The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-28
AN AMERICAN CHURCH.

AN AMERICAN CHURCH.
The latest intelligence that the Vati-
can Is determined to set its face immovably
against the Cahensly agitation. and to in
sist that European Catholic immigrants in
the United States must coalesce as one
people and form one nation is another
proof that Leo the Thirteenth is Justly
described as the greatest pope Of several
centuries. The evangelists of Cahenslyism
desire to have the Roman Catholics
separated on race lines and under bishops
of the several nationalities, and have left
no stone unturned to prejudice the pope
against the Americanization Of the Catho-
lie church under the leadership of Cardi-
nal Gibbons. The German hierarchy and
the Jesuits have been the soul and
body of this Cahensly movement.
The movement has clearly failed, for
the Pope is plainly in touch with Cardinal
Gibbons, and his progressive supporters,
Bishops Ireland, Keane. Spaiding and
Williams. The pope, by his limited toll
Grafton of the Faribault plan of union
between the public and the parochial
schools shows himself statesman capable
of growth, for he has sustained Cardinal
Gibbons and Bishop Ireland in their de-
parture from European Catholicism to the
progressive American type. The complete
ness Of Bishop Ireland's success is set
forth in the following extract from his
letter to Minneapolis priest.
The socailed Faribault plan is now formally
allowed in spite Of Germans and Jesuits. The
decision Is "tolerari potest," which means can
onically "is fully allowed" A letter addressed
to me in the name Of tho propaganda brings out
the full practical meaning of the words. The
plan is. OF course, a departure from the ideal
and in case OF q departure the canonical
language 10 "toerari potest." But they imply
for practice full approval
The action of the Holy See clearly
leaves Catholics free to extend this Fari-
bault experiment to other parts of the
country. Catholics are no longer obliged
to choose between sending their children
to the public schools in disregard of the
commands of the church and patronizing
the parochial schools, which now make
Catholics pay twice over for the education
of their children.
Bishop Ireland, like Cardinal Gibbons,
Bishops Keane and Williams, is distin-
guished for his ardent Americanism. He
was chaplain of the Fifth Minnesota regi-
ment during the civil war, and he has been
q conspicuous advocate of high license
and municipal reform in the Northwest.
This ardent Americanlsm of Bishop Ire
la faH M 10 70 ,fa h
lish separate hierarchy for the various
nationalities represented in the Catholic
church in this country, and in the same
patriotic spirit he seeks to unite his paro-
chiat schools with the public schools.
Of course Protestant bigots like Rev.
DIR. Fulton, who predict Catholic war,
and Catholic conservatives, like Arch
bishop Corrigan, will denounce and de-
preciate Bishop Ireland's policy, but the
pope is with the progressive party of the
church of Rome in America, and the in.
fiuence of the American public school for
greatly increased.
The same wisdom which prompted the
pope to write his recent letter to the
French bishops enjoining upon them
hearty acquiescence in the republic is
manifest in his liberation Of Bishop Ire
lands new departure, and his extinction
of the Cahensly movement. The inferi-
orlty of parochial schools, whose religious
and secular instruction are SO constantly
blended as TO defeat each other, is con-
fessed by all candid intelligent Catholic
critics. The Roman Catholic council of
Baltimore confessed the inferiority of the
parochial schools when it decreed:
Ii Catholic schools have nos all the grades
subject to advanced scholars, and II parents Sc
cure the religious training OF the children at
home, Catholic children may go TO the public
schools, and neither priest nor bishop is allowed
to refuse them or their parents admission to the
sacrsments, or even to use threats agains: such
parents or children.