Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-18
The Present .
Political Situation
OF North Dakota
anA 4 3 lesson in sociology.
yincent Wehrle, Bishop Of
Bismarck)

q " kAl1 "A tEI.
Mansis a.. social being. that sneans.
man is by nature SO constituted that
I.he cannot come. into existence and
cannot Aeyelop his facultiesaor attain
his destiny without being a-dhembers
a., soriety sF} .-ly &
There are three societies founded
by the order of nature, namely, the
family; the civil society or state and
the religious society. -
The family is founded upon the
natural order insofar as tn human
consistent with. human dignity, with
out, the stable. and permanent union
existing through. the family. The
same must be said in regard, to the
bringing up of children. a: v
The civil: society or, state. is founded
upon the natural : order insofar as
large numbers Of families find(it ne
poral welfare to! form larger. and
more extensive societies, WHOSE pur-
pose is he temporal welfare OF thesex
families.
The religious society is founded up
on the natural order in so farsHs men
have byttheir very nature afsknowl-
edge that they must serve God; their
Creator, and presentiments ofsand
desire for the eternal happiness in
God after. this earthly life, This
common natural knowledge and in
terest' leads them also naturally to
common acts of worship and makes
them unite in. religious societies.
Every society consists Of persons,
united by a moral bond, and guided by
some authority. The purpose"of the
society may be called its moral bond;
this purpose lis always a common
good; for man is NATURAL so consti-
tuted that he cannot act unless he has
a good, real or imaginary, flor his
motive. A: community or society of
men must therefore, have a common
good for its motive.
No society car exist without. some
authority as it's head; the authority
to enforce such regulations as are
necessary for the welfare Of the So
ciety. Where a society is absolutely
built upon the will or consentlof the
members. the authority may also re-
ceive all it's power and right from the
members alone; in such case the
members have the right to dissolve
the society according to their own
pleasure. But it is quite different
with. societies founded upon natural
law; 1t can never be abolished; men
may change. h form of a civil gov
ernt; but a civil government o. state
they must have. From this fact it
follows that Almighty God, the Gre
ator of man and, therefore. also of the
civil society or state, is the supreme
fountain and source of the authority
that must necessarily exist in. and
rule the civil society or state When
the Apostle says: LET every soul be
subject to higher powers; for there is
no power but from God; and those
that are, are ordained of God" Rom.
13. /. he simply declares a fact of
the natural law and a duty thatrcomes
from the natural law.
In the just pride of our own; repub-
1ican institutions we are much ainclin-
ed to dwell SO much uponnt the fact
that U authorities are responsible
to the people that we often lose sight
OF the fact that they. are responsible
to God, and that in obeying them, we
obey God. Even Kant who had ex-
tremely little religion realized that
no state can exist unless it be built
upon the. moral order This. he says:
ciety. rooted and grounded Tin the
moral low; should this moral law
cease, fallt worth Of human life on
earth would cease too" $50
TIE lesson which, the Catholic
church has drawn from these truths.
is tersely given in the title which
Gregory the Great and every pope
-ASSA AA4k A1d CAAOSCI 1OI.1 llluSell.
"Servus servorum Del, servant. Of the
servants of Cod Every official in
church and state who makes this
motto the leading principle of his adj
m~1nistration n constantly acts &C.
cordingly, will, truly work for the
common good. and will always have a
high respect and a loving interest in
every person under his authority:
and the people who see in their officials
truly the servants Of the servants Of
God. will obey lovingly. cheerfully
and t%rustfully. 20 4
How different when Gods rights
are denied in politics, and when Off
Gals attend to their duty without any
thought of Almighty God and. with
out any fear Of His coming Judgment.
How unreliable is the obedience rem
dered to the authorities when the
people at large have lost the knowl-
edge of their responsibility to God
tor their political actions.
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