The Trials of the Church

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 23, 4 June 1903, Page 20

The Trials of the Church

His Eminence Cardinal Moran, in the course of a speech made at the opening of a bazaar at Botany some days ago, said that the Church in Australia enjoyed a comparative peace which was not enjoyed by it in other lands. I'.n France religion was persecuted in a thousand ways, to banish the very name of God from thousands of the people, and to banish from the fair plains uf France those religious communities to whom the State was indebted I'oi all the gioat thin-.s achieved in thn past in the name of religion by that gieat nation. It was nothing new for the Church to be persecuted either in the home countries or in other lands. Writers had told them of the admiration with which they contemplated the Catholic Church, the only institution which led back to the time when gladiators fought in the Coliseum, and when the smoke of sacrifice arose from pagan altars in European countries The Catholic Chuich in every century had been assailed by eveiy strong power which the world could put forth The power of Imperial Home was so stern, so unrelenting, and so concentrated, that even in the monuments that remain they saw the abiding proofs of her all-embracing power. Every other power assailed by Rome disappeared. The Nestonan heretics and the Manichean sects were attacked and disappeared. The Emperor Diocletian was so convinced that he had crushed the Christian name that he erected monuments to record his success in stamping out the Christian name for ever. But

The Church's Tiiumph told them of the Divine life of the Church, and it told them also that all the power of the world was wielded in vain against her bulwarks. Our Saviour had said that His Church would be persecuted, but lie had piomised also that the gates of hell should not prevail against it. Its enemies might gain a triumph for a while, but it would only be a passing triumph. Passing on, his Eminence referred to the storm of persecution which raged- at the beginning of the present century in France, during which thousands of priests were put to death by the Revolutionists Belgium and Holland had been visited by persecution, as also had, as they were well aware, Ireland, and also England. All seemed to be lost to the onlooker. In time England became tolerant, and never had a power so increased m wealth and prosperity as had that nation since she inaugurated that period of peace to the Catholic Church. His Eminence referred to the persecution sustained by the Church in Germany. Bismarck had determined to ciush the teaching of the Catholic Church, and probably 30,000 pi iests were exiled from the Empire But the storm passed, and the Church arose from its ruins in greater grandeur than ever before So would it be with France, but no one dreamt for a moment that those who assailed the Church would achieve their aim. The Australian Church, too, had had its own days of persecution. For the first 35 years at least the Church sustained a fierce persecution, but it waned, and for the next 35 years a sort of tolerance was extended to Catholics. Of latter years the, Church had enioyed comparative peace. Many people still assailed thorn, Ifut though they could not harm Catholics, fortunately, they could use very bitter words Catholics hoped, howe\er. that those who were their enemies to-day would be their best friends to-morrow