Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 16, 6 May 1925, Page 47

Irish News

PROTESTANT ARCHBISHOP ON DIVORCE—THE KINEMA AND IRELAND—PRESENT POSITION IN IRELAND—CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN THE SIX COUNTIES.

| With regard to the cinema : it is reported that the English, Association of Film Pro-i ducers has threatened to cut-off the supply of ?> the films they' control (largely imported l American productions) from the cinema theatres in Ireland; (says the London Catholic Times for March 14). They say that under the Irish censorship;' they cannot carry on their business, satisfactorily, and add that,, after all, the loss incurred :by ceasing to deal with Ireland would not be serious. A reputation of the Irish managers is coming- -or has already come London, to. negotiate with the controllers of the film business *n England. We trust that the Irish managers will not be misled into accepting whatever the combine in London wants to thrust upon them. There are other sources of supply cutside England, and if they make use <>f these for .a while the London combine will soon drop its present attitude. It is not "good business" to import doubtful films into Ireland. There is- a strong public opinion to be reckoned with there. In one instance in. Limerick, where the s Censorship allowed a doubtful film to pass, the Catholic Men's Confraternity first protested, and when the manager rashly rejected the protest of a deputation representing 6000 men, another deputation some hundreds strong arrived, bought their tickets, and filled the theatre. The manager was congratulating himself on attracting such a large audience, but had the surprise of his life when, as the time for showing the objectionable item in his programme drew nigh, a party of the men • captured- the film,. and the audience poured out into the street- to see it burned in front of the theatre. Since then cinema managers in Limerick have been careful in the selection of their films.

Dr. Macßory, Bishop of Down and Connor, : : says he regrets that the vitally important question of the training of Catholic male teachers for the Six Counties Bill still remains in the same most unsatisfactory conditions. No solution had yet been offered of which the Bishops concerned could conscientiously avail. The . bishops and clergy were keenly sensible of the vast importance and pressing nature of { the question, and no opportunity would be lost of having it settled satisfactorily. Dr. McHugh (Derry) says that rulers, not satisfied with the havoc that has been wrought, are determined that the rising generation shall imbibe the false principles that have led them astray. In some cases the spirit at work was avowedly atheistical and anti-Christian. To secure the practice of their, impious doctrine the young men are not only prevented from receiving instruction in the Christian Faith, but they are constrained to learn principles and contract habits that • are purely pagan, and opposed to right reason, and the law of God. In other cases, the advocates of a system of secular education, while professing the Christian faith, aimed at developing a kind of human and natural morality by inculcating high principles independent of God and His Commandments. Parents, and not the State, were the natural guardians and teachers of their children. They were the agents and instruments of God in all that concerned the spiritual and temporal welfare of their offspring, and they were bound to carry out His : designs in what was a sacred duty. Should they be unable or unfit to personally discharge their obligations, the authority, with which they were invested by God entitled them to select and delegate others to do the work for which they were primarily responsible. To interfere with the exercise of that authority was to resist what was an ordinance of God. ever was there a time when the religious training cf youth was more necessary than to-day. .■'-■' -'■■' l sat . Mrs. Collins O'Driscoll, T.D., the only woman deputy in Dail Eireann, has contributed to the Chicago Daily News an interesting statement regarding the present position in Ireland. In the course of her message Mrs. O'Driscoll says: '•*"■ -•• ' "I am the only woman Deputy in the present Bail. By profession I am a teacher. My life has been spent amongst j the plain people of the country. If I were put the question: • "How is, old Ireland and how does she stand?'' I should say that I am satisfied, taking everything into f} account, i and looking at the whole economic and political position that there is much that is cheery and consoling and much that;! justifies! a citizen of the Saorstat.in contemplating the present situation with satisfaction and j; in looking to the future with bouyancy and hope. The country has "turned ? the corner" and is now starting out ' on the road to what promises -to;, foe"; a.. position of *-un-

I It is strange to find the Protestant Archbishop of Dublin airing a grievance in respect to the divorce ban in the Free State (Bays the t London Tablet). Forsooth; the decision of Dail Eireann not to make any * provision! for 5 divorce is to take away- from the Protestant minority one of its longestablished rights, and to raise a definite I barrier in Ulster against the unity of Ire- . land. Now it has been officially ascertained ' that-in the eighteen years from 1905 to 1922 inclusively the number of.bills of divorce from i Ireland introduced) into | the House of Lords exactly fifty-two—-that is to say, an of less than three in a year. There Were' only nine bills of divorce from the Six Counties, representing an average, of one every two years. fi . Of,; the fifty-two bills ;in these 'eighteen years fifteen were from petitioners living in .England, so that only twenty-eight bills were introduced from the twenty-six counties from 1905 to 1922. . The Archbishop's j reference to the « Scriptural ex-1 ception in « regard '> to the. indissolubility of the marriage tie does not affect the question at issue. * '....r' • : iiiittii ; r _ J .-..,.. jn^„:. f ,^;^ r .^..

exampled prosperity.. The Government having combated the armed challenge: to their!, authority are now meeting and defeating the r politicians who seek to continue that challenge in the political field. v They have definitely made up their mind that they willnot any longer tolerate the : mock heroics of the malcontents and the so-called intellectuals and degenerates whose main objects is to prevent the country from settling down to hard work. . .i . It is generally agreed that the Government are ' achieving wonders. Their bitterest enemies have to admit that a more hard-working or more able team of Ministers , could not be found anywhere.! Some critics allege' that they v have departed from the ideals and . traditions of Arthur I Griffith arid '% of General Collins' (my late brother) Nothing could be farther from the truth. What has given me, personally, the greatest. satisfaction is to observe how splendidly they are using the powers the Treaty gave us ,in governing the country and in; fostering and developing its resources, ' not■ for the benefit of any one section. but for the good of all its people. ... A great many of our people undoubtedly fell away from the teachings of their religion" in the.; last three years in this country, but the in-j fluences of the ancient faith are again asserting themselves. All over the country the priests are commencing to take an active part on the side of order, decency, and good Government. The finger of scorn and con-jj tempt is being pointed at all, who, under the slogan, "Up the Republic," went out to enrich themselves . at the expense of their more respectable neighbors. The enfeebling apathy and indifference that seized upon the mass of, the people is disappearing." Since this message was written (says a Home paper for March 21) the results of the recent elections in ■ Ireland have considerably brightened the prospects of the country.; In those elections Mrs. Collins O'Driscoll took prominent part, being the first to.announce the intentions of the Irish Government , with regard to the coming development loans. -.' -- ;*