The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-07
CHURCH AND STATE"
CARDINAL GIBBONS SOUND VIEWS
ON THIS SUBJECT.
The Authenticity of the Alleged Letter to
Archbishops by the Cardinal
IL Denied.

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 6-At the re-
ceptlon and banquet tonight Of the Cath
Ole Club OF this city Cardinal Gibbons
made an address, in the course of which
he said:
Il am called upon to respond to the
toast Church and State / am firmly
persuaded. both by study and observa-
tion, that the Church is more sturdy IN
her growth and is more prosperous In
her career when she Is free to pursue her
divine mission without any interference
on the part OF the State.
Here. thank God. the Church Is free'
and therefore she is prosperous. Here the
Church and the State run in parallel INES
each assisting the other Here the Con-
stitution holds over the Church its pro-
tecting arm without interfering In eecie-
siastical affairs. We have no State re-
ugion or official Church. But 1t would
be a great mistake to draw as an inter-
ence from this fact that here our Gov
ernment is anti-Christian or anti-religious.
| venture to say, on the contrary tna'
there Is no Commonwealth under
the sun more strongly permeated
by Christian and religious principles IMAM
the Government OF the United S'ates,
Here the Christian Sabbath is observed
as a day OF rest as well as In any
country in the civilized world. on that
day the courts of justice are closed ana
give place to the courts of our LORD,
which are opened for divine worship In
every town and hamlet in the land. Inc
members of our national and state legls-
latures begin their daily proceedings py
invoking the Father of light on their de-
Hberations We celebrate our anhuai
THANKSGIVING day, in which we pour out
our gratitude to the Giver OF every soou
cift for the temporal blessings Vouch-
safed to us as nation
But If the State protects the Church
the Church on her part is the strongest
ca afeeuard Of the Commonwealth In the
exercise of her earthly mission. 1t viii
be the delight as well as the duty OF the
ministers of Christ in the future, as IL
has been i'm the past, To uphold our clVti
and poitical institutions. II Will be our
delight to proclaim the moral law whlch
is the basis of all good Government ana
to foster domestic peace and public tran
guilty and social order throughout the
land.
For my part l believe that the rela-
tions between Church and State are as
close and cordial as we should desire.
All we ask Is n fair field and no special
the state will be called on to build our
Church and subsdize our clergy for II
were TO be feared that as soon as the
Government commenced TO support the
Church il would dictate TO us what doc
trines we ought to preach and ought not
TO preach. And I'm proportion as state
patronage would increase the devotion
and patronage Of the faithful. would wax
cold. II Is a great wrong To muzzle the
press; it would be greater wrong TO
muzzle the pulpit. No amount or patron
age could compensate for the evil or
Government inspection and Government
censorship of the Gospel and It's divinely
appointed ministers. Thank Cod we can
all say in this free country with the
apostle-verbum DEF non est alligfii.I1
the Word OF God is not bound.
May the happy condition Of things
now existing always remain when the
priests of Gods Church will bestow on
the people their time. their talents, their
ministry, and Will pour their lite's oiood
II necessary. and when they will receive
I'm return the affection. the gratitude. the
flial obedience and the free-will offering
of devoted and faithful people"
Authenticity of the Letter Denied.
NEW YORK, Feb. 6.-The letter pur-
porting to have been written by Cardinal
inbbOnS, OF ltlllIlOIfs " AN' 4NiiA'ii''A'
Archbishops asking whether their alleged
protest against Mgr Satolli shall be pre-
sented 10 the Pope at this late day Is the
chief topic Of conversation In Catholic
circles The Chicago dispatch containing
the letter charged that the alleged protest
said to have been adopted by the Arch
bishops at the meeting last November
had been withheld for six weeks till after
Satolrs powers had been broadened by
the Pope so His Holiness might know
of the opposition 10 the Apostolic dele
gate among the Archbishops. Archbishop
Corrigan would not receive the reporter
who called to inquire as to his view upon
publication, but his secretary, Father
Connolly. characterized IL as foolish
He said: 1T charges the Cardinal with
maliciOusly Withholding from the Pope the
result of the Conference OF Prelates until
the latter part Of January. In fact. 1t
intimates that X was never submitted TO
the Pope at all. Now the facts are that
Bishop Chapelle was the secretary OF the
conference He took the minutes, which
contained the action and discussion on the
Archbishops. to the Pope The report OF
the conference had not, then, Of course.
been prepared. Bishop Chapelle sailed
from this country early I'm December.
leaving, / think. not later than the 81 or
4th lie must have reached Rome In three
weeks at the longest. and so the action
of the Archbishops must have been before
His Holiness as early as January 1st.
Mgr Satolli came 10 this country in Octo-
ber, likewise. as the Pope's representative
in matters connected with the Worlds
Fair.
Notice Of his appointment as Apostolic
delegate was received here about the
middle Of January so that IL can easily
be seen that il was not till some time af-
ter the Pope knew the sentiment of Arch
bishops as expressed at the conference
that the Pope acted.
Il do not know whether Archbishop
Corrigan has received a letter from Car
dlnal Gibbons such as was printed or
not He might have received one in his
private correspondence, and | should
know nothing of IL. | never heard OF the
letter till 1 read IT in the newspapers"
WAITING ron BRi1I4N.