The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-08
BIRMINGHAM PASTORS
 ON ROOSEVELT INCIDENT
Representatives of Leading Denominations Deprecae At tempts to Create Rancor Among Religious Denomna- tohs By Magnifying Importance
 of the Incident

Prominent pastors of Birmingham churches have shown a keen interest in the news dispatches from Rome, giving the details of the recent incident be- tween former President Roosevelt and the Vatican. A number of them were asked yesterday for expressions of opin- ion and practically with one accord they deprecate any attempt to create discord among religious denominations by mak- ing a great deal of the affair. The most prominent denominations are represented among the interviews secured by The Age-Herald yesterday:
 Dr. W. E. Evans
 The Rev. pr. w. E. Evans, rector of the Episcopal Church of the Advent, said:
 "The case presents itself to my mind thus: The Pope did not invite MT. Roose- welt to the Vatican. MT. Roosevelt him self proposed the audience. MT. Roose- welt must have known that certain po- liticsl and diplomatic conditions to an au- dience existed at the Vatican. If he was ignorant of the conditions in detail, he cannot have been ignorant of them in general. The conditions In their entirety he could have learned upon his arrival in Rome. Why telegraph from Egypt, as he did? The only answer that comes to me Is, he wanted to continue in the worlds limelight. This Is his consuming passion, apparently. His conduct in this matter is in keeping with his well-known impulsiveness-anyth except oblivion.
 'Everybody knows that at any court audiences are conditional. The conditions ar rnt al 1urau hn yot all have conditions, and the conditions must be submitted to before an audience can be had.
 "It must be remembered that MT. Roosevelt is a private citizen of the United States, and I fancy that the con ditions that he declined to accede to ap- ply equally to all private citizens. It seems to me that the whole affair is a case of Much Ado About Nothing
 If 1t be objected that the Vatican is not a court, it is sufficient to answer that the Roman Catholic church world believes it so to be and there you are.
 'The idea of using the incident as a weapon with which to belabor the Roman Catholic church, to my mind. is prepos- terious, and as intolerant as the charges brought against that body of Christians" "
 Dr. J. T. PIunket
 Dr. J. T. Plunket, pastor of the South Highlands Presbyterian church, said:
 Treating your question seriously, l can only say that I have good reasons for having great affection for the Roman church and for the Pope of Rome. Car dinal Merry del Val. speaking as a churchman, and in the name of the Pope, was clearly within his rights when he imposed such conditions as he chose upon MT Roosevelt when he came asking an audience with the Pope.
 "On the other hand, we cannot see how any American, whatever his church may be, can fail to indorse MT. Roosevelt S course when the cardinal sought to bind him not to exercise that liberty which Is so dear to every Americans heart. Had MT. Roosevelt seen the Pope under the conditions imposed he would have surely forfeited his own self-respect, as well as the respect of every manly man. To my mind, however, the whole affair is ex- quisitely funny Surely Homer nodded .Just think of it. how utterly, prepos- terously absurd 1t was for the cardina to imagine he could bottle up our only Teddy! It is enough to make tomb stone howl with laughter
 Rev. James E. CoyIe
 The Rev. Father James E. Coyle. pas tor of St. Paurs Catholic church, said:
 That Plus x, head of the Catholic church, and ex-President Roosevelt did not have the meeting both desire' Is 8 circumstance deeply to be regret- ted. Many in the United States may have difficulty in fully appreciating the circumstances which prevented this meeting. It is necessary to bear in mind the fact that the papal court, the oldest court in Christendom, is to- day, as it has been in ages past,