THE CHURCH AND LIBERTY

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 4, 24 January 1901, Page 19

THE CHURCH AND LIBERTY

Professor Shahan, of the Catholic University, Washington, contributes to a recent issue of the Catholic (hutersity Bullet in an article on ' A Century of Catholicism.' It is a review of the condition of the Catholic Church throughout the world during the century which has come to a close. The story which the writer has to tell is (says the Catholic Times) on the whole a most encouraging record of progress. Naturally there are various degrees in this progress ; but the general lesson to be deduced from the Catholic struggles of the century seems to be that wherever the Catholics have been most strongly in favor of the rights and freedom of the people the Catholic cause has advanced in the most decisive manner. In France, after the storm and stress of the Revolution and the unrest of the Napoleonic expeditions, the lay journalist and the lay apostle appeared as providential helpers. The Catholic Press dates from de Lamennais, who, in his first fervor and whilst still in harmony with the Catholic authorities, taught men how to maintain their rights under the law. Lacordaire, Montalembeit, and many others caught the inspiration, and the strength of the Catholics of France as a democratic force steadily grew. From Daniel O'Connell they learned how to agitate effectively. Liberty of teaching was secured through the Falloux Law of IS SO, and was extended by the creation in 1 8 7,'J of pro-umversitie-». To-day the spirit of social justice has no nobler representative-? than France offers, whilst to the propagation of the faith abroad French Catholics are the principil contributor*. Mo-it of the 12 000 Catholic foreign missionari -s are Frenchmen, and France h-i-> supplied a still larger share of rhe mmy lay Bro'h^rs and th<3 H .000 Catholic Sit-ters of th ' im-^Kin. li G Tin vny likewise great laymen such as Gorres, Wmllhirst. Millinkrodt. and the Reichenspertrers aro«e, and the resumption -md present dominant position of the Catholics in the Fatherland is lar rely due to their zeal for the popular welfare. Thanks to their efforts, societies and a-i.soeiatious of every kind have sprung up a« if by ma^ic. The Centre party has shown what can be accomplished by the intell'gent and consistent use of constitutional liberties. A new breath of life ha* been breathed into the German Catholic body, which numbers about, 1'.t.0U0.000 out of a total population ol ."> 2.000,00(1. The extension of Catholic work in the English-speaking world is, Professor Shahan considers, the chief phenomenon of the external life of the Church in the nineteenth century. In ISOO there were four bishops or viearb-apostolio in England and two in Scotland, and in both lmds there were about 120,000 lay Catholics. At present there are in England aid Scotland 21 bishops, 3000 priests, and 2 000,000 lay Catholics. Within the British Empire the Catholic binhops number close on 200 ; that is to say, they constitute nearly on'i-sixth of the Western Latin Episcopate. If the bishops of the United States — over i) 0 — be included, one-quarter of the Latin Hierarchy exists in English-speaking countries. Alto^etVr there are 14.000,000 Catholics in the British Empire and about as many in the United States : so that the (Jatholic3 in the English-speaking world number some 25.000.000 souls. In 1827 the C ithohos in Cape Colony counted not more than .'I). TheCUhohcs in South Africa are now no less thai 12">,00O and four BNhops look after their spiritual interests. Much of the progress of the Faith in English-speaking lands is, of coar j e, due to emigration from Ireland. In 75 years — from 1S21) to 1^ ( J"> — Ireland sent to the United States 3,72:t,H.">fi men, women,and children, or about one-fourth of the whole immigration. In the year ISK3, out of a European immigration of 488,832 as many as M),23'i immigrants between 15 and 45 years of age were from Ireland. During 10 years the Green I^ie has given to the great Republic of the West about one-ninth of her own brain and sinew, and the Irish Catholics have carried with them the democratic as well as the Catholic spirit Through the closer communication between nations in our time there is going on, in Profe-sor Shahan's opinion, a process of evolution so far as men's ideas of government are concerned. What is new, and good, and popular in one land is soon passed on to another. On all sides may be noticed a heightening of mental activity, a sharpening of the popular powers of observation, and a readiness to transfer into daily life the improvements of a religions character which each people sees amongst its neighbors. Side by side with this there is. Professor Shahan believes, a tendency towards transition from monarchical forms of government to those forms that are based on the principles of democracy. The remarkable development of the sjieme.s of nature, man, and society ; the inventions and discoveries which have so greatly modified the exigencies of time ana space ; the disappearance all over Europe of old eeonomico-political conditions ; and the creation of enormous working democracies in the New World as examples of what may

be done in the future— all these Professor Shahan regards as significant signs of the times. Whether the view that the trend of the ape is away from monarchy be accurate or mistaken, it cannot be denied that the nations are becoming more democratic, and in view of that fact the conclusion to be druwn from a study of the religious work of the century, that the Church thrives best in an atmosphere of freedom is so important that it should be carefully borne in mind by both the clergy and laity. In the early part of the century at least Catholics on the Continent had a dread of democratic rule The French Revolution was so violent and no devastating that its effects were keenly felt tor many a year. Without warning or preparation lands, revenue", ancient privilege*, rights, authority. customs, administration, and teaching were swept away. The unity with the See of Peter was broken. Nearly fifty thousand priests were cast out of their places, and the consciences of millions of Frenchmen suffered untold agonies. £uch incidents could not but fill the minds of the French clergy with the impression that the exercise of authority by the democracy would be uncompromisingly hostile to religion. More recently, however, the priests of France have been recognising that the greatest hindrance to the Church is not democratic rule, but the absence of individual freedom— freedom for ecclesiastics as well as for the laity to assert their legitimate power in directing the destinies of the country. And as in France, ho elsewhere ; the only serious obstacle to Catholic progress i.s any restrictions upon freedom which damp individual zeal and initiative.