The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-12
TALK WITH POPE LEO
HIS HOLINESS INTERVIEWED BY
GEN. GEORGE S. BATcHELLER.
Object in Sending satolIi to America
Work of the Catholic Church.

ALBANY, y. Y, March n.-An echo of
the exciting election of regent of the uni
versity, year ago. when Archbishop Corri-
gan and Bishop McQuade endeavored to de-
feat the Rev. Father Sylvester Malone, Of
Brooklyn. has just reached here from Rome.
1t comes in Letter written to State off,
cial by General George S. Bachelor. Of
Saratoga, formerly minister to Portugal. in
which General Batcheller details a most
noteworthy interview with his Holiness,
the Pope. In this interview Pope Leo spoke
in his most grateful way of the election of
Father Malone as regent. General Batchel-
Ter saw the Pope the last week in February,
when his Holiness was represented as being
in feeble health, but says that the head of
the church seemed not to be enfeebled at
all. General Batcheller writes that his
Holiness led the conversation to America,
and said that his encyclieal was at that
time in the United States, and would on
that same day be given to the public. He
said he himself had carefully revised the
English translation. The Pope expressed
regret that certain newspapers and public
men in America had objected to his send
ing a delegate to Washington. or sending
out an encyclical. tending to NEEDLE with
the affairs of foreign government, or with
institutions with which he had no SYM
pathy
This is an error" said the Pope II do
not seek to NEEDLE with governments, ex-
cept to admonish my people to obey the civil
law and 10 conform to the authority OF the
land in which they dwell. L send a legate
to America in order that might be better
informed as to the character OF American
institutions and the peculiarities of the ma
tional and State governments, and, above
all, to reconcile any conflict, if there should
be any, between the government of my.
church and the government of the land
consider America essentially Christian
does not aid nor does it oppose the labors
OF the church. am free to say. that the
further | study the conditions Of THIS the
a religion cannot thrive on its own merits
then it must stagnate or fall tell my peo-
PIE to convert Americans to the faith by
proving to them by pious and orderly living
and by precept and example that it is the
true religion: not to seek converts except
through means recognized by the laws OF
the country and the principles OF humane
and divine economy.
tional system, and assured his Holiness
that the common school system was one OF
s str Of f' the Repubiic. and that inter
ference with that would never be tolerated.
In a country, he said, where the lawmakers
were chosen by universal suffrage the voter
must be Intelligent, and must have at least
the. principal elements of an education Cen
eral Batcheller writes His Holiness had
no criticism to make on our school system.
1t was wise and fitting that the population
should be good citizens, and it was wise in
that it left all religions and creeds free to
work out their own course on their own
merits He spoke of sectarian and paro-
chial schools, and l assured him that the
Presbyterians Methodists. Episcopalians.
Baptists and all denominations had their
UNCONVENTIONAL schools and the Catholics
had their share of them but all must be
sustained by private means. The public
funds raised by taxation were only Tor uhe
universal education and without creed.
His Holiness said he satisfied with
the progress of Catholicism in America.
When l was a nuncio in Brussels, fifty
years ago. he said had conversation
came to see me. He was a bright young
man, made speeches religious questions
in secular halls which I thought quite ex-
traordinary, but which he said were to
ligion. At that time there were only three
bishops in the United States, and now there
are eighty-three and a cardinal. We had
only one college and now we. have many,
and have just founded great university
in Washington and have given orders that
in all their teachings my priests and pro-
fessors shall inculcate love of country, pa
triotism and obedience to law as one of the
cardinal doctrines: In your civil war Cath
olics fought side by side with Protestants.
Patriotism has no creed, and am Informed
that the liberal party controlling the State
of New York chose one of my priests as
regent of the university, and ] am told that
the two Senators of that great State rep
resent two creeds-one Protestant and one
a Catholic of foreign origin. How, then, can
l complain of the institutions of America?
The more I study them the more they
pleaSe me- Have [ not confOrmed my car
dinals, bishops and priests to the new form
of government in France and admoniShed
them to sustain the republic and participate
in the affairs of the nation? / have admon-
ished all my people in America to refrain
from strikes, never to resort to violence to
redress a grievance, but to appeal to the
law and the Constitution.