Evening star., 1898-12-24

church in this country. The first is from
the congregation Of the index. and states
tna bw Rey the and Ths Of
seph's Church, Rpralg n. T.. has been
placed under the ban Of the church, and
the author is in Angeg Of ex-communica-
tion unless he retfacts his errors.
The second refers to the funeral services
Of Roman Catholics who have Joined Ma
sonic orders, and y by far the most liberal
utteranee which Rome has yet made on
this subject. The latter decree allows
priest to ohciate,- and permits the inter-
ment to be in consecrated ground provided
the deceased was not openly hostile to the
church and expressed al some time. even If
indirectly, willingness to become recon-
ciled to his former faith. This decree will
end long-standing grievance concerning
catholic ceremonies at the burial Of those
who had become affiliated with the pre-
scribed orders, others giving the full rites
Oh tne cnurcn under similar circumstances.
cline is the first book written by an Amer
lean to fall under the ban of the index. 1t
mas peen an ecclesiastical sensation for
the last three months, not only in this
country. but also in Europe The decadence
OF spain and of all the Latin countries
Is Is attriputed by Father Zurcher to the in
nuence and power of the monks, and he
hints that the United States should sup
press all the orders if it hopes to preserve
sions.
parish in Buffalo. He is an Alsatian by
birth, but has lived in New York for many
years. He Is considered a brilliant man.
he mas always been champion of the liberal
school Of American Catholicism.
In their appeal to the Methodists of
America for s20O00,OOO, the bishops of that
denomination explain that they take this
action at this time, since it is impossible
LOT the general conference to take it, as 1t
does not meet until 1900. The bishops
make an interesting inventory of Methodist
financial capabilities, saying that they hold
church property having a total value of
Sll6OOO,oOO, educational property worth
s2s,OOO,OOO, give s23,OOOOOO each year for
support and extension Of Christian work
under Methodist control, and have individ-
ual incomes aggregating $500, ,0OO, 600 year.
on the basis of these possessions the bish-
ops think it not at all excessive to ask
Methodists and their friends to contribute,
over and above their regular offerings, the
sum of s20,0OO,GOO during the three years be-
ginning the 1st of January next. The pur-
poses which the bishops name to which the
1und Is to be devoted are $100O0,0OO to
church and educ ltional endowment and
dent and S1O0OO,OOO to charitable causes.
The appeal has been out but short time,
yet already individual trustees, confer
ences and other official bodies are acting in
the matter. Methodsts are welcoming the
suggestion very generally in all directions.
Whle IN Washington recently Archbishop
ireland was asked TO say what he thought
oi various proposed missionary movements
winch are contemplated by different reli-
slous bodies in the United States. His an
sWer, in part, was:
The people will soon realize that 1t is
tnelr DUTY to support religion by voluntary
ana personal contributions. In the greater
number of parishes, moreover church prop
ert1es yield ample revenue to meet all ex-
penses. The church everywhere in our new
possessions is thoroughly organized. 1t
wears no missionary or experimental as
pect, but has the full form and the full
strength of complete organization, and is
well prepared to care for all her interests
without the help Of state or charitable aid.
II demands no favor, no privileges; naught
put liberty and legal protection of the ma
uonal and civil rights of It's members
Certain people who talk of those terri
tories as fields for missionary efforts from
the United States do not know what they
are talking about. They might with as
much purpose organize missions for the
conversion of the Catholics of Washing
ton as for the conversion of the Catholics
OF Santiago Havana or San Juan, and their
labors would have as much prospect of sue
cess In Washington as In the cities of Cuba
and Porto Rico.
Cuba and Porto Rico form an ecclesias-
teal province, with the archbishop of San
tiago as metropolitan, and suffragan bish-
ops at San Juan and Havana. This prov
lnce Will take Its place in the American
hierarchy, just as do the province of Bal
timore and that Of st. Paul, making the
United States. and bringing to our Catholic
populations an addition of $500, ,OOO not to
talk OF the islands in the Pacific, So what
ever else will come to America from the
late war considerable increase of numbers
and power will come from it to the Catholic
Church."
Rev. Courtland P. Smith, pastor of Trinity
NJ r. Church South. Laurel who was re-
Gently transferred from Baltimore to the
Louisiana conference by Bishop Cranberry.
received telegram few days ago from
Bishop H. c. Morrison of the latter con-
terence, now in session at Mansfield, La,
informing him that he had been accented
and appointed pastor of the church at
Jeanerette on the Southern Pacific railway.
100 miles west of New Orleans, in the ex-
treme southern part of the state. Mr.
smith asked for location in Louisiana On
account of his health. The Rev. J. K. TIL
lery will succeed the Rev. Mr. Smith at
Laurel, taking charge the 1st of January
He has been transferred from the North
Carolina conference to the Baltimore con-
ference, in order to take the temporary an
pofntment at Laurel. The Baltimore CON
ference meets March %.
At a recent meeting Of the Presbyterian
All!ance, held at the Church of the Cove
nant. the following statement was given hv
Rev. DR.. Easton: *"rbe church which 7
have the honor to serve as pastor desires
me to repeat it's gratitude for all it has re-
celved from this alliance. The entire cost
or the plant known as the Eastern Pres
byterian Church was $73,7l5. This alliance
paid toward this enterprise $1,000 for lots
and $1,000 for interest on loans, making n
total Investment Of 300. Business men
nave the right to know if it has paid what
has been done and what the church is now
doing The answer we give to the investors
is as follows: There has passed through
the treasury Of the church during the past
hve years to.al amount Of s66,5l7. During
the same period the Ladies' Aid Society
gave (of this cum) from varied efforts Sc, 712.
The Sunday school gave s2,371 and this
the city, numbering an actual membership
of 716. The active membership of the
church is AS.
''The accessions for the five years have
been: By confession, 245. and by certifi-
cate, 2l2, total Of 457. Baptisms, adults.
60; infants, IS. The pastoral calls for the