The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-08-28


Following is the text of the Pope's
letter recently referred to in these
columns:
The Holy Fathers Letter.
1t was a good and salutary thing
for the Christian people that our pred
ecessor of immortal memory, Plus
TX, should have solemnly decreed to
the most chaste Spouse of the Virgin
Mary and Guardian of the Incarnate
Word the title of Patron of the Uni
versal Church. And inasmuch as the
fiftieth anniversary Of this happy
event occurs next December, we think
it useful and opportune that it should
be celebrated worthily by the whole
Catholic world
A Pleasant Retrospect.
If we look back on the last fifty
years we see a marvellous resuscita-
tion of pious institutions which bear
witness that devotion to the holy Pa
triarch has been gradually developing
among the faithful. If, again, we re-
gard the calamities which are af-
fiicting the human race today it be-
comes even more evident how oppor-
tune is the moment to intensity that
devotion and spread it more widely
among the Christian people. In our
Encyclical indeed, after the conclusion
of the terrible war, On the Reconcile
alton of the Christian Peoples,' we
showed what was lacking for the
restoration of the tranquility of order
everywhere; considering specially the
relations between peoples and be-
tween individuals in the civil field
1t behooves now to consider another
and much deeper cause of trouble,
that which is, indeed, imbedded in
the very bowels of human society.
For when the scourge of war descend
ed on the nations they were already
deeply infected with Naturalism, that
great plague of the century, the effect
of which, wherever it takes root, is
to lessen the desire for celestial
blessings, quench the flame of divine
charity and withdraw man from the
healing and sanctifying grace of
Christ In the end the light of the
Faith is taken from him, only the
corrupt forces of nature are left, and
he is delivered to be the prey of the
very worst passions.
So it has come about that very
many have thought of nothing but
the gaining of earthly goods, and
while the struggle between working
man and master has become more
bitter, this class hatred has increased
more and more with the horrors Of
the long drawn-out war. For that
war has on the one hand brought in
tolerable economic trials on the
masses of the people while on the
other it has put immense fortunes in
the hands of a very few.
ConjugaI Faith Impaired by War.
And further, the sanctity of con-
jugal faith and respect for paternal
authority have in many instances
been seriously impaired during the
war, because the absence of one
spouse has weakened the bond of duty
in the other, and because the loss of
the legitimate guardian has given Oc-
casion for thoughtlessness to many,
especially women, in living on their
own account and with too much free
dom.
So we note with deep sorrow that
public manners are far more depraved
and corrupt than they were before,
and on that account, too, the So
called social question has increased
in gravity so far as to threaten ire
parable ruin. There has indeed ma
tured in the desires and expectations
of all the seditious minded the advent
of some sort of a universal republic
to be founded on the absolute equal
ity of men and community of posses
sions, in which there is to be no dis
tinction of nationality and no further
occasion for the recognition OF the
authority of father over children, OF
public power over citizens, Of God
over the collective body of men. All
those things, if by unfortunate
chance they should be brought about
would give rise to terrible social con
vulsions like that which is at this
moment desolating no small part o.
Europe. And for this very purpose o.
bringing about among other peoples
similar condition of things we see the
masses of the people reused by the un
principled madness of few and seri
Gus disturbances continually taking
| place.
Appeal to Reason of Workers.
More than anyone else are we rem
dered anxious by this turn of events
and we have not failed to take ever.
opportunity that has occurred to cal
the children Of the Church to con
sideration of their duty, as we did re
| gently in orr letters TO the BishO