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Show HONORS CONFERRED. Cardinal Gibbons celebrated his seventy-sixth birthday quietly Saturday. Although the cardinal was averse to public demonstration, commemorative commemora-tive services were held in a number of Roman Catholic churches. Scores of congratulatory telegrams tele-grams came from the United States and Canada and cablegrams from Europe. A warm message of congratulation and hope for many more years of happy life and service was received from the Pope. Later in the day Cardinal Gibbons spoke of the onward movement of Christianity. Chris-tianity. He did not confine himself to the progress prog-ress of the Catholic church, but included all denominations de-nominations and praised the men who give part of their time to the church.- Cardinal Gibbons said he hoped to live to Bee the time when divorce shall be completely discouraged discour-aged in America and that other reforms urged by all churches alike shall be established. "As I look over the years I see much that has been accomplished and much that might have been accomplished but was not," said he. "But as I survey sur-vey the condition of the world as it. obtains today. I realize, as do other men, that much good has been accomplished by the present generation. Ihe Christian Chris-tian spirit has been awakened into life in both high and low places. Within the past three months there has been certain regulations, widespread, conducted con-ducted by both 'men and women, showing that our Christian ideals are not faltering or wavering. Great religious conventions acclaim reforms. They are somewhat different today than they were thirty years ago. "I believe that the men of affairs big, well-to-do men of business are taking a more dominating dominat-ing part today than ever before in the solution of moral questions. "Years ago religious bodies were made up largely large-ly of women, women fought for reforms and it was believed quite erroneously that men did not have time for such matters. "Obligations fall upon men and women alike. In the church and out, we have our duties. The awakening which has called men to a sense of their duties under the laws of God came at a psychological psycho-logical time, in a splendid, progressive age. DESECRATION OF SABBATH. "Even now we musTdepTofe the lack of 6bserv-ance 6bserv-ance of the Sabbath in some quarters of our country. coun-try. Sunday is a day of rest, but it should not be turned. into a day of wild abandonment. "Those who get their recreation in a violent, noisy manner should respect the wishes of those who seek quiet and communion on the Sabbath. "We are facing the greatest question of civilization civili-zation just now the divorce. The church discourages discour-ages divorce because it is discouraged by a higher divinity than the institution of the church. It is appalling to think that the women of today marry four or five times. Some women seem so thoughtless thought-less about the noblest right that they give more attention to the selection of a new gown than they do to divorce and marriage. Not only the church, but all society must unite to discourage this festering fes-tering institution. Divorcees should be made social outcasts. That Avould bo hard in some cases, but the sacrifice would be worth the end. GOOD ADVICE TO YOUNG MEN. ; "I would say to the young men of the United States who love their country and cherish its greatness, great-ness, I bespeak this with the same earnestness as I besneak love and the fear of God: Let more young men of education and virtuous ideals give themselves to. the public service, and, if they do so, with clean hearts and hands, the pregnant evils of government must, De eliminated. In serving your country you are serving God. "I pray for the time when men and women may understand the seriousness of marriage. Regardless Re-gardless of religious convictions, they should understand un-derstand when they marry that .they are entering upon a contract which is not of a df.y or a mouth, but of a lifetime. They should knoAv that they must bear and forbear. The husband cannot pull one way and the wife the other. They must pull in the traces together. "Ponder, the helpless little children of these homes destroyed by divorces. Instead of love ruling their hearts and lives, hatred is sown there. The father goes one way and the mother the other, never' nev-er' to meet again. The children are left without an anchorage. They know not to whom to appeal for affection. They turn to the father to learn that he hates their mother. They turn to the mother to learn and have it seared in their minds and hearts that she hates their father. Their lives are blighted in the bud. How can we expect them to bud into true and tender men and women? How can we expect them to do anything else with their lives than what their parents have done? "Ah, these children of divorced parents! They are the bitter sorrow of my life. They are given no chance, and I say woe to them that are responsible.". |
