OCR Text |
Show Limitations of Catholic Literature. (By the Author of ".My Xew Curate."') The .Most Bev. Dr. Jlealcy, Archbishop of Tuam, Ireland, presided at the recent Catholic truth conference con-ference in Dublin. The address of most general interest was that delivered by the Very Kov. P. A. :Shechan, T.D., of Doueraile. author of "My ZS'ew 'Curate.'' "Luke Dehnege," etc. ;.- Dr. Sheehan entered -on his theme, "The Limitations Limi-tations and Possibilities of Catholic Literature,1' by emphasizing, the mutual antipathy that exists between be-tween Catholicity and the modern world so strong that it is almost impossible for either the Church or she world to understand the other. And then he put the pertinent question: Are Catholics doing all they can to make their position intelligible and their bn'nniness communicable to outsiders '". The special circumstances of Catholics in Ireland make such intellectual action on their part the more urgent. Material works, and even organizations of the strictly religious sort, abound on all sides and show every indication of vitality; nor in these departments depart-ments need we fear comparison with any of the churches. But we have not yet fully recognized the vast importance of literature as a means of con- veying Catholic truth to the world. We have been i hoarding up cur treasures without a desire of shar- ing them. The Lord said: "Go forth and teach!" We are content to say: "Come and learn!" But the learned lecturer proceeded to state he was far from wishing to incriminate the .whole Catholic community in the wholesale charge of indolence and culpable negligence. On the contrary, he would take the opportunity of congratulating the society, under whose auspices he was addressing his audience, audi-ence, both on the noble work done by the committee and officials of the society, and also on their great and unprecedented success. Moreover, it was worth while to point out certain limitations and restraints with Avhich those writers are hampered whose duty it. is to defend God's truth, as compared with those who can appeal to two great elements of popularity passion and untruths! These restrictions arc at once our apology and our pride they do not only embarrass, but they also shield, the Catholic writer. ' Hence Father Sheehan has no toleration for ' those who cry out : We want a Burns ! We want h Tolstoi or an Ibsen ! Even as poets, he would not compare for a moment Robert Burns with our own : Moore and Mangan; and no man or nlaid need blush for the melodies of the former, whilst Mangan was po scrupulously pure that he made the greatest sac- ', "rifice a poet can make by watering down in his .translations the rather burning words, of Germ, j or Irish poets. Xo! the cry of every Catholic heart I must ever be: Perish art and science and literature, rather than issue one word that could originate in unholy thought, or bring to the check of the innocent inno-cent an unholy flame! But this is a drawback, a limitation within which we are strictly bound, whilst the world wantons with vice and secures popularity. The Catholic Eecord. |