Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-08
DEFENDS THE CHURCH .
Priest Resents Attack by Fer.
rer Sympathizers.
INNOCENT OF HIS DEATH
Had Nothing to Do With Execution,
Declares Father Handley.
CARDINAL TRIED TO SAVE HIM
Begged Spanish King to Spare Man
Who Spurned. Consolation Of
the Church in Last Hours.
INNOCENT OF HIS DEATH
CARDINAL TRIED TO SAVE HIM

Reviewing the trial and subsequent exc
cution Of Francesca Fsrrer the cata-
lonian agitator who was shot I'm BARGE
Iona early I'm October for completely in
the Barcelona revolutionary riots OF last
summer. Rev. John NJ. IIandley, a PauIist
missionary of the Apostolic Mission
House at Rrooklsnd. delivered = sermon
at st. AIMS Church. Tenleytown. yes
terday. in which he declared the Roman
Catholic Church had nothing whatever to
do with the conviction. and branded Fer
rer as a man dangerous TO Christianity
and civilization.
The sermon was an outcome OF the
recent mass meeting Of Fcrrer sympathiz-
crs in rythlan Temple. Rev. Father
Randley referred TO the meeting. and
expressed regret that any organization
identified with the cause OF Christ should
have been attacked as the Roman Church
was on that occasion. and seemed willing
to attribute the entire affair To lack OF
knowledge of whom Fcrrer was, his
teachings and his associations.
The missionary also deplored the fact
that some organs OF public opinion were
prone to further the cause OF men like
Ferrer either through neglect or from
acknowledged sympathy for what they
stand for I'm their relations to the church
and society. He declared that all such
organs. daily newspapers. weekly and
monthly periodicals. should purge them
selves of any suspicion of sympathy with
such causes and thereby lessen the
spread of unworthy political and religious
principles.
Converted to Atheism.
After stating that Ferrer was raised by
devout Catholic parents OF the humber
class. and seemed almost a mystic in his
faith until his fourteenth year. Rev. Fa-
Their Handley declared the mental change
came when Ferrer took up the reading
of books which tended toward atheism
He later courted girl reared by Catholic
parents. converted her to his own beliefs
and after her death used her fortune OF
about $2jV.oO to further his teachings.
which he described as the modern
schools
1T seems the main purpose Of these
schools was TO inflict on the Christian
children of Spain the same injuries he
suffered from reading the atheistic books
I'm his tender years. said Rev. Father
Handley. Newspapers with 10 Catholic
bias. like the Paris Temps and the Lon
don Times. have published the ALLEGED
prospectus of these schools.
1T enunciates such principles as the
following: There is no God, no Christ.
no future state. In order to build up a
new civilization we must destroy every
thing-governme'nt. the aristocracy, the
middle classes. and. above all, the
church.
I'VE can only Judge of the truth Of
this report by it's agreement with other
facts. which are known TO be true. con-
corning this comparatively obscure
man, for his followers deny the genu.
ment is to be entertained concerning
revolutionary program for abolishfnS
government and connscatils property
found in his rooms in typewritinE and
tod
own handwriting. discriminating cor
respondence with notorious European
anarchists was also adduced as Sound
among his effects.
Attack on the Church.
In addition to newspaper attacks ON.
Spain and the church in this country.
there have been many public meetings
and many perfervid utterances. One OF
these was held in Pythian Temple, i'll
Washington. last Monday night. 1t seems.
from the newspaper reports. that the
most enthusiastic feature OF this large
gathering consisted in denunciations OF
the church. At every such reference the
audience cheered the speaker TO the echo.
At times the applause was SO prolonged
he was prevented from making himseii
heard. Enemies of the church attacked
il violently in Barcelona, accused the
church OF the inevitable consequences or
their own misdeeds and now are seeking
TO punish the church for il throughout
the civilized world.
.'It is impossible to bring forward the
slightest particle of proof that the church
had any responsibility for Ferrers execu-
ton because nothing of the kind exists.
While Ferrers life hung in the balance
Cardinal Casanas Of Barcelona wrote 10
the king begging that his life be spared
AT the hour OF execution the Cathoiic
BROTHERS of Peace and Charity, pious
attended him and dld what
r. i'm,
Ant he contemptuolIsly rejected all these
offices of Christian love.