Evening star., 1944-02-29
Catholic Leaders
Address. Farley
On nFanni|yLife
Bishop Alter Tells
Of Church Attitude
On Social Lows

Declaring the Government should
have authority In social legislation
and policy only in things which can.
not be done within a lesser organiza-
ton, Bishop Karl j. Arthur Alter Of
Toledo today said the church took .
positive rather than q negative atti-
tude In social legislation.
Bishop Alter was the principal
speaker at the opening Of q three
day conference Of the Family Life
Bureau Of the National Catholic
Welfare Council at Catholic Univer-
sity.
There exists an area Of conflict
between the state authorities and
the Christian church." Bishop Alter
said. "The church rejects the right
OF the state in those things which
concern the essential nature Of the
concepts Of marriage = the right
OF the state to forbid marriage or
decree divorce, compel sterilization,
birth control, compulsory secular
education or mere civil marriage.
No Agreement In Principle.
There can be no agreement in
principle. We can only maintain
that obedience to God takes prece-
dence over submission to the
usurped authority OF the state.
THE epochal values and the more
principles established by God con-
corning the family must remain
outside the jurisdiction Of any state
sovereignty"
Mrs. Robert A. Angelo, president
Of the National Council Of Catholic
Women, declared that while every
thing may be ideal in the planning
for the postwar American home, 1t
Is far from ideal in American fam.
lily life"
She attributed the failure Of tho
modern American to the seeming
inability to provide a decent living
for a family of more than one or
two children"
Bad Divorce Record.
I'VE as q country have q shame.
ful record Of broken marriage con.
tracts ending In divorce" she said.
1T will take different men and
women, who live by the Ten Com
mandments, to bring about a social
condition in which the family can
be free to increase and to grow in
decency and dignity"
Mrs. Angelo attacked the "arti-
f1cial limitation of the family as
one of the causes of parental irre-
sponsibility and juvenile delin-
quency, explaining that the raising
OF two or more children together
helped to develop good citizenship"
The Right Rev. John M. Cooper.
professor of anthropology at Cath
ole University, speaking on Char
ity Begins at Home" said there
should be scientific research into
the factors that constitute unsel-
fish parental and marital love. He
declared that young people should
be taught that marriage Is the op-
portunity to give of their best un-
selfishly to God and man"
Msgr. Ryan to Speak.
The Right Rev. John A. Ryan, di-
rector of the social action depart
ment Of the National Catholic Wei.
fare Conference, will be the prin-
cipal speaker at this afternoons
session. He will speak on Birth
Control"
Other speakers will include Frank
G. Sheed, author, lecturer and pub
Usher, who will speak on The Love
of Husband and Wife" and the Rev.
Edgar Schmdedeler, director of the
Family Life Bureau of the National
Catholic Welfare Conference.
The trend of reproduction rate
will be discussed at the evening ses.
sion by DR.. o. E. Baker of the col.
lege Of business and public admin
istration, University of Maryland,
and Constantine Mcclure, author.
Edward j. Heffron, executive sec.
retary Of the National Council Of
Catholic Men, presided at the morn
Ing session.