THE WAR OF IDEALS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10545, 23 March 1920, Page 3

THE WAR OF IDEALS

LENTEN PASTORAL BY BISHOP CLEARY. A Lenten pastoral "instruction “has been issued by Dr it. W. Cleary, which is to be read in all the churches of the Auckland diocese.. , Opening with, a reference to the signing peace, the pastoral proceeds:—“Two-- continonts axe ringing with the. clamour or arL and tht tions. Side 'by eido with this bodily struggle there goes ever on the unceasing and still greater war of ideals, ft is a war of conquest, a striving for world domination, and on one side of it are massed all the Varied forces that (separately or leagued' together) are in conflict with Christ and Christianity, and the sacred truths and principles for which these stand. Tim battleground of this campaign against the Saviour and His salvators is the homo, the school, the Press,, on '.the stage, and in certain phases of industrial, life. 1 '

The Bishop emphasises that many people have little idea of the magnificent way in which'the general development of scientific knowledge is friendly to the faith of Christians. He also criticises that “the agnostic ora” barred God by law from the Government schools. “Catholics/’ he addg, “must ever remain in protest against a system which deprives the child in school during its most impressionable years of the most educative possession of our race.” Unwholesome fiction is referred to a 3 more deadly in tho homo 'than the germs of arid influenza. As a rCntedy,' tho Bishrip suggests a daily practice should be the reading of some pious instructive hoot, c especially the Dook of books—the Holy Scriptures.