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Show I CATHOLICS SHOULD STUDY 3 Social Problems Should Be Studied and Discussed. .Present-Day Problems Not Likely to Solve Themselves. English 1 Jesuit Urges Laymen to Take Intelligent Intelli-gent Interest in Questions of the Day. Called to It By Voice of the Holy Father The word ''study" may possibly alarm my readers, read-ers, and their alarm may be increased -when the word "social" is prefixed to it, says Rev. Charles J). Plater, S. J. They will picture a formidable nr?y of Blue Books, or a row of the stodgy volumes, vol-umes, and will protest that they have neither the time nor the inclination for social study. "We Lave our work to do all day," they will say, "and rnr few ppare hours are needed for rest and relax- ; i.tion. Let the experts fight out the social problems jmongst us and leave us in peace.' Now, there is no cause for dismay; neither is their excuse for inaction. You are not called upon tn line your shelves with Blue Books. No serious fiirroaehment is suggested upon your rest or relaxation. re-laxation. But to social study in one of its many jrms you are called. You are called to it by the i voice of the Holy Father, by your principles as a Catholic, and by any instincts that you may possess pos-sess of common commisseration of your fellow men. As to the Pope's view of the matter there can bo no doubt. "The social question,' says the present pres-ent Pontiff, 'deserves to have all the Catholic fore- applied to it with the greatest energy and teoustaney." This involves study, and study not only by the xperts and loaders, but by the rank and file. Catholics Cath-olics in all the various conditions of life must learn to lake an intelligent interest in the social question. Otherwise, their energy and constancy will be aimless and even harmful. All can and should contribute to what I may call the corporate Catholic social experience. The priest and the layman, lay-man, the worker and the student, rich and poor, can help to throw light on this most difficult of problems. "It is for Cal holies to take the initiative in all Due social progress; -tr -h. "themselves UiC 'jAciviv 3ast defenders and enlightened counsellors of 'ihe weak and defenseless, to be the champions of the eternal principles of justice and Christian civilization." civiliza-tion." So wrote Leo XIII to Cardinal Langenieux in 1M"". But enlightenment on social questions is not a gift infused into u at baptism, or conferred upon u at continuation. It has to be worked for, :u.d worked for not by our leaders alone, but by us :J1. If the general body of Catholics is not an enlightened en-lightened body, it will be no champion of the eter : al principles. T forbid the Catholic laity to be inactive." wrote Leo XIII to the Bishop of Terra-goiia. Terra-goiia. But activity, to be useful, must be based ii knowledge; and knowledge implies study. To the same conclusion we are driven by the principles of our religion. To be a Catholic is i-omething very great, and splendid, and responsible. I t is not a mere name to be worn lightly. It in-, in-, volvcs a new way of life. We cannot take our standard from the people about us, for we have divine standards of our own. And we are "standard bearers"' in every sense of the term, for "the charity of Chrit urgeth us" not only to school ourselves in the Divine law, but to impress it upon all about ns. Society is badly out of joint, and we must "take the initiative" in the task of resetting it. This involves in-volves preliminary study. '"But you are mixing up two distinct things, it, v.-ill 1m? objected. "The charity of Christ urges me to bring men to Him,' to save their souls, to spread 3 lis supernatural religion. These things are on ruite a different plane to social questions, which are oiieerned with material things. I am told to save :ien"s souls, not to cater to their bodies,"' The objection is plausible, but un-Catholic. It rv,s on a false view of the supernatural. While it appears to elevate the supernatural, it really degrades de-grades it. Bo sure of it, we shall not work for men's Ki.ils unless we work for their bodies also. If we t .re not actively seeking to relieve the material sores i ; humanity, we cannot have much concern for its spiritual sores. That lesson is written in the Gos-p'K.-phiin for all to see. Upon the degree to which we have succored Christ's poor for Christ's sake v ill our service of Christ be measured. Care for our suffering fellowmen is a condition of our salvation. sal-vation. Catholic social action is jtoles asunder from J lu re philanthropy. It is lit up by a motive which raises it 1 supernatural dignity. We must not keep our Catholicity and our social action in watertight water-tight compartments. The former must express itself through the latter. The two must be inti-jnatily inti-jnatily blended. Oir religion should urge us to Mremmus and enlightened efforts on behalf of the- r .,.!,! -uhVring. It should lead us to avail our- s. e- f the very best and most effective methods :.:, i should prevent our being content with that slip-bod and indiscriminate charity which in these .; - -s l.vey do more harm than good. If Ave really 1 ,,. -,,( p.ior for Christ's sake, we shall take pains : , relieve i hem effectively; and to relieve them ef-f ef-f (-lively involves careful study. It is easv to toss half-crowns to the poor, sup-' ! Jniv v i.jive the half-crowns. It is easy, but it i- futile. 'If our ch-irily takes n; oilier form, sev-i sev-i !-:il e;-v terrihV things will happen. In the first l l :ee. we shall find that our poor are being drawn ; w.iv fr,'m us, nnd lost to the faith. For we. with our half-crowns, cannot compete against the growing grow-ing organizations which are attempting to deal with the problem of destitution and unemployment unemploy-ment on wider lines. This movement is inevitable, ::i.d instead of opposing it. we should take our part in it. and give it a Catholic color. In the second j luce mere indolent philanthropy will but increase (Continued on Page 5.) CATHOLICS SHOULD STUDY. (Continued from Page One.) the appalling number of our own destitute. Any 'one who knows the legions of "submerged" Catholics Cath-olics must feel that the problem cannot be solved by indiscriminate almsgiving. We have got to build these people up, and to do sO we must begin by a concerted study of their conditions. At present pres-ent we are half -strangled by the dead weight of our disorganized poor. The spectacle of their misery should stir us to businesslike action, based on careful care-ful study. That may do something to stop the leakage leak-age which is due largely to economic pressure. Our charity will be none the less meritorious for being enlightened. Our faith provides us with sound principles of social reform. It provides us, too, with the highest high-est of motives, and with supernatural helps, of which other social reformers feel the lack. But it does not provide us with ready-made methods of giving effect to our charity. This demands study. We should take pains to equip ourselves with the very best scientific knowledge, and to attack the problem at its very roots. Let it again be repeated that this is a matter for us all to take to heart. Both in social study and in social action, we have, each of us, our work to do. We want Catholic workmen to watch the labor movements from inside, and to keep the Catholic Cath-olic body informed of their tendencies. We want Catholic priests to make available their enormous experience of the lives of the poor. We want Catholic Cath-olic women to realize their social mission, to studv conditions, and to give us constructive suggestions like those of the Women's Industrial Council. We want Catholic professional men to give us new light on the various aspects of the social question; we want Catholic business men to help to introduce business methods into our social activity; we want Catholics of leisure to give us assistance in organizing; organ-izing; Catholic writers to give us their aid in prop aganda. Again, there is work for all, once the calj to it is realized. There is work for any willing helper who can give the smallest amount of time to the cause. Let us not be backward in following the noble example of our Belgian and German brethren, breth-ren, who have reduced social work to a thoroughly scientific basis, and by earnest study and strenuous stren-uous labor have accomplished marvels in "restoring all things in Christ." |