Waterbury Democrat., 1901-07-29
REPORTS ABOUT K. OF c.
Bishop Janssen of Indiana May Not
 Allow It In His Diocese.


 umbus. These stories spring up peri odically, but the order keeps right on growing, until at the present time 1t has nearly as large q membership as any fraternal organization ill the country. For the benefit of the Hart ford Courant and the other state pa pers that are publishing stories about the Knights the Democrat will say that the order was founded by the late Father McGiyney, q native of Wa terbury, while he lived ill New Haven, not ThOmaston. Also that his remains lie in St Joseph's cemetery in this city, to which place pilgrimages have been made the last two years by Brooklyn. N Y-. K of c. men. The Suns story is as follows:
 One of the remarkable developments of the present generation of American Catholics is the extraordinary success and growth of the secret organization known as the Knights of Columbus, a society of sort of diluted masonry in character, founded in little Connecti- cut town in 1882. Up to this time 1t has gone along unchecked, but now one member of the Catholic hierarchy has made move against It's further progress
 Bishop John Janssen of Belleyille, Ind, is said to have notified the priests of his diocese that he does not wish the Knights of Columbus established within his Jurisdiction, and prohibits the organization of any of its councils under their auspices or with their CO., operation. Whether others of the hler- aIchy will follow his example remains to be seen, but the move will pfoDaoly result in sending case to the tribunal NN.nwnn NaN Int alN a decision as to the standing of this so- icety. which at present seems to hold out very special attractions for Cath Olics.
 Membership in secret societies is for bfddeu to Catholics by the church specifically since Plus TX. promulgated the Syllabus of Errors" and by Leo XIII. in the bull "Humanum Genus" A Catholic may not join society whose ends and aims are kept secret from him until he is in full participa- tiOn in it, having taken its oath and pledges. He may not take an obliga- tiOn to obey the will of another blind ly. whether that other be an individual or an aggregation of individuals in lodge or fraternity. He may not aS- sOciate himself with a movement Ill which, even though the ends be licit and open, he has no Knowledge of the means to be employed to achieve these ends
 The philosophic standards used are that if the ends aimed at are good there is no need of secrecy. If the methods to be empOyed are licit there is no need of secrecy, and the church expressly fOrbids the abdication Of free will of the taking of obligations to obey regulations of which one Is yet in ignorance. The Knights of COlum- bus restrict membership to Catholics in good standing. That is, applicants for membership must have compiled with the rule of the church about the reception of the sacraments at the stated and prescribed times; but it Is alleged that in the zeal of the earlier days of the organization strict compli- ance with this rule was not always at tained.
 A year ago the Very Rev Dean Me Clancy of Middletown. N. Y., occa- stoned some comment by refusing to- sanction carnival of the Knights es- tablished there. He frankly stated, III regard to their ritual, ''that the buff foonery and vulgarity of the billy-goat chiyalry was unworthy of decent men," It was declared. however, that the ritual had been submitted to Mgr Satolli when he was apostolic delegate
 
 as not contrary to the church's rule. A canonist, speaking of this point. says that no aggregation of Catholics can associate themselves under ritual without in time becoming the subject of the church's investigation as to the character of the association. In this investigation the principles, not the members, are the subject. 1t would make no difference if every second member were a priest.
 Bishop Janssen has started this .n- quiry and put the Knights on their de fense. If they can measure up against the rules of the church by which Se- cret societies are rated so as to escape censure we'll and good. The progress of the trial will. of course, be watched with supreme interest by all concerned in it's outsome. 1t is certain that some others of the bishops have viewed with trepidation the rapid growth of an in- fuence within the church over which they had no direct control.
 The Knights of Columbus was founded in 1882 by the late Father M. J. McGiyeney of Thomaston, as a fra ternal association for the young men of his parish He had the help of an ex- Mason in framing the ritual. The pol fey of the organization was intended to be .'the evolution of the Catholic gentlemen in fraternity" and its aim ''the promotion of good fellowship among the Catholic people of the eoul- try" It has an insurance feature. but now this has been overshadowed by the social end of the society. There were three degrees which were worked with all the usual paraphernalia and fuss considered necessary in secret so- ciety ceremonies, but this evidently did not satisfy all the requirements, so a fourth degree was instituted and a new ritual adopted by the national board of directors on December 9, 1899. This went into effect on the installation of officers for the year 1900.
 To be eligible for the fourth degree members must have had the other three for two years, must be 21 years old or more, of good financial and so- cial standing and must be yOuched for in writing by their pastor as practical Catholics. This last clause. and, in | fact, the new degree. was aimed at the backsliders who had got into the or ganization without compliance with the requirements as to the sacraments
 The fourth degree are the elite of the body. carry swords and are tricked out in other regalia. and it was asserted <7