Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-07
Archbishop Mes.mer.s Position.

MILWAUKEE,, Wis. Dec. 6.-Arch-
bishop Messhier is out as the champion
of Bishop Scannell of Omaha. whose recent
edct resulted in the accommodation of
Miss Hamilton, for attending the marriage
of divorce.
The archbishop defends Bishop ScEnnelps
action in letter which is likely to attract
good deal of attention
Archbishop Messmer's letter is, in part as
follows:
1 am delighted with the stand taken by
the bishop. While it has created an un-
Catholic circles it will do a great deal of
good by calling emphatic attention to the
superiority Of principle over mere senti-
mentality and social forms 1t is about
time to call halt regarding the indls-
criminate attendance of Catholics at
Protestant religious services.
Not that / would inaugurate an era of
Intolerance Far from 1t. But / am of the
opinion that intolerance essentially inherent
In religious truth and divine law, natural
or revealed. is fully compatible with the
widest and most cordial tolerance In social
intercourse; Joined with sincere mutual
| the truest type But it would seem that
with the fuller freedom of social intercourse
with the growth and spread OF civil comfy
| and polite manners, and with the passing
| of sectarian prejudice and animosity, many
! Of our Catholic people, are losing, that fine
| sense OF religious discernnent, as sensitive
as mariners needle, which knows SO wei
| how to distinguish between religious prin.
ciple and decorum on the one hand and
social comfy and friendly communion or
There is In this regard a remarkable diff
ference between the common and rich
classes: Many a poor fellow feels by hi.
Catholic instinct, as 1t were, and his mora
| sense, the incongruity and improperly, oil
! even, as the case may be, snfulness of at
! tending at certain sectarian services wher,
| a so-called educated and prominent Catho
lie, a man of high society, is led by hi
broad and liberal ideas of modern socia
life to see nothing but social etiquette o.
friendly favor. And yet will not every
serious thinker admit that social pollteness
with Its present highly developed aud com
plicated forms and manners, must be rulet
by moral principles no less than the who'll
conduct OF man, and that even the warmes
and noblest sentiment of friendship MAJ
not overstep where religion and moralit!
have drawn the line?
| When Catholics, either by ignorance o
! by other Influences hostile to Catholi
judgment and feeling, lose themselves In
labyrinth OF erroneous religious notions ant
of social etiquette, it becomes tho duty o
| the ecclesiastical authority, the appolnte,
teacher OF religious truth and moral prin
what Bishop Scannell has done.
The letter states the position of tn
church on divorce and holds the fact tina
the parties concerned in the case are prom
inent and were warned not to go to tn
wedding makes their disobedience all tn
more serious The letter concludes;
The correct thing for those Omaha Cath
olics to do was to obey their Lawful
superior; and If they thought him to be Il
the wrong to bring the matter before
No doubt Bishop Scannell has give
American Catholics a sadly needed an
most wholesome lesson, and II Is to b
| hoped that prominent Catholics all owe
| the land viii profit by II.