CHURCH AND LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 252, 12 July 1918, Page 6

CHURCH AND LABOUR

SPEECH BY ARCHBISHOP O'SHEA NO UNHOLY CONSPIRACY "Some of tho Social Duties of Catholics" was the text of an address delivered by Archbishop O'Shea, before the Diocesan Council of the Catholic Federation alt its half-yearly conference yesterday. "On a previous occasion," said His' Grace, "I spoke to you on the need of social study on the part of the federation, so that we, as Catholics, might bo able 'to take an effective part in the task of social reform and the betterment of tho worker. It seems that my remarks on that occasion caused quite a flutter' in the ranks of the I'.l'.A. Tt was nothing short of treason for a Catholic bishop to say 'that: the Cliuroli was in favour of justice to tho worker, and that it would only bo by tho application of Christian principles that this justice wculd be attained in the relations between men—between Capital and Labour. And because I urged Catholics to study these principles more earnestly, with a. view towards helping the only true solution of social problems—tho Catholic one—wo, the Church, and trie federation, have been accused by this noisy fraternity of having entered into some unholy secret conspiracy with tho present leaders of tho Labour movement in New Zealand; and the Church as well as Labour have been denounced from pulpit and platform as the enemies of the country. The Labour leaders have replied pretty effectively to the Orange misrepresentations. Of course, there has been nn such thing as a compact between 'the Catholic Church or the federation and any party—Labour, or other. The Catholic Church does not make compacts with any political party. She is above and outside of politics. Her office is to teach men the principles of right ami justice; but tho carrying out oi these principles in the concrete she loaves to the Parliaments or Governments ot the country. Aud neither the form or government, the method of legislation, nor the political partios in any oountry are any concern of hers, provided truth and justice me safeguarded. Sho does not dictate to Catholics wnat political party they are to support, or what form of government they should adhere to. Neither does she turn her pulpits into political platforms. Any Catholic knows that she would be going be.voud her mission were she to do this. Hence, all the talk about compacts between the Church and this or that political party is bui the product of disordered imaginations. Helping the Workers. "But tho Church, true to her principles and history, is always found on tho side of the weak and on. the side of iustico to all, no matter what class they belong to. Hence it is not strange that her oisliops and organisations shoul(,l express sympathy witii and approval of the sano efforts of Labour people to ob'tain for the worker a more proportionate shaTe of the fruits of his labour, and more seemly conditions in which to, live. This has ever been tho attitude ot the Catholic Church during the wliolo course of her history; and it will ever bo her attitude in the future, no matter how her enemies may threaten and bluster. Her efforts have frequently beon thwarted by unscrupulous men in positions of power or authority; and,-for the last ithree centuries especially, there has been what was aptly named by a distinguished Jesuit, 'the suppressed Catholicism of Labour struggling to force itself through the shell of an unnatural and un-Ohristian order.' And, according to some people, people who are nowadays the surviving exponents of the policy. of thwarting tho Church's efforts, it is a crime for Catholic bishops and organisations to express sympathy with the just aspirations of the worker, and to urge their people to study how best to help the realisation of these aspirations along safe and Christian lines; but it is no sin at all for the Orangemen to conduct a propaganda amongst the workers in the factory, in the workshop, in the docks, and elsewhere; a propaganda, too, that has for its object, not tho betterment of the conditions of tho worker, but the securing oi votes to furher a spirit of uncharitableness and hatred amongst their fallow meu, aud, above , all, to encourage a spirit of division i amongst tho workers of different creeds and classes, so thai, becoming a disordered rabble, tliey may continue to be exploited by the great and powerful few. 'I'llis sums up tlic present agitation on the part of an underground fraternity that has never during its history been the friend of tho worker. On tne coni trary, wherever its influence has been felt—as in the manufacturing districts of the North of Ireland—wages were lowia' and t-he conditions of living infinitely worse than in any other part - of tlie British Dominions. Ail the camouflage in the world and all tlie fiery ora- • tory of tho lodges cannot explain away facts, and so we may safely leave their , ebullitions to the common "sense of tlie | people of New Zealand, whose just aspi- , rations for better conditions and a fairly . distribution of tilings are not going to > bo side-tracked in this way. , The Part of the Federation, i "During the last century America and i other places have witnessed movements ) against tho people's interests similar to - the one we have in New Zealand at the I present moment. Sometimes it was the i American Protection Association, at other. - times Knoivnothingism, again American' J patriots; but one and all had their short 1 day and disappeared, while the Church , with her activities oil behalf of man--1 kind goes on just tho same as ever, for - she is not a sect or a spasmodic local movement, but the embodiment of prin- : cipies of truth aud justice that are eterr nal. And though it is not hgr office, as - I have said, to directly remedy social - evils by interfering with the 1 unctions - of the Stated yet she alone can bring 2 about that mentality or disposition oi' ! mind amongst men that will enable them 2 to remedy the evils that afflict society. 3 This is why I urged you to study the 3 social question in the light of Christian , principles, and to nan the machinery of • the federation lo Tender your work more 0 effective and certain. You are in a bet--1 ter position that others to spread the 2 leaven of good principles, of principles that in the lone run will be the only ones productive of any real results. And if there were reason for my urging this course of action in regard to social study last year, there is greater reason now. For in the interval, the abuses that then existed have increased to an alarming extent. The profiteering, the hypocrisy, the dishonesty of Governments and rulers, 3 and of the unworthy rich who have - climbed into .power and influeneo in all v countries, have been worse than ever, s I And, as I said on the last occasion, rec i action and change are bound to come, e | and upon the form which the changewill - take will depend whether a better state i- of society will evolve, or only a putting off of tlie evil day. Members and com- '. mittees of the federation can contribute i- much towards a rislit and happy snlu--1 lion-of the many difficult problems ih.it e must be faced very soon. You can fill t in your spare time by taking up the e soc i| t l study that I have spoken of. You 1 can imDart much of the knowledge thus • acquired U> others, and bring right prin- - cipies before vour fellow men. Hie morn e the truth in these matters is spread e abroad, the better will be the outlook for the future, and Ihe more solidly will be laid the foundations of this young nad tion's happiness and prosperity." t, !>