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ELLIOTT
ELLIOTT ELLIOTT
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PERTH, WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1944.
. . .
SEVENTY-FIRST YEAR.
"Christianity at Stake"
Lord Gort's Inspiring Address to People of Malta
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The Complementary Roles of Church and State Ancient Custom Revived After . Two Years of Warfare .
ous belief to political expediency. Era, tianism plays an important part in the set-up of the Axis Pdwers, and I believe it to be a minefield which is deetined to destroy the political achievements of its masters in due course. "We, on the other hand, rest the whole fabric of our civilisation on the twin pillars of Christian religion and political freedom. . "But with the coming of peace we shall be confronted with serious problems crying urgently to be remolved. Yet the men and women on whose shoulders the burden will rest will themselves be weary. . . "The world we knew in 1939 has gone as surely as the world of 1914 dissolved during the years of the first world war. The fiery furnace of two world wars Let us hope will have left its mark. that the age of materialism, which rataim ed increasing comfort as in life, will give ground to the age-long scale of values and the recogChristian GENERALS GORT & GAMELIN. nition of the need to improve the lot ting down of supplies. Nor did you of the poorer and humbler members of society. pracnefarious fail to denounce the "In the difficult days which undoubttices of those selfish and sinful people who sought to advance their own per- edly lie before us the unity and the mutual support of Church and State black sonal ends by trading in the can and, I pray and believe, will both market. . . . "Subsequent events have proved preserve stability in the, country and time and again that the Church is al- also guarantee the mokal and material ways prepared to hold out a helping progress of those whom we all desire hand to the Government in times of to serve, each in our own sphere. Two Popes and the Poor. difficulty. We appreciate in full mea"It was Pope 1.(eo XIII, in his famsure the importance of the close relaous Encyclical 'Rerum Novarum,' who tionship which exists between the Church and State in these islands, and drew attention as far back as 1891 to the claims of the poor and the weak we are thankful. "There is none among us here to- upon the rich and strong. This was day who is not conscious that in this at a time when the forces of anarchy war it is Chiistendom which is at and revolution were already confrontstake; none of us here who is not ing reaction and indifference and threatening widespread ruin and condeeply conscious that the Swastika, the Crooked Cross of Nazidom, still floats fusion. "It was Pope Pius XI who indicated over Rome and menaces the Vatican once again, 40 years later, in 'QuadragCity. "The war may have receded a few esimo Anno,' that the Christian foothundred miles from Malta, but Ger- steps must tread the path of peaceful many has yet to be beaten. Not until progress and Social justice. "Progress must be gradual and sure, the pagan creed of Nazidom is exterminated can any Christian man or but progress there must be. Remind the people that we must avoid the a lessenwoman of enduring faith claim temptation to be impatient, as violent ing interest in the crusade which is now or spectacular methods often create being fought to a finish in Europe. greater misery than that which they Was it not Dr. Goebbels who indi were designed to relieve. in frankness, sated to us with brutal "The new world is gradually shapMay, 1939, during a speech at Cologne, the pagan' tenets of modern Germany? ing before our eye, and in the future which is to be it is for us to fashion am 'I "He stated on that occasion: tempted to believe rather in a Ger- our own destiny. "I believe we cannot falter if we manic god than in a Christian one. We are not working for the next world base our actions and our policies upon the deep and proved convictions of hut for this.' "Mindful of his words, it is perhaps the 'Christian Faith and assess our duty not merely a matter of academic in- to ourselves and our fellowmen in the terest to recall that It was a German, light of our common duty to Almighty Thomas Erastus, who first propounded God, without Whose blessing vietpry the vicious theory of the subordination by itself would be worthless and peace of the Church to the State, and of religi- yet another illusion." .
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and State A remarkable speech on the complementary roles of Church clergy dur in the life of Christian people; on the inspiring leadership of the influence of ing Malta's darkest hours; on the steadying and progressive which men tradition, and on the Christian courage and strength with the imalso but must face not only a war in which Christianity is at stake, Vis aunt Gort on mense tasks of the post-war period, was made by General from every the Feast of Candlemas, when he received the parish priests town and village in Malta and the neighbouring island of Gozo. memory will of his In accordance with ancient customwho had the after a lapse of two years caused uy lung be revered byandalllove him the air raids on Malta-each of the privilege to knowmourn him, but I rm "We still sadly priests presented Lord Gort with a of exThe ceremony was held in glad to take this opportunity candle. publicly to you the deep satisin pressing George and Michael the Hall of SS. feels us faction which every one of t'he Palace of Valetta. succeeded to the Having said that "with the relaxa- that Mgr. Gonzi has that His Holiness tion of the tension of war, the full im- diocese of Malta and elevated him pact of mental and physical fatigue the Pope has soof quickly We are Archbishop. to the dignity will fall like a hammer upon those not gratified that His Grace spiritually disciplined to withstand it," all profoundly this well -merited reward Lord Gort ended his address with these has received and, may I add, We also regard it as a words: to the peorecognition special of base mark "I believe we cannot falter if we Malta whose great devotion to our actions and our policies upon the ple ofChurch and their spiritual leaders their deep and proved convictions of the iconoclastic Christian Faith and assess our duty is ttsditional in these times. to ourselves and our fellowmen in the "It is supremely important not to light of our common duty to Almighty and age-old God, without Whose blessing victory forsake our old traditions that everyI am conscious peace customs. by itself would be worthless and one here to -day feels especially content yet another illusion.' in this Empire Being Purged of Materialism. to be privileged to take ispart more than "Malta has suffered and she has ancient ceremony, which era been purged by fire," said Lord Gort, a picturesque survival of a bygone and "Surely to all of us its principal "but this fortress can thank Divine a as it serves Providence for her deliverance from enduring values is that roles disaster and for the growing success reminder of the complementary which are destined to lead u, to final of the Church and State in the life Each has its of Christian people. victory. no "But of viriat is the British Empire vital tasks to perform, and perhaps being purged in these war years? Sure- greater union of spiritual and temporal the harly it is being cleansed of the greedy functions can be quoted than and materialism of the past and of the lux- mony which existed in Malta siege. Gozo the of days dark to the during ury which caused so many people "Among the many vivid and lasting live selfishly and to forget that a life days, the Governdevoted to the service of their King memories Service commanders will ment and and their fellowmen leads to far greatrecollect the unfailing er spiritual contentment than a life never fail clergy alwaydevoted solely to material advantages. support which the with the grave re'Nobody knows better than you to those charged the survival of ensuring of keysponsibility the is that spiritual contentment and your stone of the arch of life, and meeting the fortress. Your example inas we do to -day under the shadow of word of encouragement constantly people. late the our spired the recent grievous loss of "Never did you fail to co-operate Archbishop -Bishop, Dom Maurus Caryana, let us recall that he has left with wholeheartedly with the Government your us the recollection of a life devoted in the vital task of explaining to cut to the service of Almighty God and the flock the reasons which led to the -
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