DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8, 25 February 1909, Page 293

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

The Right Rev. Dr. Grimes, Bishop of Christchurch, has issued the following Lenten Pastoral: — Dearly Beloved Brethren and Children in Jesus Christ, — . The opening chapter of the Bible gives us, in brief but graphic terms, the first and sublimest page in the hisory of mankind. It tells us that when the Almighty had created the heavens and the earth and the fulness thereof, He said : — < Let Us make man to Our own image and likeness' (Gen. i., 26). Then taking a portion of the slime of the earth, He breathed into it the breath of His own divine life; and lo ! that man uprose in all the greatness and glory of manhood. Having made man to His own image and likeness, 'the Lord God subjected all things under His feet, and set him over the work of His hands ' (Ps. vifi., 7-8). Alone, throughout the whole range of creation, gifted witli intelligence, .man seeks -by the very bent of his nature to utilise all things subjected to his empire. Thanks to his deep research, he, at times works wonders amid the marvels of creation. Every age is indebted to him for some new discovery. Happy he if he use these discoveries for his own and the intellectual, social, moral, and religious improvement of his fellow-being ! Happy he if he refer the honor and the glory thereof to Him who is ' the God of all knowledce ' (Kings i., 2-8). '

Of all the arts the secrets whereof man's genius has unravelled, there is hardly one whose sway is more powerful than that of printing. By it speech reaches beyond the limits of time and space. Thanks to the perfection of the art, and the wondrous rapidity of communication the press establishes amongst all nations and peoples a daily, almost instantaneous exchange of ideas, light and knowledge. A discourse delivered in London or Paris, Rome or New York, re-echoes in a few hours throughout every part of these' great cities. Before the end of the week it will have travelled the length and breadth of Europe, aye, of the whole civilised globe, kindling in millions of breasts feelings of sympathy or revulsion. Not only does. the press reproduce and spread abroad speech, it even supplies it. It gives wings to the thoughts of mighty minds, placing them in communication with men of all nations and beliefs. Well has it been said of the press that ' it is mightier than the sword or the word.' But how sad to think that the power of the press is so often put to base purposes! How sad to know that it too often becomes the ready instrument of the spirit of lying, disorder, and iniquity! Is it not deplorable to see society flooded with licentious and obscene productions consecrated to the idolizing of the grossest passions and doctrines the most degrading? Who can behold, 'un--moved, the crowd of shameless writers who seem to have no other mission in life than to sully, whilst attacking all that is pure and noble and holy ? Sworn foes of every idea of order, duty, and justice, they prostitute their talent or their pen to the service — nay, to the very justifying of the unclean vice, which they would fain make atttractive, by the expounding of guilty theories, or the depicting of morals more guilty and more dangerous still. Writers of little or no talent often make capital out of the evil passions and corrupt inclinations of fallen nature to draw readers by the bait of immorality. A few days ago a yell known citizen of Christchurch brought under our notice some of the novels eagerly devoured by thousands in our Dominion. A noble-minded layman, he assured us that it was with a sense of loathing and disgust that he ventured to bring them before us. He did so solely in the interests of morality. He says speaking of one of these novels — ' It is one of a series in which the sacredness of marriage is held in contempt and opprobrium.' In it the sin of adultery is held to be a necessity, and indulging of the passion to be a fulfilment of the demands of nature . . . the whole tendency of the volume is a degradation of God's highest creature to the level of the brute. Of another, written, too, by a woman, there is not a clean thought or expression in the whole' of its pages. Of another, by the same author, 'it is one of the filthiest productions of the age.' From a cursory perusal of its polluted pages, we ourselves must pronounce it a horrid, blasphemous parody on the sinless life of our Blessed Redeemer. Speaking of another novel of a similar kind, the abovementioned gentleman says : ' The author displays a prurient mind wallowing in filth and uncleanness.' One of these lewd productions- has on its inside cover these significant words from the pen of a voluminous writer • *It is a world-wide novel— a novel to set people thinking— a bold, brilliant, "defiant" presentation of the relations of the

Se -^f s ™ hiGh Ido noi^ remember ever having seen treats with the same freedom and audacity ' ' 8 . trea *ed vmYr lh!?« grantr dearfy beloved > **»* you will never defile your hands, your eyes,- or your mind with the readimTnf statesmen could say: 'Nine-tenths of our Sme £v St n no n ns ce ce n ns cc'e c'' and ch ™~ h °^» a-- theTet&o^of Xr r and unS&fT' With £t the seeds of ** At the approach of this Holy season of Lent we deem growing tt t0 Warn yOU &^ Bt the dt A^rS* + th i S i we P. r °P° se > blessing of God to faithful companion, and the truest of friends But we would add, that if this desire of knowledge, coeval 'with man, if this taste for reading be depraved, if bad literatw 6 - be w , elcomed > *Mlrt sfght and very titll of whatever is good provoke disgust, if to satisfy this craving esoS f' °«ly unclean, filthy, or sensational trash n«JE^*i £ reading is no longer a useful, pleasing noL™ ' Wi eCOm f t^ 11lm e> .*»* may be, but a dead"? poison. Such a book is no longer a safe guide, a faithful friend or companion, no longer the image .'and echo -of a pure soul It. is a traitorous hand leading to the of which brings a blush to a Christian's cheek, those licentious pamphlets which stain the very-hands of those "that touch them works, which every one with the least remnant of self-respect spurns with the disdain they deserve from- mdlgnatlon they Aspire, one should turn away m 1. Most of the current literature, whether it be what is known as yellow backs teeming over with licentiousness, the gilt-leaved sensational novels; the bulky reviews or the flippant monthlies, weeklies, or dailies which carp at the holiest and most lawful authorities on earth. • i 2'i 2 ' News P a P ei> s and pamphlets, whose anti-Christian and sickly pages either feed the cold polished pride of the intellect, inculcate a wretchedly empty sentimentality, and openly or secretly unfold the most wicked irreligious principles. • 3. Books which stupidly pretend to foretell the future and explain signs or dreams, or any such-like superstitious fooleries. 4. Those false or far-fetched interpretations of the Inspired Writings and of our holiest dogmas. We must remember that it is of faith that 'no Scripture is of private interpretation.' 5. Pages which to-day, belch forth some horrid calumnies against persons consecrated to the service of the Most High, scandalous deeds ; sprung only from the wicked brain oV the writer, " to-morrow some historical lies a thousand x times refuted, yet a thousand times repeated with the same boldness and bitterness. 6. Those illustrations which have become to us what the amphitheatre was to the Romans' of old, slaughterhouses for men, and dens of infamy for women, whilst Christians were flung -to the lions to pander~to the passions of the bloodthirsty Romans. Pages wherein' the engraver's satanic skill is used, at one time ? to caricature the rites and ceremonies of our holy religion; at another, to dis- - play the' grossest forms of vice or the most painful and loathsome scenes of wretchedness and crime. - • - 7. Poems or fables which, under the name of histories, are penned to enkindle the most inflammable pafeskms in our nature. ™ 8. Books which, under pretence of encouraging virtue, deify vice, foment, and strengthen that passion which is the chief spring of every other. 9. Most of the cheap trash called novels, which, to catch the young and thoughtless, are filled wi£h scenes of love and blood and thunder, amidst which the greatest monsters are held up as heroes of humanity.

10. Most of tKe prurient literature , of the day, the perusal whereof is meant to heat the blood, inflame the senses and throw a halo of false, siokly sentimentality around the day dreams of youth: 11. Books and pamphlets which, .while professing to treat of necessary domestic relations, covertly pander to the worst instincts, and defile with the slime of an infernal fancy. 12. Books whiclr- talk in a fascinating manner of nought but the maxims of a corrupt world, the artifices of the devil and the flesh. 13. Novels which so vividly describe the weaknesses and extravagant transports of love — another name and cloak for brutal lust — on the altars whereof the readers are led as willing victims ready to sacrifice to this degrading vice every dearest interest, every noblest affection of their soul. Honor and ambition are shown . prostrate at its feet, and the noblest of God's creatures represented grovelling in the lowest state of infatuation till this passion becomes their only thought day and night— the only object of^their worship, the chief aim, the sole end of tlieir very existence. 14. Novels urging the imitation of ideals which our reason and common sense assure us never- had, nor could have, any foundation in fact. 15. Works which, under the plea of informing the mind and developing the imagination, blunt the powers of genius, and spoil the purest sympathies of nature, substituting in their stead unresisting slavish propensities called sensibility, which would have us excuse affections or vices alike hateful to , God, to His angels and to upright men. ' . & 16. Books or papers relating words and deeds that no true Christian would for the world ever wish to hear or behold, or bear the responsibility, of publishing the same. 17. In fine, whatever is as eagerly sought and cherished by the depraved as they are despised, and condemned by the good — their name is legion. (To be concluded:) • The following are the Lenten and other regulations to be observed in the Diocese of Christchurch : — IN VIRTUE OF SPECIAL FACULTIES RECEIVED FROM THE HOLY SEE, We hereby grant the following Dispensations: — Ist. — Permission for the use of flesh meat, at dinner only, on all Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and also on all Saturdays, except one, that is the second Saturday during Lent and Monday in Holy Week. 2nd. — Lard and dripping may be used after the manner of butter, at dinner, on days of fast and abstinence during Lent, and also throughout the year, with the exception of the first and last Wednesdays of Lent and Good Friday. ' 3rd.— White meats— such as butter, milk, cheese, and eggs — are allowed on all days at dinner and collation with the exception of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. 4th. — For those who, though not boxmd to fast, are bound to abstain : the kinds of foods which are allowed at their chief meal to those who are bound to fast are allowed at all times to those who are not so bound. ~ , .sth.— Fish and flesh are not allowed at the same meal during Lent. There is neither fast nor abstinence on Sundays in Lent nor on the feast of St. Patrick, March the 17th. All who have completed their twenty-first year are bound to fast and abstain, unless excused by the state of their health or the nature of their employment, according to the regulations stated above ; and all who have arrived a? the use of reason, though not bound to fast before the completion of their twenty-first year, are nevertheless bound to abstain from the use of -#esh meats on the days appointed, unless exempted for a legitimate cause, of which the respective pastors are "the judges. AH who have arrived at the years of discretion are bound to go to Communion within Easter time, which in this diocese, commences on Ash Wednesday, and ends on the Octave of Saints Peter and Paul. - n 7^? collection for the Holy Places will take place on U-ooa. Jb riaay. The collection for the Seminary Fund will be held on Whit Sunday, or on the Sunday or Sundays following when there are two or more churches in the district. ' The collection for the # Diocesan. Charities will take place on the first Sunday m October, or on the Sunday or Sundays following, when there are two or more churches in the district. +v « nn hh + 6 colle , ct i£ n lOTl OT ?e? ct !p r ' s . Penc « °n the Sunday within, the\ Octave of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul N.8.-7-According to instructions recently received from Rome, the special collection for the Holy Places should be made on Good Friday, or the first available occasion afterwards, in every church or chape] where the Holy Sacrifice is offered in presence of the faithful, and the whole proceeds be immediately forwarded to us. Given at Christohurch, the Feast of the Commemoration of the Passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and appointed to be read, and afterwards placed- conspicuously inside all the churches chapels, and convents of the diocese. • ' * JOHN JOSEPH GRIMES, S.M., Bishop of Christchurch. '