Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-02-27
TOPIC IN CATHOLIC CIRCLES,
The Financial embarrassment of Arch,
bishop Purcell.

SihVihhhtl hhqulFefi zoth.l
The financial embarrassment of
Archbishop Purcell is /the topic of
topics in Catholic circles, and it will
continue to be such for some time to
come. An Enquirer reporter had
talk with Father Quinn about it last
night in his room in the archepiscopal
residence. The good father, though
of course detected, is not utterly cast
down, and in speaking of the probasil-
ity Of the debt being paid, said
"They little know the resources of
the Catholic church who think that
the obligations of the archbishop will
not ultimately be paid in full. AS
sistance will be given us by the entire
Catholic world, and | am satisfied
that not one of the depositors will be
wronged out Of a dollar" Father
Quinn is one of the trustees to whom
the archbishop has assigned certain
properties, and he says that large
sum of money will be realized from
claims the archbishop holds against
financially responsible persons and
firms whose paper the trustees hold.
The feeling among the German
Catholics is very bitter, and is fully
shared by the German priests, who are
not slow in giving expression to their
opinions. As a rule they are kindly
disposed toward the archbishop him
self, but blame those severely who
they claim got him into trouble Yes
terday Volksblatt reporters inter
viewed number of them. From a
proof-slip We translate a portion of the
interview in that paper with Very
Rev. Otto Jair, German vicar general
of the diocese. 1t fairly exhibits the
spirit of the German Catholic clergy
After detailing the hardships entailed
on many of his flock by the loss of
their savings, in answer to the ques-
tiOn whether or not any collections
had been made in his congregation for
the archbishop, Father Otto replied +:
'No! We have offered to have a col
lection taken in our congregation un-
der the following conditions: The
money which We raise is to be dis
tributed pro rata among the most
needy creditors of the archbishop in
our own congregation, but is to be
placed in their books to the credit of
the archbishop. On this condition we
are willing to collect, but simply to
raise money and TO throw it into the
general mass would be like trying to
bail out the river with bucket. This
offer we have made to the trustees,
but they have not as yet agreed to our
proposition
what do you think Of the proposed
lottery plan 2"
"That is about the best idea that
has been advanced, provided it can be
carried out, as the other schemes
such as the Ten-c cent Society and the
fairs-do not amount to much, as pro-
portionally but little money could be
raised that way A
" Do you believe that the charch
property can be held liable for the
debts of the archbishop"
No. The archbishop holds the
church property only as trustee, and il
can only be touched for church debts
but the German churches have re-
ceived hardly any money from the
archbishop We have raised the
money to build our churches (St.
Francis and St. John's) by the sweat
of our brows. | have not received O
cent toward the erection of these
churches from the archbishop, noi
have | asked for any. The churches
as you, l suppose know, were moi
erected by the wealthy, but by the
contributions of small property-owner,
and of the laboring classes. 1t would
bring about revolution if it was pro
posed to sell these churches for the
payment of these debts, but the coun
ell of Baltimore has declared that the
archbishop should possess church pro
perty only in trust. All church pro
perty in this city, with the exception
of that held by the Passionists anC
Jesuits, is in the archbishops name
, but it is merely held in trust by him