The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-12-23

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forth thes current flows ever more and
more strongly I towards democracy?
The. proletariat, asst is called, hav-
ing taken preponderant part in the
war, is anxious in every country to
obtain from it the greatest possible
advantages. Unfortunately, they are
often deceived and pushed to excess
es which, in overturning the social or
der that is comfortable to human
nature itself, turn finally to the detri-
ment of all, and are especially dam
aging to the workers and those less
fortunately placed That has hap
pened to other nations which till re-
Gently were prosperous, but are now
reduced to an extremity Of misery
which they would like to extend to
all Europe, and even the whole world !;
and is not this a plain proof of what
we say?
The Church the Friend Of the Work
ers.
"The Catholic Church has ever been
the friend of those who are in trou
ble; she has always taught that. the
public authorities, established for the
welfare Of all, should strive especially
for the betterment of the condition oil
those who suffer. That is why, as the
Bishops so well say, the clergy and
people, instead CT merely opposing the
claims of the proletariat, ought to sup
port them, provided that they are with
in the bounds of what is just and hon
est, as set forth clearly in the immor
tai encyclical Rerum Noyarum of Lee
Kill"
Benedict was reiterating the teach
ing of Leo who wrote thirty years be
fore him, "at this moment the condi
ton of the working population is the
question OF the hour; and nothing car
be of higher interest to all classes Of
the State than that it should be right
ly and reasonably decided"
There is then today a great strug
gle going on around us in the world
Sometimes it takes on all the ugly
characteristics of civil warfare. 1t is
fight that cannot go on indefinitely
unless civilization as we know it is
doomed. But We are the prophets Of
a better hope. We know that rem
edy must needs be found and we know
also what that remedy is, We mus
have the courage of our convictions
and fearlessly apply it. There is ur
gent need that we take an active in
terest i'll this question Immediately
"All agree says Pope Leo, "and there
can be no question whatever that some
remedy must be found, and that quick
ly found. for the misery and wretched
ness which press so heavily at this
moment on the large majority of the
very poor. The ancient workmen's
guilds were destroyed in the last cen
fury, and no other organization tool
their place. Hence by degrees it has
come to pass that workingmen have
been given over, isolated and defense
less, to the callousness of employers
and the greed of unresrained compe
tition. The evil has been increased BY
rapacious usury, which though more
than once condemned by. the ~Churcl
is nevertheless under different form
but with the same guilt. still practicee
by avaricious and grasping men"
The Remedy of Social Ills.
The Holy Father goes on to poin
out the remedy of these social evils
There is nothing more. useful thar
to look at the world as it is, and a.
the same time to look elsewhere fol
remedy to it's troubles The Hol,
Father also tells us where to look
He says: when society is perish
ing, the true advice to give to those
who would restore, is to recall it tt
the purpose and principles from which
it sprang. If society liz to be curet
now, in no other wayscanit be cured
but by return to the Christian life
and to the Christian institutions. ;
Therefore, mo practical solution O.
this question will ever be found with
out the assistance of religion and O
the Church.
No wonder Cardinal Manning was
able to write in the Dublin Review
July, 1891: Since the Divine words
| have compassion on the multitude,
were spoken in the wilderness, nj
voice has been heard throughout the
world pleading for the people will
such profound and loving sympathy
for those that toll and suffer as the
voice of Leo XIII. This is no rhetori
cal exaggeration, but strict truth
None but the Vicar of our Divine Lore
could SO speak to mankind. No Pom
tiff has ever had such an opportunity
SO to speak, for never till now has tn,
world of labor been so consciously
united, so dependent upon the will o
the rich, SO opposed. to the fuctua
tons of adversely and to the vicissi
tudes of trade. Leo XIII, looking GU
of the watch-toWer OF. the Christian
world, as st. Leo the Great used tt
say, has before him what no Pontif
yet has ever seen. He sees all thu
kingdoms of the world and the suffer
ing of them. The moan oil. disconten
OF toll, of sorrow, goes up before him
1t is upon such a world tina
he looks down; and his heart is will
the poor: I have compassion on til,
multitude'-on the poor, who, as h,
says, are the majority Of mankind
Past and Present.
If these statements were. but TOT
true in 1891, what would Leo ami
Manning have written ia 1927 Ii