INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION AMONGST CATHOLICS

New Zealand Tablet, 20 June 1912, Page 15

INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION AMONGST CATHOLICS

The following paper was read at a recent Catholic Congress in England By the Rev. P. M. Cavrois, S.J. : We have heard representatives of Germany, England, and France tell us of their social and religious efforts towards material welfare and a better practice of religion. It is evident from'the reports just read that, obeying the pressing invitations of Popes Leo XIII. and Pius X., Catholics are now, all the world over, taking an ever keener interest in social questions and .working accordingly. . They realise at last how dangerous a policy it is to leave social problems to be studied and solved by men who , deliberately shut their eyes to anything except the material welfare of mankind. Any solution reached by leaving wholly out of account the supernatural end of man must be imperfect, inadequate. Often it is worse, and not, only -Christian, but antiChristian. Yet it is alluring ! Material welfare is a beautiful and enticing vision. To it the crowds of modern working men and women are pointed by Socialistic leaders. They not only forget to point to the Church they point away from her they turn their backs upon her. Yet it is the Church which to-day can offer to the world the safe way, the full truth, and the richest, completest life. The various organisations which are taking part of this Congress tell us of the remarkable development of social study as well as of practical social work among Catholics during the last few years. We have heard, that excellent work is being done in England, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy. And all this is indeed comforting and full of hope. But we want something besides these national efforts. Strenuous, persevering, and fruit-bearing they may be, but they will not reach their full effect, they will not impress their Christian mark upon the social tendencies of the age until Catholics widen their outlook and their field of work : until they unite in some kind of international co-operation. If I Were Speaking in France I might be afraid of that word, ‘ international 5 ! Like the words ‘Liberal, Freedom/ ‘Democracy, and other fine words, it has been captured by our enemies, and in the mouth of a Catholic might be misunderstood. It suggests anti-patriotism, anti -militarism, anarchy, and so on. I do not think I need fear this in England. After all, the Catholic Church is Universal, 5 and therefore ‘ International, and all I am urging is that our action, should be in the fullest sense Catholic, far-reaching, all-embracing. Because I am going to ask you English, Scotch, Irish Catholics to co-operate with one another, and with French, Germans, and all the other Catholics of the world. Now notice, please! I am going to talk about facts, and my first fact is this. In our times there is something changed about

nations and nationalism. Of old, economic and commercial interests as well as geographical and racial circumstances divided nations. The last two factors have lost a good deal of their power. Once, a barrier of locky peaks separated two nations—-to-day.railways have bored their tunnels through the rock. Once, the sea divided them; to-day turbine boats and mighty liners leave hardly any distance and time between the two shores. And what was the meaning of mountain range, rivers, forests, sea, frontiers of all kinds to the covey of aeroplanes which recently' flew round Europe and England ? Even racial differences have lost part of their value to divide men— all big towns have become cosmopolitan. There are thousands of Germans in Paris, thousands of Frenchmen in London, and hundreds of Chinamen in Liverpool. As to the most important factor of all: economic interests. If to some extent they still remain an element of division, it is a fact that these interests tend nowadays more to unite nations than to separate them. Growing industry and extended facilities of trade have brought them to put m common money and work. There are English companies running French tramways, and Belgian railways constructed in Belgium are worked by Belgian officials,in China and South Africa. Large Firms Are Not Satisfied , ,:v'with being in the metropolis of one country, but they have their establishments in London, New York, Paris, and Berlin. There is a real permanent and evergrowing interchange of business, "capital, and labor between - all countries. Railways, post, and telegraph are, by the increased rapidity with which exchange can be effected, linking nations together more and more closely. The result of all this is, from an economic point of view, that the world is becoming, more and more every day, one huge market-place where national differences scarcely matter at all. ' A slight change in the New York market will half an hour later affect the London Stock Exchange and the Bourse in Paris. The recent strike of the dockers that was felt so much in South Wales was internationally organised, and affected many branches of industry in at least five or six nations. All this economic and commercial intercourse has a deep influence in equalising social conditions of life in distant lands. When the weavers of Flanders, the lacemakers of Ireland, the silk-spinners of Lyons used to exercise their own industry in their own little way, each had to face the problems of labour- in his own trade. All this has changed with the creation of large industrial centres with universal competition, so that the labor question, the conflict between capital and labor, is now' the same everywhere; the problem is set in the same terms in all countries. ■ Catholics claim that Catholicism is the only complete solution to all the problems of the world. Why can we not convince our fellow men of that? Why do we fail to solve the problem Because we are not clear about the details of the problem; because we do not know how to apply our answer in detail; and because we do not work internationally. Why do commercial enterprises succeed? Because when they are engaged in everyone is clear about what he wants , and that is easy money. Because the individuals are determined not only to get it, but to find out how best, and easiest and quickest to get it. Because they are ready not only for. all kinds of jiersonal sacrifice, but for International Co-operation. Now look at non-Catholic social enterprises. The energy expended in this department has been enormous. Time, money, thought have been lavished generously. With what result? Some success ; much failure. Why? Because the reformers were not at one as to what they wanted; nor as to the means of getting it; now, when both end and means were decided on° were they till recently willing .to work internationally ; still less, able to do so. Thus, the ideal' state which all alike wished to create, was differently, striven for by each, the one point held in common being itself an essential imperfection— that the ideal must be one of exclusively material prosperity and progress. But'two things have at any rate kept pace with one another;—the

clearer realisation of the end and of the means and the clearer and stronger conviction that the organisation which must achieve the one, and create and manipulate the others must be international. Their, Congresses are international. You all know the organisation called the International Labor Party, the societies for international protection of working men and women, and the like. What is the attitude possible for Catholics in this matter? Our position, is astonishingly favorable. We know exactly* what we want —the chance for all to live the Christian life in its entirety. We know in great detail, though not yet sufficiently, how we can hope to achieve that end. The Catholic Social Guild in England, the Action Populaire in France, the ‘ Volksverein,’ in Germany, the ‘ Accion Social Popular in Spain, the Catholic Social Study Guild in Canada and others, publish literature, which, in _ each separate country, ought to form a Catholic opinion on this subject. Next; we are in possession of a unique international organisation— our machine, our instrument, is ready to our hand ; we have only to use it. It is the international organised body of men called the Catholic Church. We have only two explanations of our inactivity, if we are idle. Either we don’t know how to use it, or we don’t care to use it. Other international bodies— shall not be misunderstood if I allude to The Continental Freemasons know how to use and are ready enough to use their international machines. How about the Catholics? Why can we not show that at Westminster, in the Chamber of Deputies, the Reichstag, the Cortes, Catholics are animated by one spirit of social justice, by one ideal in each case as high, as intelligent, as uniformly illuminated, and will equally resolute ? To bring this about much has already been accomplished. At Easter the Action Populaire held in Paris its second Social Congress in which a full day was given to the study of international social action. As many as twelve nations of Europe and America had sent to it as representatives their foremost social leaders. We were honored by the presence of English authorities, such as Mgr. Parkinson, president of the Catholic Social Guild; Mr, James Britten, honorary secretary of the Catholic Truth Society; Mr. Hilaire Belloc (who delivered on the last day in perfect French a perfect speech), and Miss Willis, delegate of the Catholic Women’s League. The opportunity was not lost. International meetings of a confidential character were held in the evening when the day’s work was over. Most inspiring it was to witness all these Catholics from so many different lands all desirous to unite their utmost effort for the good of the Church as well as for that of their own country, and of the world at large. As an organisation of this kind requires careful disposition and arrangement before it can be set to work, it was decided that the first year should be devoted to studying which was the best way to start an international entente and combined work. In the meantime, under the temporary direction of the Action Populairegreatly honored by the confidence shown to periodical correspondence was to be exchanged and partial meetings arranged. It is hoped that when we meet again for the next Congress, this organisation will have taken a definite shape. Here you have something clear about international cooperation. But there are other organisations just as important being talked about. The Very Rev. Dean Wookey, speaking on behalf of his Lordship the Bishop of Salford, whose zeal for social work is well known to all, made a proposal in favor of an international federation of Catholic working men.. Again, at our congress in Paris the working out of a scheme for the international protection of working men was entrusted to Father Rutter, the celebrated Belgian trade unionist. But I am sure you have had a more striking example than these before your eyes this afternoon when you were told by representatives of Germany, France, and England of the wonderful work Catholic women are doing.

Are you aware of the fact that there exists an international federation of Catholic Women’s Leagues which nearly twenty nations have now —France being represented by 500,000 members of the Ligue Patriotique des Francaises, England by the 8000 of the Catholic Women’s League, Germany by the vast membership of the Frauenbund, etc. ? You have listened to the magnificent result of their work, you have seen the unprecedented and courageous as well as eloquent way in which they could stand up and face an audience and speak out; you know what zeal is theirs, what sympathy is theirs, what piety is theirs. Well, can you think for a moment that this international army of devoted mothers and sisters will not have a deep and far-reaching influence upon the social and religious life of the world . - If there be any in this audience who are not yet enrolled and are hesitating, let them make up their minds promptly and fall in at once. The salvation of many souls is at stake. So Much for the Constructive Work, though I should like to add it is greatly to be desired that similar societies should be internationally linked together, so as to watch each other’s methods, e.g., Study Clubs, Temperance Societies, Girls’ Clubs, and the like. As regards defensive work, you heard of the suggestions that were made last year at Leeds. A similar scheme has come recently from the American Federation of Catholic Societies, whilst at the last Eucharistic Congress it was decided among representatives of different nations that they would every year at the same gathering consider very seriously the question of international defence. We Catholics, if we want to keep pace with the rest of the world and not lose ground, are in duty bound to work in the same spirit and in the same way. Let us now be determined to do as the people who throw the whole of their energy in some commercial enterprise. The way in which we take our share of the work may be different, but we must all take it. Some will give their talent and their time others will provide financial help to international Catholic works, others who have no talent, no time, no money, will all the same be able to help and perhaps in the best way, remembering that ‘ More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.’ ■And besides the social and religious results it obtains, such a co-operation will have the wonderful effect of making us all better realise in a. spirit of love and union our brotherhood in Jesus Christ whilst we are devoting our life to the coming of His kingdom.