The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-12-15

redemption at finite historical time,
to stretch forward to the end of and
backward to the beginning of time.
| She declares herself to be the one
religion for all places and all times, not
merely one among many, to be the
Judge of all and to be judged by none.
"And as theism has grave difficult
ties which only Christianity answers,
so Christianity has great difficulties
which are answered only by the
Catholic Church as complete Chris
tianity.
"The Church proves her claim to be
the key to- human progress in many
concrete ways. She is the main sup
port of intellectual civilization by pro-
noting education in every century and
country where it was deficient. AL
most the whole educational system of
Europe is a monument to her zeal.
Her ideals have called forth the great
est triumphs Of literature, art, archi-
lecture and music the world has ever
seen.
"She is the main support of ma
terial civilization by checking greed,
INSCRIPTIONS enrichment, oppression
of the poor and laboring class and
waste of national resources. BY teach
ing the needs and dignity of labor and
giving examples of Industrious reli-
gious orders in every age and coun-
try. BY her teaching on family life,
maintaining the sanctity and invio-
liability of the marriage contract,
obedience of children, denouncing
race-suicide as moral crime, she has
assured to nations an ever renewed
source of strength.
"The Catholic Church is the main
| support of the state by teaching her
people to obey the civil authority be-
cause all power comes from God; by
teaching that unity of faith which is
the real basis of all lasting national
life; by her direct teaching that pa
triotism is moral duty, even to CIV
ing life for the sake of country, and
she refuses Christian burial to the
traitor. The real basis of all national
life is the stock of numerous Chris
tian families it contains.
GAS direct proof of the patriotism of
the American Catholic we need only
to remember that of the first 100000
men in the volunteer army, 40 per
cent are Catholics, while only 16 per
cent of our population is Catholic, a
Catholic over-enlistment of two and
one-haH times. e.
Furthermore, the Church was the
very founder of democracy by uphold
ing the equality of all men before
God. She broke down slavery, found
ed institutions of charity and educa-
ton for the masses, and is today as
she ever has been, the great har-
monizer between rich and poor, CAPT.
tai and labor. She is the poor mans
only hope, his truest friend.
| "The Church has made men tolerant
of the rights of others, has made great
nations respect the rights of the
smaller by her doctrine OF religious
freedom on liberty Of conscience. She
insists that man has free-will and can
not be made to believe. Therein is
contained the foundation upon which
alone world peace can be built.
"For Catholics such considerations
involve positive duties and obliga-
lions. America will continue as a
great world nation only if guided by
sound Christian principles. Therefore
it is the duty of Catholic laymen to
preach an active virile Christianity
publicly, and privately, by the apos-
tleship of good example and especial
ly of charity and brotherly love to-
word our mont Catholic fellow-citizens,
and by prayer. If we were men of
real prayer irreligion and bigotry
could not lift their heads in America.
when we have done our utmost in
these ways to leave in America an &C
tive virile Christian faith we may go
to our graves happy in the conviction
that this great government founded
on the Catholic principles of liberty
of conscience and freedom Of religion,
under the guidance of God, shall not
perish from the earth"
From the Cardiff, Wales, western
MALI: An old lady was being shown
over a country seat in North Wales
which is famous for it's pictures. One
of these was portrait Of NELL Gwyn,
after Sir Peter Lely." The elderly
dame gazed at this picture with
marked interest. $50 that's the hus-
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