CONGRESS OF SWISS CATHOLICS

New Zealand Tablet, 20 November 1913, Page 45

CONGRESS OF SWISS CATHOLICS

THE WORK OF AN IRISH MISSIONARY The Swiss Catholics may well rejoice at having had glorious weather for their fourth triennial Katholikentag. Rain has dogged relentlessly the footsteps of tourists in Switzerland this summer. But the first few days of August were an exception and these saw the Swiss Catholics meet in Congress in the historic town of St. Gallen, not far from Lake Constance (writes a correspondent of America). Enthusiasm would surely have made the sturdy Swiss rise superior to weather conditions, as it did some of your fellowcountrymen whom the writer met on Lake Lucerne. It was raining torrents and the Bigi and Pilatus were hidden in heavy clouds. The rest of us were shivering in snug corners of the lake steamer. Your two stalwarts without waterproof were standing in front and loudly expressing their admiration of the scenery, which we could not see. But enthusiasm would not have given .us the fine picture we had of the 18,000 processionists, many in the picturesque costumes of their various cantons, with some 240 banners gaily breasting the breeze, and 18 bands of music. This took place on Sunday, August 3, the People's Day. In the .morning the churches were filled to overflowing. At the Cathedral, Dr. Jann of Stans, a Capuchin Father, preached. He reminded his hearers that this year they celebrate the thirteenth centenary of the founding of St. Gallen by the Irish monk St. Gallus.. 'Saints Columban and Gallus were the representatives of the Apostolate of the Faith and of Culture, of the material, intellectual, social and Christian Culture.' He proceeded to ask them to offer to the ' Green Isle the thanks due to it and the greetings of the Swiss Catholics, and the following prayer to St. Gallus: Saint Gallus deign to look down on us this day, that brings honor to Catholic Switzerland, and bless this golden harvest of culture, that to-day waves over your grave.' The preacher thus paid a graceful tribute to the work of the Irish monks in that part of Europe in the seventh century, when The Light of Faith and Civilisation was spread by the streams of pilgrim scholars, who brought over from the ' land of saints and scholars' the learning and virtue that then flourished in Ireland as in no other land. That the Swiss and their near neighbors are not unmindful of their benefactors the writer found recently when seeking an opportunity to say Mass in the Church of St. Gallen in Bregenz, on Lake Constance. Because of his Irish extraction, the priests and sacristan could not do enough for him. Of the numerous questions, social, economic, pedagogic and political, that engaged the' attention of the various Vereine during the Katholikentag, some would appeal more to the general public than others. The Workmen's Guild or Verein touched on a wide range of subjects, and incidentally proved how useful the Katholikentag is. Social reform, cheapening of the

food supply, the questions of coal and electrification of railways, and the proportional system of voting which would secure a fairer treatment of minorities, a question of moment to Catholics, who in Switzerland are a minority, insurance for the aged and the infirm, and factory laws; these were a few of the subjects vigorously discussed. So can a Catholic working man grasp that the Socialists have not a monopoly of interest in matters touching their material and social well-being ; but that the grand old Church of their fathers is even more concerned to better their condition in life. The speech of Stradtrat Widmer, of Zurich, on these questions of the day was received with rapturous applause. Another speaker reminded them that Christian social optimism must be founded on the first of the Ten Commandments, and on Golgotha. Courage to martyrdom must be theirs, for the way to Golgotha was the way to peace. The working men’s choirs helped on the enthusiasm by their fine singing of patriotic songs, an art the Swiss have in perfection. The Gesellenverein Section specially interested your correspondent, as recently he had the good fortune to stay a day or two in the Zurich Gesellenhaus and to witness the immense good the Yerein is doing. A Gesellenhaus is

A Huge Boarding-house for Catholic Apprentices, whose work takes them away from home and compels them to live in the great cities. A priest lives there and is the director. The Zurich house, and all the houses throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzer. land are similarly modelled, has a chapel, in which the apprentices hear daily Mass, a theatre beautifully appointed, a huge dining room on the restaurant style, and the inevitable German bar. There are certain rules to be observed, but otherwise the young men are left as free as they would be in an ordinary hotel. It is the Catholic atmosphere and companionship that counts. Your correspondent was agreeably surprised on looking into the dining hall to see some 300 young men at small tables smoking and drinking and listening intently to the weekly talk of the chaplain-director! The notice board showed that their evenings are well occupied with amusements or more educating programmes. The good these Gesellen houses do is enormous. 'Kopling (the founder of the Gesellen Verein movement), and his work,' was the subject of the speech of Dr. Schohi. There are some 25,000 members of the Gesellen Verein to-day, some in Africa and India. The entrance of the General Director, P. Claudius Hirt, to the meeting was greeted with' applause, such as only young men of the Gesellen's age are capable of giving-. to Naturally the subject of moment nowadays in every land claimed its full share of attention. The Education Section brought together some 300 teachers, and the Hochschulverein of Freiburg, had a meeting even to itself. & The Milan Edict of Constantine gave an opportunity to pedagogues versed in history to compare the tolerance given to all religions by that edict and the disabiliies under which Catholic educa-

tionists must labor to-day. Professor Fischer, from Lucerne, spoke on the duties of parents regarding the education of their children. They should study the conditions in which their children are placed, and so instruct them as to guard them from the dangers and enable them to profit by what is good. The formation of children’s characters, the handling of their physical, hygienic, moral and religious education called for study on the parents’ part. Herr Erb, of Berne, appealed for the founding of more homes and houses for university students in university, towns. The Freiburg Hochschulverein, which is a Yerein for university students, was entertained by a scholarly discourse from University Professor Dr. Kirsch, on ‘ Constantine the Great and the Tolerance Edict of Milan.’ Practical questions of finance and the management of the Yerein also engaged the meeting’s attention. A speech of special value, for it was a practical one that faced boldly the injustices under which the Swiss Catholics labor, was that of Chief Editor Zaumberger, of Zurich entitled ’

Equal Rights and Equal Freedom.’ It was a fighting speech, well thought out and supported by abundance of facts. He, too, contrasted the Constantine Edict with the present disabilities of Catholics: ‘Never to rest until the frank acknowledgment of the rights of all to political and social existence is an accomplished fact.’ He appealed for proportional voting as just to minorities, and touched on several questions of local interest to Switzerland, the observance of Sunday as a day of rest, and better factory laws. The Constantine Edict 1600 years ago gave cultus-freedom to all religions. Have we that Surely not, so long as the Bishop of Basel must obtain permission from the Government every time he gives Confirmation in a certain Canton of his diocese* 3 ; or when he will consecrate a church : while in the same Canton processions in the open air in a Catholic neighborhood axe foxbidden, and while in a certain Canton a priest last year was forbidden to say Mass daily. That is not freedom, but a brutalising of conscience!’ The speaker also spoke warmly of the injustice of the laws forbidding the Jesuits in Switzerland, and the founding of new monasteries. ‘To a religious folk like the Swiss surely a new convent is of more value than a new kino-theatre or a new variety house; and a Jesuit more useful than a certain modern variety artist, whom we must have to be up to date.’ Not to rest content till they had secured the open recognition of the rights and freedom of the Catholic Church, and the religious rights of Catholics in Switzerland, was the trumpet-call of the vigorous speech of Editor Baumgartner. Amid applause he concluded; Forward Swiss Catholics forward in solid ranks to claim your lights. This is the spirit of the fourth licit hoi i h ant a(/ in St. Gallon, the spirit that rises from the graves of famous St. Gallen Catholics. It is the spirit whose work is fruitful of good to Holy Church, and of good to our Fatherland, our loved, our dear Switzerland.’ Dr. Werthmann, the representative of the central committee of the Gorman Catholics, paid

A Fine Tribute to the Swiss

by reminding them how Germany uses their orators at its meetings, their Sisters of Mercy in its hospitals and the books of its scientists, litterateurs, and theologians. Yes,’ he said, ‘we take from Switzerland even our Jesuits.’ Here he was referring to the famous Fathers Meschler, Boh, and Baumgartner, ‘ whose works are known wherever the German tongue resounds • .• • From St. Gallen, too, the light of Christian faith was spread in the German Rhineland and German students, German candidates for religious life, yes, even German Emperors themselves, come to your historic town to enliven their devotion and piety at this fountain of the faith.’ The gathering together in Congress of the Catholics of Switzerland is a tribute to the undivided loyalty of the faithful to one another and to their pastors. The three languages of the country,. though differing in sound, were yet one in ideas and interests. Whenever the Holy Father’s name was mentioned it was greeted with applause—with vivas or with hoch, and the call to battle for their rights and the rights

of Holy Church, was taken up as a call to all to unite on the platform of religion. 4 We know only one Catholicism. The distinction between a religious and a political Catholicism is to us unknown/ said Standerat Adalbert Wirz. He continued; We will not be half Catholic but all Catholic. What we do not wish is an indistinct, a watered down, a white-washed Catholicism. . . . -We stand true and fast by the Pope. He is the bearer of Church Unity and the teacher of Catholic truth.’ This world-wide movement of Catholic Federations and Catholic Congresses is surely a response to the Holy Father’s call to renew all things in Christ. Such united action breathes life and vigor into Catholicism, which freshened and renewed gives to all it touches the saving spirit of the Redeemer. ■