The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-03-02
CARDINAL BOURNE SEES GREAT
CHANGES IMPENDING-CHURCH
MUST DO ITS PART IN READ
JUSTING SOCIETY AFTER THE
WAR-PEoPLE ARE COMING TO
UNDERSTAND WORLD PROB
LENS MORE CLEARLY.

N
Cardinal Bourne, Archbishop Of
Westminster, in his Lenten pastoral
letter dwells upon the grave changes
in social conditions as result of the
war.
"The times through which we are
passing are fraught with anxiety of
every kind" says the Cardinal 1T is
not necessary TO gaze upon the con-
tiict Of nations which afflicts the
world to find matter of serious con-
Germ. At home, in our midst, there
are signs of trouble and disturbance,
which are only very partially revealed
in the public press, but are well
known TO those in authority, and
which pOrtend the possibility of q
grave social upheaval in the future.
1t is admitted on all hands that a new
order of things, new social conditions,
new relations between the different
sections in which society is divided,
will arise as a consequence of the de-
struction of the formerly existing sit
uatiOn."
The Cardinal asks what part the
Catholic Church can play in this
transformation, and replies to the
question by indicating that Catholics
must not remain apathetic and stand
aside from the social movement Of the
day.
Causes of Conflict.
Cardinal Bourne traces the causes
of the present conflict far beyond the
events of the summer of 1914.
"a new relation of society had come
into being" he says. Men and wom-
en- of high aim and avowedly Chris
tian belief came to be dominated by
ideas which had no ground in Chris
tan principle. The desire of gain at
all cost, without reference to the con-
sequences thereby entailed, seized
upon vast numbers of the nation and
became ruling principle. Other ma
tions had been learning the lesson,
notably the confederation Of nations
which is now our chief enemy.
with the thoroughness of purpose
and scientific determination that char
acterizes her, Germany has sought
worldwide predominance by setting
boldly and consistently before herself
those materialistic aims which for too
long have deluded and misled our
English people. She desires her place
in the sun, and as might was only too
often right in the industrial struggles
within the limits of our own peoples
false principles which, happily to an
increasing extent, are now being dis.
carded among us-she claims that
might is right in the world domina-
tion for which she is now struggling
TO her doom. Happily, do we say, are
those false principles being discarded
among us, for were it not so the fu-
ture of our peoples would be as over
cast as is the future which the econ
omic lusts of our enemies are bring
ing rapidly upon them.
What of the Futures?
"What is the future to be? How is
the social and political order to be re-
constructed among us. There are some,
a small minority as yet, but with in
creasing influence, who are proclaim
ing a policy of despair. They have
looked, they will tell us, in various
directions for solution of the prob
lem in vain. Those who in this coun-
try are the official representatives of
religious teaching have failed, so these
despairing voices assure us, to give
any coherent answer TO their ques-
tions. Thus they are driven-again it
is their voice that speaks-to the I'M
welcome conclusion that the existing
relations OF society are incapable OF
being remedied and that things can
not be worse than they are at the