The sun., 1893-09-10
The Task of the Roman Catholic Church

Among the papers read at the Catholic
a layman OF New Orleans. lamenting that
in this country the tillers Of the soil. e from
whom spring the great men OF the nation
are not Catholics. and that too many OF
the undesirable immigrants" are Catholics.
In this country the great mass OF the till
ers OF the soil have been Baptists and
Methodists since the extensive revivals
which built up those communions in the
early part Of this century. In New England.
however. very many Of them are Congrega-
tionallsts. getting their faith by Inherit
ance from Puritan ancestors. To some eX-
tent Presbyterianism also has fourished
among the farmers. Spiritualism has taken
a pretty strong hold on them in some parts
Of the country. as is exemplitied in the
spiritualistic camp meetings. Since the
Scandinavian and German immigration be-
gan to pour into the West the Lutheran
Church has many OF the tillers OF the soil
among its 1.250. 900 adherents; but the ma
jority Of those attached to any religious
denominations are probably included in the
100000 or 100000 OF Baptists and Meth
odists. The strength Of these communions
is in the country rather than the city, With
the Episcopal Church it is just the other
way. 1t is strong in the city and weak in
the country. Only in the State OF Connec-
ticut is any large part OF the farming popu-
lation Episcopalian. The Roman Catholic
Church has also grown in the towns rather
than the country. AS this Chicago essayist
said. the farming population OF the United
States Is chiefly Protestant. and has al
ways been so.
His lamentation that too many OF the
undesirable immigrants are Roman Cath
olcs is also justified to some extent; but it
Is not because they are Catholics. 1t Is not
because of any religious belief that they
have. but rather because they are without
religious principle. 1t is because they have
lost religious belief and have put them
selves apart from their old spiritual leaders.
Both good Catholics and good Protestants
are always desirable immigrants. 1t Is the
bad variety. only nominally Catholics or
Protestants. and really without religious
principle. who make bad immigrants.
Moreover. the Roman Catholic Church In
this country has been built up almost
wholly by immigration. and he is very
unwise and inconsiderate member OF that
Church who talks despairingly Of undesir-
able immigrants. Language like this es-
sayist's was usual among Protestants at
the time the vast Irish immigration was
coming In. 1t was called an undesirable
immigration both because of it's nationality
and its religious faith: and political party
was even organized to deprive 1t OF the
privilege and the power OF citizenship. Now.
after a generation. the great value OF the
Irish element Of our population is every
where conceded. Everywhere the Irish
are getting ahead. In the early days
OF the German immigration prejudice
against 1t was widespread. but 1t has
proved not less valuable in pushing
along our civilization. Immigrants called
undesirable to-day will be- honored and re-
spected hereafter. Immigration also is
gradually increasing the strength Of the
Roman Catholic Church among the farmers.
This Is shown more particularly in New
England. where many OF the old farms are
passing into the hands OF Irishmen and
Catholic Canadians.
1t is true that the food OF Roman Catholic
immigrants includes many among whom
the Church must labor ceaselessly to pre-
vent their casting reproach on it and on the
republic. They are people peculiarly in
need of the restraints OF religion to keep
them within the bounds Of civilized society;
and that necessity imposes upon the Roman
Catholic Church a tremendous task. II 1t
can keep them faithful. or II it can make
them faithful. 1t serves the public welfare in
the highest measure. Social turbulence
does not come from good Catholics. 1t
arise, among the irreligious. whatever the
l.lth from which they have departed. Hence
every good citizen. Protestant, Catholic. or
hebrew. must rejoice at the spread Of genu-