The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-06-03
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE
DEFINITION OF a DRunkARD.


subject of prohibition with special
reference to the attitude which a
priest should take on it, writes Father
Landing in the Pittsburgh observer"
1t Is a pity, he continues, that, des-
pite the fact that we all deplore the
evils OF drink, we are yet unable to
agree as to the solution, and thereby
present Woeful lack of unity.
The evils of drink all follow from
its Incorporate use; and there is
deplorable lack Of unanimity as TO
what constitutes its Incorporate use.
another late writer says that
drunkard is one who frequently gets
drunk; doing so once or twice a week
would probably Ct should say positive
ly) constitute a sufficient claim to the
title. On the other hand, / remember
judge somewhere in this country
giving as his decision that a man who
gets drunk once a month is an habit
ual drunkard. So it is not only among
ourselves that a woeful lack of unity
on the subject exists.
But the attitude which we ought to
take on the subject of prohibition, as
on any other subject, is that indicated
by the teaching of the Church. Now,
she has not spoken directly on the
subject of prohibition, but she has ON
that Of intemperance in drink, and on
drunkenness. So if we present a
woeful lack Of unity" as to the solu-
ton of the drink question, it should
not be because I'VE are yet unable to
agree as to the solution" If all those
who deplore the evils of drink were
to follow the admonitions of the
Church, they should not, | think, be
unable to agree as to what is to be
done. Then let them do what they
think others ought to do, and the re-
form will be at once inaugurated in
fact, not in name.
Leo XIII wrote tWenty-nine wears
ago: We esteem worthy of all COM
mendation the noble resolve of YOUR
pious associations" (the G. T. A. u.
OF Az and its affiliated societies) by
which they pledge themselves to abb
stain totally from every kind of in
toXlcatlng drink. Nor can it be
at all doubted that this determination
is the proper and the truly efficacious
remedy for this very great evil; and
that SO much the more strongly will
all be induced to put this bride upon
appetite, by how much the greater are
the dignity and influence of those
who give the example. But the great
est OF all in this matter should be the
zeal OF the priests, who, as they are
called to instruct the people in the
word of life and to mould them to
Christian morality, should also, and
above all. walk before them in the
practice of virtue. Let pastors, there
fore, do their best to drive the plague
of, intemperance from the fold of
Christ, by assiduous preaching and
exhortation, and shine before all as
models of abstinence"
The Fathers of the Third Plenarv
Council of Baltimore had already
called upon pastors never to cease
to cry out boldly against drunkenness
and whatsoever leads to it," and ito
induce all Of their flock that may be
engaged in the sale of liquors to aban-
don as soon as they can the danger
GUS traffic" This should, at least,
almost enable us to agree on the anti
saloon movement as the solution of
the question, if we wanted to-. And
Plus x expressed the hope that bish-
ops, priests and men of religious or
ders, and the rest of the faithful,
would become members of societies
affiliated with the G.. T. A. u. of A.
If the lightest word of one bishop is
Weighty, what should not be the gray
ity of that of the whole hierarchy of
the United States and of two such
pontiffs as Leo XIII and Plus X?
1t is hardly correct, then, to pub
lish to the world that despite the
fact that we all deplore the evils Of
drink, we (Catholics) are yet unable
to agree as to the solution of the
question. Better delete that telltale
unable" unless it is a misprint for
unwilling" for the bishops of the
country gave US clue by which we
should have been enabled to agree on
the solution thirty years ago. /, for
one, will not allow the statement to
go before the world uncontested, that
Catholics are yet unable to agree as
to the solution of the liquor question
that the bishops, whom the HOLY
Ghost has placed to rule the Church
of God, and whom all are told to
hear, and to whom many have made
a solemn promise to obey and rever-
ence, have left us in doubt as to what
we should do in regard to evils so
very grave as drunkenness and what
leads to it.
If we have not yet agreed, and if
there is still woeful lack of unity
among us, it is not because we are or
have been unable to agree, but be-
cause too many have been unwilling
to follow the way pointed out by the
Council that the Supreme Pontiffs.
Where there is will, there is a way:
and where there is way. there
should be the will. With the way
open these thirty years, and the HER
archy's hand pointing it all the while.
is it any wonder there are evils of
drink to deplore. when their direct
ing hand has not been regarded? Let
Easter morn not only see every one
OF us agreed as to what should be
done, but also determined soon to he
Dusily working In union-in the Cath