SUNDAY AMUSEMENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 56

SUNDAY AMUSEMENTS.

ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP ON THE QUESTION DAY OF RECREATION AS WELL AS REST. Dr. O’Reilly, Archbishop of Adelaide, during an interview with a representative of the “Adelaide Advertiser,’’ gave a very frank exposition of the views of the Roman Catholic Ohurch as im the propriety of Sunday amusements. "Opinions I have, and very decided opinions,” he said to his interviewer at the outset. “They are not my own—they are the opinions of all Catholic writers on ethics, and are the views of the Catholic body.” “The bulk of men,” Archbishop O’Reilly proceeded, replying to questions, “are and always have been, and always will be, toilers. The working classes form the vast majority of our race. I hey require time for worship, it is true — but they require time also for rest and relaxation. Catholics hold that it is man’s duty to consecrate some portion of God’s day to the service of God. Our church’s rule is a simple one. Every Catholic, not hindered by legitimate cause, is expected to put in an appearance once every Sunday forenoon at church. To facilitate the fulfilment of the obligation, we have masses in our larger churches at various hours on Sunday mornings, and every service is short. For the rest of the day each O'tholio is free. I am well aware that there are excellent people—-non-Catho-lics are, of course, in my mind—whose idea of the fitting observance of the Sunday lies in reading the Bible or singing hymns or saying prayers all Sunday long. That idea will never, I fear, meet its realisation in the average man.”

The propriety cf refraining from work on Sunday is admitted by all, but is indulgence in Sunday amusements lawful P

‘‘As to that, my opinions are as strong and as decided as opinions can be. Everything mundane is liable to abuse; and indulgence in amusements may be carried too far on Sundays—as it may be carried too far, indeed, on week days. Within limits, which are very large in my way of thinking, amusement is perfectly legitimate on Sunday. Take the case of a young woman who has been all the week serving daily her scores of customers at shop counter, and who stands and talks and opens parcels and measures then:, and makes out bills from week’s end to week’s end ; or of the young -woman in a factory, who from Monday morning to Saturday at midday has her lungs choked with the fluff and dust or the machine room, and her senses dulled -with the swish of the belts, tbe whirl of the wheels, the clasli and the din of crank, and lever and cam. Imagine the young man who lias been listening to the hammering of rivets, the shaping of metal or attending a furnace during the entire week. Sunday comes, God’s fresh air is blowing on the hills and on the sea coast ; God’s foliage and blooms wrap- the earth in gladness; God’s sunshine is everywhere. I have no sympathy—l have hardly patience—with +hose who tell me that the young woman or young man whom I have been describing may not by bicycle or boat or trap or train or tram avail herself or himself on God’s own day of God’s precious gifts to all His Children. The day of rest is a synonym for Sunday it is true; but rest is by no means synonymous with bodily inactivity. IT© who has his avocation indoors all the week finds his relaxation m a Sunday’s excursion.” Let me put a more pertinent question. What are your view's as regards the Sunday concerts ? •‘I think music in its varying phases a perfectly legitimate form of recreation on Sunday. I think it allowable to play secular airs, to sing secular songs, on Sunday. It is relaxation, and it is for relaxation really, though in part, the Sunday exists. Is it not possible that many attending the concert might be less innocently occupied if the attractions of the concert had not drawn them to the Rotunda or to the Exhibition Building? Objection is raised that promotel’s of the Sunday concerts take up a collection at the doors. In Catholic churches, even though tlie day bo Sunday, a collection is taken up at every service. If music on Sunday is the innocent thing I believe it to be, I must confess myself utterly unable to see the harm in the promoters of a Sunday’s ooncert having their collection. If the holding of tlie concert is lawful—as I believe it is—l certainly can see no valid objection to the making of the collection, which is to pay for the expenses of the concert.” What about the Continental Sunday? The phrase marks, or is supposed to mark, an institution intensely alien to the religious sentiment of Englishspeaking people. “A distinction must be made- There is the Continental Sunday to which I

object as strongly as any English-speak-ing Protestant can. There is tlie Continental Sunday to which I do not object, and of w'hich I unreservedly approve. Pharisee-ism is a weakness to w'hich our nature has a strangely facile inclination. The lowering of one’s fellow Christian is at least the relative of raising oneself; and to raise oneself oven relatively is always so sweet. It may be rash of me to say so, yet I never could and never will believe that Englishspeaking people have any monopoly of wisdom, or virtue, or religion, or of the other countless gifts of God. If in cities on the Continent tradesmen work on Sundays as they do on week days, if teams are carting, if warehouses and ops are open, I reprobate the practices as much as any man can. If horse or motor or cycle races on a public and impressive scale are held, 1 also disapprove. The former aro a direct violation of the law of the Sunday’s rest; the hitter are a direct incentive o a violation of such a rest.”

From what you cay I should gather that you do not object to games plajed quie ciy o n Si inch i y ?

“1 go not. object. Take tennis or golf, or cricket, for instance. I sie nothing wrong, nor does any Catheiio divine with whose writings I in acquainted i-ee anything wrong, n tho playing of these games, or any games resembling them, on Sunday. I need h.ai’diy quote the old sayings about the idle brain being tbe devil’s worksaip, and about Satan ever finding mischief for idle hands to do. May I illustrate my views as regards games on Sunday by what many will think an, extreme illustration? Cards are, I suppose, tlie most suspected of all implements of play. To prevent suspicion of partiality allow mo to say that my kno vledge of cards is of the most limited- I unow nothing of tlie rules of any of the guinea in vogue. With an hour or two of idle time on my hands, if the alternative were offered me, I should a Hundred times prefer to spend my moments in reading any kind of printed matter, f-ay even an old file of that drear’est Oi dreary publications, the “Governmo at Gazette” —or a ready reckoner or a book of interest tables —to spending those moments in playing any indoor or outdoor game. Other people, however, have other tastes. We are all as God made us; and it has pleased ±lim to cast us in a variety of moulds. Cards are harmless in themselves; and I see no harm —though my confession may shock many very well meaning people—to their use in moderation on Sunday.”