The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-11-11
CHARITY AND DISCIPLINE

POPE BENEDICT CouNsELs BOTH
VIRTUES IN LETTER TO cARDI-
NAL BEGIN--HlS HOLINESS Elk.
PLAINS METHOD TO BE PUR-
SUED IN SETTLING QUESTION
OF DIFFERENT LANGUAGES IN
CANADA.
In the letter which Pope Benedict
XIV addressed to the Church in Can
ada with regard to the use of the
French and the English languages, His
Holiness insists strictly on the spirit
of discipline and submission which
should actuate all. He says in part:
II by reason of family or of race
there is a disagreement amongst the
faithful and the vessels of the flesh
are Strengthened" then in accordance
with the exhortation of st. Angus
tine, s'the bounds of charity should
be enlarged" When all cannot be
amicably settled, nor solely by the
law of charity, there are judges in
the Church, placed there by the Holy
Ghost, to whose decisions the faithful
must submit if they want to belong
to Christ and not to be considered las
heathens and publicans." Hence, in
the contentious that divide Canadian
Catholics regarding the rights and
usage of the two languages in their
churches and in their Catholic schools,
judgment rests with the Bishops, and
especially with the Bishops of the do
ceses where discussions are particu-
larly acute.
We, therefore, exhort them to meet
together, to carefully weigh and
consider a matter of such Importance,
and, with a sole view to the cause of
Christ and to the salvation of souls,
let them lay down and decide that
which they hold to be just and ex-
pedient. If for any reason the ques-
ton connot be settled and finished
by their ruling, let them bring it be-
fore the Holy See, where the issue
will be finally decided in accordance
with the laws Of justice and charity,
in order that the faithful may in flu
ture preserve peace and mutual good
will, as is beftting to the saints.
Papers Must Remain Calm.
Meanwhile it is necessary that the
daily and weekly papers which claim
the honour of being called Catholic,
should not fan the flames of diScord
amongst the faithful, nor forestall
the Judgment of the Church; and if
those who write in them remain pa
tiently and reservedly silent, or even
further strive to calm excited feel
ings, they will surely accomplish a
task well worthy of their profession.
The faithful, too, should avoid discuss
ing this matter in public gatherings,
in public speeches or in Catholic meet
ings properly so-called, for it is all
but impossible that speakers should
not be carried away by party spirit or
abstain from adding fuel to the fire
already ablaze.
Now these injunctions which We
give in Our fatherly affection to all,
are laid down in the first place for
the clergy. AS priests should be 1.-THE
pattern of the flock from the heart"
| it is indeed quite unseemly that they
should allow themselves to be
wrought up by this storm of rivalry
and enmity. We therefore lovingly
urge them to set an example to others
of moderation and gentleness, of rev.
erence towards the Bishops, of obedi-
ence finally, especially in matters OF
| justice and Of ecclesiastical discipline,
and regarding which it is the Church's
own right to decide. No doubt 1t
would be greatly conducive to the
spiritual welfare and concord of Cath
olics of both tongues, if all their
priests were to know both languages
we'll Hence, We have heard with
notable pleasure that the teaching OF
French and English to clerics has been
| introduced in some seminaries, and
We would suggest this as an example
to others. In the meanwhile We urge
all priests engaged in the sacred min
istry to become thoroughly CONVEX
SAINT in the knowledge and use OF the
two languages, and, discarding al
motives of rivalry, to adopt one OF
other according to the requirements
of the faithful.
But as the bitterest controversy is
that concerning Catholic schools in
Ontario, it seems fitting that We
should mention some special points
in that connection
i Nobody can deny that the civil
Government of Ontario has the right
to exact that children should learn
English in the schools; and likewise
that the Catholics of Ontario legiti
mately require that it should be per
fectly taught, in order that their sons
should be placed on the same leve
in this respect with non-Catholie
children who frequent the neutra.
schools, and that they should not DC
eventually less fitted for the higher
schools or be disqualified for ciyi
employments. Nor on the other hanC
is there any reason to contest the
right of French-C Canadians, living il
the Province, to claim, in a suitable
way, however, that French should BIZ
taught in schools attended by Ger
tain number of their children; MOI
are they indeed to be blamed for up
holding what is SO dear to them.
Il Nevertheless, let the Catholics o
the Dominion remember that the
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