THE BEE OF WESTMINSTER. (Sydney Freeman's Journal)

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 27, 22 April 1892, Page 7

THE BEE OF WESTMINSTER. (Sydney Freeman's Journal )

The translation of Dr Vaughan from Salford to Westminster will hardly come as a surprise to well-informed Catholics. Tre world may be surprised at an appointment which bids fair to imply a total change of policy, but t^ is is a surprise which will certainly not be shared in by any student of ecclesiastical history. If the elections of Conclaves and the changes wrought from time to time by the Holy Bee are analysed, it will be found that the history of tbe Church's policy has been in a great measure a history of reactions. With her eye steadily fixed on the one goal of her Divine mission, from whioh she never swerves, she treads ber way warily, and in the midst ol the conflicting claims of this world, is tardy in finally committing her* self.

Such we believe to be the mind of the Cburcb, and if we come down from those momentous decisions which serve as tbe landmarks of her history to a matter of mare provincial interest, we f«acy we can trace in the translation of Dr Yaughm an expression of her mind. It means a reaction similar in kind, though not in importance, to those which have so often marked her history in the past. To estimate the extent, we bad almost taid tbe violence, of the reaction one has but to compare the two men. The keynote of Cardinal Man* ning's influence was his human sympathy, He loved the poor, he raided tbe fallen, he sided with the oppressed. The best passport to bis heart was a tale of woe or wrong. The yearly tribute of modern Babylon routed his sternest rfngor. It was to his active intervention that the labourers of the East End owed the partial redress of their wrongs. To Ireland he was a fast friend. At a time when it was his worldly interest to court the rich and the powerful, he gave his adhesion to Home Bule, and laughed the prejudices of the Tories to scorn. To Cardinal Manning's advocacy is in a great measure due the striking change that has taken place in tbe attitude of the British masses towards Ireland. His desire to tee justice done to the wronged forced him into ths ranks of the Liberals— it not, indeed, of the Radicals . After a reign of tweaty-eight years his place was ttken by a Tory. From an ecclesiastical point of view, it would have been difficult to find a more worthy successor. A churchman from his youth up, Dr Vaughan need give place to no man in his devotion to the Holy Sac. He is unquestionably a man of power and ability, and, what is more important, a man of truly apostolic teal. No one outside Bedlam would think of Baying that he is devoid of those sympathies which were the keynote of Cardinal Manning's career— his assertion of the rights of children to ba brought up in the faith of their baptism forbids the thought — bat there is reason to anticipate that those sympathies will rcn in a different channel. What bis political sympathies are, can, perhaps, best be gathered from the Tablet, over which he has for ytara held a coil rolling influence. During the recent strike, the Tablet certainly did not openly espouse the cans* of the employers, but it followed the Cardinal in his advocacy of the rights of the labourers with a very halting step. When the Cardinal, however, gave his adhesion to Home Bule, the Tablet not only withheld its approval, but appeared before the public as tbe most bitter anti-Irish organ in tha Empire. Although we gladly acquit Dr Vanghan of holding all the lablet't extreme views, he has never, as far as we are aware, disavowed the policy of his paper. This change from the Liberal policy of Cardinal Manning to the Oonvervative Vaughan, which we gather from tbe Tablet, marks one of thosj reactions to which we have referred.

But though reactions take place, it mast be borne in mind that they very seldom imply a radical change of policy. Still less does this little reaction imply that the heirt of our Mother is steeled against our cry for justice.j ustice. It often happens that Catho ics, especially if they be combatants la a heated struggle, fail to see the wisdom of the Church's actions. Sometimes a decision may seem harsh, some, times an appointment may seem inexpedient ;they think that they could have done much better if only they had the chacce. They sea only their little province, but the honzoa of the Church is the world. Often, in studying ecclesiastical history, particular judgments, even in disputes between the oppressors and the oppressed, may seem at the time to be harsh, and yet when events have marched by, and we are able to take a correct sight of tbe relative position of tbe Cburcb, we will find that m tbe loDg run s^e has served <he oppressed, and (hat what we thought to be inexpedient was really a blessing in disguise. The Church is adapting her po.icy to the new world that is looming in the distance, The old forms of government and principles of social science aro fast passing into ancient history, and the Church will have to compensate hsraalf for her losses in the old order of things by her gains in the new. But whatever she may do in this period of transition, there is one thing she cannot do. Bbc can never lose sight of the poor and of the oppressed. In her relations with the Eoglish Government sne may seem to yield for a time to the importunities of the great, powerful, historic English Tory party, and her action may be difficult to understand. Bat the exigencies of tbe English Tories are not the first objects of her solicitude. When the bud rises on the new order of things it will be found that after all she served her children, evtn though her thoughts m*y not have been tbeix thoughts, nor her ways their ways.