Echo de l'ouest. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1883-1929, 1889-12-12
LIE CONGRESS CATH0LIQUE

LIE CONGRESS CATH0L1QUE.
Nous avons recu de NJ. VIM. +.
Markoe, del6gue pour Minneapolis
au Congress Catholique de Baltl-
more, Ia lettre suivante:
To the Editor Of E DE L'OUEsT.
Though for two years a resident
of 'la Belle France" my pen is too
rusty to justify an attempt to ex-
press myself ir your beautiful
language. Moreover, as I desire to
take some exceptions to your views
on "nationallty and catholicism"
you, from your own standpoint,
can hardly object if l have recour
80 to my native tongue.
As a delegate pour Minneapolis
to the Catholic Congress, l beg to
express the opinion through the
columns of your excellent journal
that you have misunderstood the
meaning and intent Of the resolu-
ton referring to national socie
ties" which you translate as fol
lows: "Que le congress republic les
societies nationales CONNIE incom-
patibles avec l'esprit do rEglise ca
tholique." The original words, I
think, were these: National So
cieties, as such, have no place in
this country. We commend the
Society of st Vincent de Paul, etc"
Accepting your Interpretation how
ever, it appears to me that in their
strict sense, there must be a cer-
tain antagonism between the words
national and catholic. One is uni
versaI, the other particular. What
is national falls short Of being ca
tholic, and the mission of the ca
tholic church was to ''teach all
nations" In her anxiety to be call
things to all men, she readily ad
dresses the nations in their dlffe-
rent languages, though her OWL
official language is the Latin ton
que. While the French language
has doubtless proved a powerful
aid to the preservation of cathol
icism among the French IN the
New World, yet I fear that the
man who was q catholic simply
because he was a Frenchman would
have no supernatural motive for
his faith and could hardly be more
than a nominal catholic. Certain
ly if nationality were a sufficient
motive for being a catholic we could
never look for conversions among
Scandinsvians, EDgllshmen or
Americans for the national motive
would be entirely lacking.
If national societies" are for the
pn1pose of cherishlng patriotism
which Is a Cathlllc virtue, in Ame-
rice let it be American patriotism,
what is patriotism In one country,
may be treason in another. The
American citizen who reveres Fran
CO as his mother, must love Ameri-
ca as his spouse. The meaning of
the resolution is best interpreted,
I think, by the following words of
our Most Revd. Archbiship in his
magnificent centennial sermon.
The church of America must be,
of course, as catholic as ever in
Jerusalem or Rome; but 80 far as
her garments assume color from
the local atmosphere she must be
American. Let no one dare paint
her brow with foreign tints or pin
to her mantle foreign Innings,
there is danger; we receive large
accessions Of Catholics from for.
eign countries. God witness it
they are welcome. I will not in
trude on their personal affections
and tastes; but those, if foreign,
they shall not incrust upon the
church. Americans have nc long
ing for a church with foreign as
pect; 1t would yield no influence
over them. In no manner could
it prosper; exotics have never lent
sickly FORMS"
VIM. F. MARKoE.