WHAT THE ARCHBISHOP OF MELBOURNE THINKS OF IT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 37, 19 June 1891, Page 11

WHAT THE ARCHBISHOP OF MELBOURNE THINKS OF IT.

(Daily Telegraph, 26th May). A oood deal of speculation was caused a day or two since by a singular and somewhat slipshod article published in a contemporary, charging it against Irish-Australians, as a body, tbat they are on the down grade to helotage, through a Blavish adherence to the teachings of the Church of Rome. Archbishop Carr has too busy a life to notice every guerilla attack made on his denominational citadel, and whea this one was brought under his notice he merely smiled as he mads himself acquainted with the positions adopted by this latent and most envenomed assailant of his Chuich. "I do not regard this as at all a serious onslaught," he said. " Far from it. I think that this agnostic gentleman and Bishop Moorhouse, while taking exactly similar Btands, both really sustain tbe position of the Catholic Chutch. For example, this critic makes it a charge against Catholics that they have to suffer a sort of social ostracism as the penalty of an adherence to their faith. If that be true, and I do not deny but what it is partially so, it mußt be counted to their credit, and to the discredit of those who impose it. Again, he makes it an accusation that the Church is ' stationary.' That is the chief glory of the Church, so far as it relates to her dectrinps. i because Truth is unchangeable, and the unchangeableness of tbe Church is a sign of her infallible Truth." " Your Catholic Irish are charged, your Grace, with finding their ' sole moral sanction in the fear of eternal physical torture ? " " Yes. I had noticed that. It is, of course, very far from being true. No one who knows the Catholic doctrine could have writ'en that. It is quite true that «he first moral sanction of the Catholic is fear— the fear of God's wrath— of hell. ' The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.' Bnt it is only the beginning. There is a much higher moral sane ion than this primary oce— one that leads up to the pure love of God through tbe intermediate hope of a reward in htav«D. The love of God is the highest of all moral sanctions.

The fear of hell is the lowest. But they are all a part of the restraining force of the Church. This agnostic's premiss is, therefore, utterly unsound, and consequently all the reasoning based on an unsound premiss f ills." " It is said, your Grace, that while all other religions are expanding ' the Catholic remains at a standstill ? ' " " Quite so ; I had not overlooked that. That may be taken in either of two senses. If he means that the Catholic Church is nonprogressive in the meaning of extending the sphere of her teaching and influence, he is not correct as a matter of fact. I believe the Catholic Church ia this colony, and all the world over, is growing more rapidly than any other. Only this very day I was at West Melbourne, where a sum of £5700 was subscribed for the extension cf church work in that suburb. Later on I was at the optning of a church at Northcote, where £500 was subscribed for a similar pur pose. Nearly every Smnday of the year lam called upon to perform some similar work, where there are similar evidences of growth andvitality. We are everywhere establishing schools, as well as philanthropic and religious Orders. In this sense the Catholic Church is very far indeed from being at a " stand-still." But if he means that the doctrines of the Church are alwayß the same then he is quite right. And this is the Church's greatest boast and greatest glory. Truth is immutable and unchanging. Doctrines that change and expand and progress cannot be true. One of the most certain signs of error \b its variableness. And therefore in this sense tbe agnostic critic is quite right when he says that the Catholic Church is at a standstill." " But as to the danger of helotage, your Grace ? " "It is non-existenc. So far indeed from this being so the very reverse is likely to be true. As to Catholics being excluded from positions of influence on account of their faith, I am inclined to think that in this the critic is correct. But this will not certainly tell lo their discredit or to their moral deterioration. On the contrary, it is to the credit of their self-sacrifice that in tbe face of this social penalty they have unflinchingly maintained their faith in their schools and their religion. I may go farther and say that no church which is not prepared to make a sacrifice in defence of its principles and faith can be considered worthy of the name of a church. Trials of this sort inflicted upon any peeple, so far from being to them ft cause of demoralisation, will tend to strengthen their moral fibre, bind them more closely together, and refine the droBS of selfishness. Instead of having the effect of permanently reducing any people in the social scale, such an ordeal will give them greater strength and stability of purpose and character." " It is stated that the Catholic people would gladly accept the Education Act, but for the dictation of their priests 1 " " Well, as to tbat, the clergy merely teach one of the dogmas of their Church in this matter of religicus education. No Catholic has any option of belief as to what is his duty. The people themselves have given the most convincing proofs of their attachment to their schools by the monetary sacrifices they have made to maintain them. And these they are repeating every day. Nor is this peculiar to Catholics of this colony. Where the people have a perfect choice you will find the Catholic prefers to have hi 9 own school, and the Protestant prefers his. It was said by this Irish-Australian critic that separate schools tend to sow divisions amongst the people, while a common school for all would tend to build up harmony. This is not borne out in Ireland. There is one province in Ireland, Ulster, where, owing to tbe small number of Catholics, it has not been found possible to provide separate schools, There the Catholic children and Protestant children all go to the same schools. But this northern province of Ireland is the only one where sectarian feeling runs high." " As to the growing differentiation ?" "I do not believe it exists. I have seen no proof of it. Rather I have seen many cheering evidences to the contrary in the goodwill shown by Protestants to their Catholic feilow-colonists. In very many of the matters I have had to do with in building churches, schools, and even convicts, a considerable portion of the money has come from generous and friendly Protestants. This tells directly against the differentiation theory and idea of future helotage." At the mention of that charge of " secret conspiracy," and the distrust and suspicion engendered by the priests, the Archbishop laughed a little, and then said :—: — " Well, you know it would be hard to disprove any allegations abmt what people think and feel. Some people, of course, may view with suspicion everything that is said and done by Catholics ; but they are such as are anxious to find cause of evil. For any real suspicion, generally felt, Ido not think it exists. Why should it ? Catholics are always ready to take their part as citizens in the work and expense of Government ; and certainly no priest or layman can desire to say or do anything that may interfere with the blessings of peace. This education question is not a Victorian one. Bishop Moorhouse is fighting it in Manchester just aa we are here. He lately thanked God for the grand act of self-denial which the Catholics had exhibited, and said he was ready to beg from door to door in the cause of religious education in the schools of Hngland."