The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-10-26

olic Evidence Guild in this city over the past weekend was the splendid address given at the Sunday Com munion breakfast for delegates by Rev. Francis Barrett, assistant pas- tor of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament of this city. Father Bar rett spoke on Christian Morality, the keystone of society's happiness and security. The address was prefaced with a quotation from writing of Pope Plus XII and inter- spersed with a quotation from Q re- cent magazine article by Rev. Alison J. Smith, former local minister. Rev. MT. smith over his signature coE- fessed to several disillusionmentS he experienced in daily contact with certain leaders in various move ments based on the false worship of "fact" and Q mechanistic approach to mans problems. Society has to build whole new set of values based on moral rather than material things" concluded MT. Smith.
 The text of rather Barrett's in- teresting address is as follows:
 CHRISTIAN MORALITY
 "Our troubles" says Plus XII, ''have one bitter root, terrible in its fertility, the ignoring of Gods ma jesty, the complete neglect of his heavenly commandments"
 Gentlemen, if there is any one thing needed by America and the world at large as an absolute pre- requisite for peaceful and progress sive survival, 1t is the moral law. Now, more than ever, we require the guidance of the morality of Gods law. We must not only be prepared to respect the rights of of others, but we must as well rec ognize the distinction between right and wrong, with the view of em- bracing what is morally just and right; otherwise, in our actions, at least, we shall not differ from total itarian tyrants. Christian morality, and Christian morality alone, can give to the world just peace; and only strict adherence to the moral law can make this peace lasting,
 Because of this conviction, 1t was indeed heartening to read in the re- ply of President Roosevelt to the Catholic hierarchy, on the occasion of their declaration of loyalty, these words: e. in victory we shall seek the establishn. mt of an inter- national order in which the spirit of Christ shall rule the hearts of men and nations" It was also heartening to hear our distinguish ed Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, describe the task ahead as one of building human freedom and Christian morality on firmer and broader foundations than ever be- fore"
 Moral Law
 Unfortunately, however, despite these attestations of MT. Roosevelt and MT. Hull, there are too many leaders, even in our own country, who are too thoroughly reluctant or unwilling to make commitments on the basis of the moral law of God There are too many who are more interested in the destruction of mor- ality. It was with full cognizance of such devastating trends that Lord Halifax last spring made an irn- passioned plea for the restoration of Christian education as @ basis upon which to build Christian r1or- ality. He unhesitatingly declared that "No Christian can contemplate the present disorders of the world without feeling how largely they are the outcome of the continuous ero- sion to which the Christian tradi- tions of society-in arts, culture, laws. literature, and family life have been subjected"
 Tn this respect I am going to pass along to you an incident which made 6 very deep impression upon me. Some years ago. here in Water bury, Q young minister was very prominent in espousing the cause of the Loyalists during the Civil War in Spain. Later, through his activities in this direction, he be- came afflliated with the organiza- ton known as the American Friends of Peace and Democracy; and later on in response to an invitation to work with this group, he left this city. In March of this year, he was the author of a magazine piece which appeared in the Christian Advocate, official organ of Method ism. While this article served as a vehicle for revealing certain disillu- sionments which were inevitable, the experiences and conclusions of this reverend gentleman, lucidly and masterfully presented, show only too well the hopelessness of human betterment on purely mech anistic grounds to the exclusion of God and morality. Here, in part, is what he says: '1n two years of work with peace and labor groups, during 8 leave of absence from this ministry, was priveleged to asso- ciate with some very talented, charming and intelligent people. Among theme were people of con- siderable importance in the affairs of this country.
 Recasting World
 'They were full and running over with love for their fellow men, and they were zealous in the execution of plans, programs and pressures to recast this sorry world in a saner mold. However, they had little use for the historic Church and most of them viewed evangelical Chris tianity with supercilious annoyance.
 "As I associated with these friends in common enterprises, came to two conclusions: First, their lives somehow lacked inner poise and discipline. and out of this inner instability came 6 tendency to mess up their human relations; second. their plans. programs and pressures seemed to accomplish nothing.
 Because they had no sense of sin, these people could not know that man was not simply an un-