NO DIVORCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3485, 27 March 1912, Page 2

NO DIVORCE.

THE ROCK OF CATHOLICISM. ARCHBISHOP KELLY’S PRONOUNCEMENT. Archbishop .Kelly, speaking at the Cardinal’s Hall, St. Mary’s Cathedral, the other day, said iliac it was only when politics touched the very bedrock of the Christian religion that the priesthood was concerned. His Grace pointed to the law of divorce as one of those phases or the political threats of advanced socialism, tended to strike a blow at religion and society generally.

Now that they lived in brighter times priests and people would not be separated. If the priest said in God’s name “-No divorce,” let no man calling himself an Irish patriot say “Let us have divorce: the people want it.” No divorce, no secular education, no giving the children over to the .State, and no taking away parents’ rights over their own offspring, and claiming this in ">»} name of patriotism. “No such thing,” his Grace went on; “none of those social industrial theories can have place that deny God, and would undermine the home and authority in society. Others have suffered and it would be the duty of the priesthood to-day to suffer poverty, imprisonment punishment, or deatli rather than be silent upon these points in the presence of our own flock.” NO EXTREME SOCIALISM.

“There are children of unbelief, and you will hear them on your platforms now attacking the foundations of religion, belief in God; attacking tlie foundations of the domestic government cf the home, of private property, and of society, bringing all things, to party strife, and confusion. To such we must say: ‘No, we are not going to quarrel with you, but we tell you that you are going on the rocks, and that you will he destroyed.’ We priests are like the lighthouse. If the ship goes on the rocks where the lighthguse is with the light shining before it, 'someone will have to give an account Jof himself. Priests are in the same ! position as regards society. “Some, perhaps, will say, ‘Where is our libetry ? Are we to be priest--ridden?” Think -of the lighthouse, ; and you will answer that question. I Steer the right course. Bo true to the interests of your soul, of your fani- . ily. to your duties to society, and the 1 priests will no more interfere with you than the South Head light interferes with the ship 10 miles off the. coast. In fact, we 'would not know he was there at all. PRIESTS AND PEOPLE.

‘‘You may belong to whatever poi litical party you like. 1 personally do not care to what- party you belong, but as the lighthouse warns the mariner, whoever he may be, I warn Australia that by her divorce legislation, by her secular svstem of public instruction, and bv certain phases of certain industrial agitation, wreckage is before the country. How soon it will come we cannot tell. God grant it mav never come. But our business is to stand for justice and sound principles, and it will be your place as Irish National Foresters to be true to the traditions of the past and to perpetuate the union between priests and people, and be guided, by our teaching in all the great- principles that underlie the foundations of society. ’