The Irish standard., 1901-12-21
rHS UNITED CATHOLIC SOCIETIES.

TRD UNITED CATHOLIC SOCIETIES.
On another page will be found the
proceedings of the convention of del
egates from Catholic societies which
met last week in Cincinnati. What
was accomplished in the work of fed
Grating the various societies meets
with the hearty approval Of the Irish
Standard. We are glad that the
Catholic newspapers of the country,
with one solitary exception, have
encouraged the utilization of the Cath
Ollie bodies and endorsed the principles,
aims and objects of the new organiza-
ton.
While each Catholic society can re-
tain it's own individual characters
tics, the united societies under the
name of American Catholic Fedora
ton will have the strength and in
tluence which spring from Unity of
purpose and action ON the part of all
of them cooperating together in a
common cause. 1t is trite saying
that "union is strength" A million
Of intelligent and educated Catholic
laymen, imbued with lofty motives
and actuated by noble ideals, can do
more by concerted action for the adj
vancement of the church to which
they belong than they can by work.
ing singly within their own narrow
sphere Of usefulness.
The new organization is not a
Catholic A. P. A., as alleged by a
censorious clerical critic. and that
the secular newspapers do not con-
slider it so may be seen from the fol-
lowing editorial in the Chicago Trib-
une:
The entry into the religious world
of the American Federation of Cath
Ollie Societies is an event of no little
interest and of vast possible import
ance. The federation, If intelligently
managed, will, in the first place, COM
mand respect by reason of its enor-
nous size. 1t is expected during the
first year of its existence to have on
it's rolls membership of. one million
persons. Provided that nothing hap
pens to check it's growth it will soon
cause all the Protestant societies of
similar nature to shrink by compar-
ison into bodies of dwarf-lik proper
tons. There u.s. Of course, no Prot
estant society in the country that has
SO large a field from which to draw.
Nevertheless the Protestant societies
have not been without their influence,
and If, with their comparatively small
number, they have been able to make
so much stir it is only reasonable to
suppose that the new Catholic fedora
ton, focusing in itself the member
ship, ambitions, and abilities of all
the Catholic societies of America, will
be capable Of making itself felt in the
religious life of the whole country.
1t is to be noted. further, that be-
sides its pre-eminence in numbers the
new society will have one further ad-
vantage. 1t is the creature of n
church that seldom relinquishes an un-
dcrtaking. 1t is not likely to be car
ried into success by wave of en-
thusiasm and then sucked back into
failure by the subsistence of that
wave. On the contrary, it is likely
to sink its roots deep into an organiza-
tion that seems to persist whether
great men control 1t or not. The fed
aration consists of laymen, but it is
backed by the authority and approba-
ton Of the clergy. The bishops have
watched over its inception, and the
Pope himself has sent his apostolic
blessing. 1t seems, therefore, that the
new enterprise is sure of both lay and
clerical support. From the laity it
will draw its membership and from
the clergy constant encouragement.
There will not be wanting certain
nervous persons who will find cause
for alarm in this apparitlon of thor
oughly organized Catholicism. To
such persons the federation will seem
to be not only potential, but prob
able, danger to "free institutions"
To such persons, again, the constant
displays of true patriotism and Amer
icanism in the Catholic Church are
of little significance compared with