The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-05-02
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SECRET
SOCIETIES

There has recently been established IN
various sections of this country branches of
secret society called the Knights Of Labor.
1t is represented to be for the promotion
of the individual interests of its members
by securing better wages, constant employ
ment, assistance for themselves and their
families. and combination of social as
well as pecuniary advantages. But no
matter how beneficent the institution may
be, its secrecy places it under the irrevo-
cable ban of the Catholic church, and its
members are forbidden to avail themselves
of its privileges, whatever they are. A
branch of the Knights of Labor was re-
Gently established in Milwaukee, and the
Catholic organ published there, the Colun'-
6ia, sounds the alarm and lays down the
law TO its readers as follows:
The local daily papers few days ago
announced the establishment of new or
der known as 'sThe Knights of Labor, or
ganized ostensibly for the lettering of the
condition of the laborers, etc. We would
warn the Catholic laborers from entering
this organization. There is every reason
to believe that it is one of those secret or
ders to which all entrance is forbidden by
the church, under penalty of excommunl-
cation: Without desiring to anticipate any
decision on the part of the Archbishop
here, and we would call attention to the
fact that the Very Reverend Bishop OF
Erie, Pa, in his annual address for 1882,
warns all believers expressly against the
above mentioned organization. He has
decided that Catholics who join it cannot
- 70 Hair ,.o1i0 hH1fia
would here, moreover, earnestly recon-
mend our readers not to join any worldly
aid association without first consulting
their confessor. Of what use are material
advantages to men if they must be depriv-
ed on their account of all graces and bless
ings conferred by the churcha The soul
will suffer great loss Besides this, it Is
known that the Catholic Mutual Aid Asso-
Citations are many in number, and will con-
fer degree of material aid upon their
members which is not to be despised.
The Catholic church has throughout been
opposed to the existence of secret societies,
even like the Masons and Odd Fellows,
that are purely charitable and social in
their objects. The church has taken this
ground from the beginning and has been
consistent in its attitude. The man who
questions the benefits and advantages that
the Catholic church offers to good govern
ment is an extremely bigoted or ignorant
one Throughout it has been constant
support to the authorities and has been al
ways of value in maintaining law and or
der. Time and again has the humble
priest, strong in his holy purpose and brave
in his churchly strength, stood up before
drunken rioters and driven them back to
peace and quiet. As an element of gov
eminent the Catholic church has from the
beginning been most important branch,
and is value cannot be overestimated.
Bigots and fanatics have attacked and as
sailed it. but it still stands strong and firm
and can always be depended upon to keep
in quietness a class of citizens that are
right in their hearts but sometimes wrong
in their heads
So in this opposition to secret societies
we can rest well assured that whatever at
titude the Catholic church has taken, is
from the first motives, and although it may
at times seem wrong, its believers have so
often found in the end the church is right
that they still all put their trust in it.