The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-19
ITALY ABOUT TO
FOLLOW FRANCE
Archbishop Messmer Believes
the Catholic Church Will
Be DisestabIished.
SIGNS ALL POINT THAT WAY
POPE HAS BEEN POWERLESS
FOR FORTY YEARS.

Milwaukee, Wis, April 1S.-The dis
establishment of the Catholic church in
Italy, within few years. was predict
ed by Most Rev. Sebastian G. Messmer.
archbishop of Milwaukee, in an inter-
view today. Everything now, he said,
points TO that event. The government
is distinctly unfriendly TO the church,
and the church, having no voice in ma
tional matters. is poWerless to avert a
condition, in Italy ttfat will be but
repetition of the conditions now in
France. Archbishop Messmer's state
ment on this subject was called forth
in commenting upon an interview given
the Evening Wisconsin by Rev. F. II.
Wright, for six years a missionary for
the Methodist Episcopal church in
Italy within ten years, saying that
there was strong anti-clerical feeling
in that country: that the people were
firing of the domination of the church
and were drifting from the church into
tnfidelity and anarchism, making a
field ripe for Methodist missionary en-
deavor. Mr.. Wright said that IS per
cent of the people of southern Europe
could neither read nor write; that the
Catholic church in Italy was in its ma
tive environment, and lit was the pat
tern of what the church would be in
the United States were 1T not for the
progressiveness of the American peo-
pie.
Will Follow Lead of France.
81 would not be at all surprised, .
said Archbishop Messmer, Ito see a
disestablishment of the church in Italy
within few years. Everything now
points to it. The government is any
thing but friendly to the church, and
from late indications l believe that it
is intent upon the same action that has
already taken place in France. The
government for years has been the
enemy of the church. Catholics in
Italy, by papaI decree. are barred from
voting on national questions and there
is no one in the government favorable
| to the church.
1T is true" said Archbishop Mess
! mer, in commenting on Mr.. Wright
statements that large portion of the
people of Italy seem to be drifting
away from the church, many of them
| into infidelity. This is due to two
causes. First, to the fact that in the
| universities and other higher institu-
| lions non-belieVers are appointed to the
professOrships and the works of the So
called philosophers which lend in inf
deity, or at least TO a denial of Chris
| tianity are translated into Italian and
|
| deity is being sown broadcast among
| the upper classes.
People Indifferent.
The second reason for the religious
| indifference-and here / am speaking
| only of southern Italy-is the neglect of
| the clergy to give the people proper re-
| ligious instruction. The people are ig-
| norant of the principles of their re-
| ligion. They don't understand it, they
| have gone TO church from habit and
not from principle, and consequently
| they have drifted away since this anti
religious sentiment has gone abroad in
| the land. This, at least. seems the only
! conclusion to be derived from the con-
| dition of our Italian immigrants COM
/ ing from the southern portion of Italy.
| Those of northern Italy, in Venice and
Milan and Turin and down to Naples
are a different stamp of men. There
| are most excellent men there; some
magnificent bishops. Why, the pope
! himself came from Venice, and the
| present archbishop of Milan. Cardinal
| Ferretta, is one of the most progress
sive and efficient church men in the
/ church at large.
Pope Powerless.
The church has not had her own
way in Italy for forty years save in the
Roman states. The pope cannot APP
| point a bishop without the approval OF
| the government. If a bishop is APP
| poirted whom it is believed would be
unfavora BILE to the government, the
| government will not pay their salaries
and without pay, how is he to live. But
often the government IS mistaken and
approves the appointment of most ex-
| cellent men. ] have been told, though
of this 1 have no knowledge of my
own. that the oath taken by member:
of the Italian parliament is so framed
that a Catholic who is loyal to the pope
| cannot take 1t.