The. C h v r c h a n a l S e x "Prob 1er») A P U 8 0 5 D THE CHURCH AND THE SEX PROBLEM CATHOLIC SOCIOLOGY AGENICS Eighth Printing Forty-Second. Thousand P r i c e 10 C e n t s t 8 T H E A M E R I C A P R E S S N e w Y o r k , N . Y . n zjyfarriage Birth Control is Wrong!—I. W. Cox, S.J.—5c. The Shackles of Wedlock—W. I. Lonergan, S.J.—5c. Eugenics: Problems of Sex—W. I. Lonergan, S.J.—10c. The Church and the Sex Problem—R. H . Tier- ney, S.J., and M. J . Riordan—r-10c. The Catholic Doctrine of Matrimony—F. J . Connell, C.SS.R., S.T.D.,—10c. The New Morality and the National Life—J. I. Corrigan, S.J.—5c. "The Heart of a Holy Woman"—T. Brosna- han, S.J.—10c. Courtship and Marriage—25c. Modern Morality-Wreckers—5c. The Tangle of Marriage—A. Power, S.J.—5c. The Wedding Ring—J. Husslein, S.J.—5c. Broken Homes—F. P. LeBuffe, S.J.—5c. Race-Suicide and Birth-Centrol—Revs. Dowl- ing, Blakely and Ryan—10c. Helps to Self-Knowledge—5c. Complete set—one of each of the above. . $1.00 Ten or more sets 95c. each Postage on Each Set—10 Cents E x t r a T H E A M E R I C A P R E S S 461 EIGHTH AVENUE NEW YORK, N. Y. THE CHURCH AND THE SEX PROBLEM CATHOLIC SOCIOLOGY AGENICS THE AMERICA PRESS New York, N. Y. Nihil obstat: A R T H U R J . SCANLAN, S . T . D . , Censor Librorum. Imprimatur: 4< P A T R I C K CARDINAL H A Y E S , Archiepiscopus Neo-Eb. lmprimi potest: LAURENTIUS J . K E L L Y , S . J . , Prsep. Prov. Marylandiee-Neo-Eb. March 30, 1927. ÜeacTdiüecf The Church and the Sex Problem B Y R I C H A R D H . T I E R N E Y , S . J . A Lecture Delivered at a Meeting of the American Federation for Sex Hygiene. TH E o p p o r t u n i t y of addressing this F e d e r a t i o n is a source of great p l e a s u r e to me. As a m e m b e r of a Church -which d u r i n g its whole existence h a s waged a constant, strenuous, intelligent w a r f a r e against the social evil consequent on t h e fall of m a n , a n d as a teacher whose life is consecrated to the edu- cation of boys a n d y o u n g men, I rejoice at t h e chance of paying t r i b u t e to the lofty p u r p o s e a n d unselfish zeal of t h e m e m b e r s of this society. Your purpose, gentlemen, is sublime; y o u r zeal inspiring. And it is good t h a t such is t h e case. F o r t h e r e is need of b o t h in view of the delicate p r o b l e m w h i c h is calling f o r solution. T h i s question of sex hygiene is not merely peda- gogical nor quite yet one t h a t affects t e m p o r a l i n t e r - ests only, such as the h e a l t h of the individual a n d t h e p r e s e n t w e l f a r e of the f a m i l y a n d State. T h o u g h it does not neglect these, still it reaches beyond t h e m a n d h a s its chiefest concern w i t h the eternal destiny of m a n , the f a t e of his i m m o r t a l soul. Man's t e m p o r a l and eternal interests are involved in t h e problem. Hence its u n i q u e importance. In t h e final analysis, t h e question concerns t h e abolition of sexual sin. Many suggestions have been m a d e for the a c c o m p l i s h m e n t of t h i s : t h a t w h i c h is most in favor at p r e s e n t advocates the public teach- ing of detailed sex hygiene to our children. A c a r e f u l s t u d y of the proposed courses reveals t h e r e i n two elements, one intellectual, t h e other ethi- 4 THE CHURCH AND THE SEX PROBLEM cal. The f o r m e r is detailed; the latter vague and purely naturalistic. The course adopted, therefore, will ap- peal p r i m a r i l y to the intellect. Its main effect will be knowledge, i n f o r m a t i o n ; not will power, not virtue either n a t u r a l or s u p e r n a t u r a l . The course is inca- pable of arousing strong moral forces. The appeal is made to the wrong faculty. The emphasis is p u t in the wrong place. Hence motives for right conduct will be weak and ineffective. Information, aye, even love of learning, cannot keep a m a n upright before God, cannot cleanse a h e a r t or keep it clean. Knowledge is not moral power. T h e r e is a deep psychological t r u t h in the horrid sneer of Goethe's Mephistopheles t h a t m a n used reason to be more bestial t h a n the beast. Does n o t Coleridge insinuate a similar idea by saying t h a t it is principally by the will t h a t we are raised over t h e estate of an animal? Both men read history a n d k n o w something of psychology. T h e y were not theorizing. Knowing of itself saves nobody f r o m delinquency. Almost all our s i n f u l men and y o u t h s realize t h a t some dread disease follows sexual sin. The result is not virtue, b u t precaution to avoid the disease. Better sanitation, not more morality is the outcome. A race of hygienists, not a galaxy of saints, is the re- sult. An apostle of this movement sums u p my con- tention in this pithy sentence: "I confess t h a t I am not moral, but I am hygienic." Hygiene is a barrier of straw before t h e o n r u s h of the primal passion in man. Christ, not hygiene, saved the world. Christ, not hygiene, will cleanse the world and keep it clean. Hygiene will b u t give point to Sophocles' b u r n i n g w o r d s : " F a i r to the eye, but a festering sore within." Some ten or twelve years ago the physical dangers of this sin were brought to the attention of our col- lege boys. The h o r r o r s of venereal diseases were laid 5 THE CHURCH AND THE SEX PROBLEM bare in lecture and pamphlet. Nothing was hid. A marked improvement in morals has not been noted. Your society is distributing a play called "Damaged Goods," whose lesson is my lesson, to w i t : knowledge is not a protection against passion. The keen psychol- ogist, William James, approaches the same t r u t h when he insists t h a t sensuous images m u s t be com- batted by ideals t h a t lie beyond the intellect. W h y ladies and gentlemen, if belief in a personal God and an eternal hell is at times scarce sufficient to keep men clear of impurity, is it too m u c h to say t h a t insistence on hygiene will be altogether ineffective for the preservation of chastity? Solomon, who was wise beyond measure, a n s w e r s : "As I k n o w t h a t I could not otherwise be continent except God gave it . ... I went to the Lord and besought Him." As it appears to me, not only will the detailed teaching of sex hy- giene prove ineffective of the very noble purposes in view, but it will even t h w a r t t h a t purpose. T h i s phase of the question m u s t be examined crit- ically and dispassionately. Such an examination necessitates the consideration of some facts concern- ing children of ten and twelve or fifteen years and y o u t h s of eighteen and nineteen years. At these ages the faculties are u n t r a i n e d and to a large extent u n - disciplined. The imagination is flighty and irrespon- sible and extremely susceptible to sensuous images. These images impress themselves on the p h a n t a s y and notably influence the actions and o f t e n the whole life of the youth. Moreover, the will of the child and youth is weak and vacillating a n d subject to the al- lurement of pleasure in whatsoever f o r m it m a y ap- pear. Now the sex passion is for the most p a r t aroused t h r o u g h the imagination. As a rule the first impulse is not physiological. It is psychological. It almost invariably begins in the phantasy. A vivid 6 THE CHURCH AND T H E SEX PROBLEM sensuous image occupies the phantasy. Sensible pleasures is then experienced, and there is no force to combat it effectively. The will is weak, u n t r a i n e d . It appreciates a good, and either falls to it forth- with or delays its poor resistance till the soul is aflame with the fire of concupisence. The detailed teaching of sex hygiene, especially if it be done t h r o u g h book and chart, will m a k e a strong impression on the young imagination. Sensuous images will crowd the faculty as bats crowd a deserted house. The condi- tion already described will follow, viz., s i n f u l thoughts, sinful desires, s i n f u l conversations, preludes to other crimed which we prefer to pass over in silence. Nor is this all. F o r obvious reasons this instruc- tion is apt to p u t f o r w a r d by some years the time of suggestion; and temptations which normally belong to the age of eighteen will be experienced at the age of twelve or fourteen. Experience and psychology tell the result. A m o n t h ago a medical doctor told me t h a t the pastor of some boys who had attended lectures on sex hygiene complained t h a t he f o u n d his boys joking and laughing unseemingly over t h e picture d r a w n by the lecturer on the board. There is scarcely need of pointing the lesson b u t I will say t h a t we cannot afford to concentrate the attention of our children on sex details. Safety lies in diverting their attention f r o m them. In t r u t h , the safety of most adults, trained though they are, depends largely on the same process. A moment's reflection will convince the t h o u g h t f u l t h a t even physiology supports this contention. But to continue: Two of the great n a t u r a l protec- tions of our children are modesty, or reserve, if you will, and s h a m e ; not prudery, m a r k you, b u t healthy and h e a l t h f u l shame. Both are sniffed at as an out- growth and upgrowth of dogma and superstition. They are neither one nor the other. They are an in- 7 T H E CHURCH AND T H E SEX PROBLEM stinct of nature. This is true, especially of the latter, which is seen in children before they reach the age of reason. Modesty and shame, then, are n a t u r a l pro- tectors of chastity. But the public and f r e q u e n t dis- cussion of sex details will destroy both. Familiarity will breed carelessness. The lesson of the class will become the topic of conversation. Reserve will go. Shame will disappear. Sin will follow. T h u s your good intentions will be f r u s t r a t e d . A few weeks ago a careful periodical announced t h a t discriminating critics attributed the deplorable condition of morals in one of our high schools to the very cause j u s t now discussed. The more I ponder the means advocated to combat the social evil, the stronger grows m y conviction t h a t this whole movement will eventually fail of its high purpose. Successful house-building does not begin high in the air at the steepletop. It begins in the ground. Therein are laid firm and fast foundations which ultimately support the tower. Chastity is the tower. Deep down in the soul m u s t be placed founda- tions for its support. Such f o u n d a t i o n s are self-con- trol, self-sacrifice, obedience to conscience and exter- nal authority, modesty, love of purity, respect for self and others, high reverence for motherhood, and all the traits t h a t combine to m a k e a sweet, noble, strong character. Elemental character-training is the first i m p o r t a n t step towards p u r i t y . Sex instruction will not give character, if for no other reason, because it is not deep and comprehensive enough. W i t h o u t character sex instruction is as chaff before the wind. And, sad to say, our children lack character. Their ideals are low. Their wills are slack of purpose. At home the y o u t h are absorbed in l u x u r y or frivolity, or both, and for reasons which we need not discuss here, our schools do not open the eyes of their souls 8 T H E CHURCH AND T H E SEX PROBLEM to the higher and finer realities of life. F o r only too many, life is b u t food and raiment and pleasure. In their estimation, meat is more t h a n life; r a i m e n t more t h a n modesty; pleasure more t h a n virtue. If your movement would be successful it m u s t first concern itself with this state of affairs. It m u s t reach down to the very elements of character. It m u s t acquaint the child with the things of the spirit, and then teach him to love the things of the spirit. A child is naturally moral. Even the new experiences of the age of puberty are accompanied by strong moral impulses. As a consequence the task of forming his soul is not supremely difficult. Failure in this m a t t e r does not come f r o m the difficulty of the task, but f r o m neglect of the task. A boy properly managed is as willing to care for the soul as for the body. His de- light over his growing muscles is often exceeded by joy over his growing strength of character. Athleti- cism of the spirit can be made as congenial to him as athleticism of the body. But, alas, his instructors are often more concerned with the latter t h a n with the former. Mutatis mutandis, all this is equally t r u e of the girl. But do not misunderstand me. Though I insist t h a t such formation is both the first and necessary step towards your final aim and an excellent, though perhaps indirect, training for purity, yet it is sadly inadequate. Life on the highest plane is impossible without God and religion. And chastity belongs to life on the highest plane. The conclusion is Solomon's: chastity is a gift of God. And if you dislike Solomon, the conviction is Plato's and the converted Carlyle's and others', who have fought the battle of life. T h i s is not mere rhetoric. Experience as a priest has taught me that the children of religious schools are vastly more moral t h a n the children of non-religious schools* 9 THE CHURCH AND THE SEX PROBLEM The difference between the two classes is striking to a degree little appreciated by most people. And there is a certain fiery nation, a Niobe amongst nations, dis- tinguished for its f a i t h f u l n e s s to religion. The result is a p u r i t y which is the admiration of the unprejudiced. Not long since a doctor who has given lectures on sex hygiene in one of our W e s t e r n States spoke to me of her work. No one could have been more earnest in your cause. Yet she insists on two points; the diffi- culty of getting suitable instructors—an item w o r t h y of your consideration—and the futility of sex instruc- tion which is not supported by an appeal to God and prayer. As f a r as she could see, the boys and the girls got profit through t h a t alone, if not entirely f r o m that. Unfortunately her appeal to the religious sen- timents raised so strong a protest t h a t it had to be dis- continued. Will the same not happen if this saving element is introduced into lectures by this Federa- tion? And if such an element is not introduced, will your lectures to be f r u i t f u l of good or evil? Be convinced, ladies and gentlemen, t h a t religion alone will be of lasting benefit in this campaign. God, not hygiene, is the supreme need of the hour. Our children m u s t have brought home to them the idea of a personal, omnipresent, omniscient God, who rewards virtue and punishes vice. Nothing fcan replace God in their souls. The h u m a n h e a r t is made for God. It is hungering for Him, athirst for Him. W i t h o u t Him there is a void in the soul, a h a u n t i n g sense of lack, which, in St. Paul's judgment, causes the ungodly to m a k e u n t o themselves gods of the things of the earth. The need of this Federation bears eloquent testimony to the n a t u r e of the things of earth which is the god of many. On the other hand, if God is p u t into the life of the child, all is different. The child is consecrated to 10 T H E CHURCH AND T H E SEX PROBLEM something holy and h a s no serious thought for sin. God is present in his thoughts, God is present in his words, God is present in his actions. T h e child and all t h a t is his, thoughts, words, and actions, are wrapped round with Divinity. He s t a n d s with God for God, not with vice and for vice. Herein is the last- ing hope of your movement. Herein is profit, herein protection, herein eternal life. These, then are my convictions about the public and detailed teaching of sex hygiene. They are not favorable to your movement in all its detail. Neither are they adverse to all its details. Eliminate f r o m your lectures the details of sex hygiene; cast aside text-book and chart. T r a i n your children's character. Teach them t h a t p u r i t y is noble and possible; t h a t vice is vile and carries with it its p u n i s h m e n t ; t h a t marriage is inviolable; t h a t the family is sacred. Your boys: teach them t h a t their bodies are vessels of honor, the habitation of an i m m o r t a l soul made in t h e image and likeliness of God, redeemed in the Blood of Christ; t r a i n them f r o m their early years to reverence w o m a n - kind, to fall down in veneration before motherhood, God's sweet gift to women. Your girls: teach t h e m reserve, modesty in m a n n e r and dress; tell, O tell them, t h a t in their p u r i t y and self-sacrifice lies the hope of our beloved nation. This done, carry your campaign f u r t h e r . Purge the press, cleanse the novel, elevate the theatre, abolish animal dances, f r o w n on co-education a f t e r the age of puberty. In the words of ' St. P a u l : "Be i n s t a n t in season, out of season; reprove, entreat," so t h a t all men may realize the great obliga- tion of life, which is to know God and do His behests. Catholic Sociology B Y R I C H A R D H . T I E R N E Y , S . J . An Address Delivered at the Annual Meeting of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Baltimore. YOU have asked me to talk about Catholic ideas in sociology. T h e subject is a large one, for it has at least a four-fold aspect. It h a s first of all, a historical aspect; secondly, a theological aspect; thirdly, a strict- ly moral aspect; a n d f o u r t h l y , an economic aspect. T h e historical aspect takes u s back t h r o u g h the centuries, two t h o u s a n d years, to the p i t i f u l F i g u r e on the n a k e d Cross, dying t h a t He m i g h t regenerate men. O u r sociology, as everything Catholic, centers a r o u n d Him, w h o w e n t to His d e a t h reviled by the creatures He created, buffeted by the very elements He called f o r t h f r o m nothing. Apparently, He died a failure. T h e doctrine He preached seemed discredited. He went down to d e a t h a p a u p e r , despised by the rabble, de- serted b y His followers. But He died t h a t He might live a n d He came f o r t h f r o m the grave w i t h a larger, fuller life, a n d w h e n He w e n t u p to Heaven He sent down u p o n the little society t h a t He h a d f o r m e d a n d sanc- tified, t h e Holy Spirit, w h o b r e a t h e d i n t o it the b r e a t h of a new life, a n d hallowed it again in a peculiar way. T h a t society, the Church, embodied not only all of Christ's doctrines b u t all of Christ's ideals; t h a t is, t h a t society t h e Church, n o t only held u n c o r r u p t e d and incorruptible the Master's doctrine, b u t it held t h e motive force t h a t could m a k e t h a t doctrine a practical t h i n g in the lives of Catholics. In no w a y h a s the Church p u t Christ's doctrine into practice m o r e effec- 12 CATHOLIC SOCIOLOGY tually with more holy zeal, t h a n in work for the poor and sick, the suffering members of Christ. Not so long a f t e r Our Lord's Ascension the Church made its center at Rome and was a poor, struggling little thing, with a few old fishermen and some slaves as its sole members. Its lot was cast in a world seeth- ing with sin. The great t y r a n t s of the Empire turned their eyes upon i t ; they thought it a danger to the State, so they drove it u n d e r g r o u n d ; and there it dragged out a precarious existence. And when the Apostles and other simple followers at last came f o r t h f r o m the bowels of the earth, w h a t did they see? And to what did they come? Did they come to a world showing signs of regeneration through the Blood of Christ? No. They came back into a world filled with the deeds of Satan. Rome in those days was reeking with vice. It was composed of poor, u n f o r t u n a t e slaves, miserable physically, b u t a thou- sand times more miserable spiritually; men of wealth who were indescribably lustful, and high-born dames who actually measured their years by the number of husbands they had had, and whose names were a hiss- ing and a byword. In that great city, moreover, there was not a single real hospital for the sick and maimed; not a single asylum for the poor, or for the dear little children t h a t were dying by scores. Pity and mercy were u n k n o w n there, because the breath of Christ had not yet breathed over the city. Catholic sociology was unknown. But before m a n y years have passed w h a t do we find. A marvelous change! For the villas of the wealthy are converted into hospitals for the sick and into asylums for children. The spirit of Christ, the spirit of Catholic sociology, was beginning to sweeten and p u r i f y the corrupt atmosphere of Rome. The mantle of Christ, who was the greatest of all sociolo- 13 CATHOLIC SOCIOLOGY gists, the mantle of Christ, who loved the poor and sick and desolate, had fallen upon worthy shoulders. There were m a n y men in those days like the great St. Lawrence, who, when ordered to bring the Church's treasures to the t y r a n t b r o u g h t him the old, the crippled, the maimed and the diseased, t h u s showing the world how Catholic sociology works out in practice. Time went on, and the spirit of Christ's love for the poor and ignorant kept spreading. T h r o u g h all the centuries the Church's missionaries searched the for- ests and the jungle a n d gathered together savage peo- ples and t a u g h t t h e m the Christian doctrine and the a r t s and sciences. T h a t was Catholic sociology. The illustrious Order of St. Benedict was the great- est corporate i n s t r u m e n t of sociology t h a t the world h a s seen. One-third of the F r e n c h towns owe their existence to the monks. Their methods have never been equaled, and they have been imitiated only indifferently. The religious built their monasteries in the trackless for- ests and gathered together wild tribes f r o m all sides, they t u r n e d their houses of prayer into schools and hospitals where Christianity was taught, where the a r t s were cultivated, where distress was relieved. Soon wild souls became tame, uncouth intellects cul- tured, clumsy h a n d s skilful. This is the Catholic idea of sociology. Catholic sociology, moreover, is alive and vigorous today. F o r sociology is founded on Christ's doctrine; it is in fact nothing more nor less t h a n the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, and Christ, m a r k it well, came to regenerate souls u n t o the end of time. As a consequence His doctrine will live on to be your consolation and the consolation of your children, and the consolation of your children's children, even to the last. 14 CATHOLIC SOCIOLOGY This great work of Catholic sociology continues today. Not long since, w h e n there was trouble in f a r - off South America, the cry went u p t h a t rubber mer- chants down there were torturing the Indians. W h o was sent there to alleviate the suffering? The Cath- olic missionary, the t r u e s t sociologist. Moreover, if you look through the world, w h a t do you see every- where? Examples of the Church's sociological work, go where you will. Go f o r t h into the splendid city of Baltimore a n d on one hill you will see a cross, beneath which live h u n d r e d s of little children, picked u p in the street, who are being brought u p for Christ and the State. Such is Catholic sociology. T u r n now to the left and you will see the noble buildings of a great hospital and in it lie moaning men and women, and by their sides sit the gentle n u n s assuaging their pain, teaching t h e m to bear suffering patiently for Christ's sake. T h a t is Catholic sociology. F u r t h e r on you will see a large industrial school for boys, who were bereft of p a r e n t s at a n early age. There, too, in the different shops are skilled Brothers teaching their charges use- f u l trades, bringing the boys u p not only for God, b u t for a u s e f u l life as citizens: Catholic sociology again. And so w o r k goes on t h r o u g h o u t the world, because Catholic sociology and the Catholic religion are insep- arable. F o r Catholic sociology is, as I have said, the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, p a r t and parcel of our religion. Imagine, if you can a sociology without the corpo- ral and spiritual works of mercy. Imagine a sociology without the instruction of the i g n o r a n t ; imagine a sociology without the giving of food t o the hungry, and of d r i n k to the thirsty. Imagine it, if you can. These spiritual and corporal works of mercy are in- tegral p a r t s of Christ's eternal Gospel. He t a u g h t and practised them Himself. "And J e s u s went about 15 CATHOLIC SOCIOLOGY through all the towns and villages teaching in the synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the King- dom and healing all diseases and infirmities." And w h e n the great Precursor lay in his prison cell and sent messengers to Christ, asking if He» were the Messiah, w h a t word did Christ send back? Did He expound lofty doctrines? No; He simply s a i d : "Go back and tell h i m t h a t the blind see, the deaf hear, go back and tell him t h a t the halt are no longer infirm, go back and tell him t h a t the poor have the Gospel preached to them. Go back and tell him t h a t I am spending Myself for the poor. T h a t I am relieving all their w a n t s . " There, then, is our ideal. Our sociol- ogy is bound u p with our religion; it is inseparable f r o m it, and Christ is the Master of our religion, the Master of our sociology. Christ is our ideal, b u t where is our c h a r t e r ? O u r charter is clearly d r a w n u p in the twenty-fifth chapter of St. Matthew, beginning with the t h i r t y - f o u r t h a n d ending with the fortieth verse. You all remember it well, how the souls of the saved appear for j u d g m e n t before the King who smiles and says: "Come ye blessed of My F a t h e r , possess you the kingdom prepared for you f r o m the foundation of the world. F o r I was h u n g r y and you gave Me to e a t : I was t h i r s t y and you gave Me to d r i n k : I was a stranger and you took Me in." . The blessed soul then a s k s : "Lord, when did we see Thee h u n g r y and feed Thee; t h i r s t y and gave Thee d r i n k ? And when did we see Thee a stran- ger and took Thee i n ? " And the King a n s w e r s : " I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these My least brethren, you did it to Me." There is our charter. There is our whole sociology; works of mercy done in the n a m e of God, and for Christ Our Redeemer. J u s t at this point a s h a r p line of demarcation be- tween secular philanthropy and Catholic sociology is 16 CATHOLIC SOCIOLOGY t o be noted. Catholic sociology begins in God and flows down to the people. P h i l a n t h r o p y begins with m a n and ends with m a n . The mainspring of Catholic sociology is love of God; the mainspring of p u r e p h i l a n t h r o p y is love of man. Catholic sociology is founded on a theology t h a t makes God everything, and does everything for God primarily. P h i l a n t h r o p y is founded on a philosophy t h a t prescinds f r o m God. In this regard it is well to remember t h a t the fact t h a t we do things for love of God, does not m a k e those things less effectual, does not make them less con- genial to those who are helped. It b u t elevates the m a n who is helped, and teaches him t h a t we recognize in him, the creature, a brother in J e s u s Christ, the Man-God, t h a t we do not lower ourselves or him in of- fering this help, but t h a t we lift him and ourselves u p to Christ. Ladies and gentlemen, the only sociology t h a t will last and do good to m a n is this kind of soci- ology. T o teach the poor to appreciate the goods of the world, and to require exterior refinement without i m p a r t i n g to t h e m a knowledge of Christ is to t r a i n a race of p a g a n s : "Glittering stars with festering ills w i t h i n . " To aid people, to pension them without teaching t h e m the things t h a t belong to their state, is to bring up a race of parasites, the more dangerous because of their ignorance of God. I insist on this. I wish to drive home the idea t h a t Christ m u s t never be lost sight of in our work for the poor and needy. He is the ultimate object of all our labors. You have doubtless seen beautiful pictures representing St. Vincent de Paul walking through the slums of Paris, carrying u n d e r his cloak poor little abandoned i n f a n t s . Do you think t h a t St. Vincent de Paul loved those chil- dren less because he loved God more? Do you t h i n k the aid given those children was the less effective be- 17 CATHOLIC SOCIOLOGY cause St. Vincent de P a u l saw in them i m m o r t a l souls which he would save for Christ's sake? Not long ago I received a letter f r o m F a t h e r Con- rady in his far-off leper colony. As he spoke of his work there, every now and then occurred this ex- pression: " I am doing it for Christ." And w h a t was he doing for Christ? He was living among the lepers, living a leper's life, to bring the lepers to Christ. All his work for t h e m had this in view. Such was his sociology. It was Catholic sociology. But how does this theory, it may be asked, work out in practice? Let us first consider the case of children and then t h a t of adults. Now, it is a f u n d a - mental doctrine of Catholic ethics t h a t the home is t h e u n i t of society, in the sense t h a t the State h a s for- mally to do with the family. Moreover, it is a f u n d a - mental Catholic doctrine t h a t the home is the n a t u r a l place of the child. God has p u t into the h e a r t of every m a n and every w o m a n a n a t u r a l inclination to enter i n t o matrimony, and found a home into which chil- dren are born for God and the State. Before the com- ing of Christ m a t r i m o n y was a n a t u r a l contract, not a mere civil contract, and when Christ came, He sanctified it, elevated it to the plane of a Sacrament, made it the i n s t r u m e n t of m a n y graces t h a t m a n and w o m a n might live together in m u t u a l love and beget and educate children. The child then finds its n a t u r a l place in the home. It is in the home t h a t the little one learns all t h a t is high in hope and noble in aspiration; it is f r o m the home t h a t the child goes f o r t h into the world fashioned to the image of the most perfect of men, Christ Our Lord. There is no place in the great wide world, no in- stitution however perfect, no institution however wealthy, no institution however carefully managed, t h a t can replace the home. Be an institution as per- 18 CATHOLIC SOCIOLOGY feet as possible, yet the mother is not there, the f a t h e r is not there, the brother and sister are not there. W h e n the mother is absent, there lies d o r m a n t in the h e a r t of the child a great emotion intended by n a t u r e to play on the soul and lead it on to higher endeavor. W h e n the f a t h e r is absent, there lie d o r m a n t i n the soul of the child elements t h a t nothing else can call into action; and where the love of brother and sister is not, there also is a soul lacking in something. Hence it has always been the desire of the Church to preserve the home at all hazards. But, alas! a t times t h a t is impossible. Impurity and d r i n k , or some other u n f o r t u n a t e circumstances beyond the control of p a r e n t s or child, forces children into an institution. W h a t is the Catholic ideal of an institution? Simply t h i s : the institution should be as home-like as possi- ble, should be as uninstitutional as possible, should have as m a n y of the qualities or characteristics of the home, as brain and good-will can give it. Hence, there should be in t h a t institution a religious atmosphere; there should be discipline; there should be p r e p a r a - tion for a useful life. Now, discipline, ladies and gentlemen, does not con- sist in the measured tread of little feet. It is not op- pression; it is not a force without but a spontaneous growth of the soul u n d e r the guidance of religion. Discipline is something interior. T h e r e is a double element in i t ; there is the intellectual element, and there is the volitional element. The child m u s t first u n d e r s t a n d the difference between r i g h t and wrong. It must, above all, be taught to love the right a n d scorn the wrong; and once having learned to know and to love the right its will m u s t be strengthened to such an extent t h a t it would die r a t h e r t h a n give u p the right. But this will never be accomplished unless those in charge of our children teach them their re- 19 CATHOLIC SOCIOLOGY ligion and induce them to look u p to Our F a t h e r in heaven with confidence. This presupposes a religious atmosphere which is produced not only by f o r m a l in- struction but also by the holy lives of those whom God has set over our u n f o r t u n a t e boys and girls. T h i s re- minds me to urge you to resist by all legitimate means the a w f u l practise of those w h o rob the needy child of its Faith, a crime i n f a m o u s beyond the telling. It is a sin crying to heaven for vengeance to take advantage of the hunger and nakedness of a waif to m a k e it a n apostate. There is yet another element to which I would call your attention. It is t h i s : the child should be prepared to be a u s e f u l citizen. No institution which fails in this is worthy of the name. An institution which does not t u r n out u s e f u l citizens is a lie, and the sooner it ceases to exist, the better. It is doing children an injustice. Therefore, every institution should be most careful of the children's training. There should be play—and this is a p t to be neglected at times, not so m u c h now as in f o r m e r days. Yet, play is an instinct of nature, a p r i m a l instinct which fairly drives the normal child to r o m p t h a t its muscles and sinews may be made strong for f u t u r e stress. If we act against t h a t instinct we do the child a great physical and psy- chological h a r m . But more important still, every child who is p u t into an institution should be t a u g h t some u s e f u l trade. There is hardly any excuse these days for bringing a child u p without a trade. Here in this great archdiocese there is t h a t excellent insti- tution, St. Mary's Industrial School, which has been a model for so m a n y of its kind, and I am happy to say t h a t in the State of New York the first institution to introduce vocational training for boys was the Chris- tian Brothers' institution at Westchester. Through- out the country, too, there are now growing up in all 20 CATHOLIC SOCIOLOGY the dioceses, institutions where the children are most carefully prepared for f u t u r e work. The boys are being taught f a r m i n g and c a r p e n t r y ; the girls are being taught dressmaking and millinery. This is quite as it should be. Therefore, when all h a s been said, our idea of an institution is t h i s : it is a place where a child can get as f a r as is possible, all t h a t it would have obtained in a good home. W e may fall short of our ideals; but, to fall short of our ideals is not the great fault. The great fault is to have no ideals. W e fall short because we have not the means of carrying out all t h a t we should and would c a r r y out of our ideals. Nevertheless, the ideal is there be- fore all Catholic workers. They are striving to live u p to it and their success is astounding the world. Having spoken of the children, I should like to say a few words to you about some of the problems facing u s in the larger cities. Mr. Biggs touched upon them very nicely, and I noticed he mentioned the Ozanam Society. I have had some experience with t h a t So- ciety in New York. It is doing a marvelous work. In New York City the Ozanam Society now h a s six club houses. The need of them is most a p p a r e n t to one who goes among boys. Nearly all the boys have the Faith, and w h a t is a most peculiar thing, they have the F a i t h firm and strong, yet they are almost totally ignorant of Christian doctrine. Many of them, poor boys, do not k n o w how to m a k e their confession; m a n y of t h e m do not know the Our F a t h e r , and yet, t h r o u g h the grace of God, the virtue of f a i t h is there, waiting to be stirred into action. There is now in m a n y of our cities a great effort on the p a r t of non-Catholic societies to get hold of those boys. Let me give you some figures without mention- ing the city. Not long since I became very m u c h in- terested in a certain institution which is entirely non- 21 CATHOLIC SOCIOLOGY Catholic in influence, and to my utter amazement I found t h a t sixteen h u n d r e d Catholic children were re- ceiving instructions in non-Catholic doctrine. Later I looked in on a P r o t e s t a n t settlement a n d I found t h a t fifty per cent of the boys in attendance were Catholics, who are being quietly led away f r o m the Church. I do not say t h a t there was malice in those engaged in the work, but I do say t h a t it is a most deplorable thing t h a t our boys and girls are led astray in this way. If they are to be saved, lay people are the ones to save them. You have noticed as I have noticed, t h a t there is a wave of radicalism sweeping over the country. This radicalism has alienated m a n y people f r o m the priests. As a consequence m a n y children seldom or never come in contact with the priest, and the priest is quite unable to go after them. It is, therefore, the solemn duty of those who enroll themselves in these societies to seek out those lost lambs and lead them to Christ. The juvenile courts, too, need our attention. Many of the children who find their way there are Catholics, needy Catholics. The judges are sympathetic but the workers are few. This kind of charitable work is very important, because there is a great a m o u n t of good work to be done in taking care of those children. In m a n y cities guilds have been established to care for such children. In Chicago, for instance, there is a Catholic Ladies' Guild with one thousand members. As for the grown people, w h a t shall we do for t h e m ? Mr. Biggs h a s told you. Help t h e m materially by all means, but don't forget their souls. W e are apt to dole out bread or to give clothes and send the poor away without a word about Christ's charity. The aim of charity is to "reconstruct" t h e soul. T h a t was St. Vincent de Paul's idea and Ozanam's too. Would t h a t more of our Catholic men were interested in this 22 CATHOLIC SOCIOLOGY w o r k ! O u r college men are especially lacking i n zeal for His cause. In one city, only thirteen per cent of the Catholic m e n who are working in the St. Vincent de P a u l Society had a high school education. The b r u n t of the work is borne by poor, hard-working clerks who never had a chance f o r higher education. There is something wrong here. I wish t h a t some strong men would arise in this country, denounce the college men, the Catholic college men for their neglect of social work. They are shirking their responsibility shamefully. W h a t is wrong? I leave the answer t o you. Today you and I know t h a t there is a g r e a t stress and strain upon the body politic. T h e r e is little re- spect for authority. Morals are b a d ; lawlessness is r i f e ; selfishness has come to such a pitch t h a t few men are willing to m a k e sacrifices for others. W o r s t of all, m a n y good men have become pessimistic. They have t h r o w n down the battle axe i n despair. It is now your d u t y and mine to enhearten them by our sacri- fices for God and God's poor, teaching them t h a t God's a r m is not shortened, and t h a t as in the past, He saved States through the efforts of good men, He will save them now by the same means. It is our work therefore, to go forth, ministering to the poor, the ignorant and the lowly, bringing into their lives, Christ, the Saviour of m a n k i n d . Every Catholic social worker, to be a t r u e worker, m u s t be a Christopher, a Christ-bearer, a m a n or a w o m a n who carries Christ to the souls of the poor. May this great society, which is flourishing so well here in Baltimore, spread throughout the United States, spreading with it Catholic sociology, the great hope of our Catholic people. Agenics B Y M . J . R I O R D A N LATELY we have h a d eugenics ad nauseam. T h r o u g h skilled advertising, it h a s become a fetis •within the decade, a n d imperceptibly a crop of allied sciences or f a d s h a s sprouted f r o m its root. T h e ugli- est, of these scientific offshoots is one t h a t curiously enough, if i t r e a c h e s m a t u r i t y , m u s t d e s t r o y t h e p a r - ent, since its p u r p o s e is not t h e p h a r i s a i c " q u a l i t y r a t h e r t h a n q u a n t i t y , " b u t out-and-out nonentity. T h i s derivative science h a s not yet risen to the dig- n i t y of a specific n a m e . It is k n o w n variously as b i r t h - control, eugenic selection, infanticide, or child-murder, according as it is p r a c t i s e d b y t h e exclusives, t h e intel- lectuals, t h e d e p r a v e d or the Chinese. Now t h a t it h a s advanced to t h e p o i n t of having open advocates on t h e lecture p l a t f o r m a n d i n the press, it should have f o r t h e sake of convenience, "a local h a b i t a t i o n a n d a n a m e " i n t h e dictionaries a n d encyclopedias, a n d I t h i n k n o t e r m can label it m o r e accurately as a science t h a n t h e w o r d "agenics," the science of the deliberate a n n i h i l a t i o n of h u m a n life, t h e science of t h e purposely childless wife. T h e w i l f u l l y childless wife w i t h a dog in her a r m s is t h e u t t e r m o s t symbol of failure. This seems a h a r d saying w h e n we look o u t over the m a d world strewn w i t h h u m a n wreckage, a n d w h e n we consider t h a t wherever the s u n in all its course casts a shadow, those a r e to be f o u n d in p l e n t y w h o have missed their w a y i n life t h r o u g h poverty or ill-health or lack of o p p o r t u n i t y o r . d e f e c t of ability or some one or other of a t h o u s a n d m i s f o r t u n e s or t h r o u g h one of t h e seven deadly sins or a combination of t h e m . And yet no one 24 AGENICS of these can have failed quite so miserably as the wife who through deliberate will establishes a d u m b b r u t e in the affections t h a t were made to cherish a wingless cherub fashioned in the very image of God. Obviously the failures in life are based on the fact of life; no life—no pain, no sin, no suffering—only nothingness. It is in this case alone—and it is this t h a t makes it a supreme f a i l u r e — t h a t there is a reach- ing out into the mysterious realm t h a t precedes life, to the enactment there, by an act against nature, of a tragedy compared w i t h which other ills are common- place. In t h a t realm, which is the eternal counsel of God, there are myriad souls awaiting the cooperation of w o m a n for creation and incarnation. She alone can defeat t h e eternal design of God; she alone can make it effective. It is t r u e t h a t every sin in its own weak way, blocks the harmonious fulfilment of the plan of the Creator, but the wife who r e f u s e s to be God's i n s t r u m e n t of life rebels against creation and that in the face of the transcendent gift of her own creation. Her attitude is, in effect, the appalling one t h a t so f a r as she is concerned creation shall end with her. She does not will to reject the gift of life for herself; b u t she decides t h a t the line of life, in so f a r as it depends upon her, shall come to an a b r u p t close. W h a t m a t t e r s to her, the infinite purpose of God or the failure of souls to come into immortal being? A lapdog satisfies her yearning for creation and for cor- respondence with the d u t y set to her h a n d by her Lord and Master. She will not serve; she will not be " t h e h a n d m a i d of the L o r d ; " she has received her own ex- istence as a p u r e gift; she will enjoy it while she may, then let the deluge come. Lucifer rebelled against the living God; she rebels against life itself. Lucifer would rule life; she would destroy it. The parallel is terrible but the fact is more terrible still. No other AGENICS 25 being beside such a w o m a n can or will d r y u p and make b a r r e n the source of life and t h a t to no other purpose t h a n that she may riot more abundantly, t h o u g h it be only the silly riot of idleness and self-indulgence. Such a w o m a n — a n d can it be said that there are not m a n y of th em?— may hang her t h r o a t with pearls and circle her fingers with sapphires, her limousine may be f r a - grant with the breath of orchids, and her drawing-room may be draped with tapestries and inlaid with lapis- lázuli ; b u t her spirit is dead and is w r a p p e d in the ves- t u r e of the grave, when her face is t u r n e d away f r o m the souls t h a t God h a s assigned her f r o m all eternity to clothe in fair young flesh. An Angel Gabriel is sent her, a wedded wife, "with tidings of great joy," b u t she r e j e c t s h i m ; she will have no p a r t in the incarnation appointed h e r ; there is no "Magnificat" in her h e a r t or on her lips; most lamentably for her, no sword pierces her h e a r t and though "the wideness of God's mercy" is for her as for all, most lamentable of all her misfortunes, she can never know a Calvary of her own. The attitude of the modern world toward the wil- fully b a r r e n wife is amazing. She has come to be looked upon as a r a t h e r superior person. She assumes and is encouraged in assuming the patronage of mothers. She is stage-crazy over the latest baby in the block; she adores Mrs. Smith's t w i n s ; she simply can't keep her h a n d s f r o m off Mary Brown's baby boy; she is Lady Bountiful to the Jones tribe of children, though she does sympathize with Mrs. J o n e s ; she lets it be known t h a t she really would like to have a dear little baby of her own, if a child of hers could possibly have as little sense as h e r dear Fido. T h e r e is no b r a n d on her forehead. F a r f r o m it, there is j u s t a sugges- tion of a crown. She h a s laid hold of m u c h of the skill of the devil in t r a n s f o r m i n g darkness into light. Her neighbors begin to r e m a r k over the pity t h a t such a 26 AGENICS splendid woman, or lady it will probably be, should be childless. But then it would never do for her to be burdened with family cares since t h a t would mean withdrawal f r o m charitable w o r k and social duties. No, it is too bad t h a t she should have t o give u p the hope of being a matrem filiorum laetantem, b u t she is altogether too i m p o r t a n t f o r that. God would have difficulty in handling m a t t e r s without her u n h a m p e r e d help. Then the poor would miss her so much, and so m a n y young m o t h e r s would lack advice and so m a n y unsophisticated maidens would have no one to tell them " t r u t h s " t h a t their foolish mothers withhold f r o m them. On the whole, the poodle is a sign of election in her case a n d in the case of innumerable other women of brains and money, p a r t i c u l a r l y the l a t t e r ; f o r it is to be noted t h a t the wife childless by design almost in- variably belongs to t h e brainy or wealthy classes; it is the exception to find such women a m o n g the igno- r a n t and poor; God's love of His own is w o n d e r f u l . And so this woman, who h a s defied the creative act of God and h a s been u n g r a t e f u l for the gift of life, be- comes by ingenuity of her selfish diplomacy, not an outcast and a shame, b u t a n angel of light a n d healing to her less f o r t u n a t e sisters w h o have not yet learned t h a t child-bearing is indecent among the r i c h and im- moral among the poor. The steps f r o m praise to envy and f r o m envy to imitation are n o t steep or f a r a p a r t . Is the m o t h e r of a large f amily a wooden image t h a t she should not re- gard with envy the fine gowns of her childless neigh- bor, and her jewels a n d motors a n d massaged cheeks and m a n i c u r e d fingers and her freedom, as of a bird, f r o m petty household duties a n d her opportunity to entertain at a f t e r n o o n teas and to shine at evening balls and midnight suppers? Though she indeed prizes her treasure of children, they have cost her anxiety, AGENICS 27 and pain and deprivation, sleepless nights and busy days, and p e r h a p s hardest of all, they have brought her the contemptuous sympathy of her superior neigh- bor. Is it any wonder t h a t at times there is j u s t a sug- gestion in her h e a r t of envy for the wise w o m a n who has k n o w n how, and who has dared to defy the laws of God, and at the same time establish herself in the f r o n t seat before the stage of the world? T h e n m a y it not well be t h a t some weak m a t r o n will take the plunge f r o m envy i n t o imitation? T h u s is the w o m a n who flaunts her Creator made to spread sin a n d sorrow like a plague among the wholesome members of the com- m u n i t y which she infests, while gullible society is in admiration of the dear soul who is interested in civic welfare, h u m a n e t r e a t m e n t of stray cats, and the move- m e n t for better babies, and fewer of them. The selfishness of these women is as m o n u m e n t a l as their ingratitude to God. They will have no p a r t i n the perpetuation of their species, b u t they will fight like a tigress for ease, admiration and command, and in the height of effrontery they a t t e m p t to instruct and criticize, even to pity the noble mothers who are bearing the burdens and the joys of the race. Their effrontery is beyond measure. In so f a r as it rests with them, h u m a n life would cease at their death-bed, and so they would not hesitate to p u t a final term, to the family, to the State, to the Church, to the School, to everything. Yet, t h r o u g h eugenic societies, clubs of various kinds, and incessant personal propaganda they are eternally regulating the affairs of the good women on whom the Church, the State, the school and life it- self depend. It is sad enough t h a t these women should travel the road to destruction themselves; it is appall- ing t h a t they should go out into the highways and hedges to compel as it were, others to join in their unholy pilgrimage. 28 AGENICS In Israel of old the b a r r e n womb, even when the result of n a t u r a l causes, was looked upon as a blight and a visitation of God. The hope of a quiver filled with arrows, of a table aglow with children like shoots about the olive tree, of a wife like the f r u i t f u l vine on the walls of the house, was the dearest expectation of the Jewish bridegroom and the highest ideal of the Jewish bride. A large family was the blessing of Heaven upon a holy u n i o n : the lack of it was the sign of a curse upon the door post. T h a n k God, t h a t among the virile J e w s of today the traditions of their f a t h e r s has not been lost. T h a n k God, too, t h a t in Holy Ireland, with all its suffering and centuries of poverty, its women are still f r u i t f u l mothers of m e n ; and the same is t r u e in Poland and in Spain and in South America and in Italy and in p a r t s of Boston, and wherever else the laws of God are "the t r u t h , the light and the way." A blessing is upon them, and in spite of the eugenist and the sociologists, they and their children shall, by the promise of God and the workings of His laws, inherit the land. Their rags shall be riches when set side by side with the silks of the deliberately childless wives. Our Lord uttered a curse upon the irresponsible, barren fig tree. Shall the j u d g m e n t upon the b a r r e n wife, who is so through choice, be less severe? The words of St. Paul to T i m o t h y : "Yet she shall be saved through child-bearing," are the passport to Heaven of the wife who is fulfilling the d u t y of her state in life; they are also the w a r r a n t of condemnation of the selfish and cowardly wife who is a wife only in name. The inspired words of St. Paul need enuncia- tion among modern women much more t h a n do the specious vaporings of eugenists or pseudo-scientists. They are the words of the Holy Ghost; the latter are f o r a great p a r t the maunderings of unclean minds. AGENICS 29 In recent years there has been an immense a m o u n t of plain speaking and indecent writing in be- half of childless wives and limited families by Mal- thusianists, eugenists, prophylaxists, birth-controllists, and a host of others of like ilk. They have comman- deered the churches, the schools, the press, the thea- tre, the cinema, the lecture p l a t f o r m s and every other possible agency into their service of spreading the gos- pel of the destruction of the race, until the mass of the people are really coming to believe in and practise the i n f a m o u s teachings t h a t have been dinned into their ears and set before their eyes and hammered into their heads so persistently and enthusiastically, and by such ingenious methods as to deceive even the teachers. The net result of all this propaganda may, it is true, be s u m m e d u p in a mongrel parody of Horace's f a m o u s line, parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus, " p u p , " but the result to innumerable souls h a s been mortal, and the effect on the character of the nation has been evil beyond estimation. But this, at least m a y be s a i d : By reason of the unholy practices devel- oped by the vicious teachers the f u t u r e American is certain to have more of the blood of the Celt and the Slav and the southern Latin in his veins t h a n of the P u r i t a n or t h e "high-brow" which in m a n y respects m a y not be so m u c h of a disaster as some might t h i n k . But the serious things t h a t these vampires have brought about is the reproach they have succeeded in fastening upon holy motherhood. They have made child-bearing a shame, whereas it is a glory; they have made motherhood—a most sacred state of woman, the state t h a t made the name of Mary the most beloved t h a t h a s ever been given to a created being—a state to be apologized for, if not subjected to their detest- able rules and limitations. It h a s come to be t h a t the O N MARRIAGE What is Marriage? — Vermeersch- Bouscaren, S.J.—-25c. Birth Control Is Wrong!—I. W. Cox, S.J,—5c The Shackles of Wedlock—W. I. ,Lonergan, S.J.—5c. Eugenics: Problems of Sex—W. I. Lonergan, S.J.—10c. The Church and the Sex Problem —R. H . Tierney, S.J., and M. J. Riordan—10c. The Caitholic Doctrine of Matri- m o n y — F . J. Connell, C.SS.R., S.T.D.,—10c. The New Morality and the Nation- al Life—J. I. Corrigan, S.J.—5c. Companionate Marriage—J. I. Cor- rigan, S.J.—5c. Encyclical on Marriage—Pope Pius XI—5c. "The Heart of a Holy Woman"— T. Brosnahan, S.J.—10c. Courtship and Marriage—25c. Modern Morality Wreckers—5c. The Tangle of Marriage—A. Pow- ers, S.J.—5c. The Wedding Ring—J. Husslein, S.J.—5c. Broken Homes—F. P. LeBuffe, S.J. —5c. Race-Suicide and Birth-Control -— Revs. Dowling, Blakely and Ryan —10c. Helps to Self-Knowledge—5c. Complete set—one of each, of the above, $1.40 (postage IT cents) Ten or more sets each $1.30 (postage extra) •o c •o c •o c T3 a a o X c w s rt 3 TJ 13 < ö Please send remittance with any order less than $1.00. O V E R ) C A T H O L I C E V I D E N C E Can Anglicanism Unite With IS TITO CITORCH UN-AMER- T H E Catholic Doctrine of Mat- •ij R o m e ? — W . H . McClellan, I V i s THE CHURCH OFFIC- rimony—F. J. Connell, 8 S.J., — 5c. ious?—5c. C.SS.R., S . T . D . — 1 0 c . W h y I A m A Catholic—J. H . v - t N A " G o d a n d Caesar—J. Husslein, Q F S T 5 I I O J N A I j Aboiiil . — O C . Q T 10c * W h a t y C a t h o 7 c s C ' D o N o t Be- Chaplaincy, N e w m a n Club or T f a e ^ ^ S t a t e _ f l i e v e - T . J. McGrath, S.J., C o U e g e - W . Par- w p a r s o n s > S J . _ 1 0 c . 3 — 5 c . c ?! J.—:5c. T h e S c h o o l o f Christ—G. C. -5 Christ and M a n k i n d - M . J. E n C y ^ g £ j £ T e c o £ t r u c t l o n Treacy, S . J . - l O c S Scott, S.J.—5c. c r % / d Stumbling Blocks to Catholi- . ! What Is a Catholic Attitude? y m ^ ' • ^ c « * - W . L Lonergan, S.J. 8 —F. P. LeBuffe, S.T.—5c. ^ u I T . o \\r Five Pamphlets: J A n n l ™ » ? w T T„n- Can the Churches Unite?—W. I. A MAN WHO IS GOD—5c. •S W h y Apologize?—W. 1. Lon- j L o n e r g a n S.J.—5c. II. THE CONFESSIONAL BO- ergan, b.J.—5c. n Miracles Hannen? W I GEY!—5c. S What, Then, Must I Believe? T Z.Jl^ M - THE "WORSHIP" OF MARY vS , i . . V i i Lonergan, b.J.—5c. B c -A ¿%GTodT' t h e Cosmos, M a n — D i d M a n Make Religion?—W. IV. THE "MYTH" -OF HELL-5C. ;3 W . I. Lonergan, b.J.—5c. T T „ „ , . . „ . C I _ K R V. THE SHACKLES OF WED- C T h e Modern Indictment of Ca- ' ru.Zl A LOCK-5c. 1 tholicism—W. L Lonergan, T h * T o l e r a n c e - Christ True G o d - M . J. Scott, w S.J.—Five Pamphlets: o q,U ' | f e 5 S = S.J.—5c. I, I. IS THE CHURCH INTOLER- Encychca o n Education—5c. Catholicism T r u e a s G o d — M . Ikh, ANT?—5c. Encyclical o n Marriage—5c. T ;<-„„. C T s » I L ^ G ^ - I ™ 1 1 ^ F T G r e f Converts J. La- M L i e of A x h e £ n - W . I. rarge, o. J.—5c. 30 AGENICS mother of two children is tolerated: the mother of four e n d u r e d ; the mother of six is outside the pale of society; the mother of eight is a nuisance; of ten a ca- lamity and of twelve a brute. The order of God and of normal h u m a n beings, of those whose opinions are of the least value, is precisely the reverse in an ascending scale of honor until the mother of twelve assumes the dignity of a queen. The ostracism of motherhood is a despicable mani- festation of brutality u n d e r the guise of culture and exclusive knowledge. The strength of this b r u t a l cult of barrenness lies to a large extent in the brazenness of its propaganda. The megaphone has been at its m o u t h and h a s drowned out the occasional voice of protest. Then, too, p r u d e r y h a s been its efficient as- sistant. There is a wholesome disposition among cer- tain m i n d s to be overnice and to dread uncleanness where in reality there is none. Hence they have kept quiet t h r o u g h dread of notoriety or of overstepping the bonds of modesty, and a clear field h a s been left to be sowed with the cockle by an enemy. But the voice of St. P a u l is not dead, nor the voices of the Doctors in the Church who have succeeded him. They are only muffled by the clamor of the noisy horde, who have been preaching the doctrine of child-prevention and of defiance of God. It is time t h a t those commanding voices should again he heard and t h a t the words of authority, "Yet she shall be saved t h r o u g h child-bear- ing," should be proclaimed anew, and without minc- ing them, as St. P a u l proclaimed t h e m t h r o u g h holy Timothy, the Bishop of Ephesus. T h e n shall mother- hood become once more as it really is, a most glorious a n d honorable title among the daughters of Eve, and the wilfully childless wife shall take the conspicuous place she belongs, as the very head of the bitter pro- cession of h u m a n failures and outcasts. AGENICS 31 W a s it not Chesterton who said of eugenics: "It stinks"? By these words he burned an eternal b r a n d of i n f a m y on the unsavory science; at the same time he robbed the language of the only phase t h a t can fitly describe agenics. The latter b r a n d of h u m a n knowledge m u s t now parade the less distinguished heraldic motto; "It's rotten." America An authoritative review of Catholic achievement throughout the world. Matters of doctrine are discussed clearly and fearlessly. Published weekly. Subscription—U. S., $4.00; Canada, $4.50; Foreign, $5.00 A selection of papers of permanent value on ques- tions of the day. This selection is made from the best Catholic periodicals, no matter where published. Issued every two weeks on the eighth and twenty-second of the month. Subscription—$1.00 Domestic; $1.25 Elsewhere The new quarterly of the sciences and letters which has met with a splendid reception. It is intended to be a clearing-house for scholarly articles in all departments of human knowledge. Mind Subscription—$5.00 a Year THE AMERICA PRESS 461 Eighth Avenue New York, N. Y. MllllillllllllllllllllllllllffllllllilM Richard Henry Tierney Priest of the Society of Jesus By F R A N C I S X . T A L B O T , S . J . "Father Talbot writes with a swing and an enthusiasm for his hero that carries the reader along. He does not hide the de- fects of character that accom- panied Father Tierney's forceful- ness, but he treats them gently and has found little material at hand about his interior life. Em- phasis is laid on the high-minded service he rendered to Church and to country, for which he was praised by Pope Benedict XV." —Messenger of S. H. " I t is a tribute and an ap- praisal. . . . Loved by those who knew him well, admired for his ability, and respected for his whole-hearted devotion to princi- ple, he deservedly holds a high place among Catholic journal- ists."—Ave Maria. "Father Talbot knew Father Tierney well and has pictured him as he was—a truly great man, whose very faults could not dim his greatness in the eyes of those who knew him. As Cardi- nal Bonzano said: 'We can ill spare that powerful mind and warm heart.' Pope Benedict summed up his work: 'He did much for the interests of his countrymen and of the Faith.' " —America. 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