GREAT UNREST

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 122, 8 February 1923, Page 4

GREAT UNREST

CONDITION OF WORLD TO-DAY “TOO MUCH BITTERNESS” ADDRESS BY ARCHBISHOP O’SHEA Addressing the half-yearly meeting ol the Diocesan Council of the Catholic Federation, His Grace Archbishop O’Shea stated that his visit to Europe and America had afforded him. . a splendid opportunity of acquiring first-hand information about the conditions of the world generally, and particularly about the after-enccts of the Great Wa r “That war had left behind it a very sad heritage, indeed, and no one could tell how soon that heritage would disappear. Wo were passing through critical times. A new order seemed to bo rising on the ruins of the old, and new things could never - again be exactly as they wore before 1914. We were in a period 0! transition, and were v.confronted with all the .difficulties and problems that were inevitable during a time of transition. Some ot these difficulties had been greatly accentuated for Europe, and in a lesser for America nnd. ourselves, by the unfortunate terms of the Peace Treaty made on the conclusion of the war. " Then, again, although it was true that many of the old tyrannies nnd anomalies in Government had been done away with a tendency was showing itself to cause the pendulum to swing too far the other way, and there were signs everywhere of a weakening of respect for authority, even though it was the authority chosen by tae people themselves. “The recent appeal of the great nations to force to settle their diflorcnces and difficulties had encouraged amongst minorities in many lands the idea that tliey too can appeal to force to impose- their will on. the majority. In many places also an increasing lack of reverence was being shown in regard to f things that had been held in respect for centuries by men of all nations and classes. This want of reverenco was showing itself more and more amongst the young people, tut it was probably worse in. New Zealand than in any country which I visited. “In America, where money had such tremendous power in politics, much legislation had been enacted that was causing anxiety to thoughtful people. There, after three generations ot schools without religious training, more than half the population put itself down as belonging to no church at all. Then you had open disregard of certain laws of the land by prominent people. You had lynchings in which supposedly respectable citizens take. part. you. had outrages of all kinds, and even murder committed by secret associations that claimed. to supersede the ordinary civil auihoiitios in the country. . “So you see there is great unrest in the world to-day,” continued Archbishop O’Shea. 4 ‘AV hut is to be th?j outcome of it all ? At times I that I do not feel very hopeful. Jhe relations between class and class, aio becoming more selfish and strained. There is too much of tho idea that the interests of one section of tho community must necessarily be opposed to the interests of some other class or section. There is too much bitterness in the world to-day. There will always be differences in the ranks of society, because all mon have not the brains nor equal capacity to rise. But these differences should not prevent all men from being, able to live in comfort. happiness, and contentment. Nor can we get rid of differences of opinion as to the best remedies for the evils that we deplore, but why do we allow these differences to prevent all attempt to reform the evils ? “Aro we on the eve of another great upheaval such as took place when the Roman Empire went to pieces? There again I remember that civilisation was saved and society regenerated bv Christianity in that terrible crisis of the world’s history, and so I am encouraged to hope for the future. . “I suppose that it will be admitted by all thoughtful people who believe in the great truths of Christianity, or at least in its influence tor good on the world, that the three greatest institutions that contribute to the welfare of society are the home or family, the school, and the church. “The family or homo is the real unit of society and its very foundation. As families are, so will the nation ba. But what kind of results can you expect from families that are not built on the old Christian lines? Most of the evils of the day are. traceable to the home because it is no longer a home in the old sense of the word, because its very stability, is sapped by the divorce evil. Why. in some parts of America, divorces actually outnumber the marriages, and we are tending to the same way in this country. ■ ~ , “Then there is the abominable doctrine of birth control closely coiim>‘ted with the divorce habit. We seem to be approaching tho state, of tilings that existed it) pagan Home at its worst, and which helped effectually to destroy that proud empire. “After the home comes the school, which is- the second great factor in the welfare of society. Enormous sums of money have been spent in spreading education amongst the masses by modern governments- Magnificent buildings with splendid equipment are to be found everywhere, but prisons and penitentiaries have increased proportionately, for mental training does not necessarily make men moral. Is there not something wrong with 0111* schools? “The third agency that contributes to the welfare of society is the Church. It cannot bo denied that the Catholie Church is the greatest moral power in the world to-day, and she is doing enormous good everywhere,, though this may not always be realised by the average man who sees only the surface of things. The teachings of the Church'if properly understood and applied, will not do harm to any section of the community. On the contrary they will promote the welfare not only of Catholics, but of all citizens, because they enforce principles of right and justice, and tho proper respect for the rights of individuals as well as communities, of minorities as well as ol majorities. “As she has sanctified th? home and the family, so, too, she has established and supported the religious school. She is the one great body which has consistently and continually held ter the unity and indissolubility I of marriage, and she has always spoken 1 out, in unmistakable ternqs against race j suicide. Her religious schools are . coining to be respected by all who have. , watched their results, and thinking men of every class and creed aro coming to the conclusion forced by the . very logic of facts, that religious teaching and training should be an essential part of every system of education. 1 The objections to the purely secular i system have never been answered m , theory or in practice. . ■ “We need an instructed intelligent | Catholic laity to help us to spread the ; truth unionist men. and do our little . but important share in this small cor- j m-r ol' the globe to meet dangers Unit , threaten all of us, no matter of what , class or creed. We look then to you | CjMlho'.ic and wumen of tho fedora- : ijon to .laiie yuyi- share, ol the work that must sooner or later be shouldered by all sections of the community , to save what is truo. respectable, and 1

decent in tho social order that is now being so actively threatened by the forces of disruption ; ami I am sure that the Catholic laity of Wellington will not be behind others in their love of fairness and justice to nil sections of the community, and that they will not be found wanting when the test comes.”