Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-08-09

ana It's correspondence with the SUI
preme president of the union 10 which
1t belonged. In his answer the bishop
related what he had done and his
reasons therefor both in regard TO that
society and others under his Jurls-
dlcuon, quoting the statutes and de-
crees of the synod of Columbus and Of
the fourth provincial council OF Gin
clnnat, and the plenary council OF
Baltimore bearing on the subject Of
the appeal, and giving a history of
the saloon business as it is commonly
carried on in this country, and show
ing that for its general disreputable
character the liquor men have only
themselves to blame.
The apostolic delegate in his letter
Of March 10 sustained the bishops &C
ton in regard to the appealing So
ciety. He told them that the bishop
had at heart only the good of the So
ciety and Of religion itself, and that
only by a complete obedience to the
bishops orders in the election of Off
GERS and the manner of holding feaStS
or entertainments would the society
deserve the name of Catholic.
They We're not satisfied, however,
and, hearing that the delegate was
to visit the Josephinum in Columbus
the latter part Of June, they held meet
ings on the 18th and 18th of June and
finally drew up a second appeal,
which, a few days before the arrival
Of the apostolic delegate, they asked
the bishop to sign, that it might thus
go canonically to the delegate. The
appeal was presented to the delegate
a day or so after his arrival in Column
bus, together with copy of the bish-
ops pastoral letter, which, however,
he had already seen.
While this was taking place in Co
lumbuS the national convention of the
knights of st. John was going on in
Buffalo. A few delegates from Co.
lumbuS attempted the unprecedented
thing of arraigning a, bishop before a
convention of laymen. The purpose
was doubtless to get the convention
to disapprove of bis enactments in
order to influence the apostolic dele
gate in the appeal which they knew
would soon be pending. The good
sense of the officers and the majority
of the delegates prevented this folly.
The delegate, who was informed of
this, seems to refer to it when he says
in his decision that the decree Of the
bishop is not subject to the judgment
of every private Individual Or as
semblage of Catholic laymen or citi
zens."
The second decision of the delegate
is dated July 3, and addressed to the
secretary of the protesting societies.
The bishop gave a translation Of it to
the press more than two weeks ago Gu
lis return from the Catholic summer
school at lPlattsbulg. In the interval,
at the request of the apostolic dele.
gate, he read the document Of the
Ohio total abstinence convention at
Fremont on the 10th of July, but it
was not given to the press until July
p, nor was the bishop interviewed on
the subject by anyone. Meanwhile
some enterprising reporter, hearing
that decision had been rendered, sur
missed what it might be, but what it
mise telegraphed over the country to
the confusing and obsclring Of the
question lat issue. AS the letter,
some mishap over which the
bishop had no control, was not gener-
ally published by the press of the
country, he takes this occasion to pro-
claim the substance of it and in his
own name and that Of all who are
in the common good, to
publicly thank the delegate for his
MON entOus decision.
Mgr. Satolli lays down the general
principles:
That as it belongs to the office OF
d bishop to find out in his own diocese
What is hurtful or helpful to the spir-
itual good Of the faithful, SO it be
longs to his power to command, forbid,
counsel or permit to be done or re-
moved whatever he may judge con
ducive to his own duty and the good
OF the faithful. The letter OF decree
Of the right reverned bishop Of Co
Iumbus, concerning Catholic societies
and the abstinence TO b. deserved from
liquors ought by no means
to be subject to the judgment OF every
private individual. or of every assem-
blage Of simple Catholics or citizens:
but every Catholic OF good conscience
must hold for certain that the bishop
has commanded those things which
seem to be for the greater good Of
the faithful and the honor of every
Catholic society"
In these words the apostolic delegate
seems to give an approval of the gen
eral purposes of the bishop as ex-
pressed III his pastoral letter. Then
coming to the special things from
which the appeal was taken he goes
on to say:
Those three things which are ex-
pressed in the letter Of the right rev.
erned bishop have the approval not
only of Catholics, but of non-CathoIcs
of your city, because they are not only
in harmony with the laws of the
church, but opportune and necessary
for the honor of the church, especially
in the state of Ohio
Then, as the judge to whom the ap-
peal was made, he said:
Therefore, those things which the
right reverend bishop has commanded
in his decare l approve. and | decide
that they are TO be Observed; but II
narhanS tIav for +hn time being seem