Norwich bulletin., 1919-02-03
DRINKING AND DRUGGING
ARE EQUALLY BLAMABLE

Making the point that personal pro-
hibition is the only safe policy for the
Christian who has discovered that even
moderate drink is hurtful to him in
mind body and soul, Rev. Peter ]. Cuny,
at the high mass in st. Patrick's
church Sunday concluded his sermons
on gluttony, in the series of the Seven
Deadly Sins, as condemned by the
Roman Catholic church.
From the beginning the teaching of
the church has been against excess the
preacher said, and for moderation. In
itself, the moderate Use Of alcoholic Ii
quors may not be wrong. Saint Paul
admonishes Timothy that little wine
for his stomach's sake is permissible;
and the Saviour would not have at
tended the wedding in Cana of Galilee
and performed His first miracle in
turning water into wine, if wine in it
self had been evil.
But for the man who finds that even
moderate use of alcoholic beverages is
not best for him, personal prohibition
must be the rule. Indulgence in
drinking means harm to the body,
which is the temple of the Holy Ghost,
it prevents both employer and employe
from doing the work required of them,
and it is a sinful waste ofs money
usefully employed.
What is true of excess in liquor
drinking is true of drug using, ether of
morphine, cocaine, heroin and the rest.
The only legitimate use of anything
which deprives man of even temporary
use of reason and will is the employ
ment of anaesthetics in some surgical
operation or when a drug may be
prescribed-not by druggist-but by
ones physician. A study of the cases
in the public institutions will show that
the majority are due to the excessive
| use OF drink and drugs.
In recent years, a great wave of
| changed public sentiment has swept
the country, resulting now in leaving
| much of it dry, or to be dry later. This
| has been largely the result ofapolitical
movement in which the Catholic church
as not taken any special part, since
the church does not interfere in poll
! tics keeping to her practice through
i the centuries of teaching morality
! What the ultimate result of that wave
| of prohibition will be cannot now be
| foreseen, but the preacher declared thai
1t must prove ineffective unless indi-
| vidual men are moved to great in
crease in reform by personal grace.
This reform will be brought abou
III three ways coming PACK from WOr-
ship of the idol Alcohol to worship o.
God through strengthening the will BY
frequent reception of the sacrament,
and lastly by the guardianship of the
Holy Spirit through the angel set By
God to watch and ward each morta
from evil, too often forgotten by. tn,
Christian.
/ The greatest stress was laid upon tn,
Importance of avoiding all persons an(
f.! places likely to lead one into the ter
rible sin Of intemperance, specifcal
iy the friend" who is always read,
with the invitation to come and hav
a drink, as well as the saloon whicl
! is the starting point of so many men
downfall. Personal privilege, whe1
weighed against personal prohibition
was shown by the preached throughou
his sermon to count very lightly wit
the man who has proved what persona
indulgence for him implies.
Sunday was the Feast of the Purifi
cation Of the Blessed Virgin Mary. ia
mfliarly known as CandIemas Day
The epistle was st. Paul to the R5rn
ans XIII. $40 and the gospel Mat
NII-23-27