Australia’s Future Mission

New Zealand Tablet, 23 February 1911, Page 353

Australia’s Future Mission

‘ There is one feature of the Commonwealth that is sometimes not attended to,’ said his Eminence Cardinal Moran, at the banquet at Armidale, on Sunday, February 5, in connection with the laying of the foundation stone of the new Cathedral. ‘lt is that Australia’s future mission is to be a great pacific state, and I trust the grand triumphs that await her will be attained through that mission of peace. A T&w days ago I read in the public press a report of a speech made by the Duke of Connaught on his return from South Africa, and he pointed out that the four unconquerable bulwarks of the Empire were Canada, South Africa, new Zealand, and the Commonwealth of Australia. One feature that is peculiar to Australia is that from her cradle she has grown up in peace, and that, I trust, shall always be her destiny. Canada is a great dominion, but it was added to the Empire by conquest. The combats on the South African veldts are still fresh in our memories. New Zealand had to fight for many a long, weary day. But in Australia not a drop of blood has been shed on any battlefield, or as a matter of conquest. Her progress has been a glorious triumph of peace, and I pray it will always be so till the end. £ I think,’ he continued, ‘ the voice of Australia should be heard in advocating peace. Our representatives are about to leave for the centre of the Empire to do honor to the Sovereign at his coronation. The late King achieved great triumphs in the cause of peace, and was honored throughout the world as Edward the Peacemaker. The present Sovereign seems to be following faithfully in his father’s footsteps, and I trust that on Coronation Day our representatives will advocate the cause of peace and what was spoken of at the time of the death of the late Kingthat the three great Powers of to-day, the United States of America, Great Britain, and Germany, each of which had attained the highest pinnacle of its greatness and needed no further conquests to maintain supremacy, should form a triple alliance to insist that the minor States should observe peace, which would henceforth be characteristic of our Christian civilisation. People may think that we are too far from the centre of Government for. our voice to be heard. At the present day there is no such thing as distance; the world has become very small. We are as near London to-day as Dublin was some hundred years ago, for wireless telegraphy and the other means of conveying thought and messages have made us an intimate part of the Empire. Four great States as we are —Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia —and the bulwarks of the Empire—our voice should and must be heard in advocating what is a matter of interest to all. ‘ As the approaching Coronation Day will be the first in 300 years celebrated without insult being offered the Catholics of the Empire, I would suggest that every city in Australia should have illuminations for an hour, say from 9 to 10 o’clock, which corresponds to the precise time of coronation in London. It would be a glorious thing to find Australia rejoicing that on Coronation Day we are all united, without insult being offered to any of the subjects of the King, and from their hearts all wishing long-abiding success to the reign of George V., at the same time wishing that he may follow in his father’s footsteps, thus meriting the title of “ George the Continuator of Peace,” and that before his reign, comes to a glorious end we will see the world’s peace guaranteed by the combination of the United States, Great Britain, and Germany, so th2,t pacivity will be the abiding crown of our Christian civilisation.’