The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-02-23
THE ACT
Statement of Merwin- Marie Smell,
Who Left the Church, Only
TO Return Again.
AN INTERESTING LETTER.
He Sincerely Regrets His Error and
Says He Was Aotuated by
Sinful Motives.

Says He Was Actuated by
Sinful Motives.
Merwin- Marie Smell, at one time Sec
retary to Bishop Ksane, q few years ago
renounced the Catholic faith. Recently
he repented and was, received back into
the Church by Archbishop Feehan, Of
Chicago. In reparation for his act Mr..
Smell has issued the following:
Having by the mercy of God bsen re-
stored to, the fellowship of the Holy
Catholic Church, [ perhaps owe it to my
friends in Washington city and to the
public at large, SO far as it has received
scandal from my supposed epostasy Of
! two years ago, to give sonae explanation
Of the strange Inconsistencies Of my con-
| duct, and to make at once public confes-
sion OF faith and public expresslon'Nof
| repentance.
While no justification is possible, even
IL desired to frame one, which do not,
yet owe it likewise to myself and to re-
iigion TO discrifninate between my real
! prevarication end the false statements
regarding it which were circulated by
the public pre- s.
The report that I had been convinced
by my scientific studies or by anything
else of the falsity of the Catholic religion
WAS not only Hn erroneous Que, but had
no foundation in any word of mine,
either written or spoken, either private
or public Except to few intimate
friends, whom assured of my mistaken
Catholic faith and Of clear and firm con-
viotion that the Church was right and 1
utterly wrong, refused to talk regard
ing the motives which prompted me in
placing myself beyond the Church s
pale. No one has ever from that day to
this heard or read word of mine which,
properly understood, can be construed
ioto an attack on the Catholic religion
or an offense against faith or morals It
there be such a word hereby formally
Withdraw it without n entail reservation,
denounce it as criminal aud express be
fore GID and the world sincere aud
heartfelt contrition for having uttered or
written it.
did not connect myself, and have not
since connected myself, with any sect or
school of thought any further than to
unoffcially lecture before societies and
write for publications representing C,n-
gregationalism, Poeitivlsm, Unitarianism
and Judaism. With the "Thsosophists'
I have had no affiliations, aud my views
regarding their system have not at any,
time ceased to be to all intents aud pur-
poses Identical with those that I ex-
pressed from the platform of the Catholic
University in the spring of 1891.
If ] did not take the trouble to follow
up the newspaper stories about my
change of faith with prompt and vigor-
GUS denlals, it was because I was with
held from doing so by motives of self
interest, as had TO look for my support
to nom Catholic clientele. / did not go
so far,, however, az to publish short cards
Of such tenor in ons or two small new
spapers in remote places, which had re.
peated the tale; and [ repudiated the
charge of having become Theosophist
in note which appeared in the New
York Independent and elsewhere, I
must add, in justice, that this repudia
ton was solely in the interests of truth
and Catholicity, and not out OF any
special dislike to 'Theosophy," which I
do consider more respectable tnan any
form of Protestantism "a position sane
toned by Catholic theology, which teach
es that heresy is worse than paganism.
See the Summa, H.. 2, @. x. A. VII
now repeat that my action in leaving
the Catholic communion was caused by
complication Of sinful motives, one Of
which was wholly unjustifted anger at
the long-continued delay Of the archdi-
oceean authorities in settings question
upon which all my plans depended, and
another desire to gain by this illicit
means the confidence Of SO called
'Isberal" religionists OF various kinds
and create great movement among
among them in fevor of religious uni
versatility" which would ultimately re-
veal it's logical outcome to be the accep.
tance of the Catholic religion. Ny
offense was deliberate and malignant, for.
u knew that it was not permissible ito
do evil that good might come," and was
perfectly we'll aware that il putting my.
self without the pale of the Church I
was committing the worst of all possibly
crimes, an open and Iaagrant act of high
treason against the King Of Kings.