THE CHURCH AND THE WORKER

New Zealand Tablet, 17 August 1911, Page 1573

THE CHURCH AND THE WORKER

(From our Auckland correspondent.)

. The Very Rev. Father Brodie, of Waihi, addressed, last Tuesday evening at the Cathedral,- a very large gathering of the Confraternity of the Holy Family. He said that he had heard often of these gatherings of the Holy Family in Auckland City, but he had not the least idea that they had attained to such dimensions as he saw before him. It was a cheering and consoliii" spectacle to see such a fine body of Catholic men banded together for mutual good. He congratulated Father Holbrook and his confreres, and the Confraternity, and hoped that their good work would continue and prosper. Turning to the subject of his lecture, Father Brodie said from study and observation I have noticed the dangers to which our people are exposed in this industrial age. What are the remedies? Leaders have told us that the time of the Dreadnoughts will soon be at an end, and that the wars of the future will be in the air. Is it so? No; the war of the future will be industrial. There are abundant evidences of ' this prophecy. See the great, opulent city of London, and in the midst of all its magnificence and splendour wo find side by side with it the veriest squalor, poverty, and misery. We read there of one individual spending the prodigious sum of £SOOO upon a single banquet, and of another spending upon the same object £50,000, and all this in Christian countries. Think of it. What evils we have to which to apply remedies. The Church tells us to return to the spirit of the Gospel. Outside the Church we find men who tell the workers that the Church is against them, and these men claim as a remedy Socialism. The Socialism of these men is an idle dream. The Church can show better and* wiser remedies. Lurking behind Socialism are atheism and anarchy. These doctrines are fabricated by designing men. to overturn religion, and drag down everything that is sacred and held dear, particularly the sacredness o'f the marriage tie. See what happened in France, and in Spain, at Barcelona, where the infamous Ferrer, by his teachings, had incited the populace to deeds of murder and anarchy. When Ferrer was punished' by the Spanish authorities for his crimes, it was sought to lay the blame upon the priests who were charged with his death. The charge was absolutely false because the priests had no more to do with Ferrer's execution than the smallest boy in the congregation. The priests were charged with living and fattening' upon the credulity of the people. This was untrue, but the priests wisely counselled the people to pay due respect to the constituted authorities of Church and State, the so-called leaders would banish* respect for all governments. In this regard we discover" their enmity to the priests who stand between them and the people. They boast that they will destroy the Church, but their threats were futile because He is with the Church until the consummation of the world. We had no reason to fear. What are we to do? Leo XIII. said the priests should throw themselves into their work, and stand shoulder to shoulder with the workers. Like a well disciplined army the generals should direct, and in return receive the support of the rank and file. In the workshops, when beside the Socialist worker, you should say: 'Keep to your economic. teachings and warfare, but leave religion alone, because, when you introduce religion you at once "introduce danger.' In my own parish men have listened to these false prophets, and have turned away from their Holy Mother, the Catholic Church. Catholic men must become leaders of this movement. I have spoken to these Socialists, and I have told them the teachings and the remedies which the Church applies to remedy the ills of the workers. They answer: ' Why, they are better remedies than those put forth by the Socialists?' The result was that we have now men who are monthly communicants who had formerly imbibed the pernicious doctrines of ■ the Socialists.. Oh! that we had some of the great leaders of the past! You all have heard of the great Daniel O'Connell, who, when the oath was handed to him to take in the House of Commons,' proudly and fearlessly said, ' No, part of this I know to be false, and the rest

of it I know to be untrue. I, therefore, shall not take it.' That work begun by O'Connell is how, thank God, about to be consummated. It is not in our province to shine forth like this great man, but individually we can accomplish much by repelling accusations and calumnies. I was pained indeed to read the fulminations in this city by a so-called liberator. Avoid such dangers, and strengthen yourselves by reading and studying the writings and warnings of your true leaders, and by organisations like this confraternity, and the Hibernian Society and the Catholic Clubs. Arm yourselves for this great war of the future, and in marching order with your prelates and priests you will assuredly win a victory for God and his Holy Church. Men of the Holy Family, rouse yourselves and join forces to win back those who have been led away from the sacred fold. Implore Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to confound your enemies, and range around our altars, keep God's commandments, and your reward will be hereafter for ever in heaven. -