Mr. George Reid

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 31, 3 August 1905, Page 18

Mr. George Reid

In one of his great speeches Disraeli said that there is a ' superior person 'in almost every circle. These* 1 superior persons ' are know-alls that decide everything, lecture everybody, and ' Know more of any trade b a bint Than those that have been brought up int. Mr. George- Reid is the ' superior person ' of" Australia just now. His Knowledge of Catholic theology and ecclesiastical polity Las been mostly acquired from the yappings of the Yellow Pup. But this does not prevent him knowing the Pope's mrrad better tban the Pope, and setting up to teach Church history and ecclesiastical law and t<he interpretation of papal documents to a Churchman of Cardinal Moran's calibre, It is the latest variant of Millais' ' Dignity and Impudence ' over again. But Pope Reid the First seems to take himself quite seriously. The Oatholic Church amid her leaders are more likely to know her mind on themes affecting the working classes than the members ot other creeds. For she seems to be the only Church thiat seriously troin lies her head with the problems of labor. So much was granted by the anti-Catholic ' Reynolds' s Newspaper * (London) in a recent editorial article. •' The working classes,' it says, ' look with suspicion upon all Churches. We except the Roman Catholics, the priests having so thoroughly identified themselves with the lives arid in* terests of tho individual members of their particular faith^ But in all other of the great organised Ch.ur-

chesl the working classes believe they see instruments for tightening the bonds of economic subjection upon the common people.'