The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-02-22
ADDRESS DELIVERED BY FATHER
CLEARY BEFORE THE RECENT
PEACE CONGRESS IN MINNIE
APOLIS.

PEACE CONGRESS IN MINNIE
APoLIs.
Rev. James NJ. Cleary was one of the
speakers at the Peace Congress held
last week in Minneapolis Father
Cleary, who is pastor of the Church
of the Incarnation in that city, spoke
Thursday morning, February 13. He
took as his theme, Religion the Most
Vital Element in the Social Order"
His address follows:
Father cIearys Address.
For the best and most enduring wei.
fare of human society, three elements
are needed namely authority, liberty
and religion. We might clothe this
fundamental truth in different garb,
and insist that for the organization
of human society we must have the
government, the individual and the
church. Civilization must perish if
the authority of the government be not
sustained. Obedience to law, a ready
willingness to sacrifice, if necessary,
ones personal advantage and individ-
ual comfort, in the interest of the pub
| lie welfare, are first evidences of en-
lightened and progressive civilization
| 1t has been claimed by some that the
enforcement of law is the highest test
of enlightened civilization and prog
ress. A little reflection will convince
any reasonable being that it is not the
enforcement of law that gives evidence
of an ideal condition of enlightened
civilization, but obedience to law is the
crucial test of enlightened civilization
and culture. Liberty, the most sacred
word on the lips of men in every age
and in every land, cannot live without
the support of authority. Liberty, in
whose enchanting name so many
| crimes have been committed, must
not be interpreted as a release from
the restraints of authority, or a dis
pensation from the duty of submission
to order and law. In the meaning of
the Declaration of American Inde-
pendence, and in accordance with the
spirit of our American constitution
liberty in this newer and better sense
implies that every human right is
sacred, and that no true liberty exists
where the God-given rights of the
weakest member in the social order
are violated or ignored. The govern
ment, the state, exists for the sake
of the individual, not the individual
for the sake of the state The individ
ual is supreme in our Christian civil
ization, for he is recognized as child
of God, brother of Christ, the Re
deemer, and with this incarnate God
an heir to the kingdom of heaven.
On his immortal soul is impressed
the likeness of the eternal God, Who
has called that human being into life
and preserves that precious life by
His mysterious power, and crowns its
ending with eternal glory, if the indi
vidual but remain faithful to the enc
for which God made him. The Author
of the universe, of which man is the
masterpiece, is sovereign ruler ovel
the works of His omnipotence. "Al
authority is from God" He has giver
to men absolute freedom of choice
Every possible provision has beer
!, made to guide, enlighten, direct anC
lead the children of men to the higher
and better ideals. Instinctively, ir
the human soul, is found a reverence
for virtue, respect for the good, aver
sion to evil, and contempt for vice
This instructive love of truth and vir
tue still fingers in the heart of the
wicked and the depraved. 1t is ths
one little germ that remains to nourisl
hope that the most wretched of human
beings may yet be saved for bette
things.
Gods arm is not shortened, no mat
; ter how far from the ways of right
eousness His wayward child ma.
wander. The prodigal son may re
l turn to the house of his sorrowin:
father, and find a glad and fond we
: come, not because he had been way
ward, but because he is repentant
The truths of religion do not change
4 no matter how perverted the heart 0
!. man may become. The limitles
. mercy of God can heal the wounds Q
7 every suffering soul, that repents Q
i wrong doing. God creates man witt
: out his consent, but He cannot say
> him for life eternal without his CT
operation. God is just as well a
L merciful No man will suffer the los
of his soul, without his own fault. N
/ matter how foolishly the great prir
/ ciples of religion may be distorted b
4 the misguided victims of error, tn
d eternal truth remains unimpaired, an
T Interchangeable, that God is the AuthC
e of all that is good, and the turnin
n away from God brings evil to mel
6 The kingdom of God cannot be d.
Q stroyed by all the combined forces {
Terror and sin.
No matter how analytical philo
lophers may attempt to define religion
the common consent of mankind in a
ages understands religion to be
bond of union between God and ma
l. between the supreme intelligence
the Creator and the finite minds tn;
are the work of His hands. st. Thor
s. as Aquinas, the greatest of all Chri
1t tan theologians and thinkers. define
n religion as sThe virtue that promp
e man to render to God the worship al
" reverence that is His by right" III
g. end and aim of religion is commune