The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-09-11
CATHOLIC RENAISSANCE IN FRANCE

what they really were, brave or
cowardly, noble or base, unselfish or
egotistical. And / could appreciate
the religious awakening so much
noticed today, and so much talked
about
Whether we halted whether we
rested, the night after battle or
after march, the mind was never
at rest. The vision of the wounded
was ever before our eyes, the groans
of the dying sounded in our ears, the
thought of self, of wife, of children
haunted us. Will my turn come next?
All, then is the moment of self-ex-
| animation, then man., separated
from the world of things by this rup-
ture of equilibrium called war, travels
back to his childhood. The influence
of early education asserts itself. And
SO it is that normally, logically, /
may say, is brought about the return
to religious ideas.
Men without ideals, who have
abandoned all Christian practices, in
the midst of such a catastrophe feel
their littleness. No longer enslaved
and driven by economic forces, crav-
ing an ideal to support them in these
terrible times, they turn to religion.
....... This neo-religious movement
looked serious to me at first. 1t has
been exploited, protected, promoted
by the chaplains and some of the
majors, and frankly / believe that
some of it will persist when the war
is over"
This is an enemy's confession. He
speaks as an enemy, he seeks to ex-
plain; nevertheless, he recognizes and
confirms the reality and durability
of the Catholic renaissance.
The English, fighting side by side
with the French troops in France, are
struck with the religious feeling they
have witnessed, and feel it's effects.
A Protestant officer in the British
army short time ago was express
ing his admiration, and added: "My
orderly who is Wesleyan, says he
is going to study that religion, for it
looks to him like the true one."
In fact there is quite movement
towards Catholicism among the,
officers and men of the British
Expeditionary Force The example of
the French army, and the faith of
the people about them, have attracted
them. Like the Wesleyan orderly,
many of then are inquiring into the
Catholic religion and go to church.
Impetus Towards Prayer.
The soldiers have evidently learned
the lesson of the war; now the
soldiers in France today number
thousands of men, in fact, with the
exception of invalids, all the men
between nineteen and forty-eight are
soldiers. But it does not end there.
The soldiers are not the only ones
who have learned the lesson. The
stentorian voice of events has re-
sounded throughout the land and in
every soul. When the first cannon
was fired, and indeed before that, as
cannon's thunder, there was an i'm
mense impetus towards prayer. The
churches were filled, the number of
confessions and Communions in
creased greatly everywhere. Many
persons-some of them personally
known to me-who had abandoned
the practice of religion, returned to
the Sacraments.
Not a single parish, even in the
tiniest village, but offers Mass at
least once a week for France and the
army; many parishes offer two
Masses, and everywhere, besides the
Masses, there are prayers, the beads
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
every day, or at least several times a
week, sometimes even twice a day
and always for the same intention
These Masses and prayers are vel
attended, and during all the long
months of the war the first fervol
has not abated. The thought OF
fathers, husbands. sons. brothers ex
posed to such great and continuous
danger brings souls back to God, anC
draws them closer to Him. The
truly religious tone of the letters
from the dear absent ones finds al
echo in every heart.
i The intellectual circles whenc,
emanated the evil of irreligion, ar,
not what they were twenty years ago
: A marked change was noticeable ever
before the war. The younger artisti
, and literary set of the twentieth Ger
) tury are rather more Catholic il
! their tendencies and sentiments an
5 even in their practice. To mentio
only those who have been killed b
the enemy, Piguy, Lotti, Laurentit
. Remains grandson, and good man
! Others, were all Catholics. When De
lpech, the son of the former grand
master of the Freemasons, was pickle
lup dead on the battlefield, a religion
e medal was found on his person. !. !.
i We cannot value matters of col
f science as we would commercis
a transactions; exact statistics of
' religious revival, which we cannt
: fully analyze. would be impossible
d lit is far too soon! We can, howeve
g give few figures From August |
i December, 1913. there were sixty-nir
g thousand eight hundred Communion
in the parish church of Notre Dan
l. at Versailles; during the same peric
I'll in 1914 there were eighty-seve
i: thousand, gain of eighteen thousar
If over the preceding year.
s. IContinued on page S.