CATHOLICS AND ANZAC

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 181, 26 April 1919, Page 8

CATHOLICS AND ANZAC

REQUIEM MASS AT THE BASILICA

ADDRESS BY ARCHBISHOP REDWOOD In tlio Basilica, llill Street, at 9 a.m. yesterday a Solemn Kwiuiem Muss was celebrated for the souls o£ departed Auaacs.

' Archbishop Kedwood delivered a panegyric, while Archbishop O'Shea and the priests of the city and suburbs assisted in tho sanctuary; A choir of students from St. Patrick's College rendered tlio inusio of tho Mass. Catholic returned men marched to tlio church from their point of assembly in Buuny Street. The Archbishop said: "We are met today within the sacred walls of this toniple dedicated to tho Sacred Heart of Josus to eomnicmorato and praise the immortal deeds of the heroic members of tho Anzac regiments, i;nd to pray for the souls of those of ihnt noble band of heroes who made the great sacrifice and gave their lives for tneir King and country. To extol their achievements today nppears to be superfluous, and liko painting tho lily or gilding refined gold. So I will address myself to other thoughts more immediately actual and absorbing. Tho thought uppermost in the minds of luen 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 tho price of the most terrible war of all history. The Anzacs had their part in it fearlessly and generously. They left this country and crossed the briny oceans i to 6hed their noble blood that peace might bo the inestimable result. For tho only aim of every just war_ is to gain peace. They did their duty in war timo heroically, and we followed and ■attended their career with our good wishes, assistance, and fervent prayers. "But there is another duty we have to fulfil to our'country in relation to peace in this hour. It is that of earnest, fervent. persevering prayer that Almighty God may illumino the- minds and strengthen tho judgment of thoso who sit in tho council of the nations. The lloly Father, tho.Vicar, of the Prince'of Peace, appeals to the whole world, for such concerted prayers. Let us pray, too, that peace may bo 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, aud especially of Catholic men, to be true, loyal citizens, to give their eons if recessary to their country, and this by reason of the natural virtues that actuato r any man— sineo patriotism is a noble branch of charity—bat it demands more than that. It demands that they do this from super-, natural motives. And so it has been in tho great war. "It is only religion that is elevating, and tho nations of the world realise tho elovating influence of religion; they recognise its inestimable valuo to society, qven in tho mere natural order; and may the Peace Council of the nations lako into account tho extraordinary asset in every country of the value of religion. Religion was 110 hindranco to tho filial 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 goodnojs and compassion,' he has said, 'has sustained me in the most trying hours. Prayer Ims 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 tho last time, and told them of his plans for the morrow aud assigned to each of them his part in carrying them out, and in conclusion said: 'Now, gentlemen, I havo done all I call. 1 must leave the rest to you, and no\V I beg to be left undisturbed, it possible, for tho next hour or so"—and ho withdrew. A short time ■afterwards there came an urgent cesssige from the front addressed to the Conimtinder-in-Cliief. Marshal Foch was nowhere to bo found. But tho chaplain was in tho secret, and he led the messenger to a lonely littlo chapel where, alono and unattended, the Marshal of France was on his knees in prayer before tho Blessed Sacrament. That prayer of that fine sAldier and ' hno Catholic was answered ]>y the splendid triumph of the following days. Oil another occasion Foch said: 'I know something about preparation for war, about formation and concentration, and I can follow up an advantage; but victory docs not depend on me.' Then, drawing from his tunic a small crucifix hanging from a twist of twine, he continued: ' 1 here, nailod to the Cross is the Giver ot V ictorv. Our triumph must come if we trust in 'Him.' After the victory of the Marno when the Bishop congratulated-him, 'My loi'd,' he replied, 'think nut me,, but Him who made use of me." There you have impregnable evidenco of the grand character formed by religion. "Take a survey of tho whole world and ask candidly what is the ereatest evil to-day. What must ]>o your answer? Is it not—considering the majority of tho world-is it not that irreligious spirit by which the groat majority scoff at religion, ridicule it, minimise it,^ pity it, not to speak of the neglect ot it? les, undoubtedly, that is the greatest evil existing in tho world to-day. - Do the world nations now assembled in tlio Peace Council realise the value of religion? \\hilo they are talking of liberty, let us to God that they may recognise tho liberty necessary for religion, tho liberty necessary (that man and nations may rise to thoso ennobling heights which they can attain .only by tho development ot the spiritual sense that they have! "My dear Catholip Anzac men, wo are proud of you, proud of you because you are zealous to give expression to that religious 6ense. You recogniso tlio spiritual element of your nature; you recog. niso that religion is established between you and your Creator. . . . \\ ho was it that raised his voice, but a few years ago, in favour of tho labouring man, who must earn his living by labour, iv ho was it that raised his voice which resounded to the ends of tlio earth, and said to employers: 'You havo m many cases put the labouring men into positions little tetter than slavery. Who was it that said to Capital: lou aro guilty of a crimo that is crying. to; heaven for vengeance'? Who it that said, bcwaio of the labour agitator, the men who were provoking class'hatred? Who was it that said that class hatred must stop? Ono might havo thought it was some great Socialist. It was no other than the great Pope Leo 111. So I toll you to-day. that the Church is your friend, your friend always, tlio friend, under all conditions, always sympathetic. That does not mean, Sf course, that the Church will always toll vou you aro right. No;.that Mould not be true friendship. But slip will always bo 1 "As Caflujlics, what is the, belief that sustained you in your heroism oil tlio battlefiold, in the trenches, and everywhere? It was .this: you boliovo that tho Son of God became man, man as wo aro men, but without siu, and He did so tor our salvation. , , "In conclusion, I return to the second object of our meeting hero to-day, name)r to pray for tho souls of thoso sold'icrs in tlio war who havo gone to meet their God and to receive, wo hope, tho happy sentence of eternal reward, though, to fully satisfy tho justice of God, they have yet to pay flic debt of temporal punishment in Purgatory, pro thev-aro pure enough to seo God in His unveiled splendour, and livo in His blissful sight forever. Assist, therefore, with great attention and deop devotion at tho Iloiv Sacrifico of tho Mass hero offered to-dav for the living and tho dead, and especially for tlio souls of tho mombers of tho Anzac corps, oiulearod to all of us bv so many sacred ties of country, race," and ldndred. Lot us so shorten their exile from God and bring them more quickly to rest in His bosom for all eternity. Amen.'"

A Labour Tally will be held m tho King's Theatre on Sunday night, llio speakers will bo Messrs. P. Frnser, M.P., ,T Read C. H. Chapman, J. IlitoluMn, Mrs. Snow, and Mrs. Aitkon. Oil Monday evening a Labour rally will be lield in tho Concert Chamber of tile Town Hall. ' Before tho war tho London County Council received XllO a year for gnsninntlo ash colleottKl from their schools. Tho name "sapphire" is usually restricted to tho bluo variety, but there aro also red, green, white, violet and yellow sapphire*. •