CATHOLIC CHURCH.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 82, 5 March 1938, Page 11

CATHOLIC CHURCH.

PREACHING THE FAITH. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, March 4. The Catholic Church and human reason were discussed by Very Rev. Father O. F. Dudley, of London, in

an address at the Town Hal] to-niglit. Bishop Liston presided over an attendance of 3000 people. ‘‘‘When it comes to religion Catholics the only really logical and rational people in the world,” Father Dudley said. “The common dictum today is that it does not matter what man believes. It is higlilyjfirrational to assert this, which obviously' matters very much.

‘‘There are many people to-day who give vcnt to the parrot cry that Christianity is a failure, .and therefore the Catholic Church is,” Father Dudley said. “They mean by that that the Catholic Church has failed to establish the universal Utopia of worldly prosperity on earth, and on this score they reject consideration of her claims. She is a failure from the utilitarian standpoint. To this our obvious reply is that Christ did not found a mere philanthropical society for curing the public of social ills, although actually the Catholic Church has done more for humanity than all the philanthropists put together. Christianity does not exist to establish men in security and prosperity on earth. Its purpose is to put men in possession, not of the things of this world, but of the things of heaven. Success nr failure of the Catholic Church —if we mav use such terms at all—is in proportion to the number of souls she sanctifies and saves.

“Her critics are scarcely in a. position to judge of this.” Father Dudley said. The Catholic Church was always out to convert people and there was no secret about it.

“Some people do not like this,” he continued. “They look upon the Catholic Church .as a public nuisance always going about disturbing people who want to be left alone. In n. sense they are quite right. The Catholic Church is a public nuisance ; she does disturb people; she does upset people. Did not the Apostles upset people? They were bent on converting them. In a sense the Apostles were a public nuisance, ijnd were locked up for it. The Catholic Church, being a church of the Apostles, is exactly the same to-day. She will not let-the world alone. She is out for the conquest of souls.” In the concluding stages Father Dudley .addressed himself particularly to non-Catholics, and appealed to them to get to know the Catholic Church. “There is not one person, in this

country who hates the Catholic Church,” he said. “They may bate the lying caricature presented by her enemies, hut-'that is not the Church. To know the Catholic Church is to love her.”

Most Rev. Dr. J. D. Simonds (Archbishop of Hobart) said that there was a great deal of misunderstanding on the question of the infallibility of the Church. He discussed the existing class struggle which, lie said, followed the rugged individualism of the philosophers of the 18th century. It was the duty of the Catholic community to press always for recognition of the principles enunciated by the Pope in his recent encyclical. This was a means of benefiting society without the tyranny of Communism.

Very Rev. Father J. M. Reardon, of Minneapolis, spoke in place of Rt. Rev. F. C. Kelley, Bishop of Oklahoma City. “This country, as is ours, is a. 11011Catholic country.” he said. “Whenever seven New Zealanders are brought together in a group,one —ancl only one a Catholic, and on his or her shoulders alone falls) the responsibility of preaching the Catholic faith. “There is no doubt that the Church wants to make New Zealand Catholic and the Anglicans want to make it Anglican, and the Methodists want to make it Methodist,” he s.-’d. “If the work is ever done and New Zealand becomes a. Catholic country the glory and honour will be to the credit of Catholic laymen and women.” Father Reardon said that about 400 priests had ample to do in ministering to the 200.000 Catholics in New Zealand, and the duty of spreading the faith rested without doubt on the shoulders of the laymen.