The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-28
O'CONNELL SPEAKS
ON ANBRICANlSM
Special Correspondence Of The Call and
q New York Herald.

q New York Herald.
~ ONE March 10.-I have been for
~ tunate enough to have long talk
n to-day with Monsignor O'Connell,
| | formerly rector of the North Amer
lean College, who is an intimate
friend of MonSignor Ireland and of Mon
signor Keane, who has always been one
of the most fervent apostles of American
list doctrines. / wished to know what was
the Interpretation that this prelate gave
to the letter of the Holy Father on Amer
icanism, and the opinions he was kind
enough to give me on this subject are all
the more valuable inasmuch as they may
be considered as a reflection of the opin-
ions of the Archbishop of ST. Paul and of
the high dignitaries of the Catholic
church in the United States who have
embraced the doctrines of Father Hecker.
1.-The question: he said to me, lis not
as obscure or as complicated as 1t may
appear at first sight The confusion
which has arisen is due entirely to the
passions which have been stirred up
around 1t, in Europe more than anywhere
else. Heckersm has been COMPOUNDED
with Americanism-that is to say, they
are two things standing entirely without
the other, and one may disappear with
out the other, the other ceasing to exist. "
HAS not the Pope's letter condemned
them alp"
ION the contrary, 1t condemned certain
theories formulated by Father Hecker,
but it cannot be said that 1t absolutely
reproved Heckerism as a whole. If one
wishes to be more precise, it may be said
the Pope has censured the exaggerations
which Father Heckers biographers in
troduced into his doctrine, which were
condemned by Americanists themselves
long before the august word of the Holy
Father had enlightened them, but the
fundamental work of Father Hecker re-
mains intact, and the Pope's letter recog-
niZes it's legitimacy as far as the Paullst
fathers are concerned
Then you do not think that the Paul
list fathers were condemned "
ut does not become me TO Judge
limit myself to reading and meditating
on what the Holy Father has written.
If there are persons who prefer to unite
in a society without binding themselves
by vows there is no obstacle in the way
of their following their vocation, for this
manner of living is not new in the ira
ditions of the church and is not repre-
hensible. Only they must refrain from
placing this conception of community life
in antagonSm to other religious orders.
That is what the Holy Father has writ
ten You see, therefore, that the Paulist
fathers may live and prosper with the
appreciation of the church and the Holy
Father"
But they may not assume a position
antagOnistic TO religious orders?
You have put your finger on the knot
of the controversy. Those who in Amer
lea set out to exaggerate the tendencies
of Heckerism before letting it be, judged
in Europe and those who from this side
of the Atlantic regard it with European
prejudice said: 'Americanists combat our
religious orders, which they consider as
the creation of the middle ages. They re-
proach monastic vows with suppressing
individuality anu consequently they at
tempt to destroy what Europe considers
an essentially religious institution Con-
seuuently they are heretics.
But this reasoning is founded on false
premises. In the united States, there eX-
lists nothing descended from the middle
ages What therefore, is the good OF
thinking of destroying what does not eX-
list. The product of that soil is eXcIu-
sively indigenous and contemporary;
everything springs forth spontaneously
from the customs and spirit o. the age
and tends TO form institu ,ons appropr1-
ate 10 the people and to our time, ana not
to overthrow what has never taken root
s'The conclusion is plain. The letter Of
the Holy Father reproves those who deny
the good and legitimacy of European re-
ligious orders. and Americans have no
kind of reason to feel under the ban OF