The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-01-17
THE END JUSTIFIES
THE NJ Fan 6"

THE N Fan s"
AN ACCOUNTABLE MAXIM WHICH
HAS BEEN OFTEN REFUTED-
NOT ACCEPTED BY RELIABLE
PROTESTANT WRITERs-AN AT
TEMPT TO Willy THE
JESUITs.
Catholics and Protestants are
brought into close contact socially,
commercially, politically, writes Rev.
M. Stritch, S. j., in ''The Christian
Year" They know each other better
and appreciate each others good
qualities more than in times past. For
this we heartily rejoice and hope there
will be long EZRA of good feeling"
between them.
Sometimes, however, there is on
one side or the other little ebullition
of the old bitterness. To do away
with this undesirable bit of atavism
we must remove the causes of it. And
one of the first things which I should
like to remove as far as possible is
the impression, wherever it may eX-
list, that Catholic moralists have ever
taught or acted upon the abominable
maxim that the end justifes the
means-a maxim that would hold it
lawful and even praiseworthy for
Catholics to commit all the shocking
crimes in the calendar, provided they
commit them for some good purpose.
said Catholic moralists for the
charge has been leveled with special
emphasis at the Jesuits. But this
comes to the same thing, for Jesuits
teach no peculiar system of morals
different from that of the Catholic
Church, nor could the Church allow
them to do so for moment.
A Bishops Offer.
Of course, I do not say that en-
lightened and friendly Protestant fell
low citizens attribute such teachings
to us. But still the old charge breaks
out from time to time, and that from
quarters whence it might be least ex-
pected, for instance in some widely
circulated daily paper; in some inf1u-
entail magazine; or on some univer-
sity rostrum. 1t is emphatically as
serted as a thing Of course, thing
that can not be successfully denied.
And as it seems to emanate from high
authority, a great number of even
kindly disposed readers believe there
must be something to it. Now there
is absolutely no truth in it. | can not
go into lengthy augmentation here to
show this. One or two instances will
suffice. A few years ago professor
in the University of Syracuse wrote
as a theme for his students: Refute
the Jesuit maxim that "the end justi-
fies the means" A Catholic student
brought the matter to Rt. Rev. Bishop
Ludden, of Syracuse. The Bishop in
a courteous manner called the atten-
ton Of the university authorities to
the fact that this is not and never has
been and never could be a Jesuit
maxim. And he ended by taking it
for granted that the university would
carefully correct the error as publicly
as it had been made. Prof. Codding-
ton was not in amiable mood. He
wrote long and angry reply and gave
it to the public, refurbishing and hurl-
ing at the head of the Society of
Jesus all the WORKOUT calumnies of
centuries. The Bishop then offered to
pay the expenses during his years at
the university of any student who
could prove that the Jesuits ever
taught such a principle and he gave
permission to the whole faculty of the
university to aid the student. The
expenses have not been claimed. But
this was not the end. Professor Cod
dington wrote in haste and bad tenn
per. His essay fairly bristled with
bad plumbers in logic, history and
ethics. Other Catholic scholars came
forward, convicted the professor of
gross ignorance even of the Latin Ian
guage and ended by thrusting under
) the eyes of the professor dozen or
more first class, scholarly, critical
Protestant writer's who denied and re-
futed the charge that the Jesuits ever
held such doctrine. My second in
stance is more recent still. Count
Hoensbroecht in Germany renewed
the calumny. Immediately he was of.
fered large sum of money if he would
substantiate his charge before bench
of judges in any civil court. The of
! fer was accepted. Every shred of evi.
dence to support the charge was thor
I oughly examined; and by bench OF
Protestant judges the case was
thrown out as ridiculously unfounded
True in Certain Cases.
But there may be some curiosity as
to what is the nature of those pas
sages in the moral teachings Of Jesuits
that seem to give color to the charge
{ and impart to it is apparently peren
: NAL vitality. To understand this il
must be remembered that the end OF
motive or purpose in view has much
to do with determining the moral
character of the means used to at
E tain it. For instance, all acts, nc
matter how highly moral they might
be in themselves, become immoral
: and wicked if used for an evil pur
| pose. Again, some acts, like walking
reading, playing, may be Indifferent
7 neither moral or immoral in them
| So1voc IF those same acts are direct