The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-09

or guidance, or to physician for relief and
remedies.
Usually in all three cases the same sins
confessed to the priest appear as diseases to
the physician or as crimes and offenses to the
lawyer. While it is true and even notorious
that among certain class of medical and
legal practitioners the most shocking crimes,
connivances with guilt, compromises of felo-
MES, frauds and immoralities are planned and
executed, there can be no doubt that in
general the highest principle and
the incest sense of honor regu-
late every detail of such intercourse.
There is, therefore, no need of restrictions
being placed on the confidential intercourse
of priest and people, which only base minds
suspect, and which goes on every day in
purity with physicians in respect of disease,
and with lawyers in respect of crimes and
immoralities in their clients. Such restric-
tions as wise prudence will suggest are
placed by us upon those who resort to us and
do not come unattended. Aud here lot me
say know physicians who are banked and
baffled in their treatment of disease, where
young men and young women die of CON
sumption, or become nervous wrecks on their
parents hands, and these physicians have
told me that it was not the physician with
medicine, but the priest with moral and re-
ligious restraints, who was needed for their
cure or conservation in body and soul
Again, the question of the ceibacy of the
clergy is dependent upon an arbitrary rule of
the Roman Church. Many Popes were mar
ried men. Pope Hormisdas was married, and
left son Silverius, who was Pope after him.
Pope Adrian ", the only Englishman who
was ever Pope (Nicolas Breakspeare), was son
of married priest, and Pope Clement " CA.
d. 1869 was married, had children, his wife
died, and he was made Pope, and no bad one
either. Churtou's, Ear. Eng. Oh. ,'p. 357.
The State law in Italy now allows that there
is nothing in the condition of priest to for
bid his marrying, and it is desirable and
inevitable that in time the greater part of
them will. The compulsory enforce
ment of celibacy, as rule, is one
it by priests or laymen or wo-
men is another. There are thousands
who think it good for the present distress,
and daily men or women are devoting them
selves to this life. We have already con-
nected with our Church q company of celibate
priests, and there are say forty such companies
Of different orders in England Those that
are here have the sanction of the bishops of
Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York and
their celibacy being voluntary, the Church
does not interfere with any one who seeks in
that way freedom for a religious, or as the
sects are beginning TO call it, "the higher
life." So we are building up brotherhoods
and sisterhoods who take up the cross and
leave all to wait on their Lord in the person
of his weaker brethren.
Thus, while the Italian priests will, under
protection of the State, gradually cast off
obedience to the law of the Church about
celibacy which has been forced on them,
many here are freely embracing it. The
Greek Church compels her parish priests to
marry but selects her bishops from amoug
the celibates. So we shall soon have the like
mixed and free condition, every one in his
vocation and ministry truly serving the Lord
according to his gifts and grace.
have thus noted some of the points on
which we Catholics are drawing nearer and
nearer to each other. There are many and
grave grounds of difference which bar 10 til
mate association with Rome at present, or
until the reforming party within her do that
for her which we are trying to do for
the Protestant Episcopal Church. The
good work OF promoting unity, peace, and
concord is engaging men of peace and piety
| who labor for its restitution, and the reunion
| of Christendom, not on an ecclesiastical
muddle like the Evangelical Alliance, but on
the statements of the truly Catholic Church.
Let us, without losing our love to the
truth, with uniform intention seek for unity
of spirit, first the reunion of Christendom
afterwards by the removal of old errors, pre-
| JUDGES, and walls of partition set up by un.
reasonable, unscriptural, or wicked men.
Hitherto the Greek Church and the Anglican
! have been like brothers and sons of one
mother who do not even speak. Until lately
the Anglican Protestant has denounced
everything Roman because it was Roman
and the Roman has denounced everything
Anglican because it was Protestant, and neither
of them for any other good reason often
| After the opposition and abuse Rome has re-
| celyed, there is or will be among Professionals
areaction in her favor, as is seen by the con
versions she makes. Men educated in the
narrowest Protestanism, and in the strictes
sects of Puritanism, have gone over to Rome
Most of these converts were evangelical Pro
testants who went through many phases, anG
were High Churchmen by the way, before
they Joined Rome. They were Obliged Il
cross our territory before they went over, but
they started originally with the Protestant
idea that Rome alone is the Catholic Church
and they passed over, or never stambed OF
the truth that our Church is tho
true Catholic Church for English
speaking people. These men who went vii
tell you they found Protestants Ignorant
of the claims of the Catholic (not Roman
Church on all Christians, that they found
Protestants misrepresenting those claims
when they noticed them, and treating tn,
gravest questions of faith and morals ever
with controversial bitterness and partisan
upfairness, instead of Christian candor ant
| honesty.
AS a general rule catholics do not go tc
Rome unless under extraordinary pressure
and when they go are not happy there, a.
many of them have returned. Bat wheI
denied the privileges which catholic Chris
tians love and our Church allo VS., even heI
enemies being judges, they go where they
can worship the Lord every Lords day in the