BISHOOP BRODIE IN THE BALLOT.

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 February 1917, Page 3

BISHOOP BRODIE IN THE BALLOT.

A .YIGOftOU S :P ROTEST,

.(To th« Editor.) '

Sir,-ylt is a matter of no small sur--10 prise to me that the catpoi.es vi this d diocese have so fur maue uo spirited n united public protest ag....--- i... jugJ gimp; oj our rmbie Bisu.op s Lame- m me recent military bait... i have i therefore resolved on ray own initiative 1 not to allow the master pass. iNot -only do 1 solemn. y £and vmiemehtiy r protest against ‘h.c.msioii of our * worthy Bishops name, out n-ain;.t* 3 balloting in tnis m abler Ipr:. tile name 3 of any clergyman wnonisoovor, I write r not to answer those brave correspondents, who, like listeners at a keyhole ‘ or as eavesdroppers behind a hedge, 1 fling the cries of cowards and shirkers ; at the clergy, yet have not the courage % to sign their own names to their despicable attacks. By the way, there is certain legislation- against stirring ‘ up racial or religious strife in wartime, ' and our Government might wisely take 1 a leaf from the book of-our. neighbours across the Tasman Sell. During the agitation over there' against conscription, it was .notslawfiflyto write or publish an article on this- very exerting subject without the lull name and address of the author himself. If the Government- Vijf mot'see to it, I respect- » fully commend the suggestion, dear i. ‘Editor, to yourself. I write in particular for my own denomination) but my remarks are respectfully ihte/ded for. the clergy of other persuasions, and likewise for the great body of fair-minded and honourable jton-Oalholies generally. I wysh jinore emphatically to -remind one and k}nil that so far the clergy are not at all exempted, that, appeals to the boards are simply adjourned for the nonce; and that in the Wellington papers of February 15th, appears a solemn declaration by the chairman of the Central Appeal Boarl : —“All men in the First Division shall be exhaust-

ed before men iu the ,Second Diyi&on are called up. Some of your lire-eai-ing, skulking con e.-ipmmem,s j t re t.Jciiig tins aujounoe.mii. <.i appeal as- ,i great, concession aim t.ivmir t.» toe clergy; J write co state tuoSi emphatically Unit we cake it as no such compliment ac all. We have been very patient, and .loag-siuferaig enough, not wishing to colnpromise c.vd and ecclesiastical authorities, bin nail we known on the drafting of the‘Military Service Act that we sliou.u liver be m the, position we appear to no id co-day, we certainly . Wt uni have openly and vigorously opposed the passing ol the anil. in our eyes it a monstrous that a layman of uu.s country openly declares Bishop Brodio, tlie C«ciioi.o priests, and the ministers ot oil denominations i shall under comp .lsion carry arms and dip their hands in the blood of their \ ieaow men. Are we to aiiuw this to pass without a protest, witncut any tf- j lort, v.uJiout an appeal tor reason and j reflection J To the Catholic there is 1 ■someth,.‘g revolting amt most horrible ; In the thought of Jus priests being men j of b,uod. It is an obstacle for Holy Orders, with ns, to have been the sited- ' der of tlie very blood of animals. It j is a most strict and binding law ot tiio i Chinch we have vowed to obey that i none of her clergy shall carry arms.or i imbrue their hands iu human blood, i Those who mention France as an. ex- 1 ception seem to think that the Church c has agreed to the priests freely offering c themselves for service. No such thing ! t They* are forced under protest to serve, by an avowedly atheistic Government, i which has openly boasted cf driving Jesus Christ from the country. Is it any wonder they drive the priests to the trenches As an offset to such cpi due;- lei me mention these facts. Tlie ancient Egyptians excused; their

pn.-s„s irjm i,..a-ary. .service; tney even- exempted them jruiu all taxation. England nas conscription, yet her clergy are exciup.,. Australia in the rougu draft of tne Conscription Act, thrown out by the voice of the people, had made provision .beforehand in the Act, not leaving it to the choice of the people, 'for the full exemption of the clergy. Vve hear a good deal about equality in the Empire. Are the clergy of this country alone to be left to tue mercies or the whims or a few small-minded appeal boards, when everywhere else great statesmen of far-reaching views' have not so much as suggested the indignity of conscripting the clergy, as we would abhor a ballot of our mothers or our sisters? We fear not tb expose our lives in war, in famine, in pestilence, or in fire, to carry comfort to the sick, the needy or the dying. We protest against placing our names in this military ballot,, even though we were assured of complete and final exemption. We protest not as a degradation of our manhood, for our manhood, in itself we hold no dearer than that of others, but we protest as an insult, an uncalled for indignity, offered to the sacred character of our priestlioi d. To those who cry : “Equal rights, equal obligations,’,’ 1 answer,' '“Various spheres, various obligations.’’ In„New Zealand woman have equal civil rights with man. She is exempt from service not as a citizen, but because other obligations :,re thrown on her, in her sacred character of womanhood, Alas for tins fau- young country of ours u it recognises no other pjwer but the powefe of explosives, no Higher* influence than the,,.persuasion oi o.hl steel. Why do we nut send our motners to the trenches { ho we think tiiey are wanting in courage or seifsacrifice? No, hut because we know and feel, and trust and worship m them a higher power and a nobler influence, in their own sweet holy sphere at home. Can people forget that beautiful scene, mat painting of the historic past, the halting of Coriolanus in his vengeful march on Rome, at the tears, the entreaties of his frail buj; triumphant* mother? Has the*’’world never heard how a bishop of old, the great Pope Leo. L, went out/ in his turn to Attila and his conquering Huns, without sword or spear hut with earnest affection for his people, stayed , him and backed him in his high career ? , ’ ‘ I notice that the doctors of this country hot * forced into the

trenciies for tlie jjiii'jJofed of lulling a ltd wounding, because the Government acknowledges and reveres in Them a nob,er power, the power of saving and healing. The clergy are admittedly a power in the land; they wield a power akin to the doctor’s, best used in heiiliug, not in making, wounds. Their influence on the souls and feelings of a people may be likened indeed to i. mother s touch. Let us fear id shatter the ideals of our people, let'us maintain their reverence for things that are spiritual. Let those who guide with tremendous responsibilities the destinies of this small but hopeful country, remember that if our people once fail to worship' lofty ideals they will very soon begin to worship sticks and stones —I dm, etc. • J. TAYLOR. St. Joseph s, .Ten\uka, Feb, 19.