The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-07-14
VOL. VII.
CATHOLIC CHURCH PROPERTY

| ~~< GAIf,
The good people of the State Of N.u "
are just now occupied with question VIII.
mixes up their piety, politics, prejudice. 'nl'u
ciples, Professionalism Popery, and patr;ot;
In one grand mash. The Catholic obrron
people and priests-have asked the Leeiss,n.
to confer corporation rights with tbs;r ;'
dent trust powers and perpetuitv rro- 'ne,'
persons or officers of their commupior =. .u'n
be designated by the usage and d;sc;nI;.
the Roman Catholic Church, to represep. az u
congregations and societies in bold;nr
managing their temporalities 1t is unders,ooS
that under the operation Of such Ioun
bishops of the several dioceses would -.
corporations sole, to the exclusion Of ,bo l.;.
and that every such bishop would in each ,.:.
become the trustee Of all the church r,on.-.s
of every congregation within his own SEE ana
it is further objected by the opponents Of ~.
proposedlsw: that these bishops are appoiDt.i
by the Pope, without any right of election ..
sent, or other participation on the part of N.
people for whose use the property is to be beld
and administered
The discussion which has arisen unor 49,,
matter shows very plainly, we think that the
bill before the Legislature has no chance 70 bs
fairly understood, so long as the present ds.
pute continues. Its opponents charge that tbo
member most active in its support does not Al
all comprehend its provisions, or that he nm,
posely misrepresents them. The Tribune and
those who give it their appreciation retOrt the
same charge upon the opponents Toius it is
clear that the misapprehension and misconduct
of the enemies of the bill are SO gross that
they cannot afford to retract. They have .oo
much to admit and confess, to allow them to
come right.
The proposed law expressly provides in term.
that the trustees contemplated by it shall be.
come Incorporated lin the mode prescribed
in the second section of the act entitled AN
act to provide for the incorporation of religious
societies. passed April 5th, 1913, as cOrpc,
ration sole or aggregate, as the case may be
and as such shall possess the same powers and
r1ghts, and be subject to the same restrictions,
liabilities, and conditions in all respects, as the
trustees of any Protestant church or congre-
CATION Incorporated under said section
The law under consideration therefore does
not incorporate the bishops of the Catholic
Church, but sends them or their congregations
to the proper authorities, to procure the re-
CURED charters on the same terms and condi.
tons as any other denomination in the State.
To us it seems anything but reasonable, to
require OF the Catholics such change in their
organization and discipline as shall admit the
laity into the government Of the temparalities
before we will grant them the common advan-
tages of corporate institutions. We cannot
rightfully thus compel them to accept Democ-
racy and Professionalism into their ecclesiastical
polity. If the people make their bishops,
priests, or any other functionaries, who are
citizens Of the State, the trustees of their seou-
Lar interests, they are as well and justly and
properly made as any board of laymen elected
by ballot or otherwise, by any congregation in
America; and it is either mistake or an in
territorial oppression, to impose conditions re-
pugnant to the religious polty of the Church,
before granting them rights and privileges that
are equal and no more to those accorded to
Protestant denominations "After the manner
called heresy, 80 worship we the God of our
fathers" but Heaven forbid that we should
oppose Catholicism after the manner that our
forefathers showed their zeal for the truth
We have long and desperate struggle to
maintain against the Romish despotism, and
we want to come to it with clean hands. We
want to be fit to champion the truth against
their error, and we are proportionately grieved
when any friends of ours give the enemy the
advantage of having us in the wrong.
Our notion is, let all parties have fair play
and equal position before the law; impose no
burdens, lay no hindrances upon any party or
opinion, but such as shall operate equally as
well as justly upon all.
1t is not by denying corporate powers to the
bishops Or archbishops of Rome, and 80 EN-
barrassing their freedom, or driving them to
indirect methods Of guarding their rights; but
by plain, direct, ahd adequate general regu.
lation, to prohibit all religious congregations
whatsoever from taking, holding or enjoying
any property whatsoever, beyond such real
estate, houses and lands, with their appurte
nances, as may be necessary, and actually used
for the convenience of public worship aud ..A.S
use of burying grounds. So that wherever and
whenever any revenue or income arises from
church property, besides that which shall keep
churches and burying- grounds in repair, it
shall be sequestrated-applied to the purposes
of the State, and expended in the support OF
general system of education.
Let any sect or party hold property for the
uses here mentioned, but prohibit the mainte-
nance of the ministry and all species OF propa-
gandism by means Of the corporate property
of the congregation. Let not the free faith OF
after generations be overridden or overruisd
by the money donated by superstition or faDe'
ical piety to religious uses. Make 1t an 3D.
solute rule that every flock shall feed its own
pastor, or that they shall starve together and
we will get the apostolic times 80 far restored
and the Democratic doctrine Of religious no
erty we'll vindicated This would prevent inc
bigotry and blindness Of bribing Heaven anu
hiring holiness among men, by the abuse Oh
wealth. 1t would prevent that secular ~
grandzement of churches which gave the ne
formation so much trouble, and may So'ne
other day require the reform of the Rei0rma'
ton over again. ,rn
Will Professionalism consent to this WI"
it afford the like protection to the worlds hO
critics against its own abuses, which 1t 80 e"
nestly insists upon as against the old enemy
Will it fairly and fully inaugurate its own ",
boastsd voluntary principle 2" Rnot II VIII