The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-09-07
sermon by stephen Pearl Andrews In Gcrmania
Hall parlors this morning.
The Alleged Decay or tho Catholic
Church.

Hail parlors this morning.
The Alleged Decay or tho Catholic
Church.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
At time when there Is so much talk about the
decay Of the Catholic Church 1t may be interesting
TO some Of your readers to have few statistics as
to the state OF that ancient institution in countries
where but few years since it was scarcely known,
except as small and insignificant sect, to the
majority OF the people. l am indebted to the Echo,
London (Engand) paper, Tor the following Stats
tics OF the Church In the United States:-
singular fact that in the United States where the
fsvor that resoas oanizaton has devs
a w's
S ns% sais there 9srs s
and 4abbos; there were q priests there are now SO;
See There
and d cneo 3 and IL
seminaes and colleges in which, among other students
@ the e as
p pro pore ias fsSisS almost %
be remembered that Anne rican Catholics are thorough
ultramontanes.
The progress of the Church in England Is perhaps
even more astounding because the population
there is not increased by immigration as 1t is In
the States. In the North Of England there have
always been many Catholic families since the sub
enormous increase in the number OF Catholics has
been chiefly through conversions, and notably
since the re-estabshment OF the hierarchy by His
Holiness Plus TX. in 1850 Previous to that, from
the time OF the reformation" England was
divided into districts governed by Wears apostolic;
the Pope then created an archbishop and twelve
bishops. The present Archbishop is DR.. Manning
VINO twenty years ago was minister OF the
protestant Established Church, and of the twelve
suffragan bishops ten are English, one Scotch and
one Irish; then there are three or four coadjut0r
bishops, abbots, priors and other superiors
OF the various religious orders, and, sum-
M as the different nna
there were on January 10 cathedrals, 1,2Os
churches, 400 regular clergy or clergy Of the
secular clergy or parish priests, 23s converts for
women, 1s colleges and numerous schools, semi
all over the land. There are "a peers, including
duke, marquis, earls, 4viscOunts and II barons,
IN the House Of Lords, and As baronets. besides 0
holding ONCE under the Crown or sitting
estantism are amazing: In 1872 there were
1000 received in London alone and almost
al are Of the educated classes This
fifteen per cent Of the priests are converts from
the clergy OF the Established Church; Jesnits,
Bened!crines, Carmelites, DOminicans Capuchns
and almost every other order OF monks and nuns
are distributed through the land and wherever a
mission is established congregation is found, and
even II no Catholics are in the parish but short
time elapses before the influence OF Holy Church
brings In many who are soon jealous chill,
this in that great Protestant nation, England
In Scotland too. that most intensely Protestant
country the Catholic Church Is spreading with ra-
pidity, and the old Highanders are returning to
the faith OF their fathers from the cold and dry bone
h p ss
portion OF the British Empire, where there are
2So churches, ITO secular and so regular clergy OF
monastlc orders, with monastaries for men and q
for women, college, schools &C.,
governed by three Wears apostolic.
States and Great Britain the schools are patronized
largely by Protestants, who rightly consider that |
their children may be safely entrusted as to their
morals, and they are at liberty to attend or |
absent themselves from the religious exercises as
their conscience desires-a liberty not often allowed
In Protestant schools to Catholic scholars.
Notwithstanding the prosecutions on the Euro
pean Continent Professionalism and infdeity make
and never during the last two centuries has
there been 80 much devotion TO- the cause of
as Of Se a over i
lasting impression and the pigmy proportions OF
the Hyacinthe and Dollinger sects, neither of
icaD are scarcely wortny OF notice.
The Archbishop OF Westminster Dr. Mannlngl
recently, in an address to some ladies who had
made him an Offering OF some articles for adorn.
ment Of his private chapel, said
And now, my children, want you to listen to me- I
Al this You win hear people in the World T say
that she is her decadence that she de-
know Sponsors story the epherd the top h
ike s aSa m a yu 0as I c%ys
never stronger than she that she has never put
4s % Of s hU who ys
and despse her Therefore, instead OF being dishearened
ana at the state OF fhnfs let Us rejoice
there never was moment when The power the Church
OF God greater than il is and you yourselves,
by your lives, are contributing to this.
Let Catholics take courage. God will not refuse !
to answer the prayers OF HIS people, and the united
Iridium will not 60 unheeded by Him who said Of |
His Holy Church that 1.-The gates OF hell shall not
prevail against it;' and truly, II we contemplate
the state OF the world now, 1t would appear that
the gates must be very wide open to allow such |
instruments OF Satan as Bismarck the nfdel; Vic
tor Emmanuel, the aduterer, sacrieRious rObber |
and rebelous child OF the Church, wnO with |
hypocrisy FAR more disgusting than the outspoken |
and brutal apOstate, Henry the Eighth, despOs |
the Church he pretends to protect and reverence,
and insults in every conceivable way the |
In the pretended cause OF liberty and the wish Of
the people; those OF the people who support him |
being the lowest scrubs who exist In every COM
munity, but who In all others are governed by the
portion o. society instead of being !
allowed TO govern them. Ii the same class were
by the government here where would
religion Of any kind be :
terrible and fearful retribution will, however,
fall on the monsters head or his Successors, as
sure as there Is O God in heaven, and Chrlst's
Holy Church viii eventually triumph over all its
Master, she never ceases TO pray. c. SMITH
BROOKLYN, september, 1873.
A Good Word for the Hebrews.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
'Semi-O Occasional" has done good service to the
cause Of religious freedom and the honor of our
country by exposing the bigotry and intolerance