RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE COLUMBIAN CATHOLIC CONGRESS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 26, 27 October 1893, Page 27

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE COLUMBIAN CATHOLIC CONGRESS.

The resolutions adopted as expressing tbe mind of the congress are as follows :—

The Columbian Catholic Congress of the United States, assembled in Chicago in the year of grace 1893, with feelings of profound gratitude to Almighty God for the manifold blessings which have been vouchsafed to the Church in the United States and to the whole American people, and which blessings in the material order have found their compendious expieesion in the marvellous exposition of the World's Fair, held to celebrate the 4OOth anniversary of the discovery of this country by the great Catholic navigator, Christopher Columbus, conforming to tbe custom of such occasions, adopt tbe fallowing resolutions :—

First — We reaffirm the resolution of the Catholic Congress held in Baltimore, Nov. 11-12. 1889.

Second — We declare our devoted loyalty and unalterable attachment to our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII , and we thank him for ■ending us a special representative, and we enthusiastically hail his Apostolic Delegate as the hostage of his love for America and a pledge of bis paternal solicitude for our country and its institutions. It is the sense of this congress that the Vicar of Christ must enjoy absolute independence and autonomy in the exercise of that sublime mission, to which, in the providence of God, he has been called as the head of the Church for the welfare of religion and humanity.

Third— We congratulate oar hierarchy on tbe wondrous growth and development of the Church throughout the United States, toe results nnder God of the united wisdom and unselfish devotion of these true shepherds of the Christian flock ; and we pledge to our bishops and priests our unfaltering devotion and fidelity.

Fourth — While the signs of the times are hopeful and encouraging »nd national prosperity is more widely diffused than in any previous agf, we should be wilfully blind did we fail to recognise the existence of dangers to Church and to society requiring a most earnest consideration. Among the most obvious of these dangers is the growing disconteut among those wbo earn their living by manual labour, A spirit of antagonism has been steadily growing between the employer and the employed tnat baa lei in many instances to deplorable result*. The remedies suggested vary from the extreme ef anarcbial revolution rule to different types of State socialism These remedies, by whatever names they are called, with whatever zeal and sincerity they are urged, must fail wherever they clash with tbe principles of truth and justice. We accept as the sense of this congress, and urge upon tbe consideration of all men, whatever their religious viewß or worldly occupations, the Encyclical of our Holy Father, Leo XIII , on tbe Condition of Labour, dated May 18, 1891. In the spirit of his luminous exposition of this snbjec', we declare that no remedies can meet with our approval save thoße which recognise the right of private ownership of properly and human liberty. Capital caonot do without labour, nor labour without capital. Through the recognition of this interdependence and under the Christian law of love and by mutual forbearance and agreement muit come the relief for which all good men should earnestly strive.

Fifth— We strongly endorse the piinciples of conciliation and arbitration as an appropriate remedy for the settlement of disagreements between employer and employed, to the end th*t strikes and lockouts may be avoided ; and we recommend the appointment by this congress of a committee to consider and devise some suitable method of carrying into operation a system of arbitration.

Sixth — We suggest to our clergy and laity as a means of applying the true principle of Christian morality to the sjcial problems that have now attained such importance, the formM:ion of socieiies or the use of already existing societies of Catholic men for the diffusion of sound literature and the education of their minds on economical subjects, thus counteracting the pernicious eff cts of erroneous teaching ; and we tßpecially recommend the letters of our Holy Father, particularly those on political power, human liberty and the Christian constitution of tbe Sate. The condition cf great numbers of our Catholic working girls and women in large towns and cities is such as to expose them to serious temptations and danger?, and we urge as a meritorious work of chaiity, as well as of justice, tbe formation of Catholic societies for their assistance, encouragement and protection. We advocate also the continued extension of Catholic life insurance, beneficial and fraternal associations. The work that such associations have already accomplished warrants the belief that they are founded upon a true principle.

Seventh — One of the great causes of misery and immorality is the indiscriminate massing of people in cities and large towns, and their consequent crowding into tenement house?, where iheir children are from their infancy exposed to every bad example and corrupting influence. Ttiis evil has drawn the attention of legislators in

foreign countries. We believe it is wise charity to help the poor to help themselves, and therefore advise the adoption of appropriate measures to encourage and assist families to settle in agricultural districts. As indicated by the Holy Father, the true policy is to induce as many as possible to become owners of the land.

Eighth— ln discharging the great duty of Christian charity tha Catholic laity can and should do much by personal service to supplement the admirable work of tbe religious Orders devoted to charity, and we urge them to join or otherwise encourage tbe conferences of St. Vincent de Paul and kindred organisations for rendering ovatematic aid to the needy ; and we would recall to the mindß of all people tbe time-honoured Catholic practice of setting apart from their incomes a proportionate sum for charity.

Ninth— An obvious evil to which may be traced a very large proportion cf the sorrows that afflict tbe people is the vice of intern* perance. While we believe that the individuals should be guided in this matter by the dictates of a right conscience, we cannot too strongly command every legitimate effort to impress upon our fellowmen tbe dangers arising not only from the abuse, but too often front tlie use, of intoxicating drink. To this end we approve, and most heartily commend the temperance and total abstinence societies already formed in many parishes, and we advise their multiplication and extension. We favour the enactment of appropriate legislation to restrict and regulate the sale cf intoxicating liquors, and emphasising tbe admonition of the last Plenary Council of Baltimore, we urge Catholics everywhere to get out and keep out of tha saloon business.

Tenth — To the members of oar secular clergy, religious Orders, and laity, who are devoting their lives to tbt noble work of educating the Indian and negro race?, we extend our hearty sympathy, and offer our co-operation. We congratulate them on the consoling succeis thus far attendiog their labour*, and wish them God-speed.

Eleventh will be found among " Current Topics."

Twelfth— We desire to enc urage the Catholic Summer School of America, recently established on Lake Champlain, as a means of promoting education on university extension lines, and we also commend tbe forming of Catholic Beading Circles as an aid to tbe Summer school , and an adjunct to higher education in general.

Thirteenth— We recognise in the Catholic Truth Society of America one of the results of the first American Catholic Congrats of Baltimore, and believe it to le admirably adapted to tbe needs of the time ; we earnestly recommend it to the Catholic laity as offering them an excellent means of co-operating with the Holy Church in her glorious work of disseminating Catholic truth.

Fourteenth — As immoral literature is one of tbe chief agencies in this country and in Europe for the ruin of faith and morality we recommend a union of Catholics and non-Catholics for tbe suppression of this evil whether in tbe form of bad books, sensational newspaper?, or obscene pictorial representations.

Fifteenth — We have no sympathy with any effort made to secularise Sunday. We urge upon our fellow-citizens to join in every effort to preserve that day as sacred, in accordance with the precepts and traditions of the Church.

Sixteenth— We heartily approve of the principles of arbitration in the settlement of international disputes. We rejoice at the happy result that have already attended the application of this ancieut principle of our Holy Mother the Church, and we earnestly hope that it may be excended and that thereby the evils of war may be gradually lessened and finally prevented.

Finally, as true and loyal citiz'Dß, we declare our love and veneration for our glorious Republic, and we emphatically deny that any antagonism can exist between our duty to our Church and our duty to the State.

In the language of the Apostolic Delegate :—" Let our watchword be ' forward.' In one hand the Gospel of Christ and in the other the constitution of the United States. Let us keep on in the path of virtue and religion, that the blessings of our national liberties, born of the stern energy aod sturdy morality of our forefathers, may be preserved for all time as a sacred heritage.