ANZAC DAY IN WELLINGTON

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLVI, Issue 18, 1 May 1919, Page 17

ANZAC DAY IN WELLINGTON

SOLEMN OBSERVANCE AT THE BASILICA. On last Friday (Anzac Day) a Solemn Requiem Mass, commencing at 9 a.m., was celebrated at the Sacred Heart Basilica, Hill Street Wellington, for the repose of the souls of those who made the supreme sacrifice'on Gallipoli, and during the late war, generally. The building was densely thronged, several hundreds being unable to obtain admission. The procession was formed at the archbishop's residence, headed by the cross bearer and acolytes. These were followed by the clergy of the city. Then came Archbishop O'Shea, followed by Archbishop Redwood. Catholic returned soldiers assembled at Bunny Street, whence, they marched to the Basilica. The Solemn Requiem Mass commenced immediately on the arrival of the procession. . The Very Rev. Father T. Gilbert, S.M. (Rector of St. Patrick's College), was celebrant at the Mass, assisted by Father Aiusworth, S.M., as deacon, and Father Hoare, S.M., as subdeacon, Father Hurley, S.M., Adm., being master of ceremonies. The assistant priests at the throne were the Veil. Archdeacon Devoy, S.M.-, and the Very Rev. Dean Holley, S.M. (Provincial). The solemn music of the Mass was very capably sung by a trained choir of students from St. Patrick's College. Father Kimbell, S.M., acted as conductor, and Father Schaeffer, S.M., presided at the organs. ■ After the Gospel, his Grace Archbishop Redwood delivered the following discourse: We are" met to-day, within the sacred walls of this temple . dedicated .'to the .•'. Sacred . Heart of -Jesus, to commemorate e and praise the immortal deeds of the heroic members of the Anzac regiments, and to pray

•'■'--' : -'»'' '■-;" '■'••■■-""- -\1 ■ ■• - ■ ■ ■■■ ■■'■- <■ for the souls of those of -that noble band of heroes who made the great sacrifice and gave their lives for their King and country. Heroism such as : theirs has seldom been- seen in the J. world and perhaps never surpassed!" They have written in indelible letters of gold one of the brightest and most glorious pages in the history of the British Empire. Their deeds and fame are beyond all praise in every - : land on the face of the earth. Accordingly i to extol their : achievements again to-day appears to be superfluous-: and like painting the.lily^or^ gilding refined gold. So I will address myself to other thoughts more immediately actual and absorbing. -.The thought uppermost in the minds of men to-day is peace. The entire world in ; this approaching hour of peace is thinking of ; - a restoration again to normal conditions.. It is praying for a Warless world. Peace has been purchased at the price of the most terrible war of all history. The Anzacs did their part in it fearlessly and generously. They left this country and crossed the briny oceans to shed their noble blood that peace might be the inestimable result. For the only aim of every just war is to gain peace. They did their ■■ duty in war time heroically, and we followed and attended their career with our good wishes, assistance, and" fervent prayers. •-..'• Tido^'i,

, But there is another duty we have to fulfil to our country in relation to peace in this hour. What is it It is that of earnest, fervent, persevering prayer that Almighty God may illumine the minds and strengthen the judgment of those who sit in the council of the nations. The Holy Father, the vicar of the Prince of Peace, appeals to the whole world for such concerted prayers. Let us pray; too, that peace may be such that an infinitely wise Providence and a universal paternal God will approve. If you ask why the ■‘Catholic portion of the Anzacs have been so faithful to their war duties, the full explanation, is in their religion. Religion commands of all,'and especially of Catholic men, to be true, loyal citizens, to "give their "sons if necessary to their country, and this, by reason of the natural virtues that actuate any mansince patriotism is a noble branch of charitybut it demands more than that. . It demands that they do this from supernatural motives. And so it has been in the great war. From, various sources in the East and West, in Europe and elsewhere, we learn that the Catholic soldiers of the Anzac expedition have been an edification to their surroundings by reason of their open, fearless, practical religion. Ah! yes, religion makes men noble in war time duties. But it also fits them for .the duties of peace. Religion is naturally something ennobling, elevating. The reason is simply because God, in creating us, has put a spiritual element into our being, and has raised us to a supernatural condition; and, consequently," by virtue of our nature, there is a demand for religion, a demand for some-

thing spiritual, a demand for God. .“God has made us for Himself,” says St. Augustine/ “and our heart is ever restless till it rests in Him.” And it is only religion that is elevating, and the nations of the world realise the elevating influence of religion : they recognise its inestimable value to society, even in the mere natural order; and may the Peace Council of the nations take into account the extraordinary asset in every country of the value of religion! , Never let the idea take possession of you that religion is an impediment, an obstacle. There is no honest success in life that religion will prevent you from attaining. But religion, on the contrary, will carry you along, make you the highest and noblest type of man. You all instinctively admire the honest, truthful, upright man, the clean man of mind and heart and lips. These are merely the fruits of religion—the virtues. Religion was no hindrance to the final achievement of Marshal Foch. The secret of his success rests on his faith in God and his consolation as a good Catholic: “Faith in life eternal, in a God of goodness and compassion,” he has said, “has sustained me in the most trying hours. Prayer has enlightened my way.” This is what we are told about him, on unimpeachable authority. On the eve of July 18, 1918, he called together his generals and commanders of divisions for the last time, and told, them of his plans for the morrow and assigned to each of them his part in carrying them out, and in conclusion said: “Now, gentlemen, I have done all I can. I must leave the rest to you, and now I beg to be left undisturbed, if possible, for the next hour or so,” and he withdrew. A short time afterwards there came an urgent message from the front addressed to the Commander-in-Chief. Marshal Foch was nowhere to be found. But the chaplain was in the secret, and he led the messenger to a lonely little chapel where, - alone and unattended, the Marshal of France was on his knees in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. That prayer of that fine soldier and fine Catholic was answered by the splendid triumph of the following days. On another occasion Foch said: “1 know something about preparation for war, about formation and concentration, and 1 can follow up an advantage : but victory does not depend ,on me.” Then, drawing froin his tunic a small crucifix hanging from a twist of twine, he continued; “There, nailed to the Cross is the Giver of Victory. Our triumph must come if w-e trust in Him.” After the victory of the Marne, when the bishop congratulated him: “My lord,” he replied, “thank not me, but Him who made use of me.” There you have impregnable evidence of the grand character formed by religion. Take a survey of the whole world and ask candidly what is the greatest evil to-day What must be your answer ? Is it notconsidering the majority of the world — it not that irreligious spirit by which the great majority scoff at religion, ridicule it. minimise it, pity it, not to speak of the neglect of it? Yes, mi- • doubtedly, that is the greates evil cxising in the world to-day. Do the world nations now asembled in the Peace Council realise the value of religion ? While they

are talking of liberty, let us pray to God that they may recognise the liberty necessary for religion, the liberty, necessary that man and nations may rise to those ennobling heights which they can attain only by the development of the spiritual sense that they have ! , M3 7 dear Catholic Anzac men, we are proud of you, proud of you because you are zealous to give expression to that religious sense. You recognise the spiritual element of your nature : you recognise that religion is established between you and your Creator. You recognise that your Creator is a personal God ; and you recognise, in virtue of that relationship, that you have duties, and the performance of these duties is

nothing else than religion. You ax-e faithful to your religion. Continue in that fidelity and never let any influence come into your lives to make you minimise the importance of religion for yourselves. ’ But be not satisfied, with being a unit in the spiritual life of the community. There is not a person here that, has not a missionary power and a missionary influence. There

is not one here that cannot help to strengthen %the religion of some man, woman, or child Vwith- whom he comes in contact. Undertake that necessary ■ work. 1 do not say in an offensive way. No, show- your common sense in it, with a truly Christian and sensible spirit, exercise in every walk of life, in every position, some religious influence. By your prayers first and then by your example in word and deed. - Then the Church and your fellow-citizens will have reason to be always proud of you. And when I tell you that the Church is proud of you, I am telling you in other words that the Church is your friend. The Church is your friend under all conditions.

Who was it that raised his voice, but a few years ago, in favor of the laboring man, who must earn his living by labor? Who was it that raised his voice which resounded to the ends of the earth, and said to employers, “You have in many cases put the laboring men into positions little better than slavery?” Who was it that said to Capital, “You are guilty of a crime that is crying to Heaven for vengeance?” Who was; it that said beware of the labor-agitator, the men who* were provoking class hatred ? Who was it that saidl that class hatred must stop? One might have thought, it was some great Socialist. It was no other than the great Pope Leo XIII. So 1 tell you to-day that the Church is your friend, your friend always, the friend,, under all conditions, always sympathetic. That does; not mean, of course, that the Church will always tell! you you are right. No, that would' not be true friendship. But she will always be sympathetic. Her mission, which is that of the Apostles, is to love every soul, is to preach the gospel of love, to destroy class hatred. That mission accordingly must needs lead hexheart out to the men who earn their livelihood by labor. She will lovingly tell you when you are right, and she will fearlessly and authoritatively tell you when you are wrong and, under all circumstances, she will be alike your sure guide and your trusted friend. As Catholics, what is the belief that sustained you in your heroism on the battlefield, in the trenches, and everywhere ? It was this: you believe that the Son of God became man, man as we are men, but without sin.

and He did so for our salvation.

Many divisions of so-called "Christianity have practically set this teaching aside, and adopted what they call 'freedom"—freedom to accept Christ as God or as man, mere man. But you think and say with the Church that Christ is the God-man, the Incarnate God. Again, you believe that He has come to us in His Divinity, truly, really, and substantially in the Bread of Life, here in the tabernacle of our altars. You have often come to receive that Bread of Life, your Sacramental God. My dear men, be ever faithful to that duty above all things elseit is the test of your belief and the profession of your belief in the Divinity of Christ, the basic truth of the whole Christian system. Many, alas ! have denied this doctrine and accordingly have emptied their churches. What would this temple of God be if Christ of the Tabernacle were not here in

His Sacramental presence? It would be cold and empty. Its architecture, its preachers might attract you for a time, but it would soon cease to seriously influence you. You further believe in three principal and all important authorities—the authority of the home, the authority of the State, and the authority of the Church. Mankind— human family divided : into these three groups of perfect societies. Each is perfect in its own order. The State and the Church depend upon the family. But the family is a society in its own order, a perfect society. The authority of that society is the authority of God. The home is a divine institution and that institution must be respected. If any voioe in the world speaks up for the ; defence of the home it is the Catholic Church. In this New Zealand

which you love so well, and for which your comrades heroically shed their blood and gave their lives at the canon's ( mouth, are we not confronted with a gigantic evil, an evil which has disrupted many a' home already, and threatens to disrupt many more mean divorce, W-: lv «■■ ; -- >. ~" '■ ■ J . - m-& ■ - "0

divorce in our divorce courts? The mandate of God is; “What God has joined let no man put asunder. The Catholic Church stands unalterably for the sacred institution of the home, for the support of the authority of the home.

If any of you are fathers of families, recognise that you are agents in God’s hands in this divine institution, and that you have by that very fact a great responsibility. The authority you exercise is through God: you must not abuse that authority ; you must exercise it in the interests of your children.* Many do misuse that authority. They do not make their children love them. They are not companionable with their children in their young years, and later when they have grown into years and old age, their children never approach them in a filial way. Unfortunately, so many fathers are kind, true providers in the house, but not lovable to wife and children. I do not mean by this that you must be weak in the exercise of your authority, but you must make wife and children love you, and you must make- your sons and daughters a'espect the divine authority which you exercise. I need not say much about your respect for the authority of the State. We believe and teach that the State is a divine institution and that its authority is given from above. The State, in its own order, is a perfect society, a perfect institution, and the authority it has in its own domain is from above. We Catholics respect that authority, and you Anzac heroes have stood as one man to prove your devotion and your love for your country and your country’s authority. Lastly, you recognise that there is a divine institution, the Catholic Church, which has received the divine commission to lead your souls to God. For that purpose she was founded. Christ said to His Church: “All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth, as the Father sent Me I also send you.” That is the commission of Christ “teaching” —mark these words, “teaching all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” Not “teaching whatever you please.” Teaching “what I have commanded.” That is the commission of the Church. The exercise of the

authority of the Church is the carrying out of that commission ,to lead men’s souls to God by the teaching of the doctrines of Christ, .and by requiring men to practise their religion in conformity with these teachings. Love the Church and, recognising her divine commission, as you do, make others as far as you can realise it. You all, as I have said, have missionary powers. Oh, what a consolation we Catholics have when we realise what the authority of the Church means. That authority is obliged and circumscribed to teach only “what Christ has commanded,” according to His own words. My dear men, come to love that authority• more and more every day of your lives, and pray for the Church, pray that her authority may be further realised, so that there may be but one fold and one shepherd. And now, in conclusion, I return to the second

object of our meeting here to-day—namely, to pray for the souls of those soldiers in the war who have gone to meet their God and to receive, we hope, the happy sentence of eternal reward, though, to fully satisfy the justice of God, they have yet to pay the debt of temporal punishment in Purgatory, ere they are pure enough to see God in his unveiled splendor, and live in His blissful sight for ever. Assist, therefore, with great attention and deep devotion at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass here offered to-day for the living and the dead, .and especially for the souls of the members of the Anzac corps, endeared to all of us by so many sacred ties of country, race, and kindred. Let us so shorten their exile from God and bring them more quickly to rest in His bosom for all eternity. Amen.

Christ, is not valued at all unless He be valued above all.—St. Augustine. ,