The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-04-29
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE
THE PRIEST AND TEMPERANCE.

There is room for difference OF
opinion as to the relative merits OF
license, local option, anti-saloon and
prohibition legislation as a means of
checking or REFRESHING the evils Of
drink, writes Rev. M. A. Landing in
the Catholic Temperance Advocate"
from principle or policy, honest men,
scientists and Christians may have
sufficient reasons for refusing to en-
courage any or all of these measures.
But no such person can have a stff-
Gent reason for opposing or for not
supporting the total abstinence move
ment recommended by the Catholic
Church and fostered by her hierarchy.
1t benefits the Church, the state and
the individual in every way and in no
way Injuries anyone. No evidence
other than that which meets one who
opens his eyes and looks about him
is needed to convince the unbiased
mind that drink is the worst enemy
the Church has in this country, not
In itself; perhaps, but in opening the
way to almost every other enemy and
inviting it's assault. And whatever as
sails the Church Injuries the individual
and the state; whatever fosters vice
increases crime. The state, can pros
per, no more than the individual,
without the safeguard of religion.
The priest is the salt of the earth,
to preserve from corruption those
| whom Christ has redeemed and added
to His Church to be saved. There
is no better security for the preServa-
ton of the Church and state after
Gods immediate care than All organ
lied, abstinent priesthood.
One of the hardest labors of the
pastor is providing for the financial
needs of the parish. All manner of
Legitimate, and sometimes dubious
schemes have to be employed to raise
the money needed. The drink bill of
the United States averages $500 for
every man, woman and child in the
country; Catholics spend their full
share of this. There are, in round
numbers, $4,000 churches in the United
States with an average congregation
| of LOO members whose quota of the
drink bill is $1G,5OO,OOO, about four
times as much as is required to sup
port the parish. 1t is evident that
this sum-the money spent for drink
is worse than wasted. The sin,
| crime, poverty and suffering caused
by drink furnish one-half of tho
priests trouble and labor.
The priest must preach temperance
nd lDl, In.
temperance. Nothing would be a
greater help to him in this work than
membership in the Priests Total Alb
stinence League. 1t would give the
utmost force and efficiency to his
labor, whether in the confessional, in
the pulpit or in the homes Of his
people; much more than il he were
simply all abstaincr.
There has never been time when
the minds of SO many men and women
have consciously or unconsciouSly
turned in the direction of the Catholic
Church. And there is perhaps moth
ing more frequently alleged against
the Church in this country than the
number of Catholics given to drink
and engaged in the dangerous" liquor
business. No one thing would meet
this objection so we'll and tend to re-
move whatever justification there is
for it than for it to be generally
known that a large and evcr-incrcas-
ing number of the Catholic clergy are
members of the Priests Total Absti-
nence League. 1t is not enough that
they are temperate or known to be
abstainers; it is necessary that they
be organized.