Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-01-31
A MINNESOTA PRIESTS PART IN
THE ANTT-sECRET EDICT.
The Papal Decision to Ban the Odd
Fellows, knights of Pythias and
Good Templars Was Reached
at the Instance of the Min
nesota Priest.
BosEN's PETITION TO THE POPE.
he Makes 1t Public and Traces thu
Steps Leading 10 the POas4T's
Action.

from his tTlp TO Europe, was seen to-
lay by q correspondent. The reverend
gentleman looked well, but was rath-
sr unwilling TO submit to an interview.
When asked If he was the German
priest Of which mention had been
made In the papers in regard to the
recent decree from Rome against Sc
sret societies, he replied:
II am an American citizen, and Travelled
IN Europe as such. i am, however. o Ger.
man In the same sense as Archbishop Ire
land may be called an Irishman or Mgr.
Caliet a Frenchman."
What caused your name to be brought
In connection with this matter2" the re-
porter asked, land what about the extent
Of the decree1'
GAS to the decree itself I have nothing
to say except that Rome has spoken end
the case Is ended. But as to my connection
Herewith you may say this: 1t Is almost
ten years since / was. confronted with the
question as to whether a man could consist
emily be a Catholic ana at the same time
. member of the Odd Fellows or knights
Of Pythias. Careful perusal of the rituals
convinced me that these societies were
religious bodies. In 1884 / wrote to the
authorities at Rome, and received a reply
that the matter would be considered at the
forthcoming plenary council at Baltimore.
That council renewed some DEGREES of the
second plenary council and added some new
paragraphs in regard to the secret societies.
But the practice remained about the same
In many instances as before-the DEGREES of
the council remained a dead letter. Not
only that, but some church dignitaries cur
tailed the meaning of the DEGREES to such
an extent that the opinion gained ground
that the Catholic church objected only to
the Free Masons, and that a Catholic was
free to join any of the so-called secret So
~cieties. Among the benevolent societies
which claimed to be Catholic difficulties
arose as TO whether a member of these
! secret societies could also be a member of
a Catholic benevolent society. The German
Catholic Central Verein at Its annual con-
ference, held in Dubuque In 1892, passed
q resolution to ask the archbishops OF the
United States for a final decision. In 1893
at the annual conference in st. Louis I
caused a debate on the question, and the
st. Louis and other papers COM
| mented on the same. No final action or
plan of action was agreed upon except
that each local society should act In ac-
| cordance with the laws of the church as
laid down in the third plenary council.
His Proposition to the Pope.
"At the annual conference of the German
Catholic Mutual Benefit Association Of Min
nesota, held In st. Cloud in october, 1899,
II NduStu Il q" ~ SDRNN ~
bidding any loyal Catholic society to accept
as member a person who belonged to a
secret society. This increased the difficulty,
and thus ii is easily explained why l when
at Rome should 60 70 headquarters and see
how matters stood. The question had been
under consideration for over two years at
Rome. The proposition / submitted 10 the
holy father reads thus:
Most Holy Fathe:: Peter Rosen, a
priest Of the diocese OF st. Paul, Mimi,
U. s.. A, kneeling at the feet of your holi-
ness, In all humility, takes the liberty to
submit the following: In many dioceses OF
the United States of North America exist
clandestine societies whose members tcke a
oslemn oath that they will at no time and
to no one reveal anything In regard TO the
dOinFs- rituals and members Of their lodges.
There are especially three societies similar
In purpose. viz: Good Templars, odd Fell
lows and Knights of Pythias. These soci-
cites, as they commence their meetings with
prayers AMI apparently promote temperance
and charity toward their neighbor, are
judged differently by the church authorities.
In some places pastors give absolution to
members who present themselves for the re-
ception of the without asking
withdrawal from said societies, whereas in
other places dissolution Is most positively
refused. Now in order that an end may be
obtained in these difficulties In a matter OF
conscience. the undersigned hands herewith
to your holiness the rituals of the above
mentioned three societies and begs leave
to give a short synopsis of their contents.
"'First-As to the society called Good
Templars. The end of said society seems to
be praiseworthy, but I refer to their ritual.
On pages, IL, IA, 10, 81, %, "a, 81 and 80
are found prayers, hymns ard extracts from
Holy Scriptures. On page 65 Is n funeral
ceremony opposed to the Catholic spirit.
1.-THE other clandestine society called
the Odd Fellows has two grades, each Of
which has three degrees. The three degrees
Of the lower grade, symbolized by
A Chain Of Three Rings.
Are: Friendship, brotheriy love, truth. As
to friendship: The friendship existing be-
tween David and Jonathan Is held IN as
the model. As to brotherly love: The good
Samaritan is held up as the model to be NH
tated. and charity is to be learned only
from the lodge. As TO truth: The presid-
ing officer In this grade is called high
priest and the degree itself that of the
priestly order. As to the degrees of the
higher grade: They are of the patriarchal
degree, the degree Of the Golden Rule
the possessor of royal purple. The cere-
monies In these degrees are based rpon the
doings Of Abraham with Isaac and on i'm
aginary symbols. The Odd Fellows have
a Bible at their meetings, and maze use
Of prayers and religious hymns.
LAS to the Knights VI 's.i q. Their
work and doings are based ipon the myth
zeal orr ailegorical and symbol al friendship
which united Damon and Pythias, one OF
which was ready to sacrifice his life, as a
pledge of friendship, for the other. To the
imitation OF this example the members are
exhorted In such strong language that IL
is evident that not Christ and his precept
ought To influence the member in dong
good, but Damon, Pythias and Dyonisius
ought to be the models. Meetings Of this
society are opened and closed with prayers,
hymns Of a religious character are sung,
the Bible Is used and affairs. ,
Having called attention to these facts,
the undersigned most humbly asks that
your holiness deign TO decide whether these
societies can be Joined by Catholics and
their member receive abso ution or notY
$50 far the petition. The decision, as
promulgated by the holy zee, settles the
case forever, and each and every good
Catholic Is glad that the lines are drawn
and the DEGREES of the third plenary council
upheld. Vow all l care further to say 10
that the decree itself and It's execution Is
q matter which concerns the church alone
and not outsiders. Surely the church has
q right to decide who shall and who shall
not be her members. and In doing so uses
only an inherent right. She deals with
her children and not with outsiders "
matters Of faith and discipline"