New Britain herald., 1924-02-01

"Yes," said Mussolini, Belgium and
 Italy must collaborate, and that in-
 timately. You are right to empha-
 size the preponderant role of catho- 1 lieism in the life of nations. The
 strength of Italy, her joy. and her
 marvellous chances for the future are
 due 10 Catholicism. have frequent i ly proclaimed if. I shall proclaim it
 whenever have the opportunity,
 Catholicism by its doctrines and its
 rrecepts Of renunciation. pcnance,
 sacrifice, mortifcations, Catholicism
 by its Asceticism, persuaded men to
 combat themselves. with themselves
 and in combating themselves, to de-
 velop their deeper energies, those that
 make heroes and saints"
 "Tt is thanks to our Catholicism
 that we Italians have preserved the spiritual yigor. the spiritual nobility, the spiritual fecundity which takes the place of the material wealth, which we lack, and which by the way makes us fit to conquer t."
 Without Catholicism what would become of us Italians7 What would Hdht btNOllf Vl uss t4pOhf ny sir. at the majority of the European people. They have given themselves up too much to the thirst of enjoy ment. They have coarsened. They have become materialized. And if they are Protestants they have dragged religion down in their downfall. They allow it to subsist only as a formula, behind which there is nothing re- ligious. Nothing is more significant in this connection, than to examine the meaning of the word comfort This word comfort my dear sir, is Italian. It signifies for us what is in it's original acceptation; joy of the spirit. joy of the heart. the delightful peace Of the whole soul. a taste for super-terrestrial realities. That is comfort. But how many oth- CT people have made this word a 1 synonym of arm-chairs and modern 1 plumbing.
 catholicism renders to Italy. as t renders to all the nations that com ,ent to being penetrated by it. the | service Of ciyilizing . hem, of purifying them or raising \ hem above themselves. by the vic- orious struggle which if induces \ hem to wage against their grosser or yil appetites. Catholicism has rem tered US greater service than that. By it's spirit of modification if com inces us that we should consume ess than what we produce. It has bus endowed us with material re- ources thanks to which we have assed through crises. which another eople doubtless would not have sur ived.
 'In what I have told you." the dic- ltor continued. you will find my rincipai reasons for my attitude to- ard atholicism-respect for Cath licism. protection of Catholicism, col- iboration with Catholicism.
 "The teaching of Catfolieisms. 1ould be encouraged and Stimulated Y the state. I require all teachers , be punctual and zeslous. In this re- sect. The prestige Of the Cross must r recognized. sanctioned by the state.
 have reestablished the Crucifix in le court rooms and in the schools.
 -.=epose to reestablish it in parlia- eut.
 .I treat with severity whosoever 15ertakes to pervert my people. be- use by perwersion they are weak red and dissolved. And 10 dissolve efn would mean their eviction from e world. it would mean the annihi- ton of our efforts to place Italy in e front rank Of the nations.
 What a lesson there is contained In fe lives of these two world renowr- characters for their compatriots in rnerica!
 Are the Italians in America com ious of the great uphesva going on
 the fatheriand? Or are they go ,sy. in the struggle for material irer for a living that they have lost cir point of contact with that noble nd so which America and sii Chris "a rs.iens gre ss much indsbtsd- Recently st a meeting of the Rotary