The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-12
CATHOLICS HERE oPPosE TT.
The Scheme of National Bishops fol-
America.
From The Nel9 YORK. Sun, Nay 10.


From the Neig York sun, Nay TO-
Catholic committees Of Germany, Bel-
GUM. Austria, Switzerland and Italy have
asked Pope Leo XIII. to appoint bishops
for the United States Of the same natl on
allty as the Catholic immigrants who settle
In this country. The committees, as told in
q cablegram printed in the Sun yesterday,
urge as the reason for this that the Irish
bishops in the United States nominate only
Irish priests, who do not know the Ian
guages spoken by the immigrants Toe
result of this, the committees say, is that
Catholic immigrants lose their religious
faith. Statistics to prove these two points
are said to have been communicated 10 the
pope.
If the memorial of the committees is con-
CURED in by the church authorities at
Rome, the American hierarchy will prob
ably protest vigorously. 1t is denied by
American Catholics that the condition OF
affairs here is as represented by the COM
mitteeS.
DR.. John Culinary, the well-known Catho-
lie historian, who is perhaps better ac-
quainted with the condition of the Catholic
church in the United States than any other
American, will speak thus on the matter in
his paper, the Catholic NeloS, to-day:
"Fhe insulting way in which all who do
not come from Germany, Belgium. Austria,
Switzerland and Italy to this country are
treated as Irish, show S the aniTnus of this
whole thing. 1t treats this country as a
mere camping ground, ignores the existence
OF millions of native born American Catho-
lies, treats our hierarchy with insult and
contempt. and is an endeavor to ALLEVIATE
the rising generation in this country more
and more from the faith. Now, is this
talk about irish bishops we'll founded
THE Irish formed the first large Ibody of
Catholic immigrants; they built churches,
asylums schools. They never called them
Irish Catholic, but LETT them open to all
Catholics. They have never asked Rome
to protect or help them. Now, how tie
| hierarchy in this country has been consti
tuted can be easily seen. II has been of the
most cosmopolitan character. Baltimore
| in 100 years has had eight archbishop
five Americans, one French, one En-
glish, one Irish. Pennsylvania in eighty
one years has had ten Irish, one German,
two American, one Spanish bishop; New
| England has had seven American, two
French, five Irish; Ohio in seventy years
has bad six American, one French, ons
| Scotch, one Irish; Virginia has had two
| American, two Irish, one Hollander /;
| Georgia. two Irish, one italian, one Ameri-
can; Michigan in seventy years has had
| five German, one Belgian, one American
Wisconsin in about fifty years six bishops,
| been represented, and very naturally. in
America. There have been Irish, French,
| Spanish, Italian, Belgian, German, Dutch,
English and Scotch bishops.
THE charge that the Irish bishops pre-
ponderate is untrue. The charge that Irish
| priests are placed over congregations that
| do not speak English cannot be sustained.
On the contrary, it is easy to show Irish
| and American congregations with priests of
| mis- than HI
no German, Polish or italian congregation
would submit for twenty-four hours to an
| Irish priest.
1--WE can look on this movement abroad
as Que fraught with great danger to the
church of the United States. These self
| constituted committees will seek the sup
port of the ambassadors of their respective
countries in Rome, and of the cardinals rep
resenting their nationalities. Our liberties
in this country hang by a frail threads
| few words in the FIRST amendment of the
| constitution. Once get up the cry of for.
| eign interference in our affairs, and new
| amendment will easily pass, by which
| Catholicity in the United States would be
fettered and trammeled in thousand ways
| There are leading men ready and ANXIOUS
! to organize movement against us, and a
single false step at Rome would bring the
| avalanche down upon the church."
| IF the Roman authorities follow the SIg-
| geStion of these meddlesome committees, y
said priest conspicuous in the New York
archdiocese, 1.-THE American bishops will rise
| as one man in protest. There is no need for
| the appointment OF national bishops, in the
| first place. Catholic Immigrants are we'll
cared for spiritually in this country. Take
! New York as an example. There are
churches for the members of every nation
atty In any considers able number here
German, French, Italian, Polish, Bohemian
and even Syrian. The appointment Of
national bishops would create dlvis-
| ions among the Catholic peo-
| pie We Catholics are as anxious
as the members of any other religious
denomination that foreigners of our faith
| should become Americans when they make
this country their home. We don't want
them to retain their old-l land sentiments en-
tirely, but to love their adopted country.
If this national bishop business Is carried
out, foreign settlers in the United States
! will remain as un-Amsrican as the day they
left their native land. The authorities In
| Rome do not seem TO realize these things.
1t is surprising how ignorant of American
| affairs the ecclesiastics in he Eternal City
are. They do not know what we Ameri.
cans want, but if they attemp5 to force
these national bishops on us they will very
soon find out how we feel in regard to the
matter"
PTT,I,MAN CAR TAXE3