The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-11-17
YOUNG PRIEST
IS ELOQUENT
Holds Catholic Congress in
Chicago Spellbound by
Earnest Appeal.
MOVEMENT is ENDORSED.
FALcoNIo ALSO BEARS WARNING
TO UNITED STATES AGAINST
THIS COUNTRY GOING TO WAR
AGAINST RELIGION.

Chicago, ILL.,. Nov. 17.-Before as
Sembled in the name of the Roman
Catholic church on this continent,
three speeches of far-reaching import
ance were delivered in the First Regi-
ment Armory Monday. Six other adj
dresses on special subjects were de-
livered to the first Missionary congress
of the church i'll the United States and
Canada. OF vast Importance as des-
ignating authoritatiyely the ideas and
The ideals of the men who practically
hold in their hands the missionary fu'
ture of the English-speaking Catho-
lies of the world, were the speeches of
the Papal Legate, Archbishop Diomede
Falconio, of the Archbishop of Chica-
go, the Most Rev James Edward
Quigley, and of the young president OF
the Catholic Church Extension socie,
ty Of the United States, the Very Rev.
Francis Clement Kelley.
From Archbishop Falconio, the per
sonal representative OF the Sovereign
Pontiff, came the warmest indorse-
ment of the missionary movement, not
only of it's general ideals, but of the
policies of the Chicago priest and
Archbishop in carrying it out. The
great ecclesiastic also sounded warn
ing against the United States falling
into such a war against religion as is
going on in France, and prophesied
the ruin and degradation of any nation
that should thus violate the laws of
God.
The Work Explained.
From the president of the Catholic
Church Extension society, a young
man still in the thirties, who conceiv-
ed the idea of the home missions
movement" while parish priest in a
small Michigan town, and, who since
carrying out this idea, with the assist
ance of Archbishop Quigley, has be-
come a man of power and influence
second to but few in the hierarchy of
the church in this country, came a
complete summing up of the situation
of the American church with regard to
missions.
The congress was startled in out
spoken admiration of the daring of a
young Chicago clergyman in the af-
ernoon by one of the most remarkable
addresses ever delivered at any Catho-
lie gathering.
For over an hour he spoke, not loud
ly, nor oratorically, but in calm, dis
passionate conversational tone, dealing
out praise for protestant zeal, and sue
cess and blunt unapologetic criticism
for what he called the laziness. the
misguided efforts and the faults of his
own people, clergy and laiety alike.
Three things he attacked, this
friendly iconoclast. the methods of ed
ucating the priesthood of the Roman
Catholic church in America, the pow
erful secret societies, the knights OF
Columbus, the Catholic Order of For
esters and others and the participation
of American Catholics of foreign birth
or descent in the political affairs Of
any country other than the United
States, and that his meaning might not
be mistaken, using the case of ireland
as an illustration.
AS he spoke one needed only to lool
into the faces of the scores of prelate.
the majority of the hierarchy of the
Catholic church in the United State:
seated on the platform behind him, tt
see the tremendous Importance of hi:
speech. Wonder and amazement wer,
blended with the most whole-heartet
approval in the countenances of hi.
hearers. While the audience through
out his long speech sat motionless
soundless. transfixed with intense In
terest.
Great Work Accomplished.
Tracing the history of the missiona
ry work of the Roman Catholic churcl
Archbishop Quigley told of the count
less ramifications by which the con
gregation of the propaganda, the bod,
under which the church in Americ;
has heretofore worked, has sent it
missionaries into all parts of the worl,
and planted the standard of the Ro
man Catholic church in strange lands
as well as caring for the faithful il
countries which had lapsed from tn
rule of the Roman church.