, 1885-05-01
Mlsslo N CHINA.
What the Catholics Are Doing in the
fIoMery IsIngdom.

fiowcry kingdom.
Hong Kong Cor. G.oba-Democratl
at has been said that the Chinese are
hostile 10 the Catholics because they
teach their converts that the pope is the
temporal as well as their spiritual SOW
ereign, which is equivalent 10 an i'm
perium in imperio."
1T is so alleged, bnt it is not true.
The idea OF the pope pleases the Chinese
converts, because they see in him unity,
and they are quite pleased to hear that
they have to place their dependence on
one great central head Of the church.
We never speak TO the natives about tho
temporal power. Our head is simply
the head Of the church ! don't really
think there are more than three or four
persons among the Chinese who know
that the pope has been deprived of his
temporal power. A few native priests
may know il not many
IT is also alleged that the priests in
terfere between the magistrates and the
people and interrupt the administration
of justice"
This, also, is not true. This was one
OF the accusations made against us in
that famous memorandum which Mr..
Low 50 ably refuted lie says IT is an
unnatural father who would not try TO
defend his own children. 1t is so in
Il relations with the Chinese. Their
mandarins treat them very cruelty.
There is>soustan; %exicrticn and squeez-
! ing. The missionaries cannot bear to
sec IT and speak in their favor. This is
only natural. There was a similar state
of things when the barbarians overran
Europe in the fifth and sixth cent
urics There were now laws, and the
people applied to the churchmen TO de-
fend thcm-that is, to state their cases,
and see that they arc not wrongcd.
The Chinese are to be defended against
the attacks Of the mandarins. Not only
do the Christians ask this, but the
pagan Chinese often ask the same thing
The people say, Why go to the mandar-
ins about this little difficulty, let us
ask the advice Of the missionary. I
need hardly tell you that Justice, SO
called, is most horribly administered in
China, and Il relation 10 the oppressed
Chinaman is nothing more than that OF
witness. or Of a lawyer giving legal adj
vice when they arc in trouble
more in the former capacity than tho
latter. We can not refuse a subp ma,
and when we give advice II is oftencr
such rs a village elder would give in
some rural districts in Europe. lie gives
gratuitous advice in the interest Of har-
mony, which those who appeal to him
refuse or accept at their pleasure. The
Catholic church in China wishes only
peace and Quietness, and all We do is in
their interest. II the people ask who
Is TO be observed, weinvariably tell them
their mandarins. We never try to hide
them from justice or to shelter them
from any Just penalty, and, although in
two or three cases some Catholics may
have put up a lantern over their doors,
which is the sign Of a mandarin, we
have never approved Of such action
In what way do your priests in China
try to adapt themselves to the ways and
habits of the Chinese
The missionariesdres as the Chinese
do. They eat rice, squaton the ground,
use chop-sticks, and. in all ways not
superstitious or immoral, follow the
customs OF those about them. OF the
h%ardships they undergo | may be per-
mittel to say sometring. In the inte-
rior Of China they live on rice, fish,
eggs, and a little PORK. Beef is not to
be had, nor European wine. They
do remarkable things with the
very little money at their disposal.
They spend very nitle Of it on them
seA cs. | do not know Of any European
missionary in China who spends more
than $40 n month on his food and cloth
ing. All the rest is employed to build
churches. schools. orphanages, and to
create other necessary means for carry
ing ON his work. Bishop Calcross, who
died in Fohkien four years ago, cele-
brated his golden episcopal jubilee. He
had been fifty years in China and never
once left his mission. We have several
missionaries now who have been in the
interior of China over thirty years
What do you teach in your schools
I'VE endeavor to make the instruc-
ton we give AS practical as possible. OF
course, the missionaries first master the
Chinese language. We touch the
Chinese classics, because without a
knowledge Of them our pupils cannot
get employment in China. Then we
teach geography and arithmetic, having
Chinese books for that purpose. We
also teach algebra, geometry, astronomy,
AMI physics in the higher schools in the
cities, having works N Chinese on most
OF these subjects Theology we teach,
of course. to advance pupils.
'Aro there Catholic monasteries and
converts in Chinat'
There are a few monasteries, main
tanned by some of the religious orders,
b.t We make no n~cyiccs. In making
changes all Of a particular order would
have 10 go together, which would some
times prove inconyenient for our work. y
do your converts remain true to tee
faiihF
hey have not the moral stamina OF
western nations, but We have every
reason 10 be satisfied with She results Of
our labors.H