The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-04-26
0hf SntflLiafttfer.
once ! Nos. 20 and ~ Fourteenth Street.
SENSATIONAL EVENT.
\ Prominent Catholic Father Sewers His
Connection with the Church.

A Prominent Catholic Father Sewers HI
Connection with the Church.
NEW YORK, April 24.-Yery Rev. FL
ther Leon Bouland, who signs himsel
Honorary Private Chamberlain of Hi
Holiness Leo MIL, Honorary Canon o
the Metropolitan Church Of Rheims, Com
mander Of the Order of the Holy sepul
chre, Member of the academic de-
Arcades," and President General Of the
Society OF the "AVocats de st. Pierre,
North America, etc, ETC., has found the
Catholic Church too narrow, and has
written the followingletter to the Pope,
which the CnurciLmGH, an organ OF the
Episcopal Church, will publish to-mor-
row:
New YORK, April II, 1883.
"MosT Holy FATHER-I have the
honor to inform Your Holiness that
from to-day (my canonical standing be-
ing perfectly regular and unquestion-
ed / deliberately, though sorrowfully,
separate myself from the Roman Church,
for following reasons:
First, Doctrinally, it is no longer
possible for me to believe the teaching
OF the syllabus and the dogmas proclaim
ed at the last Vatican Council.
Second. Politically, l can no longer
admit the pretensions OF untramontan-
ism, claiming, rs 1t does, absolute au-
thority, not only in matters religious,
butalso in matters scientific, philosophi-
cal, social and political. Such preten-
sious history proves to be destructive OF
religion and public liberty.
"The Roman hierarchy constitutes in
the United States IA country OF which l
am proud to DO citizen) a danger ever
on the increase. This l have repeatedly
mentioned to Your Holiness in private
audiences with which l have from time
to time been honored. In separating
from the Church OF Rome, as did Saints
Cyprian and Augustine, | do not sever
myself from the Catholic Church, which
they called the rddtr et niGtrir OF Rome
herself. Happily, among the Latin
churches there are those, like the Angli.
can Church, the Church OF Utrecht and
that Of the Old Catholics, in which Nj
Gene constitutions are still respected.
In this great Republic also | find u
church truly apostolic and Nicene,
wholly Independent Of the State, and
which understands how to reconcile in
due proportion the rights that liberty
confers with the duties whichit imposes.
In that churCh-to which / now declare
my adherence-faith does not shut out
reason or science, which, together with
true religion, make intelligent Christians
and enlightened citizens.
SIN my native France, rs Your Holt
ness well knows, there arc Latin Chris.
tians who still represent the position OF
the Gallician Church in 1852; and l may
see it to be my duty to identify myself
with those who have not deserted the
ancient Gallician standpoint of st. Louis
and Bossuet. In that fair land Of re-
publican government, which alone can
satisfy the legitimate aspirations OF the
people in our day, it will never be firmly
established, nor will the necessary re-
forms in the church be secured until
the clergy burst their ultramontane and
monarchical bonds and unite frankly
with the people in abolishing the con-
cortat and organizing a church truly
National and Nicene, like that in the
United states OF America, independent
alike OF the State and Of Rome.
"Nly decision to withdraw from the
Roman Church is not thought OF re-
cent origin. 1t is the mature result OF
convictions forced uyen me during my
travels in both hemispheres and OF my
study for ten years of the chief religious
and social questions which agitate our
time-questions to which the Christian
fathers furnish solutions wholly at vari-
ance with the syllabus, and the policy
OF the ultramontane court. Should your
Holiness wish me to explain my views
more fully / shall be happy to receive
instructions to that effect.
"Condescend, most Holy Father, to
accept new assurance OF my profound
respect"
Father Bouland is Frenchman by
birth and was educated by the Arch
bishop OF Algiers. He came to this
country in 1876 and established French
Catholic churches in Rhode Island and
Boston. In 1886 he was appointed Cen
eral Director OF the organization in North
America for the collection OF Peters
Pence. Archbishop Corrigan says Faith
err Bouland's name has not appeared fol
five wears in the official list OF the clergy
in the United States. Previous to that
time it did appear in that publication.