The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-10-02
) AT THE NATIONAL SHRINE.
Man Knows Little.

greatest professor of all Europe, oc-
cupying a chair in the University of
Paris, declared that only a few, and
they after long and laborious study, at
tain the knowledge of a few truths,
and even these, when the mind is cut
off from Christ and Divine revelation
involved with much error. This was
the thesis of the Angelic Doctor. The
learned world, apart from Christ to-
day, endowed as it is with great in
tellectual power, and possessed of vast
erudition, is proof that deplorable en-
rors and absurd mistakes and destroy.
ing leadership are inevitable without
Christ. Must we not marvel. that SO
many university men, so many men
of scholarly, attachments in every call
ing, know so little about religion, find
no interest in it, do not think it worth
their while to give the really one i'm
portant thing in all the world even
the passing consideration which they
give the ordinary affairs of their daily
life? They fail entirely to recognize
the necessity of religion. Agnostic,
perhaps in spirit, they dismiss the
whole subject of religion because of
their doubling Judgment. Unconvinced
of the existence OF. an eternal life,
they will take no chance of being de-
prived of the fleeting pleasures and
honors of this world. They will gam
BILE away an eternity of Truth, forfeit
the amending joys of heaven, because
of their doubling judgments. Is not
this mans gambling instinct carried
to the point of insanity? o Mary I'm
maculate, this shrine which dominates
this institution of learning will ever
give it the most decided advantage
in the attainment of truth, for this
temple dedicated to thee will ever pro-
claim to those in search of truth: You
have need of Christ and the fulness
of His revelation. My Divine Son
must be your compass on the sea OF
truth. He must be the sun that lights
up world for you to explore. With
out Him your judgments cannot be
poised or balanced in the attainment
of truth This temple shall ever be
protest and challenge to the uni
versity life of this country against
the sentence of invalid divorce which
has separated the science of God from
the other sciences. Yes, let the voice
of the Vicar, of Christ be heard in
every institution of learning. Univer
sity life throughout the world stands
in the most urgent need of Mary. We
may confidently believe that through
Mary will the learned world once more
turn to Christ, to be guided by His di
vine revelation.
The age and century past have been
characterized by the grossest mate
rialism. A huge material machine has
been built which has got utterly be
yond the control of man and is speed
| ing it's way to destruction. The Tower
of Babel seemed such a stupid attempt
| to defeat the designs of God; and yet
was not the insane judgment that di
rected it puerilee in comparison with
the passion of the past century for the
progress and perfection of everything
in the material order which would
| proclaim the absolute self-sufficiency
of man..
| Human Society Needs Mary.
Will not the verdict of history be
that the world war was begun prin
cipally because of materialistic gaiI
without regard for justice and char
ity? In the Providence of God thu
instruments of material progress be
came the implements of destruction
of the accumulated material wealth o
centuries. May one of the benefits o
the war be to turn mems minds AM
hearts away in part at least, from tn
things of material progress and com
4 fort and direct them to the true perfee
ton of the mind and soul.
A curse of the century past has bee
the so-called new freedom that ha
liberated men from the supernatural
that has extinguished the light. of d
vine Faith, that has reduced man no
merely to the order of pure nature
but has degraded him by perverting hi
, nature through the unbridled indu
gence of his worst passions.
Revolutionary movements promis
what is clearly impossible-the estat
lishment of absolute equality anon
men, and the equal distribution of al
earthly possessions. They would abo
ish the distinction of nations, brea
asunder the bonds of family ties an
set children free from the authority 9
home. They would have citizens frs
acknowledge the absolute supremac
of the State and then deny allegianc
to civil authority. They would hav
the faithful see neither the sacred no
the supernatural character of religion
Present conditions of society are Blu
the logical consequences of natura
ism, and materia1ism, united. it woul
| seem, to Satanic forces in publ
organization which is intended to col
rupt by impurity and obscenity, an
thus bring about the ruin of people
!, and races and nations, as well as of il
dividuals.
Woman Needs Mary.
i Women are seeking freedom tina
T is excessive. Mary Immaculate wi
lever remind women that there is n
/ true freedom which is not an elevat
ing and an ennobling power. LIE
women have all the freedom possible
provided it makes them more perfec
and more noble.