DEFENCE NOT ATTACK

New Zealand Tablet, 4 June 1914, Page 26

DEFENCE NOT ATTACK

THE CATHOLIC FEDERATION. * ‘ Does the Catholic Federation stop short when it has condemned anti-Catholic literature, or has it a wider object in the discouragement of immoral or indecent books?’ That was the query put, perhaps not in so few words, to his Lordship Bishop Grimes by a representative of the Lyttelton Times last week (writes our Christchurch correspondent). His Lordship ■ consented to be interviewed on the subject, and the talk extended to the attitude of the Catholic Church towards immoral literature. \ 4 In spite of assertions to the contrary,’ said Bishop Grimes, ‘ our Church has done all in its power to promote the spread of sound literature and its study. It is not a modern affair. During the days of persecution it established schools of philosophy in Alexandria, and it is a historical fact that men like Clement, and even St. Catherine, held their own against the most learned writers, philosophers, and orators of paganism. Afterwards, when the storm of persecution had passed, one of her first and foremost acts was to establish schools and universities near or adjoining monasteries or cathedrals. • , ‘ Bologna, Padua, Mont Pellier, Paris, Oxford, Cambridge, Glasgow, ■* to mention only a few of the principal universities, besides schools like Winchester, were mostly founded by Popes or Bishops, or at least encouraged or - blessed by them. - History tells us that H '

on one occasion ten thousand scholars flocked from different parts of England and the Continent of Europe to the famous schools started in Ireland after it'had been civilised and Christianised by St. Patrick. We have seen what the monks and priests did in the Middle Ages, falsely called the dark ages. The illuminated works, which were masterpieces then, and such objects of admiration in the libraries of Europe, were the works of monks and bishops.. It is to them we owe the present existence of the olden classics. ‘ What the Church did then she has done in all the ages. She urges her bishops to spread abroad works of 'literature but, of course, she is naturally afraid of anything that would poison the minds of the young, and so she urges the parents and teachers to keep from them whatever might be detrimental to their faith or morals.’ . The Index Expurgatorius was a censorship, which was a very ugly word in itself, and it had given rise to a great deal of talk, but it was grossly misunderstood. In Rome there were many institutions for the safeguarding of faith and morality, and the Index was a congregation to examine books submitted to it. It was well known that there were thousands of books scattered broadcast, which even those without a spark of Catholicity in them would admit to be very detrimental to humanity, and, especially to the young. If a person brought under the notice of the Index any work bearing on faith or morality, the Index was obliged to take cognisance of it, and, if unsound, to pronounce it as such and condemn it as such. Bishop Grimes said that in the repression of immoral books the public press had an immense power at its disposal. Of course, the danger in mentioning a book to condemn it was that it became more widely advertised. Even adverse criticism sometimes had the same effect, and that was what authors and publishers sought. The golden rule to be observed by young folk in the selection of a book was to ask themselves whether they would be ashamed of reading it before their parents or friends, or whether their conscience would tell them it was a book not to be read. . The Federation having brought before its notice works attacking either morality or the teaching of . the Church naturally warned those whom it was its duty to warn against them. The work of the Federation was not to attack, but to defend. It did not pretend to be political, except when politics trenched on truth or morality. Its duty was to guard the outposts. It was a lay organisation, with the approval of bishops and priests, composed largely of young men, and the movement was spreading rapidly in New Zealand and in Australia.