Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1896-12-04
ROMAN CATHOLICS AND FREE
MASONRY.

N q oderate Speeches aud Divided Coun.
sells Ia an Anti.masonic Congress.
The Vienna correspondent to
the Times, writing on the Both
September, gives the following:
The International Anti-Ma-
sonic Congress, which was open
ed at Trent on Saturday last, pro-
misses to be a fasco. 1t hardly
needs to bo recalled that the ini-
tiative came from the Vatican. A
committee of feryent Catholics,
for the most part laymen, have
organized an international move.
ment against Freemasonry, which
craft has been regarded as a
danger for the Church and for
Catholicism ever since its con-
demnstion by Pope Benedict
XIV.
The scheme for holding the
present Congress has been spe-
cially commended by the Pope,
and by the Vicar General IN the
name of his holiness. No pains
have been spared to make it rs
impressive as possible, the Church
of the Catholic seminary at Trent
having been specially adapted for
its sittings. Yet, notwithstand-
ing all efforts to further the object
in view, it has failed to fulfil the
expectation of it's promoters.
About 1,500 persons applied for
tickets of admission. The Ultra
montane Press stated that the list
of those present would include
Count Falkenhayn, Vice President
OF the Austrian Chamber of Peers,
Prince Schwarzenberg, Prince AL
fred Liechtenstein, Prince Hohen-
lobe, Count Richard Belcredi, and
other prominent members OF the
aristocracy. AS a mat
ter of fact, however, only 800
have attended the Congress, and
of those more than 600 are in
holy orders. The lay element,
which it was hoped would be
is but scantily repre-.
sented. No fewer than 28 Arch
bishops and Bishops promised to
but only II have put in an
The Grand Master
of the Ancient and Venerable
Order of the knights of st. John
of Jerusalem, Fra Baptist Ceschi
Santa Croce, who resides at Trent,
is conspicuous by his absence, as
is the case with a large number Of
other persons of rank, who have
themselves with send
ing letters and kilograms of ad-
herence. The Cardinal Arch
bishop Of Salzburg, Mgr. Halter,
who was to have taken the chair
at the plenary gatherings, was not
there on the opening day, and the
congress consequently elected as
their president Prince Charles
Lowenstein, head of the younger
line of that once sovereign house
which descends from scion of
the Royal House of Bavaria.
The proceedings were accord
ingly opened by Prince Lowen-
stein, assisted by the Bishop of
Trent, Mgr. Valussi. The intro
ductory speech of the latter closed
with cheer for the Blessed
Virgin, to which the assembly
with enthusiastic cries
of "Evviva Mariaw The Bishop
spoke in Italian and Prince Low
in French. AS about 600
of the congress come
from Italy the proceedings were
carried on almost entirely in Ital-
ian, though a few of the orators
spoke in French and even Ger
man. The tenor of the speeches
mas Deen In most cases compare
lively moderate. Freemasonry
has been ruthlessly attacked as
to Divine law and special
DEGREES of the church. Every
thing hostile to individuals has
been disapproved of by the majo-
rity of the congress. ave must
hate error" said Bishop Valussi,
"but we must love the erring."
A Polish prelate who INDUCED in
certain structures on the Govern
ment of Russian Poland was in
terrupted by the chairman and
not allowed to continue. 1t has
been resolved, besides other
things, that wherever the Freema-
sons have founded charitable in