New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-02
ur,uin;sterial Warfare.

The Romish clergy of St. Louis are en-
oaoed in a most unministerial warfare.
For some time an Indebtedness OF $780, 900
has been hanging over the congregation OF
St. Alphonsus Church of that city. The
people were not wealthy, and the priests
set about to discover some plan by which
the debt could be Cancelled without oppress-
ing the laymen. Well knowing the super
stitious estimation in which masses for the
future safety of their souls were held by
their ignorant followers, they decided to
reduce this commodity to present money
value and sell it for any sum it might bring.
The city was divided into districts. over
300 collectors were appointed to solicit and
gather in Cards were printed for the use
Of the collectors, bearing the promise t tnas
200 masses should be said for each person
contributing 81 or more for the liquidation
of the church debt.
These promises were signed Dy father
Meredith. the priest Of St. Alphonsus, and
the offer was published in the st. Louis
papers. Thus far all went swimmingly.
But operations were hardly commenced
when Father Henry, pastor of St. Lawrence
O'Toole's church, published a protest in the
Globe, denouncing the scheme, and warning
the people not to contribute. The commit
tee having the collection in charge followed,
and branded Father Henry as a willtul and
malicious falsifier. Father Phelan, editor
of the Vatchmanl (ROmish), also wrote an
article depuuciatOry of Father Henry. Now
the latter has demanded an apology from
Father Phelan, and has instituted SUIT
against the committee for libel, laying his
damages at 600.
sorting that the action of Father Meredith
was in direct violation of the rules passed
by the Second Plenary Council recently
held in Baltimore. This council, in the
plainest terms, forbid the solicitation OF
aims for the saying of masses, and more
especially the publication OF the fact IN the
newspapers. 1t is plain that Father Henry
must have been actuated by some more
worldly consideration than loyalty to the
fiat of the council. 1t is probable that the
collection of money in his parish with
out his consent was bitter pill to him:
1t is evident that neither the council
nor Father Henry cared so much for
the traffic in masses as for the pub
LEGATION OF the same, 80 that PrOtes.
ants could use the fact against them.
If it is crime to sell masses at
all it is as much q crime to sell
them at the fixed price customary in the
church as to barter them for aims for the
purpose of paying a debt on a church
edifce. And were this sin, it is no more
crimson in it's cast than the lottery schemes
nv which Father Henry's church sweeps
money into it's Golfers at "charity fairs az
the Gambler does in his Darkroom den
This sale of assurances of the future happi
ness of human souls in accordance with the
whole anip,us of the Roman Church, and
Father Henry is no true Roman Catholic
when he cries out against it. With the al
vine power vested in priests, added to the
arrogant presumption OF most OF tnom, ni
establishment would be created enouie
Father Meredith secure the iquidation o.
| the debt of St. Alphonsus, even 0y se1ilnl
select places in the New Jerusalem.-C'ese
| land Leader.