The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-20
POPE LEO is SATISFIED
HE PREFERS AMERICANS To CON-
troll THE PHILIPPINES.
Archbishop Ireland Relates an Inter
view He Had with the Head
Of the Catholic Church.

NEW YORK, Oct. 19.-Archbishop Ire
land, in conversation to-day touching the
sentimental attitude towards the Catholic
Church in the Philippines and Cuba, re-
marked that he felt quite willing to repeat
what was recently said to him in Rome on
the subject. He said he did so the more
readily that the eminent persons with
whom he had the honor of conversing
showed themselves to be in no way unwill-
ing to have the statements made by them
become public. The archbishop said:
In one of the audiences which he gra-
ciously granted me the Pope said: We
are well pleased with the relations of the
American government to the church in
Cuba and the Philippine islands. The
American government gives proof OF good
WILL and exhibits in it's acts a spirit of
justice and respect for the liberty and
rights of the church. The reports we re-
ceive from bishops and others indicate this.
Difficulties of detail occur as consequence
of war and of newness of compilations. But
we understand such things. We have con-
fidence in the intelligence and the spirit of
justice of the American government, and
believe that the future will not lead us to
the American government there will he
due respect for rights of property and of
conscience You will thank, in my name.
the President of the Republic for what is
being done
polla, on my telling him of my converse
ton with the Pope. said the statements
made to me by the Pope were such as he,
from his own personal knowledge and be-
n L
at liberty to make them known to the
American people at large. The cardinal
said, furthermore, that on no less than
three different occasions petitions We're
sent TO the Vatican, in the name OF the
Philippine leaders, to have opened between
them and the Vatican direct official rela-
tions, but that the Vatican always re-
fused to listen to such petitions out of
consideration for the American govern
ment. The church. said the cardinal,
needs in Cuba and the Philippines the CO.
operation of the American government for
the protection of its rights and liberties,
as. indeed. the American government needs
the corporation of the church for the pa
cifcation of those countries.
Cardinal Gotti before his elevation 10
the cardinalate had been superior general
of the Carmelite monks and had estab-
lished in Cuba antecedently to the Ameri-
can occupation three houses of the order
He said to me: Il received a few days ago
letters from the several Carmelite houses
in Cuba: The fathers. tell me they enjoy
island full liberty, that they have undis-
turbed possession of all their property, and
that they were never in better position to
labor for the progress of religion and the
salvation of souls
1.-The authorities in Rome" added Arch.
| bishop Ireland, "are informed to a degree
| that both astonish and please about
| matters religious and political in the Phil
| ippines and in Cuba; and as they have
| the interests of the church in those coun-
| tries most deeply at heart and know fal
| better than we i'm America could know
| what best suits them, Americans. Catholics
| and others, may safely accept their judg
| ment of things and not give themselve:
| further and needless trouble about the
| religious conditions of the Philippines OF
Cuba. AS a plain matter of fact the only
| safety which the Catholic Church at the
| present time has in the Philippines for the
| possession of her properties and for the
| lives of her priests, is the protection af
| forded by the American flag, and all this /:
| fully understood and fully recognized il
| Rome"