The New York herald., 1879-03-05
BISHOP MNEIRNEY, OF ALBANY, NOT PREPARED
TO GIVE AN OPINION.

BISHOP NE1RNEY, OF ALBANY, NOT PREPARED
TO GIVE AN OPINION.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
ALBANY, N. Y. March 4. 1879.
called at the residence of Bishop McNeirney this
afternoon for the purpose Of asccraining his views
on tho proposition TO have general collec-
ton throughout the United States for tho
benefit of Archbishop Purcell. The Bishop
was at home. but could not be communicated
Father Collins. to conduct the interview. 1
sent to the apartments Of the Bishop through
themselves relative 70 Archbishep Purcas position
Rev. Father Collins returned in a few minutes and
stated that Bishop McNcirney did not feel ut liberty
Neither was his representative willing to give any
evidence OF tho faith that IN him relative tho
Archbishop's trouble.
WHAT A CATHOLIC PUBLIsHEB THINKS OF THE
CHANCES or CARDINAL McLosKEY UNDER
TAKING 10 PAY OFF ARCHBISHOP pURCEIL's
DEBIs-RIsHoP LOUGHLIN REFUSES TO SPEAK
ON THE SUBJECT.
The suggestion contained in yesterdays HERALD
that the Catholics of the entire country should
q subscription for wiping of tho great debt
tracted by Archbishop Purcell provoked u good
deal Of comment In tho city yesterday.
Cardinal McCloskey could not be seen. but
men high in the confidence of His Emnence
that he was by no inclined 90 regard it in
favorable light The refusal of Chancellor Preston
to sec the reporter and to impart any information on
the subject tended to confrm this impression. Said
q prominent Catholic publisher. who claimed to
know the Cardinals views on tho subjcct:-'.Thcre
aro several why tho Cardinal will not DO dis
posed to take tho initiative In such movement In
tho hrst place thero is hardly church without debt
and the people have all they do now to support
their own churches. There Is not. in Fact a single
parochial church in New York which is not in debt
Then It would bc q very bad precedent to estab.
lies Of the country every bad hnancicr Of priest
would feel in the future he could plunge his diocese
into heavy indebtedness. for he would have this pre-
to help him out. The popular sentiment among
Catholics is opposed To any view which does
not hold mon responsible for their own acts.
became indebted to tho cxtcnt of &25U.0OO, and an
effort made TO enlist the aid OF the entire do-
cCae in paying IL of. Bishop Corrgan sanctioned
the movement but It was general felt that II was
dangerous precedent to set. and In y good many
churches collections we're taken up under protest.
Several Western dioceses became financially embar-
rassod and appealed to New York for aid
and II was rotuscd on tho ground that each
diocese should look out for its own none
tAry welfare. There are still other reasons
why the Cardinal would not feel inclined 10 make
such appeal. 1t took him all the influence which
he could exercise all the churches OF his diocese
enlist their aid In the recent fair for paying oil
debt ON his cathedral, and. after six months OF the
most arduous preparation and the hardest work,
only s25O0D was raised. Now, is 1t likely that
under these circumstances he would now undertake
~ raise &6.0O0.0O0Y"
EIGHT MILLIONS or CATHOLICS
"How many Catholics there In tins countryY'
There are no absolutely trustworthy figures. but
the most careful estimate " about cight mlons."
'Then. q contribution or sovcnty-avo cents per
head would wipe of the whole debtY'
''Ycs; but remember that OF these 100000 there
.lxall hx...
which would make their individual tar s3. Rernem.
ber also that nne-tcnths of the Catholics belong
to the poorer classes and. cven az II Is. they
church contributions"