MORALITY : MARRIAGE: SCHOOLS AND THE PRIESTHOOD

Archbishop Griffin (Westminster)
MORALITY
"You do not need me to point out to you the decline in moral behaviour which is threatening the very existence of the homes and families of our country. The number of divorces is unprecedented. In this yeah alone more than ten thotieind petitions for divorce have been granted. Small wonder that a judge of the High Court was constrained to observe that in England there will soon be more people divorced than married. In the name of enlightenment and prqgtess one aftei the other the principles of the moral law have been disregarded. But God is not mocked. I believe that by refusing to yield to the corruption of presentday morality the Catholic body will earn the gratitude of all who have the futuie of our great nation at heart.
" During the war Catholics have given signal proof of their patriotic devotion to their country. We shall not, Indeed, receive decorations for bravely if we fight resolutely for the preservation of a Christian way of life. Yet to stand firm against all the attacks now being made against the sanctity and purity of domestic life will require from Catholics an even greater degree of heroism than they have shown on the field of battle.
" It is to confer no benefit on a working man to regard him only as a worker and never as a man. Decent wages and living cunditions,. family allowances and all that is included in the melon of social security, it is our duty to support. But we must nevertheless take care that men and women shall not be asked to aoake the sacrifice or their dignity as human beings as the price for receiving what is, after all, their natural right."
Archbishop Williams (Birmingham)
• LOVE
"Love of our ne.ghbour does not mean being blind to tits faults. If he is a thief Or a murderer we must face the fact. Love of him does not mean standing by without taking any action while robbery or murder is committed. If a man tries to kill me 1 have a right to resist him; if he tries to kill someone else I may have a duty to resist him. Evil of all saris must be resisted If the world is not to sink into chaos. But the terrible difficulty of keeping God's commandment about loving our neighbour is that thc worst of criminals or the most brutal of aggressors remains in Christ's sense our neighbour. We may have to resist him, we may even have to kill him; hut we must not cease to love him, for he is still our neighbour.
"One reason for reminding ourselves of this commandmem in time of war is that there is no other way of securing real peace except this way. The way of hatred and revenge never leads to peace."
Mgr. Lee (Clifton) COMMANDMENTS
made Man and that the Caurch speaks with His authority and IA His name, we can see how disastrous it must be Mt the world not to heed the Church. The Son of God came on earth for the good of mankind, offering peace and unity and happiness. fie is supreme; not only individuals but States and Governments also are subject to Him and are bound to observe His commandments. To disregard His teaching is to make ocrtain that unhappiness and strife and misery ensue. The wotld to-day has surely had enough experience of the folly of hoping for anything but ruin and destruction from following those who refuse to accept the teaching of Christ.
" Let us hope, then, and pray roost earnestly that, in the settlement of the affairs of nations, in the making of treaties and agreements, that Voice will not be unheeded which alone can speak as the authentic representative of Christ our Lord."
Mgr. Flynn (Lancaster). MARRIAGE "The man who reeks nothing of the lack of faith in the person whom he is choosing as his partner in life and as the mother of his children, or the woman who attempts marriage in denance of the laws of the Church mid without her sanction, has indeed Italica far from the strong faith of our fathers who suffered and died for religion in days gone by. " Nobody would be so unjust as to suggest that mixed marriages are always characterised by such callousness; there are many loyal Catholics who for one reason or another have contracted a mixed marriage, not vieith the blessing of the Church, for that can never be, but at least with her maternal consent. Nevertheless it is safe to say that the pievalence of mixed marriages breeds religious indifference, and that a light and frivolous attitude towards mixed marriages is an indication of the weakening of Catholic faith. "Against such a danger we must deploy not only the cold judgment of the Catholic intellect, but also the warmer emotions of loyalty, gratitude for our blessed privilege as members of the one true Church, love of God and a burning zeal for the spread of His kingdom on earth."
Mgr. Hannon (Menevia)
SCHOOLS
" The Catholic scnoof is the natural and logical complement of the Cathohc home. Only in a Catholic school can the early training of a Catholic hiamc be pioperly continued and adequately expanded. Good parents realise this and make great sacrinces, not counting cost nor distance, to obtain a sound Catholic education for their children. Others, unfortunately, weak in Faith and careless in its practice, easily smother the voice of conscience in this respect and without reason send their children to non-Catholic schools, either because they are nearer or more palatial.
" Any parents who--without reason, or with a reason but without the Bishop's permission—send their children to a non-Catholic school, are guilty of sin. If, when rebuked, they persist, they must be refused absolution in the Sacred Tribunal of Confession.
" Where there is no Casholic school within reasonable distance, parents must see that the catechism classes arranged are attended, and this instruction must be supplemented by the reading and explanation of the catechism in the home each evening. Such children, too, must be constantly questioned about companions and behaviour in school life, lest the home life be vitiated by bad example from outside, In spite of
every influence of good home life, some time or other a parent may have to remark concerning children: An enemy hath done this.''
Mgr. Parker (Northampton)
WALSINGHAM
"We take this opportunity of letting it be known that it would be a joy to us to have a special fund in readiness to byild, under our own spiritual care, a National Church at Walsingham, should an opportunity to build it ever present itself and the desire of the Blessed Mother of God for it .become known to us. It would sortie. as an act of reparation for wrong-doing in the past, as a symbol of present gratitude, and for the future a shining focus of devotion to Christ, our Lord and King, Mary's Son."
Mgr. Ellis (Ngtringham) PRIESTHOOD " Few families can spare a breads winner, and at the sante titne spend a large sum on his education, especially when, as is often the case, the boy is one of a large family. Yet lack of wealth or social position has never been a bar to the priesthood. The son of a postman will sit on the throne of St. Peter to-day, to-morrow he will be succeeded by the son of a nobleman. " The Ecclesiastical Education Fund is our modern means of helping a church student to meet the heavy costs of his training. Last year collections and subscriptions brought in £2,168. Such a total is a fine achievement meriting the highest praise, but it is counterbalanced by the largest number of church students we have ever had on our books, 55. At least £3,500 is needed annually from the fund."
Mgr. Barrett (Plymouth) POLAND
"We should at present pray for those who are still exposed to grave perils and more particularly are we bound to those who are our brethren in the Lord. St. Paul has bidden us to ' work good to all men, but especially to those of the household of the faith.' " We must pray for so many of our brethren who are yet longing for relief ftom suffering and oppression that freedom may be restored to them, And in this connection that brave Catholic nation, Poland, springs at once to the mind. In their present grave trials and difficulties its citizens have a pressing claim upon our sympathy. I exhort you to offer your prayers that their suffeiings may soon come to an end, and that with the restoration of complete freedom and independence their just aspirations may be fulfilled."