The San Francisco call., 1909-03-30

bishop had leisure to discuss different
problems and to answer those queries
the interviewer was anxious to suggest.
HUMOR MINGLEs WITH GRAVITY
In his amiability he is like the late
Archbishop Montgomery. He mingles
with his seriousness and episcopal
gravity a humor that is Celtic. Kind
ness shines from his soft gray eyes
and his voice is as soft as a singers.
Il am most grateful for the warm
welcome extended to me from every
side. / come to cast my lot with the
lot Of the people. The only quality
that know / bring with me is a good
Will 10 do the best / can"
That, he said, was his message to
the people OF San Francisco. Further
he added, Il am here to do what the
archbishop desires me to do. He is the
head of the diocese and my superior"
The bishop declared that the city had
for him the old charm OF Rome, where
he lived for many years.
''It seems to me-" he said, that San
Francisco has a golden future, the
queen city of the Pacific and destined
l suppose, to become for the Pacific
what New York is for the Atlantic
ocean. Almighty God has furnished the
city with every condition required The
rest is left to ourselves.
My associations with Bishop Con-
roy" he went on reminiseently had a
great deal to do with my career. He
was a man of great tact and a scholar
Perhaps. as one of his hearers re-
marked. the bishop was unaware that
he was epitomizing his own character.
for Bishop O'Connell Immediately I'M
presses one first as being a man of vast
learning, cosmopolitan in character,
who has seen much Of the world and
knows it. and. secondly, with his in
finite tact, his diplomatic agreeableness
and his human Kindness.
Human" Father McSweeney said of
him yesterday He is human"
Is NOT a POLITICIAN
lie was asked 10 speak Of the condi-
tions prevalent In America, the moral
conditions. and what dangers most
strongly confronted the American peo-
higher ideals.
you must ask me only about re-
ligion and the church. the bishop
qualified. Il am a churchman, not a
politician or publicist.I
In the religious world we feel the
bishop went on to say. that the great
danger confronting the American peo-
pie is a falling away from revealed re-
ligfon. The fathers of our country
religion and the strength OF their con-
victions they made the cornerstone Of
American civilization 1t would give q
wrench to the whole building to try
and fit it to a new foundation.
The people are being drawn by nat
ural religion and falling away from
the revealed"
Bishop O'Copnell spent great por-
ton or his life in Europe He was
educated in the American college in
Rome and spent more than 20 years
in the Eternal City. Naturally his
views of the Catholic church's progress
would, therefore, be interesting.
CHURCH GROWTH CONTINUES
The Catholic church is continuing
its growth under new conditions he
said. .'and the outcome, as believe Will
be most favorable to the church in
this country. In the beginning. when
the church first began its work in the
west, 1t had to live under the govern
ment OF Nero. which 1t did without re-
volt. ait efterward lived with feudal-
ism during the middle ages and with
monarchies after feudalism. In Amer
lea it lives with a republic and maybe
IL we look closely into history we will
find that a republic is an outcome of
Christianity under the care of the
church"
Bishop O'Connell viii snter upon his