The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-08-09
THE PHILIPPINE QUESTION.
Address Of Bishop McFaul Before the
Catholic Societies.

Address Of Bishop McFaul Before the
Catholic Societies.
In his address before the American
Federation of Catholic societies in Chi
cago last Tuesday evening Bishop Nc
Faul, of Trenton, N. j., said in part,
according to the report of the Chicago
Tribune:
''In the face of so many denials Of
what were discovered to be incontro-
vertible facts" said Bishop McFaul in
that part Of his address which re-
farred to Archbishop Ireland's advice
to Catholics, "the silence of Ameri-
cans, especially of American Catholics,
since they were especially interested,
would have been culpable, not to say
disgraceful. 1t is no reply to say that
Catholics should possess their souls in
peace; the administration will do
justice Granting that the admins
tration is anxious to do justice, the
crime of misinforming it as to the true
Catholic position is all the more griev-
GUS
'.Thele is no reason. therefore," said
Bishop McFaul. "to criticise adversely
the action taken by this federation and
various organizations in sympathy
with it. the Catholic press. or the
bishops and priests who, representing
certain tioceses protested against in
Justice and requested an investigation
to determine the truth or falsellrOd of
alleged facts.
"When the news arrived that the
Catholic churches in the Philippines
were desecrated and looted. officers Of
high rank in the army attempted to
refute the charges. yet the dissertation
and looting of those sacred editices is
now so certain that claims for dam
ages to ecclesiastical property will be
accepted by the government.
"W1hy should the administration
have been led to believe that Catholics
were satisfied with what had been
done in the Philippines when the con-
trary was the fact? 1t has been said
that, as the friar question was in the
hands of the vatican, Catholics should
have allowed it to rest there. This
is true and there is certainly no evil
dence of anything but confidence in
the wisdom of the vatican and just
pride in the fact that agitation helped
to bring the question where it prop
erly belonged and out of the domain
of party politics"
Bishop McFuul stated that it was
tile purpose of the federation tn keep
up the agitation. confident that Il
strong, intelligent public opinion is
necessary to aid the administration in
shaping its policy in the Philippines.
He charged discrimination against
Catholics in educational matters.
"Ths organization is deeply inter
ested." Bishop McIaul said, "in OBJ
tanning just treatment for the friars,
who have suffered under so many
cruel calumnt,s and shall watch with
eagcrncss tile educational interests Of
the Filipinns There are. according to
the records of the war department. 9iI
American teachers in the Philippines.
This number includes eighteen Ct nine
teen Catholics. Here discrimination
against Catholics is evident.
"Whcn, however. has any determine
ed effort been made tn obtain Catholic
chapainS and how many bishops have
been asked for priests? There is not
the slightest doubt that had the invi-
tatiOn for Catholic teachers been OK
tended to all the catholic institutions
of the United States Il lalse number
of capable teachers might have been
procured.
''The impression has gone abroad
that America is furnishing educational
facilities to the l'lipinos for the first
time and that the people were in II
state of dense ignorance. This is am
other calumny. During centuries the
friars dwclt with the tribes of the
Philippines, and it is to them that they
ara indebted for whatever they pos
sess of education and religion.
with regard to education. the
United States commissioners inform
us that it is the purpose of the Philip
pine government to maintain in the ar
chipcla%o the sam, kind of free. non
sectarian instruction which exists i'll
the United States and which has
proved to be for the interest Of re-
ligion and all religious This is an as
founding assertion. since every one
knows that the American public school
system has been one of the chief fac
tors of leaving millions of Americans
without the b un,'arirS of any rci
%io,s organization II: in fact. that it has
contributed largely to the dechristian-
ling of America"
Prophecy of St. Malachi.