The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-09-28
And ANERIeANISM

states reads: Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exer-
else thereof" It was a great forward
leap on the part of the new nation
towards personal liberty and the con-
secration of the rights of conscience.
Not so had it heretofore been on the
soil of America Save in Maryland
while reigned there the spirit of the
Catholic Lord Baltimore, and in Penn
sylvania under the sweet-tempered
rule of William Penn, religious free
dom was barred by law in the Colon
ies-Protestant creeds warning one
with the other, all warning with the
Catholic But it was deereed-the
new flag must be unsullied by relig-
ious persecution, the new nation
must be. on every score, the guardian
angel of personal rights in each and
every American
The proclamation of the Constitu-
ton was as the Milanese edict of the
Emperor Constantine Before the
time of Constantine all things. even
the things of God, were Caesars. The
state made and unmade divinities: it
was itself divinity: its highest rep
resentative, the emperor, claimed
place among the Olympians, and in
cense was burned before his statue,
as before that of god The personal
conscience was allowed no recognition.
The subject must worship, as Caesar
orI ohCn.
lutte. But at last the Conqueror of the
Milvian Bridge spoke: liberty triumph
ed in the triumph of the Labarum.
I'VE have determined, with sound and
upright purpose" said Constantine,
that liberty is to be denied to no one
given to devote his mind to that re-
ligion which he may think adapted to
himself" Conscience was made free
in the Roman empire by the Milan
csc edict: it was made free in Amer
lea by the Federal Constitution. In
the one and in the other, it is the in
junction of the Master: ITO Caesar
the things that are Caesars: to God
the things that are Gods"
BY the terms of the Federal Consti-
tuition as by the teachings of the Cath
Ollie Church, no room is given in Amer
| lea for discord between Catholicism
and Americanism, between my Cath
Ollie faith and my civic and political
| allegiance.
The Republican Form of Government
| in the Eyes of the Catholic Church.
America is republic: the spirit, the
form of government is democracy-the
| government of the people, by the peo-
pie, for the people. Is there not here,
it is asked, at least a touch of con-
! fiict between my religious faith and
my civil and political faith? | tread
upon easy ground, so plain are the
/ teachings of the Catholic Church in
| favor of the rights of the people in
matters of civil and political govern
UentAs l again quote from the ency-
clical letters of Leo Kill The Pontiff
writes. There is no power but from
| God The right of command, however,
! is not in itself linked to any one form
| of government. One or the other form
| the commonwealth may rightfully give
| to litself, provided such be really pro-
motive of the common welfare. =
! No reason is there why the Church
| should prefer one form of government
! to another, provided the form that is
chosen be just in itself and favorable
to the common good. Therefore, the
rules of justice being duly observed,
the people are free to adopt that form
of government which BELTS their tenn
/ per, or best accords with their tradi.
tons and customs" America declared
itself republic: it's government is or
ganized democracy. In America, ac-
cording to the teachings of the Cath.
Ollie Church, the Republic is the sole
| legitimate government: to the Repub
! lie Catholics are in conscience obliged
| to yield sincere and answering obed.
fence.
God is the source and the giver OF
! all power: of themselves men have nc
/ authority over other men. The author.
/ ity of the parent over the child is
from God, who created nature and sc
! created the family: the authority oil
the state is from God who willed thai
men should live within the fostering
embrace of social organism. In this
sense, a government, whatever the
form, rules by divine right. God gives
the power; but the people choose
those that hold it, and mark out the
conditions under which they do hold
it. This supreme democracy: it is
the dogma of Catholicism.
i In America the government is the
Republic-the government of the PEG
pie. by the people, for the people
With you, fellow-Catholics, with you
fellow-Americans l salute the Repub
lie: | thank God that the people o.
America are capable of possessing {
government of this form. The Repub
lic-it is the fullest recognition oil
human dignity and human rights, the
fullest grant of personal freedom, thai
due respect for the rights of others
and the welfare of the social organ
ism may allow. Alter it to empire OF
monarchy! Never, so long as our lips
may praise it, or our hands WELD arms
in its defence. Permit the barbarous
i obslaughts of lawlessness and anarchy
to undermine its foundations or looS