The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-06-08

BEtsI rIrIabffjtIH 1,
these charges, we have butt turn
to his remarks quoted on page
1874 of the Congressional Record.
Here he says in his own name
Read history and observe the
signs of the times. You will find
that everywhere, in all lands and
at all times, the high dignitaries
i'll the Church of Rome have been
the ally Of oppression, whether
that oppression has been exercis-
ed under the exploited doctrine
of the divine rights of kings, or
whether it is exercised under the
groveling greed of plutocracy.
Claiming to hold in its hands the
keys of the kingdom of heaven, it
lis, in all chimes and in all lands,
the active assistant of those who
bring hell upon earth. !" Mr.. Lind
bergh then adds soothingly, "that
is not a fault of the church as
such, but a fault Of men in whom
it trusts" as aa
This last quotation is sample
of the venom in the apparently in
nocent charges which Mr.. Lind
bergh attributes to the Defense
League. These accusations have
been answered so many times
that it would be idle, even if space
permitted, to refute them all here.
What we wish to call attention to
is the fact that the gentleman who
makes the above ignorant, prepos-
ferrous and gratuitous charge
against the Catholic Church, is the
man who desires to represent the
great Commonwealth Of Mime
sofa in a family of States which
processes, under the Constitution,
to allow liberty and freedom of
worship to all.
The gist of this charge is that
Catholic prelates in all lands
and at all times have been the
ally of oppression.
We know not from what we'll
Mr. Lindbergh has drawn the tur-
bid waters of his history: we do
know, however, every candid
student of history knows, that
throughout her career the Catho-
lie Church has ever been the
friend Of the poor and the OPP
pressed.
In the first three centuries Of
her existence the Catholic Church
was the object Of bitter oppres-
sion. When the barbarian hordes
from the North shattered the
Roman Empire, it was the Popes
and prelates of the Catholic
Church who tanned and curbed the
oppressive ferocity of the wild
leaders Of those hordes. Popcs
and Councils time and again leg
islated, and enforced their legis-
lation, for the welfare of the peo-
pie. Many naughty prince and
potentate was brought down to
the dust in order to make him real
ize the duty he owed his subjects.
When the secular power succeed
ed in debauching a portion Of the
clergy and many of the laity, to
the detriment of morals and social
welfare, Henry " Of Germany
was forced to go to Canossa.
Many another powerful autocrat
has also learned his lesson at Can
oSsa.
Many customs of the middle
ages, like the Trace Of God, were
enforced in the interests Of the
people. Surely, the. Peasants
War, and such like uprisings, can
not be attributed to the Catholic
Church.
The Catholic Church gave to
the world the great religious Or
ders Of the Middle Ages which
professedl4 championed the rights
and the dignity of the people.
Noted Saints and orators travers-
ed Europe in every direction in
the cause of peace and the rights
of the people. Beast is made of
the power of working men s
unions today, and ,rightfully SO.
But it was the Catholic Church
Of the Middle Ages which showed
the working man his own power
when banded together with his.
fellows: and the world upheld the
famous Guilds, the greatest, most
and most powerful aegis
ever held over the workingman
in the history of the world.
One of the most terrible forms
Of oppression practiced upon the
people, an inheritance of pagan
times, was the blight Of slavery.
Balmes, in his Eugopean Civiliza-
ton, proves in the most brilliant
manner the wonderful part play
ed by the Catholic Church in
softening the rigors Of servitude,I
and in endeavoring to establish
social equality among all men.
Y