Official proceedings of the annual meeting: 1923

2I8

THE CHURCH

to him the destinies of his country, with an influence on the general march of affairs.
Finally, when modern society decided that every citizen had a right to liberty of conscience, it thereby proclaimed that, as a society, it had no concern with the religious
or philosophical ideas each might turn to in seeking a solution of the problem of his
destiny.
Under these circumstances, how is the social conscience to be aroused in such a
manner that the citizens may use their voting power only for the public good? How
is their political action to be freed from the personal interests that are so often prejudicial to the public good? If they do not vote properly, will they not disturb social economy, promote discord, and multiply injustice? That is a serious problem for which
there is no solution except that of the thorough moral education of the masses. I say
the same as regards liberty of conscience. This liberty becomes a danger whenever the
citizens see in it a means of freeing themselves from all moral constraint and of allowing
themselves to be led by their selfish passions. Liberty of conscience must not be taken
to mean liberty for each one to do as he likes and to think what he chooses. Every
man is morally bound to seek for truth with all the strength and power of his being.
It is easy to see that in all these questions the church is necessarily called upon to
take an important part in the formation of conscience. To begin with, she reminds
everyone that moral responsibility increases in proportion to culture and knowledge.
That is why she endeavors to develop in everyone the sense of right and wrong, and
also why she reminds men that they are absolutely bound to accept the sacrifices
imposed by moral law. The part the church plays becomes more important as temptations become stronger. Now, as everyone knows, selfishness, pride, the love of
pleasure, and money increase in proportion to material civilization. If therefore, care
is not taken, social divisions will go on increasing and may easily be transformed into
fratricidal strife.
In this endeavor, in view of the moral training of the individual, Christianity
claims the foremost rank. Does it not, as a matter of fact, strive to remind each man
that he is responsible to God, not only for his outward acts, but for the most secret
movements of his heart? Does it not remind him that everyone must keep his conscience pure from sin and not shrink from sacrificing human pleasures and satisfactions
rather than do wrong? Does it not put into men's minds a hope, strong enough to
help them to make the sacrifices that moral perfection demands of them? And finally,
does it not keep constantly before their eyes Christ dying on the cross in order to save
the rights of conscience and to bring men to look on the life to come as the true end of
their life on earth? In order to meet the demand of the moral education of the human
race, Christianity claims perfect liberty of teaching and education, a liberty all the
more necessary in our days, in that the modern state has declared itself neutral as
regards religious teaching.
The church in France, fully conscious of her educational mission has founded a
large number of good works, the primary object of which is the moral training of the
faithful. We have, first of all, the free schools and colleges. In these schools the
church strives to form character. She adopts the new pedagogical methods, according
to which the will is to be led to accept what is right rather than be forced to submit to it.
She awakens a sense of responsibility, and she teaches self-government by making the
pupils share in watching over the moral condition of the school. Besides these schools,
properly so called, the Church of France has founded a large number of clubs for the