New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-02
THE MOTEMENT IN IMERIC1N CA1HoL
ICISW.

ICISW.
TIE trial of Father C0rrigan, OF llobokcn, on
the charge of uttering false statements about
his diocesan. Bishop Wiggcr, of Newark, VIII
nrohably bring to a focus a bitter intclneclne
strife. which has been raging for some years
in the Roman Catholic Church IN this country
Ordinarily. it does not become an outsider to
comment on the internal policy OF religious
denomination. And this is especially true OF
the Roman Catholic Church, because that
Church. as rule, does not obtrude Its diiier-
onccs of opinion or diSsensions, If 1t has any,
on the general public. But the widespread
agitation in American Catholicism, OF which
tho Corrgan-W iggcr incident Is an outcrop-
Ming has become public question by the vol
untary action of Catholic prelatcs and priests,
who do not hesitate to discuss it, not only in
their own dcnominatonal journals, but III tho
secular press as well. And the points involved
in il are. therefore. a legitimate topic for dis
cuSSon
Though the movement has taken many forms,
and involves many subsidiary questions, 1t IS
essentially n contest between liberalism and
conservatism. In reality it is part OF the
great movement which is 50 profoundly Affect
inc all bodies Of Christians in the world to-day.
And tho fact is striking evidence of the
strength Of modern thought. 1t is not strange
that Professionalism should be continually read
iusting itself 10 its environment, for IL was
bnilt on the right Of priyate Judgment, and
! could not long 1.-Two if it opposed itself to the
religious consciousness OF the age. But that
the samo spirit. though in modified FORM
should manifest itself in a Church which *
popularity supposed to be unchangns, must
furnish food for thought to all who seriously
set themselves to study the signs OF the times.
4 survey Of the present situation shows thai
tho immediate cause Of the agitation is qucs-
ton Of race. For long time there has been
more or less friction between German Catholics
in this country and native American Catholics,
most Of whom are OF irish descent. The APP
pontmont Of German bishops and priests over
diocoses and parishes has been opposed. and
in some cases resented, by man. good Catholics,
on the ground that such bishops and priests
are ont Of sympathy with American Catholicism.
This feeling which 1T first was little more
than a race prejudice that might soon have
died out. was strengthened by the attempt OF
Herr CahcnIy. Catholic lalman Of Germany,
to persuade the Pope that the German Catholics
of the United States ought - he set of a
qua.i-organimtion by themselves, on the
ground that they were not properly taken care
of by the American Church. And it was still
further intensified by the alleged desire OF
many German bishops and priests 10 Ger
mamie" the Church in this country, by pre-
venting the children of German Catholics from
learning English. or identifying themselves
with American institutions. The violent con-
troversy which " Cahcnsl yism'' at once aroused
is already matter of history. and it is still
far from settlement though the POpos action
in regard to Herr Cahcnsly'S petition i claimed
BY his opponents As substantial victory for
them.
Another great question involved in the Ca
henSly controversy j. that Of parDchial schools.
Until recently the Catholic Church has con-
dcmned public schools as goddess, and even
vet il is tho duty Of all Catholic pastors 10
establish parochal schools when they can do
so. But the recent action of the Church i'll
regard TO Archbishop lleland'S compromise has
much weakened the force of that condcmna-
ton. On this point there is yet much dis
cusslon but what Is certain is that the Pope
did not condemn the ArchbiShop'S plan of al
lowing Catholic children 10 attend the public
schools in certain contingencies; and the reso-
lutions adopted ut the recent meeting of Arch
bishops in this city recognize the fact of such
attendance by providing for the special re-
ligious instruction of Catholic children in tho
public schools. In the mean while two parties
have clystalzcd on the question. On the one
side are the ultra conservatives, largely Ger
man Catholics who desire 10 keep all Catholic
children from attending the pubic schools be-
cause they believe that such an attendance
would tend - make them weak in the faith.
And on the other side are the So-calIcd liberals
or American CathclicS,' As they prefer to be
called, who believe that it is incxpcdcnt to
force all Catholic children 10 go to parochial
schools Many Of them, indeed. 90 further,
and in 50 many words acknowledge the Su-
poriority of the public schools over the average
parochal school. Not only for this reason are
they in favor OF sending Catholic children 10
public schools, but also because they believe
in training the children of the Church to be
patriotic American citizens, and in no way can
this be better donc than in the public schools.
At bottom this is the issue in the whole con-
troversy. The American party, headed by such
men as Cardinal Gibbons and Archbishop Ire
land. desire the Catholic Church in this coun-
try to be disincively American. And they
believe that it can thoroughly adjust itself to
American life and institutions without the least
compromise of its fundamental principles
----
There were cast for the Republican electoral
,cket i'm this city last November nS G6r ,otes or