The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-11-09
Catholic Thought And Opinion
By REV. JOSEPH F. DoNNELLY

willkie came back from Russia and
began crying for the second front
In Fact applauded him most gener-
ously.
CATHOLIC BOOK WEEK
November sis is National Cath
Ole Book Week. The theme Of the
Week Is Books Are Weapons and
catholic schools and colleges
throughout the country are bringing
to the fore the literary treasures
that have accumulated in the two
thousand years of the Church's his
tory.
Books are in truth weapons. Books
mould the thinking and the lives of
men. And In our Catholic literature
we have the greatest minds of his
tory tangling with the temporal and
spiritual problems Of mankind, and
today the critic who enters into
controversy with the teachings of
the Church must be prepared to
demolish the intellectual defenses
raised by great scholars through the
many centuries.
Catholic books should be at the
beck and call Of every Catholic.
America until late has been compar-
atively backward in the field of
Catholic literature. We have had
always at our service the Catholic
classes but now there has appeared
here in America Catholic biograph-
les, histories, poetry and novels
which have been recognized as a
living literature that stands on its
own merits.
INVITATION TO III. G. WELLS
H. G.. Wells has written another
book which is not in itself remark
able. Nor is 1t remarkable that this
book follows the Wells pattern Of
hostility to religion and the Catho-
lie Church. But a few events that
followed its publication are worth
noting and watching.
The book was reviewed and prop
erly denounced in the columns of
the London Catholic Herald. Many
readers wrote in scoring the mac
curacies that abound in the book.
Reading the comments Mr.. Wells
wrote to the editor objecting to the
manner in which the book had been
treated and suggesting that they
who criticize the book should first
read 1t.
In reply the editor made a point
which could be made with every
critic of the Church If he Is sim
cere in his criticism. OF course If
he is not sincere he is dishonest and
he cannot be handled on a plane
with. honest people. The editor says:
What I cannot understand is
why you are so frightfully ignorant
of us Catholics. Before attacking a
person or an institution it is only
common sense and normal courtesy
to inform oneself about him or it.
An hours conversation with either
Father Martin Darcy or Father
Heenan would give you totally diff
ferent idea about us. Or If you can't
get over your tendency to laugh at
priests, I would be only too glad to
do what could over lunch one day
Is 1t a date?"
A SECOND POINT
And to Mr.. Wells remark in his
letter that his critics considered him
IAN old gentleman presumably or
his way to the eternal agony of hell
the editor replies:
Among other things, you woult
learn that no Catholic worthy of the
name possesses the right or even the
remotest desire to judge the state
Of your soul. The average Cath
ole Is far more worried about his
own ultimate fate than he is about
that of anyone else. He Is worried
about himself because 1t Is his bust
ness to be worried about himself
whereas the soul of his neigi.bor Is
not his business but his neighbours
But he is always ready to give any
help by prayer and advice to assure
that his neighbor--oe whom Coo
alone is judge--does save his SOUL"
But will Mr.. Wells accept the in
vitation? If he is sincere We think
he should. We shall be interested to
read the next chapter.