The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-05-11

not meant for the Scotch. If Catho-
licism were a Scotch thing, it would
not be so bad, There's no use talking
to them about the pre-Reformation
religion of Scotland and about Wallace
and Bruce and st. Margaret and so on.
They pretend not to believe or to know
anything about their forefathers hav-
ing been Catholics. IF they were,
they shouldn't have been, and we had
a Reformation to change them"
Still, that proves that Catholicism
was Scotch in those days, doesn't it?"
"Well, that doesn't matter; we don't
bother heads about what our fore
fathers were, we don't want Roman
Catholicism now, anyway" And so
there you are again. 1t is not a Ques-
tion of what is right or wrong in re-
ligion, it is a question of what / want,
what will please me.
"a And this leads to what may be
called the economical objection to
Catholicity. You couldn't "get on so
well if you were a Papist. 1t is not
favorable to prosperity" and pros
perity with a zest is the one thing
necessary.
90 Then we have no stepping stone,
no halfway house here, as in England.
Ministers daren't prepare their fiocks
by teaching Catholic doctrines and
practices as the High Church clergy
do SO well across the border, A Cathol-
icizing agency like the Anglo-C atho-
lie Society of st. Peter and Paul"
would be inconceivable in the Presby.
terrain Kirk. The gulf between Pres
byterianism and Rome is great, deep,
unbridgeable; and it must be taken at
one big, tremendous jump. Most peo-
pie are too stiff to take it.
Results From War.
On the other hand, the war has
done something to disillusion and edu-
cate a lot of people, especially the
soldiers who have been serving in
Catholic lands. What they have seen
there has opened their yes to the
power and beauty of Catholicity. They
can no longer identify it with a
minority and with the underdog, as in
this country. They write home and
tell about it. But I doubt whether it
will all make much difference to the
home-staying Scotch, and l should
think, from what / have heard, that
quite a majority of Protestants now
consider the Pope as policeman
why, l don't really know.
One thing most consoling and
greatly to the good, is the magnificent
Catholic control of our own schools,
and the united and determined front
presented to the government by
clergy and people on the school ques-
tion-a burning one at present. This
is one direction, and a very public
one, in which the Church, small in
numbers though it be, makes its
power felt and known by the country
at large. The uncompromising,, inn
movable stand for principles on the
part Of a loyal Catholic people is
something to be proud of, and must
impress those who are not utterly i'm
pervious.
Terrific Prejudice.
When all is said and done, the over
towering obstacle in the way of con-
versions is the terrific prejudice and
Economical hatred against Catholicism,
inherited and drunk in with their
mothers milk. 1t is there in spite of
you. People couldn't explain how they
! got it-perhaps they were never taught
it. But it is in them, a part of their
nature. And it is this that leads to
the corollary obstscle-ignorance-for
a man will not inquire about a religion
that he hates-why should he? He
does not know it because he does not
want to know.
What can be done? Something more
than we have done, / admit; and some
thing must be done if there is to be
any considerable progress. That,
amidst the mountains of prejudice and
bigotry, there are a good many who
have ceased to believe in all forms
Of Professionalism and are heartily sick
of it, and are well enough disposed to
listen to the Catholic claims, I am
quite sure. The best method of reach
ing them without doing more harm
than good, is the great problem. Scot.
land is not like England, still less like
America. Yet no advance will ever
be made without a certain amount OF
friction and opposition. We must
make up our minds for that. Catho
licity is ever a sign that shall be con
tradicted. May the Almighty lead us
soon on the right lines for bringing
back the wandering sheep ia the One
Fold and satisfying souls that are
/! h%ungering and thirsting for the TRUTH