The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-09-11

stances, and with what safe
guards" children may attend 9th
which the free world trembles
today. But here he drew the dis
tinctions OF eternal realities and
temporal purposes which can
safely guide the religious mind
ed unionist. For Plus XI in the
same breath as he denounced
communism deplored the failure
of some even inside of our own
fold to endorse the practical so
cial program which he and his
predecessors had enunciated.
Catholic workers, therefore. il
they will Just be guided by the
Church, can render invaluable as
siStance TO their unions. Fol
lowing their Popes, they can in
vite all who believe in God to
join them in the fight against
communism. At the same time
they will not be surrendering
single wage, working condition
or other industrial betterment
already achieved.
The Christian. unionist there
fore can be social-minded with
out being socialist" or social
istic" He can intelligently urge
many reconstructive changes for
the common good without being
communist" or "communistic.
He knows his way around" and
can calmly hold his head up
against the smear.
At the present time in the
American scene a vicious feder-
alism is alleged to be threaten
ing our constitutional heritage.
Washington has been interfer-
ing too much" Well, if this is
so, the Catholic unionist has
been given by our present Holy
Father whatever guidance may
be needed in the face OF such
eventuation. After denouncing
the class struggle. as | have al
ready mentioned, Plus XII in the
same widely publicized radio ad-
dress demanded 1.-The protection
of the individual person and the
family unit against their absorp-
tion by the State, a process of
excessive Specialization at the end
of which looms the threatening
nightmare of 'Leviathan.' (That's
a cruel all-devouring materials
for souls or religion) Against
this menace" says the Pope,
"the Church will fight uncom-
promisingly because the highest
goods, human dignity and the
salvation of the soul, are jeopar-
died"
So the American religionist
today can calmly view the large
displacement of the political par
ty which vehiculated the social
betterments of the last twenty
years. The New Deal may be rid
iculed as gone but the good
things il paralleled from the So
cial teaching of the Church will
stay. Some of the items may be
unloaded by the federal govern
ment but good sflioniSm in forty
eight states will take up the
fight lest the fragments be
lost" As the clamor grows for
respect of states rights, so will
good unionism scream from the
housetops for acquittal of states
duties. The Christian unionist
will realize the abiding worth
and the indomitable character of
the social teaching of the
Church. He will calmly say to
his challenger, as our great pro-
tagonist Msgr. John Ryan is sup
posed once TO have said. Before
the New Deal was. ! ami"
come now, my friends, to my
fourth and final observation.
The extension of good unionism,
the avoidance of bitterness over
class conflict and the necessity
of stressing states duties as well
as states rights are all tied in
with that reconstruction of eco
nomic society which alone can
give us enduring industrial
peace.
According TO Catholic teaching
every government has the sacred
obligation of fostering inter-
group action which will provide
for the general welfare. If
groups are not allowed to organ
ize. or if after their organiza-
ton they are not positively urg-
ed and helped TO work with one
another, then some segment of
the population suffers. So the
Church proclaims the necessity
of what were in our teaching
first called vocational groups. F"
Later our economists named
them associated industries and
professions. At the present time
we call them industry coun-
cils."
Now how are they meant to
work? Well, each section, both
the employers and the en-
ployees', IN every industry dem