Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1921-07-02
sixth Centenary of Death of Cham.
pion of Truth, Justice and
Charity.
On September IA of This Year
World Win Do Him 4
Reverence.
Perfected Christian Character ON
Model Presented by Jesus of
Nazareth.
FATHER MUNTsoBs TRIBUTE.

Heartbroken, suffering from the
prosecutions heaped upon him bv a
tickle populace, knowing like HE
Divine Master what was in man"
Dante, 1.-THE central man of the Mid
Ole Ages" one of the supreme rep
resentative6 of world-literature
died at Ravenna, Italy, September
IA, 1921. His native city of Flor
ence, where he saw the light of day
in May, 1855, and which misunder-
stood and prosecuted him during
life, was not to have him in the
hour of death. But time heals
many wounds. The fierce enmity
begotten of political strife has died
away. The bitter contest between
Guelph and Ghibelline, in which
Dante sided with the former, be-
longs to history. But the fame of
the Florentine seer has increased
with the centuries. And on Sep
TENDER 4 of this year a world will
do him reverence. In Italy the
plans for the celebrations include
the ornamentation of Dante's tomb,
the rearrangement of the Medieval
Museum, the restoration of the Da
Polenta Chapel in San francesca,
and Of the adjoining hall containing
the Dante relics at Ravenna.
This man who had eaten the
bread OF sorrow, who is called the
voice of the ten silent centuries,
passed the best part of his life in
wandering from one city to another,
and died a broken-hearted exile.
And yet few of ItaIy's distinguished
sons are now honored like the
author of the "Divina Commedia."
Greatness indeed does not consist
in worldly splendor and in the
plaudits of the city's throng. 1t
consists in the moral perfection OF
character. Dante perfected his
Christian character on the model
presented him by Jesus of Nazareth.
Seeing him, a stranger upon their
streets, the children, pointing their
finger at him, whispered; There
goes the man who has been in
hell" 1t has been we'll said that on
the title-page of his book he might
have written these words. THAT
which mine eyes have seen of an
guish. that which my ears have
heard of woe, that of agony which
my heart has felt, / describe unto
lyou."
The Divine Comedy is an indy
ing work because it presents mes
sage of supreme importance to all
men at all times. AS DR.. Hettinger
says, "the Divine Comedy stands
pointing toward heaven like a ca
thedral of the Middle Ages, tower
ing above all similar works of later
date. 1t will always remain
- al % ~
insight into the meaning of human
life. It's fundamental idea
is the solution of the great, eternal,
from evil, and the final beatifca-
ton in God, Nor is such unstinted
praise bestowed only by Catholic
Commentators. mo book" says
Fl. w. Mabie, Fever swept wider
field of thought, or imbedded itself
more completely in historical Incl
dent and character; and yet no
book ever issued more directly out
of the life of it's writer"
Dante belonged to the Guelph or
Papal or popular party of Italy in
the Middle Ages. They were OPP
posed to the Ghibellines, the inn
perial and aristocratic party He
therefore experienced the bitter
ness OF political strife. He knew
what sour disappointments lie in
wait for him who champions the
cause of political and social justice.
But he was not moved by self-seek-
ing or ambition. He sought the
good of his faction-ton Florence.
And though he was driven into
exile, yet now, as we look back
over the centuries which have
healed the scars of battle, we see
that he achieved the victory. The
slogan of Dante in the fierce con-
| fiicts into which he was urged, was
Justice and Charity" These vir-
tues helped him to interpret the
| experiences of his marvellous vision
of hell. purgatory, and heaven.
Dante is the poet of Catholic the
ology and he could i'll afford to lose
sight of these two queenly virtues.
On the gates of hell he saw written
the line: Justice the founder of
my fabric moved" That is. divine
| justice requires that there must be
such a place as this for the UNI
repentant sinner.
Dr. Gardiner says that. himself
the victim of persecution and injus-
tice, burning with zeal for the
reformation and renovation of the
world, Dante's impartiality is. in the
main. sublime He is the man (to
adopt his own phrase) to whom
Truth appeals from her immutable
throne Impartiality, truth, Justice
and charity-these will infallibly
heal social evils today and guide
mankind to the path OF lasting
peace. But few there are who are
deeply penetrated and inspired by
the all-healing virtues. The "Di-
vine Comedy one of the supreme
masterpieces of the worlds litera-
ture. is the most eloquent apology
flor the perennial need OF these .vir-
/, tues among earth's sorrowing chill
dren.