The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-03-15
THE poPE's MESSAGE

Tho following interesting article re-
Gently appeared In tho New York Herald;
Pope loo XIII has Just issued jecrec
defining IN precise terms the tolsrntion
which may be extended 20 Catholic nem-
bcrs Of the orders Of odd Fellows. BonA
Of Temperance and knights of Pythias,
already condemned by the holy ONCE,
Tho decree IL the mos, important cir
culAr which has tmAnated from the holy
~ for several yeAra. Affecting. ~ Il
does. the interests OF all the Catholic
members Of the orders mentioned. who
arr said 10 number 10000
II In conveyed In the following letter.
addressed TO the various bishops hy Cor
dlna Satolli. for the express purpose Of
correcting any mirappfchcrnion that
may exist IN the minds Of memb'rs OF
the orders, relative 10 the attitude to-
ward them OF the holy father:
Apostolic Delegation. United States OF
America. Washington. y. C.. Feb. "a,
iytd- Your Grace Under date OF August
"a. 1895, received from the cardinal pre-.
feet OF propaganda Instructions regard
ting the application Of the well-known
decree OF the holy once condcmnlns the
three societies, Odd FellowA.' Knights
OF Pythiaa' and sons OF Temperance
According to these Instructions. which
communicated 10 your grace at the time.
the condemnation was 20 be considered
absolute. and wherever peculiar circum-
stances seemed TO merit special consid-
Grafton In peculiar cases tho matter was
20 he referred by the ordinary TO Rome
In consequence, many bishops have stree
that time sent eases 10 the propaganda,
which have been referred TO the holy
once for consideration The supreme
congregation. atetr elaboration of such
cases. has. by drcro dated January IS,
is5. determined on course which IL
explained by the words which | quote
from the decree itself:
"'QUarsltum fuit an reniota quRviH
ALA eLrumdcm sactarum parlcipatlone.
hoe Haitcm llcsat. bomen proprium In
nOciorum catalosih retincrt. necnon In
ptarfatAo taNat vel Aeris alieni salutlonc
sthto tcmpore perseverance. Quod du-
blum sane sfayiHNlmum. cum \. s. u. n.
Sacrae huic SupremAe Congregatipni
Commizerit enuclcandum. cRdem &. Con-
grcsauion, r. mature pvrpensa, respon-
dcLdum consult; Generatim loluend0 non
lictre; e ad mcntcm. Mems est quod
ca res iolorari poslet ssquentibus con-
duionlbus ct adjunctis stimuli In casu con-
currontibus. scillcct: !. 81 bona fide
guam sibi innotulsset socletatem fulssc
damnatam. 81 ahslt scandalum vel
opportuna rcmovateur declarations I'd a
~ nerl ne Jus ad emolumenta vel bene-
flcium tcmporis In acre Alicno solvendo
Rmittat. n quovis intcgycntu. etiam ma
tcriali. ut praemittitur. RbstlUendo. g.
81 grave damnum sibi Rut famillae In
renunciatione obveniRt g. Tafdem ut
non adsit vel hemini IN vel famillNe ejus
peiiculum pervcrsionis ex parte secta-
rorum. spectato praeclpue casu vel In
iirmitatis vel mortis. neve similitor adsit
periculum funeris pcragendi iitibus
Catholics alleni.
"Quae cum SSmo. Dno Papae Lconi
XIII. rclata fucrint. In totGm appro-
hRta et connrmata fuerunt. Ncrum cum
de re gravisslmaatuue periculoum 1t
dlfhcultatum pltnR agRtur quae pluri-
mas non modo dioccses sed ct provlnclas
rcclealasticas resplcit. idcm sSmus,
Dnus, n, jusslt ut unformis regulae
seryandae causa. caslbus, particularibus
Emin,ntia Tua ct In Apostolica Delega-
tione Euccessores providere possint'
Il beg Your grace to communicate the
above disposition OF the holy see as soon
as possible to pur sufIragans, and
through them to the confessors
with sentiments OF high at esteem and
fraternal charity
"CFor His Eminence the Apostolic Pro-
Delegatef
Most faithfully yours In Nto,
I'D, SDARRETTl, Auditor"
The following is fair literal transla-
tior OF the Latin decree:
ut was asked. whether or not all asso-
citation whatever with the stcts being
removed. would this at least be lawful.
viz. to allow ones name TO be retained
on the list OF membership and to pay his
respective dues at the appointed tlmeg
This most important question was sub
lnitted by his holiness TO this supreme
congregation for an answer. The con-
grogation, after mature doliberation,
judged Il proper TO answer as follows;
AS a general rule oit cannot b. per-
mitted, 1t may be tolerated, however,
provided the following four conditions
are verified in each case:
"'First-If the member Joined any OF
these societies In good faith aud before
their condemnation was mado known TO
him.
'Second-Provlded no scandal will oo-
cur and all danger OF such shall be re-
moved by timely declaration TO the
effect, that the member pays his dues so
NnaN nc may Not ht hNplANNN VI NhV hSAl-
ents accruing therefrom. The member
must, however in the meantime abstain
from all association or oommlngling Of
any character with these sects.
"rhlrd-The renunclation must entail
upon himself or his family notable and
serious loss.
'Fourth-There must not he any dan
ger OF loss of faith. either for the man
himself or for his family, arising from
the sects, especially with regard to the
circumstances of sickness or death, and
every possibility OF funeral rites foreign
to the Catoic ritual must be removed
"These conditions, when they were
made known to his holiness, were fully
approved and confirmed. Since, how
ever, the question is a most grave one
and replete with difficulties and dangers,
and one which affects not only many
dioceses but also ecclesiastical provinces,
| the holy father. to the end that uni
| form rule should be observed, orders that
In particular cases your emlnence and
your successors In the apostolic delega-
/ tto, shau haVe inriadiCtiOn