Page 1 Advertisements Column 4

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15043, 10 April 1919, Page 1

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- - Bishop's;' House, ; Ponsb.nby, Auckland, r , ~ ' March;3lst, 1919, My Dear Dean Cahill, — I cannot see my way to comply with the request of you and others for advice as to the attitude which the clergy and laity of this .diocese should adopt regarding National Prohibition, Continuance, or State Purchase and Control; my reason for affirming the clergy and the people's freedom of opinion and of vote on these j issues were set forth in detail in "The Month" (the diocesan organ), ' for July, 1918, and March, 1919. Rights of religion, as it seems to me, are reasonably safeguarded by the sections of the Licensing ; Amendment; Act legalising the local mamifacture, the importation, and the sale of alcoholic drinks for sacramental, medicinal,' scientific, and industrial purposes, and in the official written pledges of the Cabinet and of the Attorney-General in regard to regulations thereon. Personally I see no present or prospective grounds for anticipat- !;.. 'r.'" '■ ' .'ft, "■'.. \-_ . / ■ ] ing State measures detrimental in any way to Catholic, Anglican, or other worship, but if in future any anti-democratic Government in this Dominion were enough and vicious enough thus to penalise the religion of large bodies of people, it would probably do so irrespective of the state of our liquor laws. Saving our spiritual rights, the root issues of the present liquor problem are these: What is the least amount of drink traffic evils that the State must tolerate before it can rightly take over the traffic, or suppress it? What is the worst state of drifik traffic evils at which the' State is morally bound to take over the traffic or suppress it? Neither the Catholic Church nor Catholic theology has denned these things. They have not defined what is the least action which the State is bound to take in dealing with the evils of the drink traffic. Neither has the Catholic Church nor Catholic theology defined the extremist action which ihe 'State must exceed in dealing with the evils of the drink traffic. Between the lower limit and the upper limit of State interference herein the State's action is what the body of the people wills that it shall be. "In the-words of a great Catholic theologian public opinion (of '^Ee'public c6nscience)^thus -becomes in a sense "The<~guardian: of public morality." In such undefined matters as the issues of the licensing poll of April 10th the public conscience decides-such free issues in accordance with its sense of the requirements of the public good. Saving spiritual rights, the Catholic Church has thus left Catholic electors free to vote on these issues as their knowledge may suggest and their conscience may dictate.,- This freedom of Catholic opinion, and Catholic action is widely practised in. the church. The ablest and most zealous and saintly of our prelates of every rank, the most devoted of our clergy honourably and; conscientiously take opposite sides on the debated issues of the liquor traffic. In taking these diverse views they exercise blamelessly and

in good faith. the freedom- which, theclnircli^ord^tb them and to us. They, lire free to support continuance or national prohibition or State, purchase and control. The exercise of their freedom herein is a matter between iieir individual conscience and God: The clergy lof this diocese are not to disturb the laity's freedom by advice ca; appeals made in the course of their official ministrations in the Churches. Outside of this my clergy are'perfectly free to advocate any cause that their conscience may approve, but I earnestly; hope that whatever cause they may espouse they will maintain the dignity, the decorum and the moderation that befit their sacred calling. They are not of course canonicallyfree to neglect or abandon their spiritual duties; or (without proper ecclesiastical sanction) to become paid employees of any of the regular organisations engaged in the liquor controversy. My personal view (which you ask for others) can be of comparatively little outside interest; for months past it has' been* known-to members of my Diocesan Council, to many others of my clergy and to not a few of the laity ,of this diocese. To my mind neither the. law nor the many excellent and high-minded people in the Trade have been able to reduce to reasonable limits the evils, attendant on licensed and unlicensed drink traffic in this diocese, consequently I fejel that the public conscience is fully justified morally in trying the experiment of national prohibition with compensation. My conscientious view on thig-matter of course binds no one, and it implies no reflection whatsoever on the support which other Catholics will give, with different opinions and knowledge and with equal good faith and honour, to continuance or to State purchase and control. As my clergy and people sufficiently know, I have always objected to the circulated notion that the conscience of the Catholics of this diocese is in some sense committed to the brewing and other liquor interests irrespective of the circumstances. Such an idea has no foundation either in fact or in any Catholic principle or moral obligation. Even those most interested must feel that this fiction can now no loriger be maintained/ and, in view of ■their long standing entente or alliance with the ruling forces of an organisation which is working to injure our rightful liberties, assailing the most precious lionour of our womanhood; and not even sparing our dead within their graves. Up" to "fhis date (March. 31st) repeated remonstrances by Catholic lay supporters have failed to affect this strange union. This circumstance in no way affects my personal view; it is mentioned merely for its bearing upon a traditional claim upon Catholics involving more or less the question oif ■' * -..■■' moral obligation. If you all agree, bring the contents of this letter to the knowledge of the clergy and laity of the diocese before polling day, April 10th. I remain, My dear Dean, always sincerely yours, .HENRY W. CLEARY," . Bishop of Auckland.

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