Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-06
A Sioux City Preacher Discus
ses the Subject Before Min
isterial Association
SOME ALLEGED CAUSES GIVEN
Statistics Relative to the Growth Of the
Church Furnished and Resume Of
the Progress in American and Eu-
ropean countries-eeneral News Of
the State.

Special to Times Republican.
Sioux City, Jan. 6.-At the ministers
al meeting here yesterday Rev. Charles
Williams made the rather startling
proposition that Roman Catholicism is
steadily on the wane. Williams, who is
pastor of the Second Presbyterian
church. read carefully prepared paper
on the subject.
Rev. Mr.. Williams prefaced his re-
marks by giving a few historical In
stances showing that the pope was ac-
customed to make and unmake kings In
the early days.. and that his power was
practically omnipotent SO far as earthly
matters was concerned. The speaker
proceeded to demonstrate his belief
that the power of Romanism 10 oelns
overcome in its ancient strongholos py
Professionalism.
Mexico was the first country to which
he directed attention. Under Catnolic
rule the country was filled with poor
people unable to get married because OF
the high price which all were COM
PEELED to pay. Civil marriages were not
recognized and as result the country
was filed with illegitimate children.
The people had no Bibles and by the
church they were compelled to pay
most of their salaries to support the
bishops and priests.
SIN 1857 Mexico established heir
archical independence" said Kew. MT.
Williams. Religious professions were
prohibited. Marriage was made civil
contract and those families who had
been living together without marriage
ceremonies brought their children to
the authorities and had them legitima-
tizde, Bibles were ordered printed and
distributed and Mexico since that time
has steadily prospered. The pope rails
ed strenuous objections to all this, put
his efforts were only laughed at.
The speaker took up Colombia and
stated that the recent revolt there Is
due to. similar causes, as is the case IN
Peru and Argentine. From these South
American republics, Rev. Mr.. Williams
went to Rome and the countries IN Eu-
rope. Three maps were shown giving
Catholic territory in the early days ana
at successive stages since.
Rome itself Is slowly passing out OF
the power Of the pope, declared the
speaker, who stated that immigration
and the entrance of Protestant mis-
sionaries are responsible as well as the
acquired knowledge that the pope is
not infallible and the bad conditions
that the speaker said existed there UNI
der Roman rule. He said that the In
Inhabitants were uneducated. that the
city was poorly equipped and the MUIR
ders and RIGHTEOUSNESS were carried on
within knowledge of the pope himself
"a remarkable movement has been
going on in Spain and in Austro-H Hun
gary. Professionalism is rapidly grow
ing. It is the change from Romanism
to Professionalism that is responsible for
the recent outbursts and troubles in
the reichstag and not difficulties over
the language that should be spoken, as
the press accounts have given" con-
,tinued Mr.. Williams. lover 21,000 con-
verts. have Joined the Protestant
churches in Austria in the last three
years"
The speaker stated that while
there are in France 37,0OO,00O Catholics
to less than 100000 Protestants, yet
the latter are growing rapidly in num-
bers, and that In the last three years
200 priests have left the Catholic
church and gone over to the Protestant
church. He said that the Irish Catho-
lies in this country are decreasing and
that rapid changes are being made in
Cuba and the Philippines.