The Irish standard., 1917-08-25
Catholic National
War Council

War Council
Continued from Page ~ ..
frequented by the soldiers. Every ef-
fort will be made to bring it about
that the military uniform will be worn
by clean men.
To effect these several purposes a
committee was appointed, which met
Immediately after the convention and
elected as chairman John G. Agar.
This committee was appointed by Rev.
John J. Burke, c. s. p, Chairman Of
the Congress, and consists of the fol-
lowing:
Right Rev. Monsignor Francis G..
Kelley, of Chicago; Right Rev. Mon
signor Henry T. Drumgoole, of Phila-
delphia; John G. Agar, of New York;
Henry V. Cunningham, of Boston;
Robert j. Biggs, of Baltimore; Hon.
Luke E. Hart, of St. Louis, and Hon.
Charles P. Neill, of Washington, D. c..
The opening address of Father
Burke was comprehensive outline of
the plans and purposes before the
Congress. We quote below some of
the salient paragraphs of the address
which is masterpiece of cogent rea-
soning and presentation of the theme:
1--WE have met here as American
Catholics. Our country is engaged in
great war, in which the very princi-
pies Of that democracy upon which she
is founded are questioned and endan-
gered. The entry of our country into
the war has presented a challenge to
the Catholic Church of America more
serious than she has ever known in
her history. If we fail to meet it the
progress of the Church will be fatally
affected for the next quarter of CEN
fury. II we meet it to the full the
most glorious pages of her history in
this land are about to be written.
I'm the largest and most vitality i'm.
portant sense that challenge voices it.
self as follows: We have constantly
and rightly maintained that the basis
Of a nations life is spiritual, that our
Catholic faith, because it is the teach
ing Of God and of His beloved Son,
Jesus Christ, is the only key that
opens to mans vision the right prin-
ciples of that national life and to his
heart the inspiration that yields fidel-
ity, hope and loyalty. OF Catholi-
cism patriots are born. Catholicism
has longs since solved the problem of
and individual liberty,
showing against license that liberty
is impossible without law and against
tyranny that authority is impossible
without freedom"
Care Of Soldiers and Sailors.
'The second challenge, and really q
part of the first, which the entry of
America into the war has presented
to the Catholic body, is the spiritual
care of our Catholic soldiers and sail
ors. To realize what this challenge
means, we must be able to view the
problem as whole. In what is
known as the regular army there are,
l think it is safe to say, over 100000
Catholics. Catholic chaplains, it is
true, have been appointed for the care
of these troops. 1t is equally certain
that the number of chaplains has not
been sufficient, that oftentimes thou
sands of these men are left without
any immediate spiritual ministration.
Even this one phase of the problem
might we'll excite the interest, the zeal
and the attention of the Catholics of
the United States. In the volunteer
army that has been recruited for the
past five months, in the officers
camps, in the State militia, thousands
more of our Catholic men have been
under military training, some for
weeks, some for months. In the great
selective army which is now being
raised by the national draft, thou
sands more of our young men will be
called to the service of their country.
How many thousands it is not posi-
BILE to state definitely-but l think we
may say without fear of contradiction
that 100000 of our young Catholic
men will by the>fall have entered into
the service Of either the army or
navy. To anyone who has considered
the problem thoughtfully, who has
called upon his knowledge of military
life, the problem must be staggering.
At least 100000 Catholics will go out
from their homes into entirely novel
surroundings. They will be deprived
of those home and social influences
that are in some ways the most pc.
tent bulwarks of morality. They will
inevitably mix with comrades who
profess different faith, and in many
cases no faith at all. They will be de.
prived of the immediate pastoral care
of the parish priest and of the imme-
date ministration of parochial life.
They will be thrown into an atmos-
phere where high standards of moral
ity are very rare, where license and
moral lawlessness are often looked
upon as their particular privilege. Be.
cause this vast army of Catholics, in
many ways the flower of our man.
hood, will be placed in this environ.
ment at the years when their charac-
for ia hoinp moulded chould ,,,ovo