The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-02-03
IN AND AROUND THE CITY
a ..KNow-PoPERY'' DISCOURSE

Father Cleary Speaks on the Catholic
Church to Crowded House.
Last Sunday the large hall in Labor
Temple was too small to hold the audi
ence that gathered to hear Father Clears
speak on "Know-P opery." A large mum
Der went away for want OF room. In the
course of his address he said:
"sNo Poprey' was the battle cry sent
throughout the land 50 years ago by bl-
rotea bands OF fanatics calling them
selves Knownothings. American Catho'
lies of this day and generation unite in
taking up the war cry Of their Ignorant
and.frenzied foes, only they insist on spel-
ling the word in their own way, KIN o-w'
If the non. Catholic portion OF cur tel
low citizens will only calmly and honestly
try to know the papacy and to know the
Catholic Church. they will soon fully real
ize how basely they have been deceived
by designing calumniators. The Catho'
lie Church and the Roman papacy have
been distrusted, feared or hated by many
Americans, not because OK what they
in reality are, but because OF what
mary have been influenced to believe
them to be. Our non-Cathollc fellow
citizens have feared or distrueted not the
Catholic Church, as it really IS, but
monstrous creation OF distorted fancy
whioh they have been assured the Ctaho-
lie Church. ALI good Catholics, therefore,
appeal to the honest good sense OF their
fellowmen, and implore them, in ali fair
ness and honor to examine anu know the
Church as they know 1t, and they too
will admire it's beauty and honor it fvr
the steadfast loyalty with which it has
champ,oned the rights OF man and an
swered the questions of the human soul,
No man ever honestly examined the doc
trines aud practices OF the Catholic
Church without discovering in them
wondrous operations OF divine power.
Ii I suspected or believed that the
Catholic Church was the enemy OF hu-
man freedom, the foe TO liberty OF
thought the friend of oppression and tyr
amy, / would denounce lts Infamous
alliance with humanity's enemies, and
would brand it with the contempt 1t
would merit If I believed that the Rc'
man papacy, enthroned at the Vatican,
exerted it's mighty power over the souls
of men to keep them in bondage, and
to retard mankinds advancement,
would be- false to my manhood If did
not oppose it,and warn the world against
it cruel usnrpation. But as l know the
Catholic Church, and have carefully
studied it's history from the day OF Pen
tecost till now, as I know the papacy and
have examined it's record from Peter TO
Leo XIII, I am convinced beyond all
Doubt that the CHURCH and the papacy
have been the best and trAest friends
that have served humanity in it's sorest
trisls.
What the Catholic Church has done IN
othar times and IN other lands, Ter the
moral regeneration and social welfare OF
the people, it can do to better advantage
m this our own laad OF freedom ono I'm
partial favor. The Church loves lib=rty
because liberty opens fair field to the
human mind to learn eternal truth. The
Church loves learning in all ages, because
ignorance darkens the hnman mind AID
is barrier to the entrance OF the light
of divine truth. Know the Church,
therefore, as 1t is, not as it's enemies re-
present it. It has no secret, dark Ian
tern policy. 1t courts inquiry. 1t chal-
lenges the investigation of men. 1t loves
the light, and fears only darkness and
ignorance"
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND.