THE CATHOLIC PRESS Inferiority Complex ?

Si,—I have read with great interest the article in this week's CATHOLIC HERALD entitled " Someone has said we are a menace to public morals," especially as I remember seeing the letter to which you refer in a certain well-known weekly.
The writer of this letter boasted of being a Catholic, but was apparently too enlightened to agree with the opinion of the Hierarchy on the subjeet of the Spanish Civil War, and much too intelligent to waste any time reading Catholic papers!
I have often come across this attitude to the Catholic Press of certain Catholic who, I am sorry to say, cannot be excused on the grounds of being nonpractising, and presumably, therefore, Indifferent to their religion. I am inclined to think their attitude springs from a sort of inferiority complex—an idea that everything non-Catholic must be superior to everything Catholic„ including, of course, the Press! These Catholics usually show a touching amount of faith in the pronouncements of secular newspapers and of the radio, especially if biased towards the Left!
May I, therefore, take this opportunity of expressing my gratitude to the Catholic Press as a whole and to the CATHOLIC HERALD in particolar for the splendid services rendered to the muse of truth and sanity in this complicated modern world? Without its guidance I., for one, should certainly have found it Impossible to have formed a balanced judgment on suds inmortant matters as the Civil War in Spain and the Munich Agreement, for exarriple.
In view of the hysterical attitude to these matters taken by the "well-known weekly," presumably beloved of the misguided Catholic we have in mind, the accusation that the "Catholic Press is a menace to public morals" Is too funny for anything.
WINIFRED M. DAVIEP.
Brynmawr, Bteckonshire.
Lacordaire's Explanation
SIR, — Readers may be further Interested in the state of mind conisidered in the article, A Menace to Morals, by the following quotation from Lacordaire: . . " Reason doet not exist in us In its pure &ate; were it so, enlightened as we should be by a sinSie and undivided light, we ahould advance M the most perfect unanimity. Instead of this, although participating In reason, one and universal, without which we shoulcl not be intelligent beings, we mix up with it weaknessee, obscurities, habits, reeolutIons, ninnberleas mysterious clreumvallations semen bar up its great outlets, lessen its Eight, and mato of our reason that limited and versional thing which we call private judgment. It Is this judgment, the result of our servitude and liberty, which divides rimn tn the house of their common mother, and hinders them from founding here below, by themselves, the holy republic of truth. We cleave, in fact, to our Own JudEnuint In a twofold manner; because it IF hased uncin reason, and nothing is more ust than to hold to reason; and . . . . still more. perhaps, by that individuality which distinguishes us, and Which is made up of the innumerable impressions whieh the ebb and flow of the Intelligence have deposited in us from the day when we first exercised that admirable faculty of Bening, hearing, Judging, reasoning and feeling."
In brief, sir, the mind consideeed in the article, seems to be the ordinary mind, swayed, as we all are, by the curse of "Invincible knowledge "; but lacking in considerateness—not to any humility. Its vagaries might, as the article wisely concludes, be controlled by charity.
F. S. C.
Not Bad Faith
SIR,—I am personally convinced that. so far from being a menace to public morals, you and other organs of the Catholic Press are having an immense influence in correcting public opinion where it had been led astray, and in particular in counteracting the warmongers, deliberate or otherwise.
Already, I think the truth about Spain gradually filtering through to the general public. Nearly everyone knows now that there have been atrocities on the Red side.
I do not think the majority of people are really in bad faith, but the daily Press is written in a great hurry, and is certainly greatly influenced by those who have most advertising pull. And on the left, there is undoubtedly a section who really hate the Christian moral tradition; and these particular people have a resourceful ally in him who was called " a liar and the father thereof."
More power to you in your good work! If we get through the next five years without war, and so give the human race a chance to grow sane again, part of the credit will be due to the CATHOLIC HERALD and its colleagues.
Eie tale Dow. 26, Temple Fortune Lane, N.W.11.