The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-11-08
THEY WRITE OPEN LETTERS
Regarding the Troubles OF the Nebraska
Church
Fathers Fitzgerald and 1urphy. Object to
Being Called Recaicitrlnt and
Obstreperous Priests

OMAHA, Nov. 7.-Ths following open
letter TO the editor Of the Bee from Rev.
Fathers Fitzgerald and william Murphy,
the Nebraska Catholic priests leading
the fiction which had so much trouble
with Bishop Bonacum, was made public
today:
''Our attention has been called to an
interview given through Or. RouEsr, sec
rotary of the Apostolic delegate, 10 your
Warrington correspond ent and pu blished
in last Sundays Bee. In this interview
DR.. Rocker makes gratuitous and false
statements relative to the present diff.
cultias of the Lincoln diocese. 1t Ill re-
comes him to thrust h mself in go friyol-
Gus manner into this controversy in
which other priests, who are as yirtuous
and learned as he, and more highly
esteem ed by their fellow citizens, re-
gsrdless of creeds, than he may ever hope
to aspira to bs, are contendiug against
immense odds, for the fair and i'm partial
hearing watch tins church guarantees to
everyone. In this after there is net
now, ami never mas been, any criminal
charge against US ny any authority, civil
or eGclssiast cat. Therefore, The nguase
used by the Rev. DR.. Rocker calling %
'recalcltrant aud obstreperous priests
is most indecent and IN becoming a Sec
rotary OF cardinal in peto' and an apos.
: tolc delegate. This language is on a par
sitl the Seamless accusation publ he'd
recently by Bishop Bonacur IN tn St.
LUIS Republic, IN which. by lnsinus-
ton, he assafts wa are men Of liccntious
lives. Our fsllow citizens in the vest.
ana especially in Nebraska, feel aggrieved
at this unriehteous manner of impsd
ing the bsnsficent action of the church
and deprivine men, useful to mankind,
OF their inherent rights. Yet we ara not
surprised at this connuct OF Rev. DR..
Rocker, since he i'm peaches the integrity
OF Mgr. Satoli him self in thu ioliuwins:
Mgr. SatolI informed Bishop Bonacum
that he would hsvs 10 proceed AGAINST
these rsoslctrants nm Ter hs laws of the
council OF Baltimore and subject them tn
trial for alleged Il sobedisnce of sIGh
church law, ETC. Here we see the iui, &c
OF appeal acting as counsellor against the
defendants. Nor does he stop here bnt
insults the dignity OF the state OF
Nebraska by directing this tyraHnuns
p!shop OF Lincoln to invuka the civil law
and disl dge them, Just as | would do il
tenant failed to pay rent for my house
in which he live1."
WASHING TON, Nov. THE above
dispatch was shawn TO Dr.. Rocker TO.
night and be dictated the following state
ment for publication:
L nave net seen the lDlfrVleN III Ques-
tion. bu. simply give the history OF the
case. | never used any such language as
rscalcitrant or obstrepeFous priests. l
said to the CORES pondsnt that here moth
in. was known of an appeal by Bis op
Bonacum to the civil antholitic, and the
last of! cial information received OF the
Gaze was that the priests had been citad
TO appear for investigation, on wat
charges l do not know. Tney had refu.ed
to appear. Having refused to appear, the
delegation was informed thar the case
had bsen decided aga nst them by the
diocesan inv?sti. ating com III ssion by de-
fault; that the reported further action of
the bishop with re ard tn itvokins the
ard of the civil authorities &c dispossess
them was not known at the delegation ex-
cept through the newspapers. In answer
to this gu stion Whistler the bishop
should invoke the civil authorities or not.
| said that under proper ciIcum stances
he couli do so but that did not know
whether these ci'cu. st noes were verified
in ths present care or not.
"TAe delvepts in the Gaze Mgr. Sa-
toll)n added Dr. Rocker, has never
officially had tue matter broughtto his at
tentIon."