The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-01
BISHOP BECKER SUSTAINED.
PREFECT or THE PROPAGANDA
WRITES FROM ROME Up
HOLDING HIM.

The Revolt by Members of the Secu-
lar Clergy FOiIed-The bishops
Action in Giving Certain Churches
over to the MariSt Fathers In
dOrscd.
Bishop Becker Of the Roman Catholic
diocese Of Savannah is in receipt of a COM
municauon from Rome. signed boy the
Cardinal project OF the propaganda, Car
dinal NJ Ledochowski. bearing upon the
recent revolt by certain members Of the
secular clergy Of the diocese against the
division Of the territory as mapped out by
the bishop
The bishop is upheld in all his actions
and this will put an end 70 the complaints
that have been made.
The project of the propaganda, who has
under his guidance the entire manage
ment of the church in this country, APP
proves the action taken by Bishop Beck
er in giving over to the Marist fathers the
churches Of St Peter and St Paul in At
lanta, as well as the church OF St. Francis
Xavier in Brunswick, and the missions at
Jached 70 it.
All protests made against the bishops
action is thereby set aside and the work
OF the diocese will continue as laid out by
the bishop. This action has been taken
authoritat.vely, and seems to put an end
20 the complaints advanced by some Of
the secular clergy.
1t was expected by many Of the church.
men Of this city that the matter would
end in this way The bishop has been up
held in all his actions in dividing the ter
ritory of the church in the diocese, and
the dissenting members of the secular
clergy, who brought the complaints, will
have no appeal There is no recourse left
them after the decision which comes di-
rect from Rome.
II will be remembered that the revolt
against the bishop was sent to the apos-
tolic delegate at Washington some time
ago, a full report of such action having
been printed in the Morning News. The
charges against the bisnop were that he
had gone about the division of the
church's territory without consulting the
wishes of the members or the clergy and
that he had made it practically mpossl~
BILE for the secular clergy to earn a living
by the way he had deprived them of their
rightful patronage.
The claim was made that the bishop
was recluse and student and that he
had not approached the secular clergy in
manner which was proper. 1t was
charged that he had allowed certain
churches to be given entirely over to the
orders, and that he had not consulted the
best interests of the church in his plan of
division.
1t was charged that he had taken GER
tain of the clergy out of the places they
had been holding and had put them where
il was impossible for them to earn a live
lihood. All of these charges were brought
against the bishop in the paper of the
secular clergy who revolted.
Bishop Becker did not receive any com
munication from the apostolic delegate to
whom IL was claimed the letter was sent
making the complaints, but received "A
letter from the project Of the Propaganda
in which he was assured that his actions
in the division OF the diocese were upheld
by the authorities at Rome
The affair has aroused a great deal of
interest among Catholics of this section
of the south. 1t was believed by many
that the visit of Archbishop Gross of ore
gon to Savannah had much TO do with the
complaints against the bishop. Archbishop
Gross was at one time bishop of this do
cese and was exceedingly popular in
church circles. His recent visit TO Georgia
resulted in great ovation 10 him by his
old friends and acquaintance. Nobody
however, Joined in the reception to the
Archbishop of Oregon with more sincere
cordially than did Bishop Becker himself.
The decision of the authorities Of the
powers in Rome regarding the revolt of
the secular clergy will be read with inter-
est by all Catholics.