The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-12-16
The School Of Social Science

posing schemes; popular meeting,
legislatures and rulers sof nations are
all busted with it, and actually there
is nc question that has taken deep
er hold on the public mind" The
Pastoral Letter of the American HER
archy goes on to say: "How fully
these statements fof Pope Leo XIII
apply to our present situation must be
clear to all who have noted the course
of events during the year just elapsed.
The. war indeed has. sharpened the is
sues and intensified the conflict that
RACES in the world of industry; but
the elements the parties and their re-
spective attitudes are practically I'M
changed. Unchanged also are the
principles which must be applied, if
order is to be- restored and placed on
such permanent basis that our PEG.
pie may continue their peaceful pur-
suits without dread of further disturb
ance. So far as men are willing to
accept these principles as the COM
mon ground on which all parties may
meet and adjust their several claims,
there is hope Of settlement without
the more radical measures which the
situation seemed but lately to be fore
ing on public authority. But in any
event the agitation of the last few
months should convince us that some
thing more is needed than temporary
arrangements or local readjustments.
The atmosphere must be cleared so
that, however great the difficulties
which presently block the way, men
of good will may not, through enron,
eous preconceptions, go stumbling on
from one detail to another, thus add
ing confusion to darkness of COUNSEL"
The wonder is that social action
among the clergy and laity should be
considered eXtraneous matter and for,
eign to the genius of the Catholic
church. The Catholic church is too
much the Mother Church of the poor
and lOwly and humble, too much the
spouse of the carpenters Son, that
great Friend of all who labor and gre
heavy burdened, not to hear forever
in his heart the tender yet puissant
GiyS navy p1ly O1 LILO luulLllUlG.
This labor the Catholic church
has always sanctified and held up as
a necessary and a blessed thing. Her
Founder was accounted the son of a
common laboring man, Himself q toll
er at the beach. Her firstsmissionaries
were working men fishermen, publ
cans, a physician, a ,tentmaker. She,
first and alone, uplifted on her banner
the symbols Of; labor and declared
them worthy and holy All her early
documents bear the praise of labor"
The Middle Ages, Shafan. 90. 143. LA.
This has been the continuous tradi-
tional role played by the Church down
to the present. day. There may have
fbeen in the past and there may be
even now among her clergy few
timid parasites meekly cInging to the
skirts of plutocracy. But they are too
| insignificant i'm number and in infiu-
ence to dim the glory which her, noble
Christlike priesthood has ever reflect
ed on the Catholic church. Let.me ap-
peal to your patriotism as well as your
zeal for the cause Of religion in these
United States Of America. Twill quote
the late Cardinal al chbishopr of Balti-
more in his. Mem rial addressed to the
Holy See on behalf .of, labor: 'Among
all the glorious titles which the
Church's history has deserved for her,
there is none which. at present gives
her SO great ]. influence as that of
Friend of the People. .Assuredly, in
our democratic, country, it, is this title
which wins; for the. Catholic church
not only the enthusiastic adevote
of the millions. of her children, but
also the respect, and admiration Of all
our citizens, whatever. be, their relig-
ious belief. It is the power of this
title which renders persecution almost
an impossibilfty, and. which draws
towards our Holy Church the great
heart OF. the American people,"
Reasons For Our Social Action.
We are in this thing, then, because
| it is the Catholic thing We are in 1t
because we have been called to it by
the illustrious Pontiffs quoted Ropes,
Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops.
/ We are in it because souls will be
lost il the masses can point the finger
of scorn at us and our Church as the
mere policemen of capitalism Be-
cause when powerful interests are able
to ignore the teaching OF the Church,
then 1t is, in the words of Leo, that
a small number OF very rich men have
Ms N
been able to lay upon the teeming
j masses of the laboring poor a yoke
little better than that of slavery It.
SELF" In the words OF the great Com
moner, the Catholic church cannot af-
i ford to stand idly by while capital is
placing crown of thorns on the head
of labor and crucifying it on a cross
of gold. We are in this business of
social action because we believe that
another great glory will be won by
the Catholic church in the twentieth
| century, for she alone has program
4 that will solve the great question of
our age-the social problem.
i God Almighty has SO constituted
the Christian life that in every age,
or in every series of ages, 1t appears
| with a new apologize, due to the new
| conditions Of the race. Now is our
4 day, il I am not deceived; this new
il apologize will be the product Of the so
cial question, and progress in that
question will most certainly be made