Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-24
WARNING OF
POPE LEO
A Letter Sent Out by Him to
Cardinal Gibbons.
THE CHURCH in AMERICA
Liberty of Action Does Not Mean
License to Disregard the Teach
ings of the Vatican.
THE CHURCH in AMERICA

Baltimore, Nd, Feb. 23.-The approved
translation of the pope's letter to Cardl-
nal Gibbons, giving the papal views OIL
"Americanism,' heretofore covered py
only the Associated Press cable dis
patches, was made public today. HIS
holiness, commenting on the controversy
which has grown out of the French trans
lation of the life of the late Father Heck
err, founder of the society of Paulists, a
distinctly American order, avs the rule
of life laid down for Catholics by the
vatican council is not of such a nature
that it cannot accommodate itself TO the
eXigencies of various times and places.
The church has at all times been What
st. Paul said to himself: Il become all
things to all men that 1 might save all.
In regard to the ways of living,
the church has been accustomed to SO
yield that, the divine principles of morals
being kept intact, h has never neglect
ed to accommodate herself to the char
acter and genius of the nations which
she embraces. But, continues the let
ter, in this present matter, there Is
great danger and manifest opposition
to Catholic doctrine and discipline III
the opinion of the lovers of novelties
that allowances should be made to the
faithful, each one to follow out more
freely the leading of his own mind ana
the trend of his own proper activity
Such reasoning is evidently faulty. NO
one should wish to depart from the IN
fallible teaching authority of the churcn.
The c~onfounding of license with liberty
the passion of discussing and pouring
contempt upon any possible subject, the
assumed right to hold whatever opinions
one pleases upon any subject and to set
them forth in print to the world. nave SC
wrapped minds in that there Is
now a greater need of the churchs teach
ing than ever before lest people become
unmindful both of conscience and OF
duty.
The pope says that while he believes
there was no thought of wrong or guile
in the opinions of Father Hecker, yet
they certainly merit some degree OF
suspicion, and he proceeds to point out
at length those opinions which he re-
CARDS as inimical to the church authorl-
ties. Regarding the fact that the Paul
lists are not required to a any specla
VOWS and that they believe that the re-
ligious life is either entirely useless or OF
little service to the church, besides belns
injurious to the religious orders, the pop
remarks that such cannot be the oplnlol
of anyone who has read the annals of tn
church. Did not your country, tn
\ iAitO' hNINSt'
both of faith and of culture to children o
these religious families? To one of whom
but very lately, a thing greatly to you
praise, you have decreed that a statut
be publicly erected
Further along, however, the pope say
that if there be those who prefer
form a body without the obligations c
VOWS, let them pursue such a cours'
but let them be careful not to set sue
a state above the religious orders. II
suggests that those who teach Catholic
ism as interpreted by Father Hecker b
} set apart by the authority of the bishop
for he thinks there are many American
} who are separated from Catholicism b
ignorance and who might be drawn I
} the church if this truth was set befol
them in a friendly and familiar way. Tf
pope, while finding himself unable to al
prove of the views which &C to make U
'Americanism," yet takes no eXceptlo
to the name and observes that if the do'
trineS adverted to are not exalted the
could be no doubt that the bishops
America would be the first to condem
! them.
New York, Feb. 24.-The Times say
The letter of the pope to Cardinal Gibbol
on the subject of .'Americanism" did n,
: surprise the Paulist fathers of this cit
1t was characteristic as cOndemning I
doctrine which they held, they say, ar
casting no imputation upon the disloyal'
to the Roman Catholic church. The la
Father Hecker, they say, had only
know any teaching of the Catholic churt
to instantly submit to it,.
. Speaking in their names, 1 may Sc
Z that the Paulist fathers feel and act Xix
Z wise," said Father A. p. Doyle.
5 DO you feel that the letter of the pc
, has been at all a disappointment to you
z he was asked.
"Not in anv sense - he repIjed "It do
) not touch U.S."