Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1901-11-23
ITEMS FROM THE QUESTION BOX.
PERSECUTION OF PR0TEsTANTs By
CATHOLICS.
Rev. Father Mulhall Says The Catholic
Church Is Not To Be Blamed For
The Actions Of An Individ-
ual Catholic Or
Country.
WHEN PR0TESTANTS Prosecuted
CATHOLICS.

The interest in the question box at St.
MaTy's Church is growing. On Thurs
aay night the questions were so numerous
that the time was too short to admit of a
full! explanation of each question. How
ever, Father Mulhall. who had to deal
with the questions, answered to the point
and, 1t is thought, TO the full satisfaction
ot the enquirers.
Someone asked "Did not the Cath
olic Church persecute Proiestants during
the inquisition in Spain p Father Mul.
hall in answer said "We must distin-
guish between Catholics or a Catholic
country and the Catholic church. We
cannot attribute to the church the action
of an individual. or even of a whole
Catholic country. An individual Catholic
or whole Catholic country may be guilty
OF injustice or of wrongdoing, put the
blame cannot be put upon the church,
especially when she has demonstrated
with them as in the case OF the question
proposed.
"The Spanish inquisition was not an
ecclesiastical but a royal tribunal, of
which all the members were nominated
by the sovereign. Instead of acknowl-
edging it as their work, the Popes pro-
tested against the usurpation OF their
rights. and against the severity of some
lnquisltors. Now, though we must admit
that sometimes the inquisitioR was severe
In the punishments 1t inflicted, still we
must remember that the cruelties of this
tribunal have been greatly exaggerated,
We must bear in mind, too, that the num-
Der OF persons condemned for murder,
treason and other grave charges, for
these, too, came before the inquisition,
by far exceeds the number of those con-
demned TOR heresy.
1--WE must remember that Spain was
Catholic-that the state and society rested
upon the principles of religious union.
Therefore, she looked upon every act
contrary to this union as menace to the
state and the welfare OF the people, 1t
was her right and duty to enact laws for
the preservation OF order in society and
tor the welfare of the people, and, in
thus enforcing her laws she cannot be
said to perseCute. The most that can be
said is that she was intolerant, and even
the freest states must be intolerant in
some degree. No fair-minded man takes
issue with one government for legislating
against polygamy, because it would, il
tolerated, demoralize society in a short
time. Still there are, or may be, men
who feel in conscience bound 70 follow
this mode of life.
"No one finds fault with the state of
New York for dispensing the Oneida
Community, though they claimed to be
living according to the dictates of their
consciences. In fact. the constituted au-
thority is bound to preserve the peace
and advance the welfare of the people,
and to restrain the language and actions
OF individuals which would be detrimental
to the common good. This is all that
Spain has done. She may have been
unwarrantly severe, but she had the right
to punished and in exercising her right and
duty she is not deserving OF the oppro-
brium that has been showered upon her
by non-Catholics and narrow-minded
historians.
Another question /: "Did Protestants
ever persecute the Catholic Church p
Answer "Yes, and here it was perse-
cution pure and simple. | need only to
ask to read the history of England and
Ireland, especially in the days of Henry
VIII and Queen Elizabeth. Here was a
whole people protesting the Roman Cath
olic faith, expected to violate their con-
sciences to please the whims of an adul-
ferrous King, and because they would not
subscribe to the articles as proposed by
the King, were condemned to the block
or to end their days in dark and dismal
dungeons. | will quote in confirmation
of my assertion the testimony of Prot
estant writer. William Cobbett says:
The good Queen Bess in one year OF her
reign, committed more cruelty than the
Spanish inquisilion during the whole OF
its existence.