations
between employers and employed ap-
pears to be the one most fraught with
danger to our peaceful living. 1t has
been many times in the past the
source of widespread discord and dis
order, and may in the future prove
danger to the public peace unless
some remedy can be found
To find way out of these social
dangers, to reconcile conflicting in
terests, to lay down a basis for the
just and equitable settlement of diff
ferences between employers and
workers is a call to an apostolate of
the highest service, which every lover
of his faith and of his country should
heed, and to which every Christian
and every patriot may well consecrate
his best endeavors.
The social problem of the relations
between employers and workmen
must be solved on a Christian basis,
or not at all. Employers and work
ers must regard each other as broth
ers in the same great brotherhood OF
Christ. The Church by her teaching
inculcates the only sure method of So
cial regeneration. She would purify
the hearts of men of selfshness,
greed, even of hatred, which stand in
the way of better understanding. She
alone can be the Regeneration of the
social commonwealth in the condi-
And in this country these cond1-
tions are full of dangerous possibili-
ties. Principles subversive of Cathol-
icism, of all Christianity, yes of all
religion, have been instilled among
large classes of the American people
for many years past. The liberty OF
the press and of free speech, which
we, more perhaps than any other peo-
pie in the world enjoy, have been
used with great skill and industry to
scatter abroad among people of every
class the seeds of infidelity and un-
belief.
So widespread has this attitude of
unbelief become that we Catholics are
broadly affected by it. Even among
our best Catholic writer's and speak
ers we sometimes hear of purely
economic questions or purely polit-
ical" or scientific" questions.
In the eyes of the Catholic Church
every social and labor problem, writes
Reverend Peter E. Dietz, is at bottom
and foremost moral and religious
question. This has always been her at
&sA,,Io o-1 n 1u,o mill ho This hoin0
the case, it is not difficult to under
stand why the Church should be i'm
mensely interested in the relations of
the employers and employed. The
Socialists, some labor leaders and
certain academic circles speak of
many questions and problems as be-
ing purely economic; this the
Church is not ready to admit, but
contends that there is contact of
moral and religious duties in prob
lens such as the relations of the en-
ployer and the employed; that labor
itself has a moral character, as we'll
as the heterogeneous and obliga-
tons arising therefrom; strikes, lock-
outs, and the means employed to
able to Christian moral law.
Will this view of the Church finally
prevail to make employers just to
their workmen and workmen faithful
and honest and obedient to their en-
ployers?
The answer to this question rests
largely with our prayers. Many OF
us indeed can and should aid with
our votes the many excellent labor
laws already enacted or proposed. All
of us who can, should aid the social
worker to solve the labor problems
pressing upon the country by the
study of those problems and by the
giving of our time and money in aid
of all worthy projects along this line
But this is not enough. We can anc
should do more than make use OF
these natural means. We shoulc
call down Gods blessing on these oul
efforts, by fervent prayer. All OF US
can not vote and many OF us have
neither talent nor money to give tC
the worthy social worker. But W.
all have something better to give fol
the employing classes and the EN-
ployed. We can draw down the grace
of God upon the legislator, the socla
worker, the employer and the EN-
ployed by our frequent and ferven
prayers; by worthy reception OF tn
Sacramento, and attendance at tn
HOLY Sacrifice of the Mass.
Wise laws, personal study and sac
rifice. all these the unbeliever ma.
use as well as we. And if we Catho
lies. with the whole treasury OF tn
Church at our disposal, with tn
riches of Gods grace ready to b
poured out in response to our prayer
If we do nothing more for the solu
ton of the labor problems than doe