BERGSON AND THE VATIGAN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 18 October 1913, Page 9

BERGSON AND THE VATIGAN.

HOLY SEE'S STRUGGLE "WITH MODERNISM. The Vatfcan correspondent of the Milan "Corriero della Sera", writes thai a fresh episodo lias occurred in, tha struggle of tho Holy Sco with Modernism. Cardinal Merry del Val lias, by the orders of the Pope, sent a letter condemning the philosophy of M. Henri' Bergson, the author of "Creative Evolution," ' a work wliieh lias been well received in some Catholio quarters aa a reaction against scientific materialism* Tho letter of the Popo has been addressed to Monsignor Farges, who t ia <• tlie author of a pamphlet combating , Bergson's work. Tho important part) of the letter reads as follows:— _ , "In the presence of the false theories of this new philosophy that must, strike' at the great principles, the truth quired by traditional philosophy, it is necessary to raise an authoritative voica to unmask and confute this error, to' combat this poison of philosophio mod-' cruism, tli© jtiotg fatal and noxious cause it 5s veiled, subtle, and seduc-; tive. 'And this you have accomplished; with tlie competence that is_ recognised/ by all in a work of calm criticism 1 , impartial and objective. Tho Holy Father; rejoices with you in this because you : have added to the iserics of your philosophical works a work which is destinedto bo of benefit To the souls of the young especially, preserving them from' tlie harm caiused' by these erroneous doctrines, and leading them hack to the tnrfli, directing them towards tho safe light of traditional philosophy." To this criticism "31. Bergson has re*, plied that bis philosophy does not touch flie problem of the existence or _ Goa. He proposes to defend his teaching nt a, series of conferences, to be given during the coming winter at tho College of France. —".Westminster Gazette. • .