The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-31
THE LUGERNE PETITION.
An ArChhishOp'S Criticism Of a Recent
Memorial to The Pope.

ST. PAUL, May 3o.-The recent memorial
Of the Catholic emigration societies 10 the
Pope requesting the following of national
lines in work among immigrants in America
has attracted great attention. A Pioneer
Press reporter to-day called upon the Arch
bishop and asked for a statement regarding
the matter After indorsing the truth Of
the Associated Press dispatches from Rome
the Archbishop said: $50 far as Mr..
Cahensler. the bearer of the Lucerne petit
ton and DEGREES to the Vatican,
and his friends and co-laborers are
concerned. they have well-de6ned
object in view and they mean
to work for it with might and main.
1t is to harness the church in America into
the service of recently arrived immigrants
from Germany, other Catholic interests in
the country being apparently looked upon
as quite secondary. Their demands are
based on the suppOsitiUn that the bishops
and priests Of America are Irish and ne
glect the Germans.
I've have to note here the actual or
assumed Ignorance Of CahenSler as to the
condition Of the German-Speaking Catholics
in America. In asserting that they are
neglected he does the most positive injus-
tice to the bishops of the country,
whose constant efforts have been and
are to provide for all Catholics
of foreign tongues priests of their own
nationality. There is singular malice, too,
In his attempt to represent the Catholic
Church in America as Irish. AS matter
OF fact, the bishops born in Ireland are few
in the American hierarchy, and those few
have spent nearly all their lives in America
and are thoroughly identified with the
country and its institutions. Bishops of
America are in heart and soul Americans.
They have no more idea of making the
church Irish than they have of allowing 1t
to be made German. The mass OF our Cath
Olics to-day were born in America, and
whether their fathers were Irish or German
they are Americans and they resent with
Indignation any effort TO class them into
Irish or German or foreigners of any stripe.
What is a most strange feature in this
whole LuceTne movement is the impudence
of the men in undertaking to meddle, u nder
any pTeteXt, in the Catholic affairs OF
America.
This is simply unpardonable, and all
American Catholics will treasure up the af-
front for future action. We acknowledge
the Pope of Rome as our chIeftain In spiritual
matters, and we are glad 60 receive direction
from BIN. But men IN Germany or SwltZer-
land or ireland must mind their own busi-
ness, and be still as TO ours. Nor is this the
most irritating tact in the movement. The
inspiration 0f the work in Europe comes, the
dispatches tell US, from a clique in America.
Even if the dispatches had been silent on
this matter, we would have known that this
is the truth. For the last five or six years
there has been a determined effort
on the part of certain foreign-born
Catholics in America, priests and lay
men, to obtain control of Catholic mat
ters in America. The Poles in the West,
French Canadians in the East Germans in
the East and West have been at work in
this direction. The Germans sent ia 1886
nan efps1 n f-aT-
man legislation. They have since formed
societies, notably the Drutsch-Amerikan-
ischer Priester Verein, for this same pur-
pose.
81 am quite sure I am right when l bring
home to this Yeren the whole prompting of
the Lueerne proceedings. This foreign
movement IN America is, ii mlst be well
understood. confined TO a comparatively
small number. The great mass of German
speaking Catholics, laymen and priests, are
totally opposed to all plans and intrigues TO
retain foreign sscendency, and are most
heartily 10 sympathy with everything that
is American.
I'VE have Catholics from all countries Of
Europe, yet they all work together with
signal unanimitT and are all united in
patriotism as Americans as they are in faith
as Catholics. The promoters of German
fOreignism in America are certain Journal
lists, whose trade is gone if the German Ian
guage loses its hold, and certain priests, who,
coming 10 America in advanced years, never
learn much English and scarcely know that
there is IN America country outside the
German village or quarter surrounding their
parsonage. OF course, where these men are
allowed to work they have a following who,
misguided and misled, clamOr against fan
cied iDferiUrty and fancied persecution.
There is not the slightest possibility that
any result will come from this Lucerne
conference, except it be this result-t0 lead
to the utter extinction of all foreign anmus
among US. The bishops of America are
fully able TO ward Oft all foreign invasion
aud 10 maintain the church on thorough
American lines"
After speaking Of foreign domination in
civil affairs as an excuse for this petition,
the Archbishop concluded: When we are
more American in civil and political mat
ters there will be fewer petitions from
vereins in America and conferences Ia Lu-
cerne for the foreigniZing the Catholics Of
America"