The Irish standard., 1899-03-04
WHAT Is AMERlCAF1SM2

We publish today on another page the
full text Of the Popc's apostolic letter to
Cardinal Gibbons. After perusing it
from beginning to end VIC have come to
the conclusion that the great Leo must
have received false ideas concerning the
Catholic Church in the United States
He seems to be laboring under the I'M
preston that the church in this country
is somewhat more liberal in its teachings
than it is elsewhere, when the fact is that
in no country in the world is the church
OF which he is the supreme head more
orthodox than in this republic of the
west He refers to the life OF FIR. Heck
err, the founder OF the Paulist order.
which has been translated into French
and condemned by Able Maignen, and
devotcs paragraph to "Americanism"
without specifying what it really is. On
this topic he says:
From the foregoing it is manifest be-
loved son, that we are not able to give
approval to those views which. in their
collective sense, are called by some
'Americanisn' But if by this name are
to be understood certain endowmcnts Of
mind which belong to the American pco-
pic, just as other characteristics belong
to various other nations, and if, more
over. by it is designated your political
condition and the laws and customs by
which you are governed, there is no rea-
son to take exception to the name. But
ii this is to be so understood that the
doctrines which have been adverted to
above are not only indicated, but exalted,
there can be no manner OF doubt that
our venerable brethren, the bishops Of
America, would be the first to repudiatc
and condemn it as being most injurious
to themselves and to their country. For
it would give rise to the suspicion that
there are among you some who conceive
and would have the church in America
to be different from what it is in the rest
Of the world"
First, as to the life OF Fl. Hecker.
That was written in English by Rev.
Walter Elliot with All introduction by
Archbishop Ireland. and Archbishop Cor
rigan, OF New York, gave it his imprima-
tur. Until recently no theologian ever
suspected any heterodoxy in the book.
The great Paulist was considered holy
man and an obcdient son Of the church
during his lifetime. He was convert
to Catllolicity and all American by birth,
and the aim OF the religious order he
established by permission OF the Holy See
was to bring into the fold the other
sheep" that were cropping in the darkness
of Protestant doubt and inhdelity. He
founded the Catholic World and edited
it with skill and ability for some twenty
years. the same as his biographer is do
ing at the present time. The members
OF his order arc highly educated priest:
and give missions to educated Protestants
in various parts OF the country. They
think that Protestants should understand
the tcnets OF the Catholic faith and the,
appeal to their intelligence and invite
questions from them relative to what the
church believes and teaches. In this re
spcct they are different from the mission
aries OF other religious orders and theil
plan may be called "a new departure If
the propagation OF the faith. Unlike thu
members of other orders, the Paulist:
make no vows of poverty or other form
OF mere abstention. That may accoun
in large measure for the adverse criti
cism OF Fr. Hecker's life by the French
able. 1t appears that the pope does no
condemn it, and with due Difference to hi:
holiness, his long encyclicai seems to III
to be much ado about nothing"