The San Francisco call., 1910-10-02
Especial Dispatch TO The Call

est census of religious bodies, issued
by the government bureau of the CEN
sus, a writer has computed the per-
centage of clergymen to each denom
ination in this country. He reaches
the conclusion that the percentage of
clergymen for all the Protestant bodies
combined, in the United States, is .007
while the percentage of Catholic priests
to the Catholics of this country is DOL
we have no desire to make any IN
vld1ous comparisons by this statement,
for we certainly do not criticise other
religious bodies for having a numer-
Gus ministry; but the above percentage,
shown by our census, should serve.
We're such thing possible, to restrain
those individuals who still deem it the
proper course to harp upon the Catholic
church in this country as "groaning
under monstrous incubus of eccles-
iasticism"
The same writer asserts that Meth er
in Italy nor Spain does the proportion
of priests to the Catholic population
exceed, If it at all equals. this proper
ton, as shown by our census Of min
listers to the Protestant bodies in this
countries.
The recent eucharistic congress in
Montreal having brought the Catholic
church into the limelight before the
world, we may be pardoned if we quote
this week somewhat at length from the
expressed opinions of others as to the
future of Catholicity, and it's influence
In America and the world at large.
To the editor of Extension a former
governor of the Philippines. not a Cath
olic. made this statement:
IF / had millions, I would not de-
vote my fortune to the causes that
seem to appeal to the millionaires of
our day. / would devote enough of 1T
to the rehabilitation of the Catholic
church in the Philippine islands to Sc
cure her strength among the people. l
would do this, not for the sake of the
Catholic church of which I am not a
church. but I would do it for the sake
of stability and good government in
our colonial possessions
And the Outlook-to which, by the
way, Mr.. Roosevelt is a contributing
editorials the following compliment
tary editorial on the church:
America today stands in peculiar
need of that contribution which the
Roman Catholic church is peculiarly
fitted to furnish. For the chief peril
of America is from disorganiZing
forces and a lawless spirit; not from
excessive organization, but from dis
order and disorga ganization. One of the
chief lessons Americans need to learn
is reverence for constituted authority
and willing obedience to law. This
lesson the Roman Catholic church is
peculiarly fitted to teach. And within
the reach of its influence are those
who most need to be taught. That
church is a, vast spiritual police force.
a protection of society from the. reck-
less apostles of self will. But 1t is, far
more. Wherever it goes it teaches sub
mission to control, and that is the first
step toward that habit of self-control
in the individual, which is indis-
pensable condition of self government
in the community. The Outlook con-
graduates America upon the evidence
of spiritual prosperity in the Roman
Catholic church in this country. and 1t
gratefully appreciates the service
which that church is rendering to the
community by inculcating the spirit of
reverence for law and authority which
is the foundation of civil and religious
liberty"
Finally. Father Benson, son of the
late archbishop of Canterbury and
now a Catholic priest, writing in the
Atlantic Monthly. uses these pointed
words:
1T is usually assumed that the Cath
olic church is the discredited church of
the uneducated: that Catholics
consist of a few Irish in America and
a sma1 percentage of the debased
Latins of Europe. They seem to be
entirely unaware that a movement is
going forward among some of the
shrewdest and most independent
minds in all civilized countries, which,
if precedent means anything, implies
as absolutely sound the prediction of
H. G. Wells that we are on the verge
of one of the greatest Catholic revivals
the world has ever seen"
We have. in work recently pub
lished In Spain, by an author signing
himself "Gerundio, former monk, a
fair sample of the lying tactics of the
so called anti-clericals of Europe when
dealing with the church
The anti-clericals of Europe are the
counterpart of the discredited A. P. A.
in this country. They delight in dish
ing up the same salacious stories of
monks, nuns and priests that aroused
the ire of our fair minded citizens in
this country, and called forth the
sledge hammer denunciations of men
like Washington GLADDEN. and others.
It was Roosevelt's great misfortune
that, while steering clear of the trap
set for him by the Methodists III Rome,
he fraternized with this unsavory crew
of anti-clericals in that city, apparent
ly supposing that they were merely
engaged in spreading benevolence and
modern progress throughout Italy and
the rest of Europe.
One writer In Spain processes to
supply statistics as to Catholic insti-