“THE ONLY REMEDY”

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8652, 10 February 1914, Page 5

“THE ONLY REMEDY”

POSITION OF THE CHURCH. ITS VERY STABILITY THREATENED. Special to the “ Times.” CHRISTCHURCH, February 9. In his sermon at the Christchurch Catholic Cathedral last night, Archbishop O’Shea, Coadjutor Archbishop of Wellington, said that the very stability of the Church seemed to bo threatened in these revolutionary times. The Church was often blamed for not providing certain things vital to mankind, but the mistake w«a on the part of those blaming her for not doing what she would do if they would only listen to her. The Church offered a solution for all the ills afflicting mankind, and was, indeed, the only remedy. Nothing was more false than the ckargo often laid against the Church that she deemed the improvement of social conditions and the material welfare and happiness of this world nob to bo within tho scope of her activities. The Church regarded wealth and material prosperity as of secondary importance compared with heavenly things, and tho only sure way to bring happiness into this world was to bring God into the hearts of men. Unless there was •a change in the hearts of men they could never bring about social reform. Selfishness and sin would always make tho world one of poverty and wretchedness, and it was only by a return to the teachings of Christ that tho world would be cured of the ills afflicting it. and that social reform would be effected.