HOLY MASS OFFERED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 102, 17 May 1937, Page 7

HOLY MASS OFFERED

-Press Association.)

Coronation Services in New Zealand

(By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, Tkus Day. Soleinn Higk Alass was oixered in every lioman Catholic cnurch in the Doiuuiion yesterday for the happy and peaceful xeign of Hing George Vx. and ror God's ohoicest oiessings on His Majesty, his C^ueen, the Eoyal i''amiiy and the peoples of the Britisli (Jommonwealth of Nations. At -St. Mary of the Angels' Church, his Grace Archbishop O'Snea was the celebrant of Pontifical High Mass. Archbishop O'Shea, in addressing the large congregation, sai,d that the recent Coronation served to call to min.d the duty of loyalty and obedience owed by everyone to the civil authority of the State of which he is a citizen. Aceording to the teaching of the Catholic Church, both nature and religion imposed on citizens certain obligations to Uieir country. These might be reduced r.o two main duties, patniotism and obedience. "We Catholics are bound to love and serve our country, ' ' his Grace pioceeded; "and we are bound to make oacrifices for her salte. Patriotism likewise iraplies the second duty, that of obedience, as well as respeet and konour to be shown to our country 's rulers. Men are made to live together m society; and no society can hold together without a head, otherwise unarchy and chaos would prevail. Now the authority of this head, no less than the society itself has dts source in natural law, and consequently has God 10 v its author. To this British Comnionwealth of Nations to which we belong, our King is our sovereign head. On Wednesday last, a new king was crowned, and he assumed the sceptre tis the emblem of his authority. And to-day, in all Catholic churches throughout New Zealand, Holy Mass, our most sublime act of worship, is being offered for him, and for His Majesty 's intentions, and that his reign may be a prosperous and happy one for himself, his royal consort and for all his subjects./' t The archbishop went on to sav that the whole world was in a troubled state to-day, and grave problems connected with government, business and international as well as domestic peace, confronted its Tulers. The real problem, his Grace proceeded, was to reconcile freedom, which they naturally and justly desire, with authority. This freedom could come only from a real authority, conferred and administered by the agreement of the governor and the governed. This authority was ultimately from God and His law. Only those Who could revive their faith in the law of God, as found in the teaching of the Church, could save societies that were decaying.