The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1918-04-13
Canadian Writer Prognosticates Re-
markable Resolution in United
States Congress.
Catholic Church Acknowledged as
Teacher Of True Religion and the
Pope as lnfalIible Guide In
Faith and Morals.
REPUDIATEp AND
THE SAINTS APPRECIATED.
An Interesting, IT Optimistic, Look
Into Future Religious De-
velopments.
Forecast Of Religious Changes In the
Next Generation.

L
appropriate one, because this day ush-
ers in new and glorious era for the
Church of God on this continent" as
the debate finished?" asked Brother
Luke, eagerly. eyes, and more than
| finished" said Simon. Gas you know
the debate has lasted several DAYS.
During that time you have heard
some of the pleas for, or should say
eloquent panegyrics of the Church.
OF course, we had no doubt as to the
final outcome of the debate. We were
as sure of that as we would be of
| Trent; but we can thank God that we
have lived to see the day. Our Presi-
dent, in the presence of nearly all the
members of Congress, as we'll as the
ambassadors from the Holy See, Can
ada, Mexico, South America and Euro
pean Countries concluded the debate
with remarkable address,. His words
sunk into my very SOUL" What did
he say?" asked Luke. II will repeat it
to the best of my ability. The news.
papers Of the two hemispheres will
have the address verbatim in this eve
! ning's editions. Here are his words:
"Mr. Speaker, honorable gentlemen:
1t is to me the happiest day of my life,
when I arise to address this noble
assembly on matter that transcends
UNNECESSARILY any subject hitherto
dealt with by Congress. You gentle
men, have listened to and participated
in the lengthy debate on this supreme
ly important question, and now all
that remains is to give your verdict.
This, gentlemen, is a mere matter of
form. We know your minds already.
The world knows what you think.
With the exception of very insignif-
cant group, you are of one mind and
your hearts beat in unison, and /
might say rapture, at the mere men
ton of the subject of our debate How
vastly has this nation and in fact the
western world changed during the last
few decades, in it's attitude towards
the one true. Church of God-the Cath
Ole Church. We remember when we
were boys at the time of the great war
how bitterly men assailed the Church
and it's venerable head. Many of our
fathers like Saul, little knowing what
they were doing, concurred in the at
tacks on the Church and the Sovereign
Pontiff. But the prolonged chastise-
ment of the war opened their eyes.
Besides that the spirit of self-sacrifice
shown by Catholics in all countries
during the war, and which was the
natural outcome of the teachings of
the faith, broke down the first bar
riers of prejudice. The traducers
were silent. Concurrently with this
the various sects which were the Off
shoots of the sect started by that in
famous Apostate Luther, were tried in
the balance and found wanting. Then
too the lesson of the war had WISH
BILE effect on the lives of the Catholic
clergy generally, of those days and
after. Trained already as they were
to sacrifice and self-denial the neces-
sity of greater sacrifices for religion
struck them with force. It dawned
upon them that not only must they
spend their lives conserving the foclzs
already under their pastoral care but
that they should go out and preach
the Gospel of Christ in the highways
and byways, to the vast multitudes-
the millions without who craved for
religion, who hungered for the truth
and did not know where to find it.
What remarkable change came over
the people when the lawful ambassa
doris of Christ carried the gospel to
them. The people marvelled, yes in
this twentieth century, marvelled
when they heard the Gospel preached
by men speaking as one. having au-
thority" and exemplifying the gospel
in their own lives of poverty and self
denial.
For a while in the beginning oppo-
sition was strong. The dying sects
in their last struggle attacked vic
iously the Church. The international
Masonic body, in their blindness, en-
couraged secretly and sometimes
openly the assault. But let me say
that if in Luther's day the want of
zeal on the part of some of the clergy,
and even their apathy helped the
Arch hereto in the work of destruc-
ton, in our time the extraordinary de-
votion to duty of the clergy has won
the people. What say, is proved by
the fact that eighty per cent of the
Catholics in this Congress which is
almost entirely Catholic, are converts
or sons of converts to the true faith.
The word of God preached by Apos-
tolic men, men Of prayer and self
sacrifice, has such compelling force
that error, lying and the other designs
of the evil one are overcome. Even
the votaries of Masonry, at first one
by one, then by the dozen and then by
the hundreds and thousands, were
won over. Christ, through His minis
tiers, has brought to naught all the
distractions heaped up against the
church during four centuries, and to-
day in this land we find the vast bulk
of our people of one mind and one
heart in answering spiritual allie
glance to the Holv Catholic Church.