The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-13
rCIRCULAR NO. IL

people been offered more uncharitable,
unholy reading than contained in the
..Leary and the Friars' editorial The
lusty hog noses out from gutter and
cesspool delectable morsels. How could
q literary gentleman so act under the
sensitive nostrils of his fellow citizens9
Bigotry is his only excuse.
He is dishonest, because he collects
everything bad said of the friar and
avoids all the good spoken of him. The
many words of praise given the friars
must have left some impression as they
passed before his eyes. If he had not
determined to make a case against
them he should have told few of the
redeeming qualities which are conceded
to them. Let us recall what some re-
liable men have related FRANK
KARUTH, not Catholic. wrote in a
U. S. Consular report 1.-THE Spanish
priests, friars of strict Orders, came to
the Islands. for aye and good, and with
scarcely an exception, do their duties
faithfully and devotedly." MRS NOR
RELL, an American, admiring the
friars, says: II was born Protestant
but hereafter l shall have more char
ity for all who profess to love religion,
whatever may be their creed. MIR.
MeMICKING, another Protestant, tells
us, Most of the priests I came in con-
tact with appeared to be thoroughly
convinced of and faithful to their re-
ligion in its purity" HON. JOHN BAR
RETT, u. S. Minister. adds "(The
friars) numbering nearly 1900 they in
clude many men of great ability, noble
character and wide knowledge. The
majority are faithful to their vows, and
the few who backslide are of mixed
blood or natives" Christianity has
rarely been more advantageous to it's
followers than here among the Philip
pine Islanders" says w. r. PAL
GRAVE, Protestant, in the Scientific
American. Reclus, in his Geographic
Universalle QS75), informs US: THE
Filipinos are among the most civilized
people of the far East. They were civ
ilized by the friars." Again, 1.-THE
Spaniards, who have raised the moral
level of the Filipinos, are the friars."
He gives, besides these few lines, page
RECLUS, anyhow? Only the worlds
greatest astronomer, traveller and geo.
grapher. He is a free thinker an an
praise he gives might be magnified, and
yet not half the truth be told. But why
oppose a miserable Frenchmans knowl-
edge to the God-like ken of an Ameri-
can editor! Mr. Bryan J. Clinch. of San
Francisco, has, in The Catholic Quar-
terly of April last, laid bare the malig-
nifty of those who abuse the monks. The
bifurcated scissors wielder of the Rec
ord-Union could have clipped the above
and hundreds of such extracts, but he
would not-he was dishonest
The writer in the Quarterly Review
Is not devout Catholic, but such as
shame the title Catholic He hates the
Spanish friar and his charges are born
of that hate. When this cutlery about
the immortality of the monks became
popular, the friars demanded that the
Spanish home government make a thor
ough investigation. The charge was at
once relegated to oblivion. Our Flag
was scarce unfurled before a mob of
PROSECUTING pirates descended, like
wolves, on the Philippine fold. The
shepherds-the friars, were there, how
ever, and defeated the purpose of those
religious fanatics. Then, one HYKES,
mounting their virulent frothings, re-
peated the coarse calumnies of the rem
egade, SALA, with added coarser epith-
cts, begotten of insensate rage Yet it
is shameful fact that these promoters
of scandal and discord tell a lartial
truth. Catholics know we'll that there
are immoral friars-priests who have
make-belieye wife, spurious children
and mock mother-in-law, etc. But.
thank God! these monstrosities are not
in the convent at Guam, not in the
monasteries of the Philippines, nor in
any institution Of the Catholic Church.
The Record-Union searchlight could
have discovered this breed of
priests right at home, but they
are preaching morality-not from
Catholic pulpits. Had the Rec
ord Union moral essayist hurled his
splenic invectives at this class of de-
formed or reformed friars, truth could
be on his side, though it might be well
to hold ones nose whilst the matter
was being discussed. But that was too
much to expect of a man of his mental
caliber, for, evidently, he loves the
weeds tossed over the Popes garden
wall-loves them, apparently, for the
harm they do the Catholic Church.
Our people should handle Papers
which contain articles of the "Leary-
friars" kind with a tongs and outside
their household, if possible
print this Circular No. /, as a gentle
protest against the defamation OF our
religion and as a mild hint to dis
gruntled Catholics, by courtesy, that
the Cathedral priests are still alive
have somewhat of "a kick left in them.
This circular will be sent to all priests
in Northern California with the request
that they have it published in the local
journals. JOHN F. QUINN.
Pastor.