Evening star., 1932-11-25
MASS SATTENDED
BY HIGH OFFICIALS
Or. Shehan Asks for Restora-
ton of Lost Moral
Ideals.

The world is in crying need OF the
restoration of its lost moral ideals to
guide its people and give them hope,
the Rev. Lawrence J. Shehan told a
distinguished gathering Of Government
officials and diplomats in his sermon
yesterday at the annual Thanksgiving
day n-American mass at st. Pat
rick's Church.
The chief source of the world distress
today, DR.. Shehan said, is the fact that
the great masses of the people have
had their ideals of traditional morality
shattered "by the claims and preten-
sion of popular science that has been
openly materiaistic by popular edu-
cation comletely secularized, by demor
alizing urban living conditions brought
about by modern industrialism."
These forces, held in check as long
as the old traditions continued to sur
vive, he declared, were unleashed when
the old order was disrupted by the
World War. The only hope for recon-
struction of any lasting social order,
DR. Shehan said, lies in acceptance OF
satisfactory moral principles by the
great masses of men.
The salvation of civilization, in
time when the world Is fast sinking
to a moral condition scarcely superior
to that against which shone the ideal
Of the early Christians" DR.. Shehan
declared, lies in the energetic activities
Of those who believe in Christian ideals.
Asks Fight Against Paganisn.
'What the world needs now more
than anything else" he said, us that
we who believe in Christ should draw
together; that we should stand. as did
the early Christians. against the cor
ruption of paganism." :.
Second to the need for general
moral code which will uphold the fall
ing courage of mankind, he said, Is
SOCIAL and economic ethic that Will
correct the inequalities and inJusttces
of modern industrialisrn and capital
ISM and third great need is for the
establishment of "a satisfactory inter-
national ethic."
Commenting that the Thanksgiving
observance in 1882 takes on added sig
nificance from the fact that 1t marks
the formal closing Of the Bicentennial
celebration, DR.. Shehan said the Ma
ton and the world need O return to
the spirit which guided George wash
ington and his fellow Americans IN
their struggles for the ideal OF democ-
Tacy.
The history of the country, he said,
Gin its large outlines and main fea-
lures has been an epic of surprising
nobility, because through it has run an
almost constant struggle for what is
noblest and best in the democrs eic
ideal"
Time after time struggles have been
waged against special interests who
have laid hands on our Government
and have sought to make 1t the IN
strument of power and wealth for o
favored few" Each time. he said, the
people have arisen and asserted their
viii behind the leadership of such men
of power and vision as Jefferson, jack
son and Lincoln.
Leaders of People.
Only the inbred ideals of democracy
have served to keep the old spirit alive
"in the age of great mergers, those
giant corporations which threatened
the economic and political freedom OF
the common people," he said. Against
the corporations rose Theodore Roose-
welt to champion the cause Of the peo-
Pile, and later woodrow Wilson came
IoTWaIQ, I6EZ6SGIltiIA& PCAAAAP0 CtCa
more authentically the will and voice
of the common people"
Then came the World War and the
interruption of "all orderly processes OF
social development" The great Ameri-
can ideal which we carried into the
war, DR.. Shehan said, "has almost van-
ished." The ideal has given way TO a
spirit Of isolation and narrow selfish
ness"
The Most Rev. Pietro Flmasoni-
Biondi, apostolic delegate. presided at
the mass, q feature of which was the
first use Of the great organ recently in
stalled in the church. Special music
was provided under direction OF Miss
Jennie Glennon, director OF the choir.
Officers of the mass were Rev. James
A. McVann, Rev Michael j. Riordan and
Rev. Francis X. Cavanaugh. Rev Je-
rome Sebastian, st. Elizabeth's Church,
Baltimore, was celebrant; Rev. Elmer
Fisher, st. Edwards Church, Baltimore,
deacon, and Rev. George E. Shank,
also of st. Edwards, subdeacon.
Among the Pan-American diplomats
present were the Ambassadors OF Peru,
Argentina, Chile, Cuba; the Ministers
from Guatemala, Venezuela, Haiti, CO.
lombia, Panama and Bolivia, and the
charges d'affaires OF Paraguay, Mica
ragua and Costa Rica.
DR.. Leo S. Rowe, director general OF
the Pan-American Union, and Surg.
Gen. and Mrs. Hugh 8. Cumming also
were among those present.