Blue-grass blade. [volume] (Lexington, Ky.) 188?-19??, 1902-12-21
SOCIALIST
PRIEST
REV. THOs. McGRADY, OF BELLE
VUE, KY, oUSTED FROM THE
PRIESTHOOD; CATHOLIC
cHuRTt DOWN ON
SOCIALISM,.


SOCIALISM.
Rev. Father Thomas McGrady, of
st. AnthonyS Church, Bellevue, KY,
opposite Cincinnati resigned from the
priesthood, owing to mis- teachings by
| the Catholic Church, which condemns
all antagonism to Plutocracy, Arts
tocracy, and the rights of labor to
defend itself, against these vultures
of Liberty.
For several years Rev. McGrady
has attracted to himself widespread
attention because Of his radical
speeches and writings along liberal
and Socialistic lines.
His Superior Bishop Macs, of Gov
ington, after reprimanding him time
and again without avail finally de-
manded certain things. in the nature
| of retractions, to which McGrady
gave his defiance; and there being
no other alternative but surrender
manhood and intellectual indepen-
dence, or obey the dictates of his
Superior. he resigned, and announced
| the same to his congregation last
Sunday
1t used to be that the Church burnt
such brave fellows, but in this case,
McGrady just resigned and they
won't burn him. The Catholic Church
ceased to be dominant power, over
the thoughts of men, when it ceased
to be able to burn without protest
and danger to itself
Father McGrady had no hesitancy
i'll talking OF his resignation, and the
causes leading up to it. He said ad-
monishment and orders have been re-
celved by him a long time, but the
climax approached with the receipt
OF the letters and replies which he
read yesterday morning to his con-
gregation. One of these which he
showed is from Bishop Macs and dat
ed November y, 1902 1t contains, he
said, these demands:
First To QlRll your obligations
ftoward -ths S1slfsar.- collections Of
1901, within two weeks, and OF 1902
before the end of the year.
Second-To bring us letter recall
ing such praises of Darwin, lola and
Renan, and some other writer's
whose names are mentioned in your
letter published in Wilshire's Maya
| GluCB July WulCH Sudll DE
given the same public notice that
your fullsome praises to the detri-
ment Of the church, and the scandal
OF the faithful, gave. That scandal
must be repaired, and an earnest
promise given by you that you will
obey the directions and conform to
the teachings set forth in the ency-
clicals of our Holy Father the Pope.
and requested Bishop Macs to ans
Third-We admonish you not to al
low the sale of any books written
by you, for which the imprimature
has been refused, for cause, or for
which the imprimature should be in
accordance with the rules of the Holy
See.
Fourth-We admonish you not to
be absent from your parish too fire.
quently without permission, and to
refrain from emitting views on So
cialism, either by speech or by letter,
which are at variance with the teach
ings of our Supreme Pontiff OF of the
church.
Father McGrady's Reply.
On November -, Father McGrady
replied to the above letter sub
hitting eight propositions, cover
ing the entire teachings of Socialism
and requested Bishop Macs to an
swer and state in writing whether any
or all of said propositions were con-
demned by him, to which reply Faith.
er McGrady offered to answer by the
23d ult. This proposition was ignor.
ed by lie bishop.
The Bishop, so Father McGrady
claims, knew that by condemning the
propositions submitted he would
condemn the teachings of the
church of the first four centuries,
and if he would endorse those prop
ositions, he would approve of Social
| ism. Therefore the Bishop shift
ed position, dropped the question
of imprimature on the books, dropped
the question of absence from parish
on lecture tours, and confined himself
to three points contained in another
letter written to Father McGrady on
| November &c, in which the Bishop
says:
we hereby order you, first, send
to us in writing, within a week from
this day, d promise that for the fu
ture drops the whole pas) you viii
do your duty toward seminary anC
other diocesan collections; second, t
take up and forward to our CHANGER!
by December 81, 1902, the seminary
collections for the current year
third, bring or send to us a retractioI
in writing OF the unqualified approba
ton of authors condemned by tn
Holy See, contained in your letter
which appeared in Wilshire's Maya
zine. You shall make retraction Il
writing within one week, and promis
to have the same published If pos
sible, in Wilshires Magazine, or i
such journals or magazines as | 81
< lect."
S Again Refused to Retract.
Father McGrady says he replied
the above letter as follows:
: My duty to the collections is I
l. announce them and have the tru