The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-10
The Religious Question-Archbisho
Corrigsn and the Vatican.

ecclesiastical or political In the various
forms established by progressive civil
izatiun, IL entitled TO fair treatment and
the Just Judgment Of public opinion, and
should be protected from misrepresenta-
ton and calumny. This is a country OF
religious liberation, and every Church
should he upheld In its right to self-Gov-
eminent and untrammelied worship within
the established rules Of society There APP
pears to be at this time however. a persist
ent determination. In certain organized
ways to attack the Catholic Church both
from without and from within.
The attacks from without are by preach
ers who find II convenient TO charge designs
on the Church OF Rome, which no instructed
man believes. and TO make these the text for
excited exhortatons which divert the wor-
shipper from his true purpose Of guarding
his own soul. and tend to make him the
later and prosecutor ~ his neigh
bor This Is turning back the wheels
OF progress. 1t would need only to
have the Catholic Church preach to its ten
millions Of worshppers In the same spirit
Of detraction and hatred against other re-
ligous bodies to produce q condition OF
public feeling at war with the best elements
Of civil government. Do we ever hear in
the Catholic Church any TRADING attacks
on other forms OF worship? There are.
however. wise and jus. men In all the
Churches. who respect tho religious convlc-
tons OF their fellow men, and who view
tolerantly and broadly the rights OF con-
science OF every citizen. 1t Is too late at
this day 10 attempt to stir up our people to
consider the multitude of tho Catholic faith
MS spiritually other than fellow workers In
the vineyard Of the Lord, or civilly as
other than good citizens aud equal uphold
ers with their fellows of republican govern
ment and republican principles. In the in
terest of ali the Churches. and of the whole
people. let peace and good will among men
prevail. The Pharisee has had his day.
Its not so much from without that the
Catholic Church is seriously menaceI in
this country as it is from within through
malicious efforts to impair the influence Of
the constituted authority OF the Church by
| depreciating imputations and calumnious
charges against its leading rulers.
We have recently seen striking exhibit
tons OF this manner OF attack directed
against Cardinal GIBBONS on the school
question: they have been subtle. and to a
certain degree. masked; butthey have been
telling. Tho unjust charge. originating
outside OF the Church. that Cardinal CIR
BoSs Is the enemy OF our public schools.
and that he seeks to establish specialist re-
ligious instruction in thoir stead, ia care
fully nurturcd and craftiy dissent
mated by evil-dispOscd disorganizers
within the pale Of the Church. This
imputation Is treated by them seriously as
an existing fact. and tho political priest
hastens to inform the world how much more
enlightened his views arc on that Ques-
ton. and how superior he stands before the
| community. as being opposed To parochial
schools or any form OF instruction except
that OF the common school system. What
Is the motive OF such political priests In
thus paradlng their super-exccllcnce. ex-
| cept to exalt themselves and by indirection
| to fix stigma aud reproach ON their SUI
| peror, Who II is insinuated. holds views
hostile to the conservative sentiment Of the
community? Cardinal GIBBONS bv his sta
| tIon is removed from close contact with his
people. he l. not In III" executive direction
OF large congregations. and may bs said
to be out Of reach of the poisoned arrows.
At this time, Archbishop CoRRIGAS. the
| flock Of nearly million Of souls. with all
the cares aud responsibilities of Ids great
| trust. is the shining mark of dctraction
and, curiously enough, the fabricated eff
forts for his injury and tho impairment of
| his influence in the Church. appear to come
| from Rome. IL would seem that a literary
bureau is organized in the Eternal city for
| the purpose II manufacturing sensational
messages designed Ia suly the character
and mislead opinion as to tho standing at
| the Vatican Of this eminent prclate. Mes
| sages come over the wires every two or
| three days containing imputations and an
! nouncements nf imprOyissd Investigations.
| that have no foundation except in tho spu-
rous creations OF their inventors. The
latest message. which arrived > day or
! two ago. was tn the effect that evidence
| had been discovered of the Archbishop
conniYaEe2 in attacks on Nonsignur SA-
TOLL: that the latter had letters to that
effect. and that there were others In Rome
aud that in consequences the Archbishop had
been summoned by the Sovereign Pontiff to
answer the charge Ia person. This message
il necessarily false in its every word. ex-
preston. and suggestion. There Is no
foundation for the charge on which it is
based. and there can be no letter either here
or there TO substantiate it.
The attacks on Monsignor SAToLLI in
! question Tefer 10 an article which orig
| inaly appeared in these columns with ref
ereuce 10 that prelate aud the effect of
| his mission TO this country. signed A
| Catholic American" aud 10 the eommuni-
cations which were published in eonse-
| quenee Of it. The article referred tn
was not. in fact. an attack on MonsignOT
sAToLLI. as We shall presently show. al
| though otherwise considered in some quar-
tsrs, But wo know. aud are able 10 state
unqualihedly and absolutely. that Arch
bishop CoRRIGAS had not tho remotest con
neetion with that article. or any OF those
communications. either in word OF deed. The
original communication was written by a
| Catholic layman as the result. Of careful
| investigation Of the eOnsecuenc Of Mon
| signur SArULLI's advent to this country.