Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-14
CATHOLIC KNIGHTS OF LABoR,
The BOly Sec ana the Order.
IBy telegraph to the DispAtch.l

The Boiy Sec and she Order.
lBy telegraph to the Dispatch.l
QUEBEC, August l3.-Rome has
finally spoken upon the question Of the
Knights of Labor. The society is UNI
,quivocally condemned by the Holy
See, and the bishops Of the church are
enjoined to proceed against oil secret
societies under the Pspal ban. Car.
dinal Taschereau has just communicated
this decision to the public here in the
shape Of letter addressed to his bish.
ops.
The following is q translation Of Car
dinal Tascherau's letter to the bishops
on the subject of the Knights of Labor:
Your Lordship, -On the 18th Of
May last represented to his Eminence
the Cardinal Project of the Sacred Con-
gregation of the Propaganda the diver
gencies of opinion expressed by the
newspapers Of Canada and the United
States on the subject of the Society Of
Knights of Labor, condemned in Sep
tember, 1884. AS it was pre-
tended that the effect Of this
sentence stood suspended by an appeal
affirmed to have been carried before the
Holy See after notifications had been
made in the constitution Of this Society,
begged his Eminence to make known
with certainty the position OF the
Church in regard to it. A letter from
his Eminence Cardinal Simeoni dated
July 18th informs me that on the 9th
Of June last the Sacred Office, after
rtexamination of the question, MAIN
tanned its judgment Of 1884 alb
solutely in the same terms which
are reproduced in his letter, as fol-
lows: Considering the principles
of the organization and rules of the
society of Knights Of Labor as they
are set forth, this society must be
classed among those which have been
condemned according to the instruc-
tons of this Supreme Congregation on
the 10th of May, 1884. That the
bishops be epjoiped to proceed IS well
against this society as against others OF
the same kind, and to employ the rem
edies ordered and advised in said in
structions."
Your lordship will recall that in my
consultation of the 5th Of October,
1853, made no representation of my
own upon the principles Of the organi.
cation and rules Of the Society, but |
purely and simply transmitted to the
holy See an authentic printed copy OF
its constitution with the prayer to ex-
anime it all the more carefully, because
this Society seemed to embrace all
branches Of work and workers, the
which, moreover, its name clear
ly indicated. The pretended appeal
10 the Holy See has been long invoked
10 create the belief that, pending the
final decision, persons could continue
to enroll themselves or to remain in
the Society: provided always that they
we're sincerely disposed to obey the
final sentence upon the appeal. II that
appeal had been really made, it is i'm
possible that the Sacred Office should
not have beenapprised it, because this
matter belongs to that exclusive resort.
Consequently, the decision OF the 9th
of June, communicated to me by his
Eminence Cardinal Simeoni, is in reply
to it. The original sentence has been
confirmed in its form and tenor.
Whereas, in this last decision, as in
the first, the Holy Office recommends
the bishops to proceed against this So.
ciety in the manner prescribed 10 its
instructions Of the 10Th Of May, 1884,
| cannot see that there can any longer
be any doubt as to the rule to be fol-
lowed by Catholics Of the whole world
over whom the jurisdiction OF that S.
cred Congregation extends.
Having discharged my duty in con-
veying to your lOrdship this decision Of
the Holy See, | beg you to accept the
assurance OF my devotion.
ISignedl
Z. 4. Cardinal TAsCHEREAU,