The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-06

The Roman Catholic congress. whose
week of session opened at Chicago on
Monday last, Is a body whose deliberations
viii be watched with deep interest by in
telligent and tolerant Americans of all
Christian denominations. The Roman
Catholic church in America comes into
close contact with between s.0o0.0e0 and
p.000.ooo of communicates, the vast ma
iority of whom are workingmen of for
eign antecedents. Upon the Roman
Catholic church. therefore, largely depends
the repubiieanizing of very importan,
part of our population. and for this reason
II is matter for sincere congratulasion
that In both Europe and America the In
fluence OF tho Catholic church 10 cast ON
the side of republican institutions.
The American republic. which is founded
upon the dental 10 the state to make any
law respecting religion. is enthusiastically
recognized by the Catholic church as the
protector OF civil aud religious liberty, and
Pope Leo has not hesitated 10 urge all the
faithful children of tho church to frater-
niEe in common loyalty to the French
republic. The effect of Pope Leo's es-
pousai of the oanse of repahlicanism in
France was shown in the recent French
elections, where the republican gains have
been most significant in the old royalist
strengholds.
In America the Roman Catholic church
has grown rapidly in the presen, century.
At the head OF its clergy today is Mgr.
Satolii. the new apostolic delegate. Then
comes Cardinal Gibbons of baltimore. the
single cardinal, The arehhiShops number
IL: the bishops, n: the priests. ass; the
seminarians, 2.51a, the churches, s.4si (;
the ehapels and stations. s.a2l;
the seminaries. IS: the colleges, III:
the academies, Ga; tho parocia schools,
SSsS: the pupils in the paro-
ohial schools, 7sl, SSa the charitable inssi-
tutions. oa7. and the total Roman Catholic
population - reported a. s6s2, SCI. These
statistics show marvellous growth in the
United States. Ter only filIy wears ago ~
Roman Catholics were one OF the feebleSt
eoInmanioas ia the uniou New they ara
nearly double in number the strong at
Protestant denomination. the Methodisis
The government and the people OF the
United States have been true 20 their doc
Urine OF universal liberation and separa
ton OF church and state, and have treated
the Catholics With hospitality and gen
eroslty thAI has not been known in this
century in the old World, aud While there
have been snti-Cs;holio mohs in America
there never has been any suil-Caiholic leg.
islasion, prescription nor persecution aimee
we won our independence. To repfoaeh
as to-day with the hlsosry Of the ola Eng
lssh raVitaus. Eadieost and Relcher. Who
hanged QaAksTs and exi.ed Bapsisss. Is
about a. candid IS IL would he TO
yell "Si, BsTtholosaew and the eaies OF
Nantes" as tue CashosEe church Of TO-DAY.
II - tgas that an anti-cashalic moh
burned Catholic orphan asylum Ia
Charleston. Mass. in issl and the sane
year two Catholic churches acre burmea
hy mob IN Philadelphia. the military
were called eat and several lives icst be-
fore order was restored. The American
people, however. we're 40 faose In sym-
pashy with these acts of brutality than
ta-y we're wtth the acts q shs .ssrsss
Taossrs' who. IN ses aosk city in galy,