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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA.
THE CHURCH AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS
By Mrs. T. G. Brittingham.
The Catholic Church is not a civic organization,
hence does not discuss political questions.
The Church is the great spiritual school which leads
her children by expert teaching, to seek peace and
eternal salvation through the means of grace insti
tuted by the Great Founder, when He pronounced the
first Father of the Church a Rock, on which was to
be built the greatest spiritual organization in the
world’s history.
On the twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, a
time when the Holy Spirit predominates in all teach
ings, the Church in her Holy Gospel tells her chil
dren: “Render therefore to Caesar the things which
are Caesar s and to God the things which are God’s.”
In these words, our Holy Church tells us that the
Church does not intend to meddle, as it were, in civic
questions. Her great task of saving souls by teach
ing and interpreting the scriptural writings, is what
the Church was organized to do, and, if her hearers
were to listen and observe her doctrines, there would
be no quarrel among Christians as to how God’s
Church feels about certain civic questions, which are
important to the mortal life alone.
Hence the Catholic Church has never officially de
clared for or against votes for women, prohibition or
anti-prohibition, or this bill or that bill proposed by
Caesar, in Washington or elsewhere.
The men, women and children of the Church are
taught by men and women whose lives have been
consecrated to saving souls, to obey God by living
their mortal lives according to His commandments
and those of His Church.
There is no need for our Church to speak against
divorce, if all Christians would obey the Church laws
anent purity and loyalty.
No need to speak of or advise prohibition of strong
poisonous drinks, if the children of the Church hear
her laws against gluttony and self-destruction.
Likewise, the Church has not spoken officially
about the question of Woman Suffrage.
Catholic women are taught by their Church to
lead lives according to the teachings of the Church,
and if they obey these teachings the question of their
claiming a voting voice in their country’s govern
ment is left to them, as a thing which is Caesar’s.
A woman who obeys the Church laws can be
nought but a valuable asset to any civilized country,
and the Church knows what this woman has been
taught. Hence the absurdity of the belief that our
Holy Church, the greatest leader towards good in the
world, would refuse to permit her children to become
loyal citizens to their government on account of their
sex.
Among those men who have been trained to teach
Catholic doctrines are many who are men of great
brains and ability. Some of these have been con
sulted as to the teachings of our Church on this
question.
They have answered as men only who know of the
great influence of words from men whose lives have
placed them in high positions as moral and spiritual
advisers. Not one of them has expressed the belief
that women, as citizens, are in danger of putting their
souls or the souls of others in jeopardy.
His Eminence, James ^Cardinal Gibbons, America’s
leader of the Church, said soon after the American
women began their plea for citizenship: ‘‘The Church
has taken no official attitude on the subject, but
leaves the matter to the good judgment of her chil
dren as to what they think best. The statement that
the Church is opposed to the enfranchisement of
women is incorrect.”
This great teacher knew of the faith possessed
by the children of the Church; hence he knew that
voting could not harm Catholic women. As a citizen
only he speaks in favor of the Church keeping out of
it as a civic question.
Rev. John A. Ryan, of the Catholic University of
America, spoke as a citizen, and did not refuse to
have his opinion published when he said: ‘‘I am in
favor of woman suffrage because I believe that it
would be beneficial to the community as a whole and
to working women in particular.”
‘‘There is no argument against equal suffrage for
women,” said Rev. J. Elliott Ross, Ph.D., C.S.P., of
Austin, Texas. Rev. Joseph H. McMahon, Ph.D., of
New York City, said: ‘‘Do not be guilty of the ab
surdity and injustice of establishing sex as a barrier,
when under actual conditions woman is impor
tant a factor in every relation of modern life.”
These are but a few opinions expressed by teachers
and preachers of Catholic Church doctrines. Other
great leaders have also expressed themselves in favor
of woman citizenship, proving that the Church has
never forbidden her women to obtain and use the
ballot.
Catholic women and Catholic men have worked as
hard for this gift of liberty as have non-Catholics and
Catholic women should continue their efforts for com
munity betterment by registering and voting. They
violate no precept of the Church in casting their bal
lot for an improvement in civil government. When
Caesar needed help God bade His followers to render
unto Caesar, but He also said, ‘‘and unto God what is
God’s.”
So the Holy Church of God is not opposed to her
women becoming citizens and voters. She is opposed
to her women disobeying and violating the laws of
God or of Caesar, thereby putting in jeopardy souls
with whom God has entrusted them as wives, mothers,
sisters and neighbors.
In working for civic betterment Catholics should
not overlook the great need of the co-operation of
laymen in educating those who would place stumbling
blocks in the paths of the Church by their ignorance
of the truth. Catholic organizations should devote
(Continued on Page 19)