A Society for Science
Dopp, H.
October 27, 1926 THE COMMONWEAL 60 A SOCIETY FOR...
...Pierre About the same time, a group of students at the 61o THE COMMONWEAL October 27, 1926 University of Ghent organized for the purpose of the papers read and approved in the several sections training themselves in public speaking...
...One of their are published in the Annals...
...These young men, In fact, all the branches of scientific study are repre- aroused by attacks upon the Church in the name of sented by men of the first rank in their chosen fields...
...They are all inspired by the same love of scientific character of the researches carried out under the knowledge, the same sense of fidelity to religious truth, auspices of the societe that so many learned bodies have even as the members of the societe share in common affirmed their solidarity with it, even though in so doing a desire to help one another both in the advancement they have not expressed collective adhesion to the concep- of science and in the furthering of the Church...
...For their part, the Louvain professors were financial difficulties subsequent to the war made it especially anxious to promote original research in necessary to discontinue this form of encouragement science...
...Gilbert, since become competitions and subsidies for research...
...On devoted to scientific vulgarization and, considering its June 17, 1875, a first plan was drawn up in the rooms value, deserves a wider distribution...
...but Father Car- seemed to endanger the work in 1889, Pope Leo XIII, bonnelle, acting as first general secretary, announced by intervening personally and expressing his deep inthat 453 pledges had been received...
...A publicity tour through is paid to matters bearing upon the relation between France succeeded in guaranteeing the cooperation of science and philosophy, science and faith, and to many fellows of the Academie des Sciences and pro- methods of research...
...And so the continued existence of the underBelgium...
...from a decree of the Vatican Council: "There can The solemn Mass of thanksgiving for the blessings never be any real contradiction between reason and of half a century, celebrated in the venerable college faith...
...The Annals seemed to symbolize devotion to both science and now number forty-six volumes, the war having interChristian thought...
...Special attention an interest in the project...
...fessors in recently erected Catholic universities...
...The highest founder...
...Three meetings are held yearly, after each of which REGINA WALSH...
...We may even say that same year, an inaugural meeting was held in Brussels...
...These are all original studies Much has been accomplished, much continues to be ac- in the varied branches of science, and represent excomplished, through the Societe Scientifique...
...and en- laboratories of Paris a number of famous professors tomologists like Father Wasmann and J. H. Fabre...
...The societe will exclude the notion of geo- taking may be attributed to the paternal interest of graphical boundaries," he said, "and therefore it pre- the Holy Father himself...
...what professed to be "true and free science unshackled It was good news to learn that thirty-eight titulars and unprejudiced," resisted as best they could and of the Paris Academy of Sciences-not to mention soon decided that it was necessary to recruit a body of many corresponding fellows-are on the lists of the Catholic scientists...
...In addition to a lengthy sumsented both the Mathematical Society of France and mary of the program, there will appear a series of the Paris Polytechnic thirty-six memoirs written for the occasion by distinguished contributors...
...The idea sponsored contain many papers of outstanding value, particularly by the cercle seemed so important to them that after in physics, mechanics, mathematics and geology...
...Twenty-one-nearly one- seemed to stir up among young people the desire to quarter of the membership in the Academy-are still study nature and to profess scientific idealism...
...Cerleaving college they formed branches of it in the vari- tain particularly valuable papers are published sepaous cities where they resided...
...Scientists like Barrande of Prague, Father authorities in the Church have approved and encourSecchi, S.J., of Rome, and Father Perry of Stony- aged it...
...Professors at Louvain University were thoughtfully Early in its career the societe instituted scientific weighing a similar idea...
...The adherence it has now reached its ninetieth volume and is an imof many at the Belgian universities and academies was posing collection of papers treating interesting quessoon assured...
...This Before Our Lady's feet, council annually names the president, who is alterna- Night humbly holds her rosary tively a Belgian and a citizen of some other country...
...the Society of Jesus, the regular clergy, tions accurately and yet in such a way that they can the nobility and several prominent citizens also took be followed by the uninitiated reader...
...church of Saint Gudule, was sufficient proof-were His Majesty, the King of the Belgians, presided any needed-of the genuinely Catholic character of over the gathering which was attended by the Papal the Societe Scientifique...
...The will conflict with faith...
...to scientific endeavor...
...It happened words...
...He and a number of his known Louvain chemist...
...toned at the close of the Mass was hardly more an Expressions of felicitation came from men of the high- act of worship than is the truly scientific character of est importance in academic circles not affiliated with the work accomplished by the societe...
...Working in the spirit of Nuncio and other ecclesiastical dignitaries, by officials its motto, in love to truth as that is attainable through of the state, and by delegates representing universities the study of nature, it does not fear that discoveries in America and most of the countries of Europe...
...They form the were several men who have since become very famous societe's original contribution to scientific research and as engineers and mathematicians...
...of a movement which stirred various intellectual cenCatholics familiar with the work undertaken by the tres of Catholic Belgium to protest against the associete will not be surprised at the tenor of these sumptions of materialistic positivism...
...The lectures delivered in methods consisted in giving scientific lectures to their the public assemblies, which generally attempt dignischool-fellows...
...In November of the blessed and encouraged it...
...A noteworthy the Church, and may be said to have been formulated memorial volume will be issued as a record of the in these remarks by Professor d'Ocagne, who repre- jubilee proceedings...
...October 27, 1926 THE COMMONWEAL 60 A SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE By H. DOPP 0 N APRIL 13 of the present year, the Societe Termier-who delivered a magisterial address on Scientifique de Bruxelles solemnized the fiftieth What We are to Think About the Earth, an address in anniversary of its foundation...
...living...
...who flaunted their unbelief...
...The club itself was called Cercle fied scientific vulgarization, are usually reprinted in Leibnitz in honor of a great Christian thinker who the Revue des Questions Scientifiques...
...Moreover, the acting president, Dr...
...Later the name was rately : for example, a memoir on mechanics by Dr...
...Unfortunately, Brussels...
...A practical program of action was soon determined October Stars upon...
...Its Annals, well known among the learned of all countries, attest its cellently, when taken together, the physiognomy of successful effort...
...Of stars...
...section of economics...
...The It seems almost unnecessary to add that the Societe great mathematician Charles Hermite subscribed as a Scientifique de Bruxelles serves an ideal...
...changed to the Cercle Cauchy in honor of a famous Gilbert and a number of monographs prepared by the Belgian mathematician...
...when the death of Father Carbonnelle, who had been It was supposed that 250 members would assure a suc- the soul of the organization as its general secretary, cessful beginning to the enterprise...
...Those who which poetry, eloquence and science were mingled and gathered for the occasion, in the great hall of the which rendered praise to Him who created the earth as Belgian Academies, might well see how the past of a dwelling-place for man-is an eminent geologist and the societe has been a proof of the motto it adopted member of the Institute de France...
...A council of twenty Like penitent elected members assumes the general direction...
...And it is because of the genuine and strictly a book...
...L. Henry, the wellquented the Cercle Cauchy...
...A fund is badly needed, which Gradually these different movements led to the de- we hope Divine Providence will provide...
...During the years prior to conferes discussed the problem often with Father I. the war, the medal of the societe was awarded thirteen Carbonnelle, who had edited a paper in India, had con- times as a prize for work of signal merit, the last tributed to the Paris Etudes for years, and had then recipient being F. Wulf, S.J., who had invented a wellundertaken the direction of the Cercle Cauchy of known, precious bifiliar electrometre...
...fers to use the name of the city where it will meet to the name of the country where it was born...
...The only way to accomplish this societe as active members...
...This was due famous for his work in analysis and mechanics, fre- to the initiative taken by Dr...
...Therefore the Te Deum inthrong was, of course, not composed only of Catholics...
...Among the leaders of the club rupted the work from 1914 to 1919...
...Pius IX and all the succeeding Pontiffs have hurst sent in their adhesions...
...He expressed terest, helped to reconstitute the direction of the the hope that the movement would not be limited to societe...
...Begun in 1877, of the Societe Centrale d'Agriculture...
...tions which (however laudable they may nevertheless con- The societe came into being in 1875, as the result sider them) cement the inner structure of the organization...
...The societe is divided into six sections, each Dark-robed, of which studies affiliated sciences...
...sire to form one large and important association for The Revue des Questions Scientifiques is a quarterly the advancement of science among Catholics...
...physicists of the Ministry of Agriculture-met in the scientific such as M. Branly and the Duc de Broglie...
...Those outside the Church will understand that several young students of agricultural sciencethem better if they scrutinize the list of eminent scien- among them was M. Proost, at that time professor in tists who have been or are associated with the work Louvain University and destined to render important undertaken-scientists like the astronomers Father services to the remarkable development of agriculture Perry and Father Secchi : mathematicians like Charles in Belgium, which he now serves as Director General de la Valee Poussin and Torres y Quevedo...
...Written on the most diverse themes by taken by men who labor in the spirit of science, unhampered authors residing in various countries where French is by preoccupations of another order, although they are affil- spoken, these monographs are nevertheless unified by iated, in a different fashion, by the bond of a common a far more important principle than juxtaposition in spiritual ideal...
...Furthermore, what is done here is under- the societe...
Vol. 4 • October 1926 • No. 25
