The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-07-08
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE
THE CHURCH AND THE DRINK
EVIL.


A writer in the American Ecclesias-
tical Review says that despite the fact
that we all deplore the evils of drink,
we are unable to agree as to the solu-
ton of the problem, and thereby pre-
sent a woeful lack of unity, writes
Father Landing in the Catholic Tenn
| perance Advocate. Should he not
rather have said unwilling" to agree?
|, The Church more than thirty years
| ago said drunkenness and whatsoever
leads to it were to be fought unceas-
ingly. Everyone knows that the
saloon leads to drunkenness: hence
the saloon was to be fought. and
| should have been fought. At the
word of the Church, we could have
agreed thirty years ago, and should
have, had we been willing Is not
this very true? And all those who
were engaged in the sale of liquor
were to be induced to abandon, as
soon as possible, the dangerous traffic.
Here was one method of solving the
problem in which all of us could have
agreed.
The Catholic Total Abstinence Union
OF America was blessed and its pledge
1ndulgenced by the Church. Societies
affiliated with it were commended to
the fatherly care of the clergy, who
were to strive to increase their men,
bership, and shine before all as models
OF abstinence, and were urged to be-
come members of the Union them
selves. The Union is the Church's
organization to solve the liquor prob
lem.
Then, SO far from being able to
agree on the solution, there were at
least several points on which we could
have agreed, and can yet agree: Ca)
By becoming total abstainers, even
shining models of the virtue; (b) by
establishing societies affiliated with
the Union, and keeping and increas-
ing their membership; Co in becom-
ing members of such societies, as the
Pope hoped we would, and by direct
ing their activities; (d) by inducing
those engaged in selling drink to get
out OF the dangerous business; (e) by
keeping up an incessant warfare
against the saloon-Whatsoeve leads
to lntemperance. On these five ways
at least, we could have agreed and
united thirty years ago under the
blessing of the Church If we had
done SO, it might not have destroyed
all the evils of drink, but there would
not be so many of them left for us
all to deplore; and there would not
nave been and would not be so woeful
lack OF unity among us, but an
edifying and irresistible union.
1t would be union in obedience to
the Church. The obedient speak of
victory. Is not all this also very
true? But instead of doing what we
were not and are unable but only
unwilling" to do, we have not only
to deplore the evils of drink, but it's
greatly increased evils.
If this agreement had been made,
the passive resistance of such a union
would have broken the power of drink,
and the active resistance have des-
troyed many of it's evils. whatsoever
shall fall on this stone, shall be
broken; but on whomsoever it shall
fall, it shall grind him to powder"
There is so widespread an uprising
against whatsoever leads to drunken
ness, that the one who takes part in
1T is not singular, but the one who
holds aloof from it, Catholics have
now great opportunity especially
the clergy, of doing good and clos
ing the mouths of their enemies, by
complying with the wish of the Church
in this matter; by becoming members
of the G. T. A. U. of A, and of the
Priests League. We Catholics are
each of us individually in his place,
and all of us collectively, our brothers
keeper, for whom Christ died. We
may sincerely believe that we need
not for ourselves take part in the cam
paign, practice total abstinence nor
become members of the Union or
League, but let him who thinketh
himself to stand, take heed lest he
fall. The cedars of Libanus are
swept away while the hyssop is found
in it's place after the storm. The
question to ask is not: What good
will membership in the Union or
League do me? But: What good will
not my membership do my weaker
brother, for whom Christ died, and
for His Church, which He established
for the salvation of the world? CAS-
long as you did it to one of these,
My least brethren, you did it unto
Me; as long as you did it not to one
of these least, neither did you do it
unto Me-"
The more attractive the Church can
be made to those outside, the more
she can do for the salvation of souls.
Nothing would make her more attrac.
tive to men of good will, nothing
would tend so much to dissipate their
ingrained and often innocent pref
udice, than if we all shone in their
eyes as models of abstinence i'm the
ranks of our total abstinence organ
izations