nurses society back to moral strength and vigor. All she asks is fair play. " Give," she says, " to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God and God's Church the things that are God's."
Brethren, in America, thank God, one can be at once a good Catholic and a good citizen; and the better the Catholic the better the citizen. But many of us are intensely interested in politics and little concerned about religion. We look on State laws as grave precepts, on Church laws as pious counsels. We would give our lives for the nation's honor, but we laugh when our Church is insulted and wronged. We proudly march through the world wrapped in the American flag, but we blush when caught signing ourselves with the sign of the cross. And yet, by reason of her origin, constitution, mission, destiny, and services to mankind, the Church's claim to our allegiance is prior to that of the State. In times of peace, therefore, let Catholicity and patriotism go hand in hand; but in times of conflict let us avoid equally the extremes of giving all to the Church or all to the State, and let us be guided by the golden rule: " Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
