The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-04-02

4 & 3 * 1
Our Holy Father Leo XIII, in his
luminous encyclical on the constitu. |
ton of Christian states, declares that
the Church is not committed to any |
form of civil government. She adapts
herself to ALL She leavens all with |
the sacred leaven of the Gospel She |
had lived under absolute monarchies. |
under constitutional monarchies, in
free republics, and everywhere she
grows and expands. She had often,
indeed, been hampered in her Divine
mission. She had been forced to
struggle for her existence wherever
| despotism has cast it's dark shadow,
| like plant shut out from the blessed
light of heaven. But in the genial at
mosphere of liberty she blossoms like
| a rose
"For myself, as citizen of the
| United States, and without closing my
l eyes to our shortcomings as q nation.
| say, with a deep sense OF pride and
gratitude, that l belong to country
where the civil government holds
| over us the aegis of it's protection,
without interfering with us in the
| legitimate exercise of our sublime
mission as ministers Of the Gospel Of
Christ Our country has liberty with
out license, and authority without
despotism. She rears no wall to ex-
clude the stranger from among us.
She has few frowning Notifications to
repel the invader, for she is at peace
! with all the world. She rests secure
in the consciousness of her strength
and her goodwill towards all. Her
harbors are open to welcome the hon
est immigrant who comes to advance
his temporal interests and find a
peaceful home.
but while we are. acknowledged to
have free government, perhaps we
do not receive the credit that belongs
to us for having, also, a strong gov
ernment Yes, our nation is strong,
and her strength lies, under the over
ruling guidance of Providence in the
majesty and supremacy of the law, in
the loyalty of her citizens and in the
affection of her people for her free
; institutions. There are, indeed, grave
5 social problems now employing the
} earnest attention of the citizens OF
: the United States, but / have nc
) doubt that, with Gods blessing, these
> problems will be solved by the calm
judgment and sound sense of the
i American people, without violence or
, revolution or any injury to individual
f right"
Cardinals Great Popularity.
This address, as a writer of the
period pointed out, did more to dispel
: prejudice against Catholics as citi
: zens and to inspire respect for the
Church as an institution in harmony
with American ideals, and to place
!, Catholic principles of religion and pat
, triotism in their true light before the
whole world, than fifty years OF
preaching, teaching and explaining
could have done. The Cardinals pop
ularity in America knew no bounds
1t has been stated that the Car
dinal's address was one of the strong
est factors in causing the statesmen
of Europe to understand the United
: States, as up to that time Europe had
been inclined to look upon this re-
+ public as a dangerous experiment
: And what force there was behind the
Cardinals great public act of faith in
. American democracy was demon
. strated two years later, when he pre-
: sided, in November, 1889, at Balti
more, at the Centenary Celebration Of
the Hierarchy of the Catholic Church
: in the United States, when, in add
ton to the presence of Cardinals
> Archbishops, Bishops and priests tt
the number of more than five hun
= dred, there was held the first Lay
!, mems Congress.
:. In one century the population o
- the United States had grown from
1000, 900, of whom some 100000 were
: Catholics, to 100000, of whom 10,
. 100000 held the Faith of the Fathers
;. And the fact that this awe-inspirin.
> growth of the Church in the Unitet
= fostering influence of the free insti
;, tutions of the country, was recognized
= by the highest possible authority
Pope Leo XIII himself.
The Cardinals influence was at al
= times exerted powerfully in the inter
9 ests of peace and good will among al
= elements of the population of his owl
country, peace and good will amoni
= the nations of the world. The force
full stand he took on behalf of inter
: national arbitration at the peace con
!: ference in Baltimore was not the be
: ginning of his work on this subject
In the second term of Presiden
= Cleveland, when there was danger o
!. the United States and Great Britain
! going to war over the Venezuel
= boundary question, Cardinal Gibbon
= Joined with Cardinal Logue of Ire
land, and Vaughan OF England, tn
- re- ~ ls~--