The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-05-16

sue," when the everlasting re-begin-
ner," the historic Christian church, set
to work amidst the ruins, and brought
order out Of chaos, and all that is
Papacy, the Bishops and the Monastic
Orders. In the actual labor of the diff
fusion of the gospel, in the civiliza-
ton of the converted nations, in the
development of their agriculture, edu-
cation and art, the third of these
agencies have the hardest and the
most spacious part. The civilization
of Europe was distinctly monastic,
however thoughtlessly later age may
have laughed at the Monk. The mon
asteries were the centres around
which the population grew, and often
the benignant masters. They were,
as they have been called, the cradles
and the organs of civilization.
The clever Taine, no great friend of
the Monks or their religion, does them
justice, however, as he follows them
through the countries depopulated by
the Roman fiscal system, by the Ger
manic barbarians, and by the inroads
of brigands. He sees the Benedictine
constructing his hut of branches in the
wide spaces from which cultivation
had vanished. with his companions,
he clears and builds. He domesticates
the animals, and erects his mill and
workshops. By his conscientious and
intelligent labor, he surpasses the lay
man. By his temperate and economic
community, he consumes less than
the layman, and succeeds where the
latter fails. He gathers the miserable,
employs them, and has them married.
The beggar, the wanderer; the peas
ant flock to his sanctuary. BY degrees
a village is formed, then town. The
laborer, sure of his harvest, becomes
the father Of family. Industry and
agriculture increase; and new centres
Of population are formed" And so, for,
centuries civilization grew. Thus, for
instance, in the thirteenth century, the
monastery Of Cluny had formed
around itself twenty parishes, seven
priories and thirty-one fiefs. Paris
had it's monastic engineers, the relig-
ious of st. Lawrence and ST.. Martin,
who united and brought to the city
the streams of Saint Gervais and of
Belleville. The Cistercians irrigated
Lombardy. The monks of Cluny and
Fulda spread the culture Of the
vine. Those of Clairvaux drained the
swamps, taught the use of manures
and the care Of cattle, introduced for
eign breeds and useful plants. Wal
nuts were favorite culture Of the
monks of Mozac in Arwerque. The
cheese of Parmesan and the salmon
fisheries Of Ireland bear witness to
the industry, intelligence and zeal of
the monks.
The enterprises Of the Monastic Or
ders, which did wrong to no one and
never grew on ruins made by them,
never failed, and rapidly became a
source of national wealth. Each in
dividual monk owned nothing; he had
his book, his bread, and his allotted
labor, with, we must add, the respect
and obedience Of the people around
him. OF all landlords the world ever
knew, they were nearest to the ideal;
and the agitation and want of the La
borer of a later day were never
known.
Before the great monastic establish
ments created the habit of proprietor
ship, this was little known in Europe
and respected less. The workers
taught Europe that legitimate and as
sured possession was the best stimu-
lus Of labor. They taught in practice
as well as in theory that the posses
sion of land supposed it's cultivation;
that proprietorship did not mean just
idleness and pleasure, but the ancient
law of Holy Writ, the law Of labor and
beneficence. In fact it was when this
law was ASSOCIATED from the lives of
the monks, that their historic estab-
lishments declined. Commendatory
abbots were imposed upon them by
kings, mobiles, and sometimes by cour-
tesans-laymen who usurped, or were
allowed to usurp, the monastic reve-
nues. This destroyed the observance
of rule, the vigor of religious life, and
in great part the social action of the
Monastic Orders.