St. Paul daily globe., 1893-06-12
GIBBONS FAVORS IT.
The Cardinal Thinks the Fair
Should Be Open on Sunday
Afternoons.
Common Prudence Also Points
That the Gates Should Not
Be Closed Sunday.

NEW YORK, June 1.-THE World will
tomorrow publish an authorized inter
view with his eminence, Cardinal James
Gibbons, archbishop of Baltimore and
primate of the Roman Catholic church
in the United States, in regard to the
proposed closing of the worlds fair on
Sunday. Cardinal Gibbons is quoted as
saying: ''When the question was first
brought up gave it as my opinion that
it would not be advisable to close the
fair for the entire Sunday. l favored
opening it Sunday afternoons for many
good reasons, which to Catholics are
very strong and well founded. In
the first place, we would not 60
as far as the upholders of the Puritan
servance of the day in European coun-
tries. We believe the Lords day to be
not only day of rest, but day on
which innocent recreation is allow
able. If visit to the fair comes within
that limit, the opening of the fair to pro-
vide innocent recreation Sunday after
moons cannot be considered deSecra-
ton of the day. Having performed the
religious duties required of them in the
morning, our Catholic people are free
then to spend the day in such recreation
as becomes Sunday.
Moreover, in view of the fact that
many thousands OF visitors to the fair
must be of the class who pay no respect
to the religious character of the Sun
day, it seems matter of common pru-
dence to provide them with means of
spending the day innocently, instead of
leaving them to the inclinationS and the
numerous temptations certain to be
placed in their way. Then, again, it is
real hardship to deprive so many
thousands of honest work people Of
their only opportunity to see the fair
These and other reasons lead me to be-
lieve that the fair should be open Sun
day afternoons, and that more evil will
result from the Sunday closing than
from the opening.
II have just sent paper on this mat
ter to a congress at Chicago of pro-
moters of Sunday observance. In it is
presented the true Catholic view of the
Sunday, and the reasons for its careful
observance.
$50 long as all agree that one day out
of seven must be devoted to rest, and so
long as the great Christian world is
bent on making Sunday that day, it will
be a social and economic impossibiity
to destroy the religious character of the
Sunday or to change to another day."
Cardinal Gibbons says that he will
read paper Oh The Influence of the
Church on Society,"" at the parliament
of religions, which is to be feature of
the fair.
Upon the question of the Anglican
archbishop of CanteI bury declining the
invitation to attend the parliament, the
cardinal said:
Everything depends on the point of
view. Our bishops were invited by the
officials of the fair to present state
ment of the Catholic faith at this parlia-
ment, and the invitation was considered
at the meeting of the archbishops in
New York last fall. Various objections
were made to its acceptance, but in the
end, after amicable discussion, the
preates decided to accept.
"The Catholic church is too often pre-
sented to the world i'll apparel which
makes her repulsive to the people. Our
purpose in this and similar instances is
to tear off these garments and let all see
the church in its true beauty-beauty
sure to endear it to all lovers of the
truth"