Bulletin of Catholic University of Peking

CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF PEKING 31

quest, that is, the mastering of our passions and the orientation of the tendencies of the soul towards virtue.

Man seeks truth. But truth is revealed only to pure and calm souls who have subdued the turbulence of the passions, just as the light of the sun and the stars is reflected only in the limpid and calm waters of a lake.

The duties, which each man has towards his neighbor, I may recapitulate in the beautiful words of Confucius, who says in effect: “‘To-obey my father as I would have my son obey me; to serve my- sovereign—that is, the authority of the State under any form whatsoever— as I would that I should be served by a minister under my orders; to treat my elder brother as | would have my younger brother treat me; to deal with my friends as I would that my friends should deal with me.”

Again he has summed our duties towards our neighbor in these words: “not to do to others that which one does not wish others to do to one’s self.”

Jesus Christ perfected this maxim by transforming a negative duty into a positive act: ‘‘to do to others that which we would have others do unto us.’’ And He assigned the reason, saying that all of us are brethren because we are sons of one Father Who is in heaven, that is, God.

Filial affection has been sanctified by Christ through the sublime example of His Divine life.

Oh! be true, my dear young men, to this ideal of filial affection, which constitutes your most beautiful moral heritage, the fairest and loftiest conservative principle of your civilization. From one’s duty towards one’s neighbor springs the duty of loving and serving one’s native country: Your Country!! Behold a word that has power to make your heart beat fast! And I say to you: Love, by all means, that great country of yours, which once knew the splendor of power and glory.

Our Christian sentiments and the sense of brotherhood taught us by Christ enable us to comprehend and appreciate your love for your country. Our attitude towards the Chinese people is one of sincere and heartfelt respect, and we ought not and do not wish to do them any wrong.

We pray God to restore peace to China. It is our one desire that this great people, so good and so industrious, should have the opportunity of living in peace, and that peace should bring in its train spiritual, moral, and intellectual advancement as well as material progress in the industrial, economic, and political spheres. We keep ourselves severely aloof from

everything that savors of the politi-

cal, because that is none of our affair; but we do sincerely and heartily desire that the legitimate national aspirations of China should be fulfilled.

Here, however, my dear young men, within the precincts of the School, you ought to refrain from political agitation; here you are to study; here you must enrich your intellect and soul with that culture without which it will be impossible for you to render any notable service to your country.

Here you must develop yourselves under an austere and rigid discipline, in order to become sound and strong elements in the leading class of tomorrow. China, like all other nations, has imperative need of capable and