The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-04-09
THE METHODIsTs
What a Correspondent Says About
Their Tactics.

Inc following interesting letter IN
reference to religious sects in Rome
appeared in Wednesdays Minneapolis
Tribune:
Anent the recent unpleasantness re-
garding Mr.. Roosevelt's intended visit
to the Vatican will you kindly permit
a few words from one who has been
ION the spot?" I
During the six years which I spent
as a student at the university in Rome,
1 enjoyed exceptional opportunities Of
observation of the status Of the vari-
GUS religious sects in Rome. Meeting
Italians of all classes, socially as well
as professionally, was profoundly i'm
pressed with the fact that Of all the
denominations then actively engaged
in work (1S9619O2) the Methodists
were looked upon with deep disgust
by the better class of Italians. Mr..
Brisbane remarked recently that you
may make anything out of an Italian
but you can never make a good Prot
estant out Of him. This is borne out
by the facts there. For the officials
and men in high life are either Cath
olics or atheists, but you will scarcely
find any Protestants. 1 say this not
in a spirit of unfriendliness but to
state fact.
Now, as that branch of the Method
lists is or at least then was under the
guidance of Americans, naturally
took interest in everything emanating
from them. The church was known
commonly as La Chiesa Americana
Metodista The impression given out
by them was that they represented the
American church just as the Pope rep
resented the Roman church. This was
the impression among the lower and
poorer class of Italians among whom
the most proselytizing was carried on.
This convert getting was effected to
great extent by gathering the children
in circoli, or little clubs, in which the
boys and girls were taught elementary
branches, such as sewing, and the like.
The poor Italian parents were some
times induced to send their children to
these circoli by the fact that material
help was thus afforded the families
and the children. In the meantime
care was taken to instill into their
minds the tenets of the Methodist
faith. Everything that related to the
Pope or the Catholic faith was belit-
tied, and the native love of the italian
of his fathers was thus brought into
sharp conflict with the teaching of
the american church, The result
generally was that state of confusion
usually followed in the minds of the
proselytes, and they became mechani-
cal converts for the time being.
The acrimony manifested by the
Methodists against everything Cath
Ollie was in striking contrast with the
attitude of the other sects. AS far as
was ever able to learn the ministers
of the other Protestant denominations
were always looked upon by Catholics
and others alike as perfect gentlemen
who believed more in teaching their
own belief than in attacking Catholic
ism in its very stronghold-which GER
tainly was more laudable from every
point Of view.
The Methodists likewise scattered
tracts containing the most scurrilous
attacks on the Catholic church. These
l have seen and read.
Moreover they resorted to that means
now decried by all self-respecting
Protestants everywhere else, viz, of
exploiting fallen away priests and rem
egade Catholics. Among the worst of
these was a certain Mistraglia, a rene
gade with no prestige, who styled him
self bishop. Rome was on several oc-
casions besmeared with six-foot post
ers announcing his lectures in the
Methodist church. On one occasion
an uproar occurred during his TRADES
and he was asked by university stu
dent present by what right he called
himself bishop. He answered that he
was unto bis unto,'' play on the
words meaning that he was not only
anointed, but CREASED all over"
In passing may remark that it was
a we'll known fact that from the time