THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 24, 12 October 1883, Page 25

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

(Sontfiland News, Sept. 28.) A lecture on " The Triumphs of the Church " was delivered by the Rev. Father Burke in the Convent schoolroom, Tyne street, last evening. There was a very large attendance, all the seats being filled. The lecture was given in aid of the funds of the Invercargill Catholic Literary Society, and. the President of that body, Mr. M. O'Brien, occupied the chair, and introduced the speaker of the evening. The rev. gentleman, after some introductory remarks, said that the history of the Church's uafailing strength was a most interesting one. She had passed through, many grievous struggles, tbe storms and the tempests of human hate and hostility had beaten upon her, but when in her greatest straits and trials then her triumphs were near ; when her prospect was sad and gloomy, her future presenting no ground for hope, when her horizon was darkened, illumined with no light, then it was that some sudden change of circumstances entirely turned the tide of events; then was seen the hand of her Almighty Builder stretched out to save her, bringing confusion to her enemies, and leaving her fortunes in the ascendant. Empire after empire had fallen around her, powerful dynasties of kings had perished, but she had survived all change 3 and revolutions, she had come forth from the conflicts with deep wounds, but full of life and This wa3 no idle declamation ; it was proven history— it pure matter of fact, and he would, by making some rapid sketches of her past history, show it to be such. He would deal with the persecutions under the Roman Emperors, the rise of Arianism, the incursions of the northern barbarians, the rise of Mahometanism, the Middle Ages, the Protestant Reformation, and the French Revolution. These would bring before the minds of his hearers the great epochs in which the Church was most severely tried, and in which she most brilliantly triumphed. The lecturer then at considerable length reviewed the history of the Church during the periods mentioned, showing how she had time after time overcome external violence, as well as the rising hosts of her own rebellious children. The purely narrative portion of the address was clear and graphic, at times a high degree of eloquence was reached, and throughout both matter and manner were in full keeping with the subject. Before concluding he said that it might be useful to glance at the trials through which the Church was passing now, for these had not yet ceased. In France, whose statesmen boasted of their liberalism and toleration, the cry was — " Down with Clericalism ; down with Ultramontanism, our enemy 1 " whilst at the same time the secret societies, especially the French masonry, were spreading their net-work all over the world, multiplying their newspapers, opening their lodges, counting their members by millions, enrolling women and even children amongst them ; and their end and avowed object, according to the open admission of Proudhon, the Socialist, was the destruction of the authority of God, of the authority and influence of the Church over the education of children, over legislation, and over the morality of public and private life. In Germany the aim of the statesmen was to make the Church the mere tool of the State, to trample upon her, and with this view had been enacted laws against the religious orders, laws interfering with the Church's legislation and the Church's pulpits. In Switzerland the legitimate priests had been chased away from the Jura and the Canton of Geneva, and their churches and property handed over to a miserable pack of French, Italian, and German apostate monks and friars. In EDgland the hate of those in power was decided indeed. The bigotry of England was, he believed, black. Books which had no other merit than spiciness against the Catholic Church were published and bought in places other than Bible and tract depots. The pages of the Press, from the great reviews dowi to the penny journals, were black with hate oftentimes, and always in them would be found choice morsels of calumny and defamation— defamation so ludicrously stupid that it would move one to laughter did he not know that many would read it who had not the opportunity of referring to the better sources of information . In Belgium there was the society of the Solidaires, whose members bound themselves never to enter a church raised to the living God ; never to marry before the altar of God ; never to allow their children to be baptised, nor their families to receive the sacraments ; and in the hour of death to prevent those belonging to them from obtaining the consolations of religion. In Italy the Pope was plundered, and robbed, and imprisoned, though told by his gaolers that they were but protecting him. Tho churches in large numbers were confiscated, and the religious orders robbed and turned out from their convents and monasteries. Ihe Church, then, to-day was undergoing a fierce trial. They knew not how deep might be the wounds inflicted upon her, how great her - ; but one thing they knew, and that was that she would come TOrth from tbe conSict victorious. Her trials and her triumphs strewed in abundance the pages of the past, and they would be the records of the future. Who, asked the rev. gentleman in conclusion, that looks back through history and there sees the Catholic Church surviving revolutions which had swept away everything that was the work of mere human hands, but must regard her as the most perfect handiwork of that Divine builder, who, in founding her, said— " Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against hex? " "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Who that loves everything ancient and venerable, but must respect the Catholic Church ? Who that esteems the learning, the science, the arts, the civilisation of the present day, but must bow down in loving reverence and gratitude before the majestic form of the Catholic Church? And what Catholic in any way acquainted with her history is not proud to be a son of that illustrious mother? What Catholic would not glory in rising up and praising and pronouncing blessed the name of the venerable church of our ancestors ? What Catholic in recalling her struggles, especially what Irish Catholic, does not feel his emotions stirred and his resolution moved to be ever a worthy heir of the

faith, the 'fidelity, and the works of his forefathers. The lecturer, who had been repeatedly applauded, having resumed his seat, Mr. John Maher, on behalf of the Catholic Literary Society proposed a cordial vote of thanks to Father Burke for his splendid lecture. He was sure he was only expressing the feeling of the large audience in so describing it, and he hoped at no distant date to hear another lecture from the rev. gentleman, delivered before an Invercargill audience in some of the large halls in town.