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Show THE CHURCH TO THE RESCUE? If the fololwing press dispatch, with the deductions deduc-tions therein enunciated, is reliable, the seemingly inevitable has come to pass: "Rome, June 19. The Pope has issued an encyclical en-cyclical encouraging Catholics to participate in public affairs. While seeking the advice of ecclesiastical ec-clesiastical authorities, the encylclical says: "Catholics should retain complete liberty of action regarding their temporal interests." "Members of the clergy are recommended lo refrain re-frain from participation in party strife. 'The encyclical has created a sensation. Its object is to induce Catholics to enter public life so that they may be a force against the threat' of socialism." "War" bet ween the Church and any considerable element of society is assuredly a contingency that all Catholics would deplore. But the condition of affairs that obtains in the world's social, industrial indus-trial nwLpolitical realms at the present time would seem to preclude all alternative on the part j of the Church. Taking advantage, of the discontent, just and reasonable that is all-prevailing in the ranks of wage-laborers, ' a pernicious class of agitators would viciously prevail upon the masses to have recourse to Godless and iniquitous measures of relief. Boldly asserting that the grievances labor are duo to the influences of religion, they would persuade society to disrupt Christianity and seek contentment and happiness in the "flesh-pots" .of life. Denying the supernatural, the providence of God and all spirituality, they would inaugurate a reign of gross materialism and sensuality. The Church may not" ignore this rcproheusiblq tendency, nor view it in a spirit of inactive complacency, com-placency, 'without proving recreant to her divine mission, which is to save mankind from the spiritual spiri-tual and moral ruin wrought by its follies and passions; pas-sions; and the Church shall not prove recreant, for "the gates of hell shall not prevail against her." " j Whenever it becomes apparcn: that there is i.t work an influence of evil that seriously threatens the moral and spiritual interests, of society. Holy Church must bring to bear her anathema against, this evil, and her every influence must be exercised to cheek its destructive progress. The Aveal of the human race absolutely depends upon the saving sav-ing influences of the religion of Christ, and this can be efficaciously exercised only by the Catholic Church. That Socialism is such an influence, many honestly or feignedly doubt. It is the writer's conviction, con-viction, however, that its true character cannot much longer be concealed. j f- 1 : The disclosures of rank venality, corruption and crime in connection with Chicago labor organizations afford additional proof that men, in whatever walk of life, are lamentably prone to yield to the dictates of vile selfishness and base passions unless, restrained by the fear of God. Of these misdeeds the unoffending masses are the helpless victims. The crying pity is. that men who pose as the friends and would-be saviors of the common people are doing all in their power to discredit the religion of Christ, which alone and only can imbue society with the saving principles of righteousness. Theirs' is a case of the vicious leading the blind. |