The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-12-16
WoMENgAs' DEFENDERS Or CATH.
oLIc TRUTH.

There are other particular methods
which YOU. as q national body of Cath
Ollie women, can employ to defend the
Church. Not as those sent to teach,
but with knowledge, with enthusiasm,
with courage, with discretion and per-
seyerence,s under the teaching author
ity of the Church, Catholic women in
their various spheres of activity can
defend the Church. Catholic women
should have a greater knowledge of
the Church, OF her institutions, of her
spirit, of her traditions. With Cath
olic women religion is not merely an
Incident of their lives. not an affair.
of Sunday only. Religion embraces
every day and hour of life, demanding
an account of every conscious, delib-t
crate act, either for or against the,
sanctification of our own and our.
neighber's soul. Religion can address
you in these words, Every act which
proceeds from clear perception and
deliberate, consent. is either for me or
against me-. This consideration gives
to the Catholic women's life a very
serious aspect-not that religion is a
gloomy thing, not that it deprives one
of any legitimate pleasure, not that it
demands anything contrary to nature
with its divinely ordained processes.
Wherever the Catholic religion has
fashioned people, there we find joy
and happiness, and a sense of humor
Every lawful pleasure has its place
with that beautiful variety and har-
mony which exists among the flowers
and trees, the wales and hills and riv-
ers OF smiling nature. The Church
accepts everything in the natural or
der. never wishing to destroy it, or
10 change its nature. but only to per-
feet it, to spiritualize it. The direct
concern of the Church is the super
natural, eternal happiness, the sal
Walton of immortal souls. The Church
is, however, indirectly interested in
the moral aspect of every question.
The Home "a Divine Institution.
Take. for example, the home. The
Church is not concerned with its ma.
terial structure, its furnishings, but
she does lay stress on the fact that
the home is a divine institution; that
husband and wife are officials of a
divine institution that no human au.
thority can disrupt; that there is a
divine authority exercised by parents
over their children; that children are
the blessing of God; that the atmos
phere Of the home should be Chris
tian; that JOY and peace should pre-
vail there; . that there should be mu
tual consideration for all in the home
children loving and respecting their
parents; parents, on the other hand
solicitoas to have their children hap
py and contented, enjoying the bless
ing OF health, developing intellectual
ly according to the gifts bestowed
upon them by God, growing in spiritual
knowledge to appreciate life-not
merelyslife in. the passing Of earthly
years, but life in the fulness and bliss
of eternity. for which every human
soul was created. The Church is con
cernsd about Christian discipline in
the home. she desires that in Catho
lie homes there should be evidences
Of Cathplic art, which owes its inspi
rtation+~to, the Catholic Church an6
which. Expresses Catholic teachings
Thousands OF our Catholic womer
fear to hang a picture in their homes
of which their particular social SCI
might not approve. Catholic litera
ture is not given the consideration
which it should receive. There are
homes where no Catholic books, NJ
Catholic periodicals, are to be found
There Is no topic in the world so in
tensely interesting to children as re
ligion. Mothers have it in their power
TO foster and develop that interest un
tilSa Catholic character is formed il
their children.
Dress and Social Life.
There is the question Of fashion
The Church is not concerned about The
quality, or the color, or the cost Of
the. garments worn by Catholic WON
en-, but she is concerned with the very
important consideration of the virtue
of ;tnodesty, which must govern WON
en- lin the matter of dress. She does
notiforbid Catholic women to conform
tofashion, she does not demand tina,
they wear what is unsuitable for their
rank and station in life, but she does
say: "You may not dress in such a
fashion as. to deprive yourself of wha,
is your greatest charm-the winning
virtue Of feminine modesty." She
does say that under no circumstances
may Catholic women be so attired as
TO be an occasion OF temptation to 9th
ers; she does remind them shat they
are tor be governed by Christian rath
er than pagan ideals. She cautions
them against vanity, which might un
baianee their Judgment to such a de-
gree that they would give practically
their whole time to satisfying the de
mands of fashion. The de1icacy OF
this question makes 1t one on which, a
Catholic Bishop naturally speaks with
great reluctance, but wherever there
is "a question of morals, there the
Church has both the right and the
duty to speak. Since those who are
setting the fashions today have APP
pafsntly lost sight of Christian ideals
know nothing Of the value OF Christian
womanly modesty, it behooves Cath
olfc women, as body, to refuse the
yoke OF pagan and immodest costume
Closely allied with the question o1
dress is that of the social life of won
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