The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-24

memory of a wild theorizer, shameless
writer from the obscurity of a grave that had
for three centuries closed upon its disgrace
These men, backed by mere brute force, have
set upon pedestal in the holy city statue OF
the infamous Bruno.
''Such proceeding is palpable and fragrant
outrage, not alone upon the Catholics, but
upon the whole Christian world. Its animus Is
clear in the unchristien and defiant language
employed, in the unveiling of the statue OF a
man whose whole life breathed cowardice,
pride and defiance of lawfully constituted
authority.
'Their attempt is not so much to honor
Bruno as to insult and Willy the vicar of
Christ and his devoted children throughout
the world. 1t is proper that the Christian
world and especially this portion where the
term religious freedom is understood in
sober, Christian sense. should brand with their
indignant scorn an action such as this
Rome's attitude toward free thought, free
speech and free press is the same now
ever. Do you know that there is a movement
on loot to throttle the entire press of this coun
try? You cannot now find paper where one
or two Jesuits are not employed. 1t may be
news to you when say that in Washing top
the Romish church owns nearly twelve mil
lion dollars worth of untaxed property, or
more than all the other churches combined.
This is nearly all squeezed from the clerks.
In the Pension Department on paydays two
nuns tand ct the door, and off goes the official
head of the clerk who refuses to recognize
them in some way.
1t makes little or no difference what power
is in-whether it is grandfathers hat or
growers fat-It is all the same. Under Harri-
son high official was permitted TO send q tug
to meet Mons. Satolli, when that gentleman
was paying his first visit to this country. Why
was this done? Simply to influence the Cath
Ollie VOTE
Do you doubt this? Can it be that you are
Ignorant OF the TACT that Catholics are in
vote? If you are, then / have here an eye
opener in the shape of letter from Arch
bishop Corrigan to all the priests OF his diocese.
This letter reads:
NEwApR n Sent 2 1879
Reu. and Dear Sir: Having taken legal ad
vice am informed that by the new eonstitu-
tional amendments clerical property is liable
to taxation. This would involve heavy adj
dltional burden to the diocese, and l instruct
you to instruct your people to strike out the
Objectionable clause or to make assurance
doubly sure let them strike out the whole
ballot.
1t is not enough to abs tain from voting, let
them vote and vote against the amendment.
MICHAEL, Bishop of Newark.
This letter became public property in a very
peculiar way. 1t was sent to a German priest
and marked Confidential" He read it to
mean "confide in all" and forthwith hunted
up a reporter.
The problem of education is one of the most
stupendous we have to contend with: Catho-
lies arc opposed to our system. When the
Romish Church raises its hand against our
system of public schools she does it against
one of our National institutions.
Romes teachers are childless priests and
hooded nuns-people who are forbidden to
know any thing of love. l quote from book
called Olives of the Saints one of their
standard works. Let me briefly entertain
you.
The first quotation make is found on page
Al and the incident is related Of st. Fra ncis of
Asst:
Once at st. Mary's they offered ST. Francis a
sheep. He received it gratefully because OF the
simplicity and innocence of this animal. He
warned it to be careful in praising God and to
keep from offending its brethren The sheep, as
If 1t could understand the tender pity which burned
in the saint followed his advice most carefully
N 10
went TO the church, bent the knee and bleated be-
fore the altar OF our lady the mother of the Lamb
OF God, thus 20 pay her devotion. AT holy mass
during the elevation it Frustrated itself if to
shame undevout men and 10 invite the good TO
deeper reverence for this sacrament OF love-
Now am going to show you where the NOR
atty comes IN:
''Alexius, the only son of rich nobleman, on
reaching his maturity, married a lady of high
rank. On his wedding day the saint was in
spired to mortify and overcome himself and
the world in a hitherto unheard of manner.
Accordingly when evening came the husband
OF a few hours visited his bride in her chamber,
bearing costly presents, which he desired her
TO retain as token OF his love and esteem;
then, without hint of his intentions, left the
room and the house and stole away to the near
est port and took ship for distant city. He
exchanged clothes with beggar, whose means
of subsistence he also adopted, and devoted
his spare time to prayer and ascetic practices.
"Aiter spending some years in this pious way,
Alek1us, in obedience TO another intimation
from heaven, undertook to complete the SUBJ
1uSdlIOu OI Inc ueSl III d manner Stlll more eX
traordinary. He returned to his native city
and proceeded to his former home. Meeting
his father. who, accompanied by retinue of
servants, was just coming from his residence,
the saint fell on his knees aud asked for an
hum bic shelter.
1.-THE nobleman, not recognizing in the ragged
beggar before him his own son, granted the
quest, and a servant assigned to Alexius a cor
ner under stairway in the princely mansion
to which he had been the destined heir.
"Ensconced in this habitation, which he
never left. eyceDJ to to church nd to beg
his seanty food, the saint passed seventeen
years in severe penanee. During this long
period he often saw his stricken parents and
The deserted wife, who resided with them, and
witnessed their grief and often heard their
lamentations over the mysterious disappear
ance OF the son and husband, but nothing
could shake his constancy
1.-The Lord manifested his approval of such
heroic virtue by many great favors (what
these favors were we are not told) and at
length when his servant, having been sufi-
GENTLY tried, sent him due notice OF his APP
preaching death.
"Alexius wrote out his history and with the
document rolled up in his hand, peacefully
expired, kneeling on the floor under the stair
way. At the same moment mass was in prog
ress in neighboring church; a heavenly voice
interrupted the service to proclaim the death
OF the great saint in the nobleman's palace
The nobleman happened to be present and in
answer to the estonished inquiries replied thai
none other could be meant than the ppious beg.
gar whom he had so long harbored.
1.-THE multitude hurried to the spot to find
the dead body in kneeling POSTURE the hand
clinching parchment so tightly that no force
could release it til the nobeman on his knees
obtained from the saint remember he was
dead) the privilege of reading the precious
document And so the identity of the beggar
came to light"
And this stuff is taught to children by
church which has the audacity to criticise our
public schools.
Dr.. Weninger, from whose work, '"The Lives
OF the Saints" l have taken these beautiful
stories, may possibly believe them himself
For the sake of his conscience hope he does,
but for the sake of his understand ing l hope
he does not.
1t is not denied that some useful knowledge
is acquired in these parochial schools; but the