A FORGETFUL WORLD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4782, 28 November 1924, Page 1

A FORGETFUL WORLD.

e. WORKING ON WRONG LINES. ARCHBISHOP REDWOOD’S VIEWS. Looking bronzed and well, and carrying his 83 years with a buoyancy and lighthess that is given to few octogenarians, Archbishop Redwood arrived at Wellington by the Tahiti on Monday morning on his return from the Eucharist Congress at Antwerp, which he attended as the representative of Australia and New Zealand at the special request of the Pope. His Grace, who on the outward journey travelled via Vancouver and returned by San Francisco, visited England, Ireland, Holland, France, and Italy, and was accompanied throughout by his secretary, the Rev. Father Smith. When approached by a representative of "The Dominion’’ for impressions formed of his tour, Hiis Grace, speaking of America, said lie had not been as favourably impressed by the States as on former occasions. He stayed -at St. Paul, Minesota, Chicago, Washington, and New York, and from his own observations as a t’ aveller he came to the conclusion that prohibition had been one of the biggest mistakes that the American people had ever made. He did not hear one good word about it from any one bishop or priest he had come in contact, with. The way in which it was held in contempt by the people, as was shown by its contravention, was producing a demoralising effect, “for if you have contempt for one law,’’-remarked His Grace, “you will have contempt for all law." Legislators themselves were the first to break the law in this respect. This was not the way in whi'en a nation should proceed. After visiting London and spending a holiday with his nephew at Newquay, in Cornwall, His Grace continue ed nis journey to Antwerp to take part in the Eucharistic Congress. At the commencement of. the celebrations it was announced to an assembly of 25,o'oo people, who had gathered in the Stadium, that Archbishop Redwood, who was the oldest Bishop by consecration in the world, had arrived, and upon entering the Stadium the entire .gathering rose,. and accorded His Grace an ovation. Later, when he left, the gathering again rose and loudly cheered. The congress itself proved a great success, and was attended by Catholics from all ( parts of the world.

Returning to England for a few weeks, the Archbishop then went ro Rome, where he was received in audience oy the Pope, His Holiness, who was in excellent health and spirits, greeted him in English and conversed fluently in Frbnch. Returning home by America, Archbishop Redwood visited Niagara and the Grand Canyon in Colorado,

When interrogated as to the state oi religious thought and activity in Europe and America, His Grace said in Italy there was a great revival m this direction. In France, however, the present Government was rather queer, but the fault was due to the people themselves. At election times tho vast majority of the people were too apathetic to go to the polls and vote, with the result that a minority ruled. The consequence of this state of electoral indifference, was that the people got the Government they deserved A great tendency was making itself felt to check this state of affairs, and the sooner it wap achieved the better it would be for France and her interests.

"What progress, if any, did you observe towards the bringing .about of a more ordered state of! things and the establishment of a lasting peactf among the nations of the world ? was a concluding question put to His Grace.

The Archbishop rose from his chair, and speaking with (suppressed emotion said: “I observed no such progress, and there never can be any while there exists the prevailing apostacy in regard' to God. To-day God is practically ignored by the whole world, and consequently the whole world is going astray. That is the great evil in the world to-dav, and as long as the nations continue to neglect God as they are doing they will never come together and enjo.v a permanent peace. The creature cannot revolt against his Creator and succeed. The world is working on the wrong lines. It is a hard thing to have to say, but it is so. The nations think they are progressing, but what do they call progress ? They overlook man’s proper aim and true end. They seek material tilings, but man’s end is not. material, it is spiritual. So until the peoples of the nations realise this there will be no true advancement in the moral development of the world.”