The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-11-09
SPOKANE, WASH.

|
Ollie church in Europe by Bishop Will
liam Burt of Zurich, Switzerland, at a
convention of the bishops of-the Meth
odist Episcopal church in Spokane the
! first week this month, Rev. Father
| Herman J. Collier, president of Con
zaga college, which has a teaching staff
declared to be the equal of any on the
continent, and a large enrolment of
representative students from various
parts of the eastern, southern, middle
/ western and Pacific states, cordially
invested the missionary to examine the
students and professors in the insti-
tuition and deliver a lecture or a series
of talks before them. Father Collier,
| smiling, added:
IF the Rev Mr.. Burt believes we are
so ignorant, l would like to invite him
to visit the college, and if he really
| finds the students and professors so
unenlightened as he says. he has my
permission to give us few lectures"
Bishop Collier said in the course of an
address at the convention that the
work of the Methodist church on the
continent meets with difficulties, be-
cause it comes face to face with what
he terms these beliefs" adding:
1.-The Greek church is degenerate and
devoid of spiritual life. 1t keeps the
people in ignorance as the only way of
dominating them. Russia is an exam
pie of what a corrupt church can do by
tyrannizing over an ignorant people.
But the Roman church has all these
faults multiplied and intensified, being
in addition, Jesuitically aggressive, Ro-
manism in Roman Catholic countries
is simply paganism, and not to be
judged by conditions. 1t is paganism
in he
character of people. Not but that there
are good people in the Roman Catholic
church in spite of the system. That
church is Just as bad in any country
or any community as external circum-
stances will permit
Father Collier said in the kindliest
way in referring to these remarks, that
he is not displeased with the bishop
from Switzerland. because of his at
tack on the church of Rome, as it is
popular subject among the Metho-
dists. In fact, he went on, it is the
only element of unity that exists
among the Protestant churches, say
ing:
Surely, though. this attack will give
the bishops a great deal of notoriety
for their convention. However, 1 am
glad to say that in Spokane we never
mostly of this description, and 1 hope
that this convention will nurture no i'll
feeling"
In another part of his address Bish-
OPP Burt, who says he was one time
stationed in the city of Rome, spoke of
total abstinence, and, continuing, said:
81 have seen poor, ignorant people in
Rome walking barefoot or crawling on
hands and knees painfully to a rocky
hilltop shrine, so that they might wOr-
ship some picture or image, and thus
relieve their conscience from sin or
gain absolution from having commit
ted wrong. They are taught that by
paying money to the church they can
escape purgatory."
The head of Gonzaga college, who is
recognized throughout the Pacific
northwest as a prominent educator, a
conservative business man, and is be-
loved by thousands in Spokane as a
not believe the Rev. Mr.. Burt is ia
miliar with his subject. dismissing the
matter with these words:
81 am not a prohibition crank, and
am not even an anti-saloonist, like our
mayor, c. Herbert Moore. 1 only
stand for anti-immorality and for cell
bacy for the successors of the apostles
If the bishop from Switzerland will
come to Gonzaga at my personal invi-
tation and lecture before the faculty
and students, 1 will guarantee that he
will at least get a smokeable cigar and
a glass of good wine when he has fin
ished.''
1t cannot be said that Bishop Burt
touched upon a popular chord in MAX
ing his attack, termed Savage by the
foremost newspaper in Spokane. In
fact, not a few members of the denom-
ination of which he is a leader, declare
that his remarks were ill-timed and
out of place in the chief city of the
inland empire of the Pacific northwest,
in which the spirit is as broad as the
vast territory that surrounds it. That
the Catholics in this part of the coun-
try are broadminded and tolerant is
evidenced by the fact their remarks
were free from bitterness in discussing
Rev. Mr.. Burt's sweeping allegations,
and that the most severe criticism of
the bishops charges come from those
who are identified with Protestant
churches.
Mrs. Mary Cummings, state president
of the Washington auxiliary of the An
Client Order of Hibernians, on a recent
visit to Spokane brought with her
lnaSIllCenC 1rlSn eT1DleIl, winch IS OF
fered to the auxiliary in the Washing
ton division that will bring in the
largest number of members before the
frst of the year. The emblem is a work
of art, having been made in Ireland of
the finest silk, and embroidered with
figures of gold. The Spokane auxiliary,
the members of which had an oppor-
tunity to examine the emblem at
banquet in the Moorish room at the
Hotel Spokane, are after the trophy,
and the officers are determined to be
the custodians of this prize. Mrs. J.
W.. Crosby, president of the local aux
iliary. presided at the banquet in Mrs.
Cummings honor among the speakers
being J. T. Ahren, president of the To-
cal A. o. A: P. B. Keaner, Fathers
Fitzgerald and O'Reilley, Mrs. May G.
DeRomo. James J. German and Miss
Mabel Portch, county president. Irish
music was furnished by Miss Agnes
Barrett, Mrs. G. w. Manning and Har-
ry Wood Brown.
Remember