The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-04-19
A Reply to an Attack on the church's
Position on Sainthood in the Ameri.
can Journal Of Sociology, Published
by the University Of Chicago.
II.

Mr.. Meeklin most stoutly affirms
that the early Christians had no fight
ing faith, that intellectual virtues
were of little value, that there were
no scientific interpretations of the
teachings of the Church.
We ask ourselves in establishment,
whether he has ever read the Acts of
the Martyrs with their overwhelming
/. examples of fortitude, and the writ
ings of the early Fathers and Apollo
gists who exhibited an intellectual
acumen and evidenced an intellectual
superiority both in speech and in writ,
ings which would DO honor to our
present age?
From the persecution and suppress
sion of the early Christians he gathelys
a theory of morality that has been
styled by Nietzsche "Sklaven-Moral"
and the modern professor stoops so
low as implicitly to subscribe to the
discarded philosophy of the German
degenerate.
What seems to vex the professor
most is the attitude of "otherworldli-
ness" He has not understood the very
principle of Christianity expressed by
Our Lord: "If any man will follow
me. let him deny himself, take up the
cross and follow me-" mark 1884,
Matth: 10, 50; 16,!24.) -.
1t happened, sos the professor as
serts, that small groups of early Chris
tians emerging from prosecutions under
Constantine with their ideals could not
meet the demands of the rapidly ex-
pandings' faith. Social activities were
relNmsglected by the early Saint.
There was still the sharp distinc-
ton between the worldly and the
otherworldly, the natural and super
natural" But the Church of the Mid
die Ages adopted secularizing tenden.
cies and she managed that mo sanity
ideals 1ourished that did not receive
the sanction and enjoy the sympathy
and support of ecclesiastical author
ity." Here for once the author ex-
presses what is evident to every Cath.
Ollie and fair-minded student of his
tory, viz. that the striving after Chris
tian sanctity is work of the indi-
vidual under the direction of the
Church, "The otherworldly ideals of
Peter Damiani, of st. Bernard, of st.
Francis of Assist never scared beyond
the. authority Of the Pope; but this
was only lin the secularized Church. y
We must give Mr.. Meeklin credit for
this acknowledgment of the Pope's au-
thority. In this he is unlike Sabbatier,
who, in his life of st. Francis, has so
reflected the fact on his concave mir
ror as to make the great Saint act
against the authority of the Pope. But
the t'secularized Church" is another
fanciful dream Of the would-be histor-
ian.
Mistaken Conception Of the Saint.
The position of the medieval Saint,
:" so the professor continues, was cast
in the spiritual solidarity with the
world, and this is to him ian interest.
ing paradox" But this again is a con.
clusion of distorted mind which he
holsters up with queer quotation
from the entirely unreliable Froude
1.-THE patriarchal regime of the Mid
die Ages, he asserts further, brought
the Saint nearer socializing than al
any other period of history. His sui
ferings and intercessions and also his
superior mind were looked upon as
most valuable assets by other mem
bers Of the community" Their love Of
the contemplative life is not to the
: liking of the professor.
This passage allows us to look al
. the misconception in the authors mind
+. He views the Saint, as it were, in the
making, a man who makes profes
sion Of being Saint. This is not the
Saint in the eyes Of the Church. The
one honored as Saint is one who
has finished his mortal career, who
after his holy life has been CAREFUL,
examined and his intercession ant
miracles attested has been pro
nounced worthy of the honors of {
Saint by the Church. It is we'll known
that as a rule so years must elaps'
before the process of Qualification i
taken up.
Evidently Mr.. Meeklin has in mind
monk or religious ct the Middle Ages
who lives apart from The world an
makes the striving after religious pei
lection the aim of his life. It is tru
that many Of the Saints have obtaine
their SaintfAr' S. members of a n
ligious order. But any one acquainte
with the calendar Of Saints has read
before his mind any number Of me