The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-21
Catholic Pythians, Odd Fellows and
Sons of Temperance I'm Danger Of
Excommunfcatfon.
MUST QUIT THEIR SOCIETIES
Recommendation OF ARCHBIsHOPS
RATIFIED BY THE POPE.
What Mgr. SatolIi and Bishop Nc
Quaide Say-Rev. DE-. McGlynn's Res
toration to the Priesthood.

NEW YORK, Dec. 2o.-It has just
leaked out here that on Tuesday afternoon
at the quarterly conference of the clergy
men of this bishopric in the diocesan SEM
mary in Brooklyn. Bishop Mcdonnell made
known the surprising information that the
Pope. acting on the recommendation of the
American archbishops, has placed the Odd
Fellows, knights Of Pythias and Sons of
Temperance under the ban of the Roman
Catholic Church. The Bishop announced
that he was in receipt of communica-
ton from Mgr. Satolli of such vast i'm
portance that he hesitated to disclose it's
contents until those present should have
been prepared for the recital. The Bishop
then went on to review the history of the
fraternal orders which kept their proceed
ings secret, and told the priests that the
mssive from Mgr. Satolh was all inn
portant in that at least three of these Sc
cret societies were by it placed under the
ban of the Catholic Church.
The communication was then read in
Latin. 1t stated that the apostolic dele
gate had been instructed by Rome to no
tify the archbishops. bishops and priests
of the United States that the action taken
by American archbishops relative to Sc
cret and semi-secret societies, at a meet
ing held by them in Chicago on Sept. IL,
1893, had been ratified by the College of
Cardinals and by Pope Leo. The orders
referred to We're then mentioned. Bishop
McDonnelPs announcement created little
less than sensation. The priests present
displayed their surprise in various ways,
and it is said that for a few minutes the
Bishop could not bring the meeting to
order. The statement that the archbishops
had met in Chicago during the worlds
fair and formulated a recommendation of
the character indicated was apparently
news to all save one or two priests in
Bishop McDonnelfs suite.
1t appears that when the archbshops got
to Chicago they held meeting at the
residence of Archbishop Feehan and dis
cussed church matters at length Though
1t was known at that time that one OF the
topics discussed was the attitude of the
Catholic Church toward secret societies. no
information was given out on thev'subject.
Bishop Mcdonnell said to-day that
agreement had been entered into by which
secrecy was to be maintained until the
College of Cardinals and the Pope had
taken some action on the recommendations
of the archbishops. This agreement has,
of course, been strictly adhered to, for
until Bishop Mcdonnell broached the mat
ter of the secret societies no hint of what
took place at Chicago had reached the
public
The letter of Mgr. Satoll directs the
bishops and priests to. exhort those MEM
bers of the church whe hold membership
in the knights of PythiaS the Odd Fell
lows lows and the Sons OF Ismperance to sever
communication. The DEGREES affect no other
country save the United States for the rea-
are of American origin. There are many
thousand Catholic members of the Odd
Fellows and the Knights of Pythias, and
the PaDal order will undoubtedly give rise
to a controversy.
In Brooklyn it is said that nearly 5000
persons will be affected by the order. One
of these expressed the opinion that the
Pope had been i'll advised; that the condi-
ton of things as they exist had been mis-
represented. and that the hostility to the
order of Punishment would eventually force
its recall. He did not, he said, believe that
the order would be obeyed by the majority
of those against whom it directed.
The action of the Propaganda is all the
more surprising in view of the fact that
recent advices from Rome stated the prob
ability that the church would in the near
future remove the ban from the order of
Ancient Free and Accepted Aiasons.
what Mgr. sntoIH Says.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20.-Mgr. Satolli,
the apostolic delegate. says any informa-
ton concerning the recent letter to Bishop
Mcdonnell affecting secret societies must
come from the Bishop. The delegate says
his only office in the matter was to trans
NIT the communication exactly as it came
from Rome, and that it involved no action
or ruling on his part. He was asked if the
ban of the church was to be placed on
other secret societies than the Knights of
Pythias, Odd Fellows and Sons of Tenn
perance, but declined to give any informa-
ton as to what specific societies were af-
fected or what punishment would be visited
on their individual members in case they
continued their membership.
"A high ecclesiastical authority stated that
it was his understanding that the action of
the church was against secret societies in
general, rather than against the specific So
cieties designated. This. however, could not
be verified from the delegate. He insisted
that, as he was merely channel of COM
munication in this case he had no concern
in the subject, and that the proprieties re-
quired that the Bishop who received the
pOr mi On CHI ha
how far it should be made public.
NOt Yet Translated.
ROCHESTER,, n. ", Dec. pa report
er called to see Bishop McQuaide, at st.
Bernard's Seminary, this evening i'm re-
gard to the decree of interdiction against
secret societies Bishop McQuaide said:
1.-The decree came direct from the Holy
See at Rome, and is simply a corroboration
of what has been in vogue for many years
| i'm the church. 1t is in Latin and owing
| TO the fact that it Is to be translated.
which requires some time will not be
able to give IL out until after New Year.
UP to four or five years ago there was no
| question about this matter, but at that
out % that the ban of the cbereb bsd sdVS Sesn n
| removed from all secret societies except
the Masons. The matter was brought 20
our attention and we investigated il, final
| ly referring 1t to the Holy See The de-
cree is against the Odd Fellows. knights
or PythlaS ana sons or Temperance and
other societies against which the same
| objections can be raised"
To BE Promulgated at Once.
| NEW YORK. Dec. 2O.-Archbishop Corri-
| gan denied himself to reporters, to-day,
who sought to obtain his views regarding
| the ecclesiastical interdiction of secret So
| cieties, promulgated by Bishop Mcdonnell.
| Vicar-general Farley admitted the truth
| of the statement that such an order had
been promulgated. THE Odd Fellows. the
Sons of Temperance and the knights of
Pythias have been interdicted," he said
1.-The decree of condemnation will at once
! be promulgated throughout the church.
| both from the pulpits and by the press AS
to the reasons for this action it is a deli
| cate matter TO talk about, and it is suffi-
| cient to say that they were condemned be
cause the archbishops evidently held that
| they were antagonistic to the church %
1t was expected that Archbishop Corri-
| gan would announce the interdiction at a
meeting of the trustees of his diocese TO he
| held at the cathedral. but no declaration
| OF such action has yet been made public
MGLYNN'S RESTORATION.