ARCHBISHOP O'SHEA'S SPEECH

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 256, 17 July 1918, Page 6

ARCHBISHOP O'SHEA'S SPEECH

Sir,-I felt verv much like rubbinff my eyes after I had read aiul reread the report of the recent address by Arelibisliop O'Shea, as printed in your columns. The .prelate Eaid: lho Catholic Church does not make compact* with any political party. She is übovo and outside of politics." Now onyoue who has read anything in regard to tho history and activities of the Jioman Catholic Church 1 knows that sho is not "above and outside of politics. 1 went to my drawer and took out mv files and found that Father M.'J. O'Keilly, C.M., Principal of St. Stanislaus s Colrejje, Bathurst, N.S.W., said in an address at Bnthurst ill 1913: "We are going to be on the market shortly. We arc goius to offer ourselves to the highest bidder. In the "Catholic Press" (Sydney) of October 30, 1913, there is a display heading running right across the page, entitled, "Wc arc Going to Take u Hand; Rather O'Keilly aud Catholic Federation." Then follows a report of an address given by Father O'lteilljr to tba Catholic Federation at Ashfield, in which ho said there was a. hubbub at Bathurst when, he said "Weill shortly be oil the market." He had voted tor Labour I for eleven years, but now ho was going; I to vote for "the men who would give liiia I the most acceptable tonus. I In the Melbourne "A.ge" of Juno 3, 1 1911, is found the report of an address 1 given by Jlr. E. J. Hayes, of .the Yici toriau Catholic Federation: "In his re--1 marks he stated that the federation was • a political one. It would bo useless if it i was otherwise. It, not sup- ! porting any party." "lie asked his hear- " ers to drop party for their religion, 'iho • federation intended to spend ft largo sum r of money at the forthcoming elections in i about nine constituencies in supporting i candidates who would give justice to ' Catholic claims." i These extracts show that the Catholio i Church does take a vital part in politics, s She may not join herself to any party, • oxcSpt when, perhaps, it may suit her to l do so; sho rather eonstluites liersojf a , party, and will vote for the man who . will be a tool in her hands for the atP tainment of her ends. , The solution of the present Capital and Labour troubles doos not lie in tho principles of the Roman Catholio Church. One has only to go to various South American countries to see tho baneful and seliish working out of thoso principles. If the Catholic Church associates herself with the working man it will, "true to her principles an<t history," simply bo to use him as a vaulting pole for' tho attainment of her own selfish ambitions. Other erroneous ami , strife-provoking statements of the Areh- ! bishop might also be vigorously comment* cd on.—l am, etc., A'O CAMOUJ:I/AGE.