The San Francisco call., 1895-12-21
THE CHURCH AND STATE.
Father Yorke Defines the Catholic Teaching
as to Civil Authority.

Father Yorke Defines the Catholic Teaching
as to Civil Authority.
Rev. Father Yorke sets forth the teach
ing of the Catholic church on civil author
1ty in the following letter:
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 20, 1895.
To the Editor of the San Francisco Call-DEAR
SIR: Yesterday | laid before you direct and
sworn contradictions of the alleged oaths pub
Hshed by G. A. Hubbard. do not think that
additional words can lend new strength to
these dispositions. However, there are few
points growing out of the oaths themselves
which l wish to touch. / trespass on your
courtesy with some observations on the radical
discrepancy between the sentiments of these
forgeries and the doctrines and history of the
Catholic church
The burden of the two oaths is that the Pope
is the supreme civic ruler of the world, that all
Protestants are damnable and to be damned
that it is lawful to do evil in order to advance
the interests OF the church. l will deal with
these three points as briefly as l can.
/. The first insinuation then Is that the Pope
is supreme civil ruler of the world; that ne
specifically declares Protestant Governments
to De Illegal, and that priests and Jesuits are
sworn to DESTROY said Protestant Governments
and to bring them to naught / hereby de-
nounce these insinuations opposed to the
doctrines OF the church and to the known facts
of history
/. The Catholic teaching concerning the re.
lations OF church and state are simple and de-
cisive. We believe that the state is supreme
in civil matters and the church is supreme in
religious matters. The church has no right 10
interfere with the state, and the motto of the
state should be, Glands off the church -
quote as my authority for this statement not
any subordinate theologian. but the present
head of the Catholic church, Leo XIII himself.
In a circular letter, published on November /.
1885, he writes:
"The Almighty has appointed the charge of
the human race between two powers the
ecclesiastical and the civil, the one being set
over divine and the other over human things.
Each in its kind is supreme, each has fixed
limits within which it is contained limits
which are defined by the nature and special
object of the province of each, so that there is
we may say, an orbit traced out within which
the action of each is brought into play bv its
own native right. Whatever, therefore in
things human is OF sacred character what
ever belongs, either of IT'S own nature or by
reason of the end TO which it is referred, 10 the
salvation of souls or to the worship of God is
subject to the power and judgment of the
Church. Whatever is to be ranged under the
civil and political order is rightly subject to
the civil authority. Jesus Christ has himself
given command that what is Casar's is to be
rendered to Caesar, and that what belongs to
God is to be rendered to God"
The civil allegiance OF Catholics, therefore
belongs not to the Pope nor to any ecclesias,
tical power, but 10 our country and our Gov
ernment. 1t n matters not what may be the re-
ugious profession of that country or the pri-
vate belief of the members of that Government.
Our allegiance is given not to creed but to
constitutions, and it makes no difference