The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1900-02-08
ate mint in Girard. You will want his
municipal ownership edition.
r. A. T.


The Editor of . Leading Catholic Pa
per Protests Against Priests. and
Bishops Becoming Political Leaders.
We find the following very able article
in the last issue of the Chippewa Falls
Catholic Sentinel. It will meet the ap-
proval of men of all denominations.
1t is painful to read the appeals made by
them from falling under the rule of the
friars. There must be some truth in these
reports. SO many people would not join
In condemning those eeclesiastics II there
was no underlying cause. We think, there
FORE the church would GAIN instead of lose
in prestige, If she took the matter into
her own hands and probed the scandal to
its source.
The church always suffers by the inter-
ference OF her clergy in politics. Christ
tells us his kingdom is not OF this world,
and his servants should, therefore, busy
themselves about their Lords work, and let
the filthy business of this worlds affairs
alone. To cast his vote privately is, we
believe, as far as Catholic divine should
go. When he goes on the stump and
breaches politics we hold he is going out
OF is true sphere of action Sand out of
his true sphere of usefulness. 1t was dab
bling in politics by her servants that
brought the church in Mexico so low. 1t
was priests in politics" that destroyed
the churchs power in all the South Ameri-
can republics; that reduced the church to
state of servitude in every government
there from Panama to Patagonia. 1t was
the pursuit of politics by her prelates that
destroyed the church in England and put
defy the pope. Every English bishop arch
bishop and abbot in those days was
temporal lord who led his dependents to
battle, and forgot that he was a servant of
Christ. while imbruing his hands in the
blood OF some fellow creature. He did not
pause to consider that though the vengeance
of God is slow, 1t is always sure, and will
come in the end.
The same causes produced the same re-
suits in France The conduct of the &C.
clesiastics in that country reused the pas
sions OF the people, gave free scope to the
attacks of the philosophers, and made the
sting of their sarcasms enter into the flesh,
and as everybody knows brought on the
revolution.
1t is like spirit of intrigue today that
is giving power to the leaders of that ma
ton to make war upon the church. Does
anybody believe that If the French clergy
followed the footsteps of the Savior, and
attended only to the things that are Gods
the rulers of the republic would be able to
bring the French people to make war upon
the church We do not believe it. Does
anybody suppose that if the Italian prelates.
had given their time to prayer and the
|sduties of their religion, in the years be-
fore the revolution in Italy, the poor char
coal burners (carbonarD would have en-
tered into plots for their destruction. Does
anyone suppose Cardinal Vaughan did the
church any good by his political platitudes
in favor OF the British government in
South Africa the other day? On the con-
trary he has raised a storm among the
Irish in England, who form more than
nine tenths of the Catholics in that coun-
try which neither he nor his successors
will ever be able to lay. His claim that
England has a right to rule the Beers and
the Irish, just she pleases, will return
upon the church with tenfOld vengeance
wnen the cardinal will be rotten in his
grave Even here in America the church
has suffered and is suffering by the i'm
prudent utterances of some Catholic &C.
clesiastics whose vanity will not let them
rest in peace and in the love of their peo-
pie. Do. they not know that when they
call upon their hearers to vote for Nc
of many of their flock and set inquiries on
people should do in temporal matters? Let
them remember further that if the church
suffers in her rights, or her freedom, they
are the chief instruments in bringing about
such evils, evils which all Catholics de-
plore. There never was time when the
fathers of the church should be more wary,
and more circumspect, for there never was
time when infidelity was wide spread
and so far-reaching among all classes of
men. Therefore churchmen should be wise
as serpents and harmless as doves. Loud
mOuthed preachers are like billiards. they
can do much harm but good.