CARDINAL MORAN AND THE H.A.C.B.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 1, 1 May 1896, Page 20

CARDINAL MORAN AND THE H.A.C.B.

We learn from the Catholic Press just to band that his Eminence i Cardinal Moran pleaded at the annual breakfest of the H.A.C.B.S. The juvenile and ladies branches were represented as well as the male Society, The Moot Rev Dr Higg'm, and a number of clergy and laity nere among the invited guests. The Cardinal male a 1 speech which will be read with interest by Hibernians and nonHibernians. His Eminence said it gave him since c pleasure to be associated to-day with the Hibernian Society in tbeir festive celebration. It was an old saying that a good name was a rich inheritance. He was glad to say that when he turned to the Hibernian Society be found that they enjoyed this rich inheritance. hey were well spoken of in their families as citizens, and in their dealings with their fellow-citizens. It was his Eminence's own experience that there was grandeur and force in their name ; tha presenca of the Hibernians gave grandeur and magnificence to all the public celebrations in which they took part. The lat st occasion was St Patrick's Day. The success gained on the occasion would not have been complete but for the active part taken in the matter by the Hib rnian Society and the kindred eocieties. Their motto mast be " Excelsior." 8t Patrick's Day bad been a great celebratioo, but they must not be ccntent with thit. Every snccess must lead to a new conques f . They must not be content until all their fellowcitizens joined with them in commemoraang the glory of their great A pottle. Tbeir banner wai resplendent with the names of Faith, Ilcpe and Charity. This formed a spiritual shamrock of which the world might be proud. On the other side were the names of Holy Church and of Australia, which they wished to link together in the faith of Holy Church and hope and charity. Th 9 Church was the only institution that outlived the outbreaks and Ticitsiiudes of ninete?n centuries. All the great nations owed their rise and deve'opment to her. In Germany Holy Church had taken the reigning House by the hand and sustained its growth. Tne other ■ ations al6o were but of yesterday as compared with Holy Church. If the British Empire were traced back to the Norman Couqu2st, Holy Church had been on the battlefields of civilisation 1,000 ysars before the Norman Gonqueg^. These 1,900 years she had ever been on the batth field with her face to the foe. Her enemies were the enemies of religion End of social order. She extended the band of charity to all. She was ever victorious owing to her divine vitality. In the first centuries, while bleeding from every pore, she sowed, in her life-blood, tha seed of Christianity. When the barbarian h jrdes rushed down upon Home and trampled on her, the Church took them by the hand and humanised them and moulded them into great nations. Po it bad been from age to to age. The Chu;ch had been the representative of enlightmenr, and social order aod virtue. Whatever we ha 1 to-day of true peace or social or^er we owed it all to tha blemng of Holy Church. To-day we found cew enrm.es assailing 8' cial order, and the voice of Holy Church only could restore peac? and harmony. An antagonism was declared to exist between labour and capital between the employer and the employee. Holy Church declared that there was no Buch antagonism. Under the banner of truth acd enlightenment, capital became the handmaid of labour ; employers became the servants of these they employed. The i.ame of Holy Church wa9 linked with all virtues. Iti linking faith, hope, and charity with the name of Eiin, the Society Lad taken true credit to the land of their forefathers. The sons of Ireland were alone among the nations in the eagerness with which they received the faith ; the tenacity with which they clung to it ; the zeal with which they spread it abroad. The missionary boi.s of old Ire'and were everywhere feremojt in jromotinij true Christian enlightenment. lhi vißitor who visitt d great monuments on the Continent of Europe, in Northern Italy, France, or Germany, found on them t c

names of Saints in whose honour they were erected, and whose relics they enshrined. Those Saints were Irish missionaries: Tbe Irish Church bad baen likened to a tree, radient with blossoms and abounding in fruit, by whose side stood an angel presenting many thousands of pilgrims, who came there, each with a living branch of the tree. But the tree remained as stately and well furniihed as before. So it had been with the Church of Ireland. It had brought of its abundance into foreign lands, but its riches remained a* abundant as before at home. When the Saracens invaded Egypt and drove the Egyptian perp'e into fxile, they found a refnge in Ireland. When the Normans invaded Italy, acd the Italian people fl-d from them, they went to Ireland ; when the Danes invaded England, c axons and Angles took refuge in the schools of Ireland. The time came when the stately tree was stripped of its branches, but it was still alivj after 700 years. Ihe sacred tree was as fall of the blossoms and fruit of faith, hope, and charity as it had been in the golden days of old. Ireland had given to the Continent of Europe not only holy missionaries, bat enlightened statesmen and brave soldiers. The British Empire owed it greatness in great part to the statesmen and soldiers of Ireland. The most enlightened diplomatist that England possessed to-day— now ambassador at Paris — was an Irishman. Tbe chief soldiers of the Empire were two illustrious pons of Ireland. And, said his Eminence; talking of soldiers, were we not about to have a corps of our own. If an Irish Rifle Corps such as tbe Scotch and England Corps— and he, the Cardinal, would lejoice to see them so associated — were to be brought into friendly rivalry with their fellow-citizsns, a regiment would be formed, he wooli wager, such as wonld thrash any six regiments that could be brought against them. Tbere was a remark popular among some of our fellow-citizens— not made, he was Bare, in a scoffing spirit, bat in ignorance and prejudice, to tbe effect that we Should lay aside all talk ot distinctive nationalities— and benc. forth acknowledge ourselves Australians only. Give him, the Cardinal, the enlightened citiz3O, whose mind was enlightened by ths holy faith, who loved his mother with a true and filial piety, and the land of his birth. He would be a true husband loving his wife, and would be found tbe most devoted of all to the welfare of Australia. Everyone knew bow General Coote had looked down from Slieve-na-mon, and pronounced Ireland a land worth fightiog for, Australia, too, wan a land worth loving and worth fighting for. The rich gifts that Nature had bestowed on her persaged for her a grand and glorious destiny. Let all who belonged to their Sjciety take a part in achieving that destiny. It was not now the time to tnlk politics. The true patriotism and politics consisted in the love of country. Let all of them love the earnest politician who devoted his life and energies to the good of Australia. His Eminence hoped that the members of the H.A.C. 8.8. would always be among the promoters and champions of all Australian interests. The Cardinal, in conclusion, said that he wished to add a few words— no offence to the ladies present— but, like the postscript to a lady's letter, they contained the matter of most importance he bad to say. It was that he had to band to the District President a cheque for £10, tbe Society's share of tha proceeds of the spor s on St Patrick's Day. His Eminence, who had been loudly applauded throughout his address, resumed his seat among enthusiastic cheers.