The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-06-01
SECRET SOCIETIES
Archbishop Messmer of Mil
Waukee States Position Of
The Church Regarding Fratcr-
nal Organizations.

The report sent out from Washing
ton a. few weeks ago by the Associ'
ated Press, to the effect that the
Archbishops of this country had en-
acted new and rigorous legislation
against nom Catholic fraternal organi-
cations proves to be altogether I'M
founded. We suspected as much at
the time, and pronounced the report
a misleading one. Archbishop Messmer
of Milwaukee, in letter to the editor
of the Milwaukee Free Press, explains
a statement attributed to him in an
interview which might lead one to
expect a relaxation instead of a more
rigorous application Of Church law on
secret societies in this country. The
| Archbishop defines the Churchs at
| lows:
| Il must explain the statement at
the Church toward fraternal societies
has undergone a great change in late
years. l do not wish to be under
stood as saying that the attitude of
the Church has changed even in the
slightest degree in regard to what are
called in Church law secret societies.
AS such the Church considers all So
cieties which refuse to give the proper
and lawful authority in Church and
state the information needed to judge
of their character and work. and which
bind their members to absolute Sc
recy, regarding the nature and object
of the organization, even if they were
asked by competent civil or ecclesiasti-
cal authority; also those orders whose
| members take an oath of blind obedi-
ence to any orders or command issued
irrespective of their own religious and
moral convictions-such societies the
Catholic Church always must condemn
on Christian principle
"On account of the so-called 'mys-
teries' and secret work found in many
fraternal societies, the term secret So
ciety' came to be generally applied to
them, although in fact many of them
are no more secret societies in the le-
gal Church phraseology than some Of
| our own Catholic societies AS long as
these societies allowed themselves to
be classed with strictly secret soci-
cites. and, as report has it, refused
absolutely any information to Catholic
Bishops inquirng as to their charac-
ter it was but natural that the Church
would look upon them with disfavor
and suspicion, and finally prohibit
Catholics from joining. Opposition
grew stronger when reports became
more numerous and persistent that a
Secret ritual was used in the lodges
:composed of sectarian and even pagan
rites. Whoever understands the abb
solute exclusiveness of the Catholic
Church in ma tiers directly religious
and her intolerance of anything Sec
tartan among her own children, will
have no difficulty in understanding her
attitude toward such societies. He
will also understand why in an in
quiry of this kind the Catholic author
tiles desire to examine these so-called
rituals. Another charge made against
these so-called secret societies is that
in many ways in their rituals. by their
official orators and in their social gath
erings. they teach mere Naturalism
(natural religion as distinguished from
and opposed to the Christian relig-
on) or at least a pronounced indff-
ference in religion. The charge seemed
to be confirmed by the fact that ever
so many Catholics became lu<ewarn1
in their practice of their religion or
fell away from it entirely after they
had Joined some such secret society
in view of all this, how could the
Church allow her members to join
these societies unless first given proofs
that the charges We're not true? The
sooner fraternal societies can furnish
such proofs. the quicker will a mutual
understanding be attained with the
Church.
Il am Of opinion that the leaders vi
many fraternal orders begin to under
stand this attitude of the Church and
no longer see an unjust and foreign
interference in the quest of the ChurrI
over themselves: but that recognizln,
the Churchs authority over her owr
members, they submit to her demands
in order that Catholics may be allowed
to swell the membership and revenues
, of the order. 1t is simple business
proposition. No one calls it unjust
or foreign interference when the Ger.
| man government. for the protection o.
its own citizens, demands of the New
; York Life Insurance Company. for ex'