The Washington times., 1901-07-29
CATHOLIC ORDER OPPOSED.
Reported Action Against the
Knights of Columbus.
Members in This City Refuse to Dis
5eusss the Alleged Prohibition by
Bishop Janssen-Thc Case May Go
Before the Delegate or to Rome.


sss.ss the. Alleged Prohibition by
Bf-hop Jnnssen-Thc Case May Go
before the Delegate or to Rome.
Word was received in this city last even
ing that action had been taken by Bishop
John Jansen, of .Belleville. H., to pro-
hibit the establishment of the Catholic
secret society known as the Knights of
Columbus in his diocese.
According to the report, a notification
had been sent out to all the priests in
his jurisdiction forbidding the organiza-
tion of any councils of the order either
under their auspices or with their CO.
operation. 1t was not stated whether any
others of the Catholic hierarchy intend
ed taking similar action, but it Is
thought by. many that the final result will
be the sending of case to Rome for de-
cision.
Some such action as this has long been
expected by that class of Catholics, both
lay and clerical, who have remained
throughout bitterly opposed to secret or
dsrs under whatever name, guise, or form
they might appear. On the other hand.
the Knights of Columbus have been equal
ly certain that the only official action re-
garding their organization would come
in the shape of a recognition of the So
ciety by the heads of the Church, If not
the approval of the Holy Father himself.
II must be understood that in the Ian
guage of the Church. the Knights of Co.
lumbus have been merely tolerated" No
official decision as to the merits or demer-
its OF the fraternity has ever been given.
tits thought that this. however. will now
follow in the natural course of events.
As the report of Bishop Janssen's let
ter is still without authoritative confir-
nation. neither the members of the
Knights of Columbus nor the clergy who
were seen last night were disposed to dis
cpss the subject, preferring to wait until
furIner and fuller details of the action
had been received. The Rev. Father Do
Ian. of st. Patrick's Church, speaking on
the subject, said:
The Knights of Columbus are a Cath
olic order composed of laymen and
priests. The order has been tacitly look
ed upon faVorabiy by the various Bish-
ops. and has been encouraged by great
number of priests and .prelates. The
ritual of the order, as far as l under
stand the matter, however, has never
been submitted to the Bishops for sane
ton. and the notice of Bishop Janssen,
os Belleville, H., to tile priests of his
diocese not permitting the order to es-
tatiish branches in the territory under
his Jurisdiction WILL for the present, on
l. affect that particular district
of course ,tie matter has been cpe7-
ed now and ha: to be decided either ore
way or the other. / do not think that
The question will be carried to Rome f''r
a final decision. but will be passed upon
by the Papal Delegate, whose opinion
in the matter will be final
Membership in secret societies is for
bidden TO Catholics by the Church spe-
cifieally since Plus IX promulgated the
Syllabus of Errors, and by Leo XIII in
the bull "Humanum Genus A Catholic
may not join a society whose ends and
aims are kept secret from him until he is
in full participation in it, having taken
its oath and pledges. He may not take
an obligation to obey the will Of another
blindIy, whether that other be an indi-
vldual or an aggregation Of individuals in
a lodge or fraternity. He may not asso-
ciate himself with movement in 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
employed are licit there is no need of
secrecy, and the Church expressly fcrbids
the abdieation of free will or the taking of
obligations of which one is yet in ignor-
ance
The knights of Columbus restrict men,
bership TO Catholics in good standing.
That is, applicants for membership must
have complied with the rule of the Church
about the reception of the sacraments
q. the stated and prescribed times; but
it is alleged that in the zeal of the earlier
days of the orga niZation strict compliance
with this rule was not always attained.
A year ago the Very Rev. Dean Nc
Clancy. of Middletown, n. Y. occasioned
some comment by refusing to sanction a
carnival Of the knights established there.
He frankly stated, ir regard to 'heir
ritual, that the buffoonery and vuiga-ity
OF the billygoat chiyairy was unworthy of
decent men" 1t was declared. however,
that the ritual had been submitted to
Mgr Satoili when he was Apostolic Dele
gate and that he had passed It sith ap-
proval 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 char
acter Of the association In this investi-
cation the principles. not the members.
are the subject. Ii would make no differ
ence If every second member were a
priest.
Bishop Jansen has, il is alleged start
ed this enquiry and put the Knights on
their defence. he holds that II they can
measure up against the rules of the
Church by which secret societies are rated
so as TO escape censure, well and good
The progress of the trial will be watched
with supreme interest by all concerned in
its outcome. II is certain that some
others of the Bishops have viewed with
trepidation the rapid growth OF an in
fiuence within the Church over which
they had no direct control
The Knights of Columbus was founded
in 1852 by the late Father NJ. J. McGiyney
of Thomastown. Conn, as fraternal
association for the young men of his par
fish. He had the help of an ex-Mason in
framing the ritual. The policy OF the or
zanization was intended TO be the evo-
tuition OF the Catholic gentleman in fra
;ernity, and its aim the promotion of
good fellowship among the Catholic peo-
pie of the country" II had an insurance
feature. but now this has been overshad-
owed by the social functions of the
society.
There were three degrees which were
worked with all the usual parapherHalia
considered necessary in secret society
cere monies but this evidently did not sat
fsfy. all the requirements so a fourth de-
gree aas instituted and new ritual
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