The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-11-18
WHO MAKE THE BEST CONVERTS?
(Boston Pilntl


Asked suddenly, what kind of Protestants
make the best convertsl" the hereditary Catholic
| answers almost instinctiyely, "The Anglicans, or
Protestant Episcopalians." These have retained
much both of Catholic doctrine and ritual Within
their ranks is strong and constantly increasing
clement which likes to be called |the Catholic
party" The houses of worship under its control
are almost Indispensable from those of Catho-
hes; it believes in Christian education it has re-
igious orders of men and women and Catholic
wise. it gravitaes to N4ss poor There is probably
no distinctiyey Catholic doctrine at which it hest
tates over-much, except the supremacy and infall-
blhty OF the Pope; and Lord Halifax the leader of
the Church Unionsa H5t1d and these not altogether
impossible of ACCEPTANCE but for the reaffimation
of Pope Leo, Min of previous Papa decisions
against the validity of Anglican orders.
The religious life of the sincere Anglican or
Protestant Epscopalian finds its only logical ter
minaton in the peace and gertrude of the Cath
Ole Church. Most Catholics know so many fervent
converts who but few years ago were fervent
Eplscopalians that we naturally look to them as
the most promising field for recruits. But the Rev
NJ |. Boarman, S. j., of Chicago, most expert
enced missionary, answering the question put at the
outset of this article, says:
ut. seems to me that converts from Lutheran
ism are, as rule the best. Lutherans seem to pos
sess more truth than other Protestants, and they
seem, when converted, to bear more easily the OBJ
legations of Catholic life"
WhereupOn our esteemed contemporary. the
Catholic Transcript, of Hartford, Conn, com
ments
There are not few who will acquiesce in the
opinion here expressed The reason for the Luther
ans readiness to accept the teaching of the Catho
lie Church may be attributed to one or more
causes but in the last analysis, it will be seen that
early IN life the Lutheran child IS Injured to the
practice of his faith. He goes to a school from
which religion is not banished. Nay, religion is
the very life of the Lutheran school,
well-read Catholic at once remembers the
school controversy in Wisconsin, nearly a decade
and half past, where coalition of Catholics and
Lutherans on the school question took that state
for the time being out of the Republican and into
the Democratic ranks As a rule Germans Cath
oic or Protestant, cannot conceive of education
without religion; and the Lutheran parochia
school, like the Catholic in a new settlement, goes
up brick for brick stone for stone with the house
OF worship The Lutherans in the United States
have probably as many children In their paroclnal
schools proportionately as have the Catholics in
theirs; and while, among the Episcopalians. there
is evidence of divided counses on the school CUES
ton, there IS unanimty among the .Lutherans for
denominational schools
The Lutherans revere the crucitX as reminder
of mans redemption Luther himself. even after
his apostacy. proclaimed the Immaculate Concep-
ton OF the Blessed Mother of God. In Denmark
Norway and Sweden the churches diverted at the
time OF the so-called reformation to Protestant
uses retained much of their Catholic aspect; while
a larger proportion of Catholic doctrine fingered
among the people than III Germany itself We all
remember the Christian and fatherly address of
the German Emperor William to his sons before
they were confirmed as members of the Lutheran
body,