Evening journal., 1902-08-04
POPE TO SOLVE
FRIAR QUESTION
Archbishop Ireland Takes
Catholics 70 Task
SAYS THEY WILL GET JUSTICE
IIO Urges Churchmen TO Avoid CIamOr
and Criticism Against The
United States

st. Paul, Aug. Archbishop Ire
land, preaching yesterday morning in
the cathedral, said: The Apostle Paul
gives this counsel, not to be more
wise than it behooveth to be wise, but
to be wise unto sobriety, and according
as God hath divided to every one the
measure of faith In the mind of the
apostle, things most excellent. if made
use of in undue measure and without
proper regard to circumstances, of time
and place, change into things perilous
and hurtful. And this is undoubtedly
what is happening in the case of the
fiery zeal in defense of Catholic inter-
ests, which seems to be coveting an
explosion at the present time among
certain classes of American Catholics.
The interests of the church, It is said,
are made to suffer at the hands of the
government in it's newly acquired de-
tendencies, and the call to arms is
sounded from the rostrums of Catholic
societies and through the columns Of
Catholic papers, TO the perturbation Of
the whole Catholic body, and, indeed,
of the whole country.
"Who are they who complain and
protest and call upon Catholics to be up
and doing? Are they those who might
claim to represent the church in its
general, or even local interests? Has
the sovereign pontiff spoken? Certain
ly he has not complained; rather has
he been heard from in very different
terms. The ecclesiastical authorities
in the dependencies have not invoked
our aid. When we heard from them
from Cuba it was to tell us in plainest
words that they had no grievance, al
though irresponsible sources dinned
into our ears that the church was rob
bed and persecuted in both Cuba and
the Philippines. Bishop Blenck, of
Porto Rico, openly rejoices that the
American flag, rather than the Spanish,
guards his diocese; and the hierarchy
in Cuba are thanking God that church
interests there were settled by the gov
ernment of Washington before a Gu
ban parliament was allowed to sit down
in Havana.
"As to matters in the Philippine
Islands, we can not discuss them. They
are for the time being put beyond our
reach, since they are the subject Of
negotiations between the government
OF America and the sovereign pontiff.
To take at the present such matters in
to our own hands would be to mistrust
the wisdom and the good will of the
sovereign pontiff, and Of this loyal
Catholics should not be capable. The
logic of the situation in presence of
strange complications for church and
state, arising from a change of sover-
eighty in the Philippine Islands point
ed to a mutual conference between the
head Of the church and 2 representa-
tive Of the state as the proper and dig
niiied way to a final and peaceful solu-
ton. Leo XIII. saw this; Theodore
Roosevelt saw this. Leo took the ini-
tiative, proposed the conference and
asked the government to expose frank
ly and thoroughly its views. The pres
ident and his advisers accepted the pro-
posal. What more could have been
done by the administration to prove its
good will and sense of justice? II the
administration had refused to send a
representative TO Rome, verify what
clamorings there would have been: and
now when it has sent a representative
to Rome and agrees to the further pro-
posal of the Vatican to transfer nego-
tiations to Manila. clamorings are still
raised. Well, some people are born to
clamor; and privilege 20 clamor must
be allowed to them. But we shall in
sist that they shall clamor In their
own name and not in the name of the
church. and for our own part we shall
hold our souls in peace. leaving church
interests in the Philippines to one who
understands them at least as well as
we do. and who will be as wise in dis
posing of them as we could well hope
to be-Leo Kill"
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