Catholic Australia.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVII, Issue XIII, 28 September 1901, Page 585

Catholic Australia.

One could only regret any larger measure of independence which the creation of the Commonwealth may have conferred on Australia, did- it induce such strange liberty of speech as that which Cardinal Moran indulged in last week. The Cardinal as n churchman may have reason to object to what he considers the cavalier treatment the Home Government have given to the protests of the Australian Catholics against the form of the coronation oath. He had a perfect right too, to express that objection; but he oversteps the bounds of both reason and right, and sadly demeans himself and his position by giving utterance to such vulgar and impotent language as he made, use of. I feel" sure that the good taste anil loyal feeling of the Catholics of the Commonwealth must revolt against such expressions as his. I am perfectly certain he presumes much too . far when he speaks as If voicing their views in the matter. He is but pandering to the Fenian tainted element In the Commonwealth, if there should happen to be any. Speaking of the present forriT of the coronation oath aa an insult, to one-fourth of the people of Australia (that being his estimate of the number of Catholics in the community), he pictured the citizens of Australia saying to the British Government: “If such a thing goes on we know our rights, and an independent Australia will startle you some day sooner than you ex-

pert. On what grounds the nonCatholic Australians should take up a matter that- concerns a fourth of the population and find there Is cause for separation from the Mother Country, the Cardinal himself does not explain. But letting that point pass, one would like to know whether even a cardinal should be permitted to sow treasonable discontent among the fourth. The law of the State is lenient towards offences of that character: let the Cardinal thank his stars that he is not in Germany, where it goes hard with sedition mongers. But does the law of his chureh allow it? Surely it teaches rather long suffering and meekness in the face of insult and injury, not blatant and foolish language. O O O 0-0