The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1911-11-25

lie church has organised The Amer
lean Federation Of Catholic Socie-
ties which numbers already sew
eral thousand local eenters scat
tered all over the country. The
Roman Catholic church. has or
gained the American Federation
Of Catholic Press, which includes
several thousand editors and pa
'pers, and, through snch powerful
organizations, has threatened to
boycott certain business houses
and various editors Of daily pa
pers solely because they are Amer
lean enough 10 express freely what
they think about Reman Catholic
doctrines and practices; and
neither you nor any one accuse
the Catholic church Of unfairness,
narrowness and sectarianism.
In the last meeting Of the Amer
lean Federation Of Catholic Socie-
ties held in Columbus, Ohio, Aug
ust 10Th 90 i24th, 1917, with
number Of bishops present and un-
der the guidance Of he Excel
leney, the most Rev. Diomeds
lFalconio, then Apostolic Papal
Delegate al Washingtony the Ro-
man Catholic church adopted
strong resolutions 70 boycott the
sale and prevent distribution Of
the Encyclopedia Britannica, the
greatest product Of the best En-
glish speaking sehehrs, Published
by one Of the most rensNned En-
glish Universities and endorsed
by King George Of England and
Mr.. Taft, President Of ne United
States. Are such attempts fair
and Americani Is not this boy
cotting worse than any ether mo-
nopoly or trusti Is II not q shame
that American editors and Ameri-
can business houses should be boy
cotted by a federation Of which
the Apostolic Delegate has TO say:
"the American Federation Of
Catholic Societies is working dis
tinctly under the protection and
guidance of the American HE
rarchf and. with the fun sanction
and the bleaing Of The Pope a.
And have yen NO words 70 protest
against such dangerous encroach-
mentsf
Finally de yen know the tre-
mendous significance Of the last
decree Of Plus X. "Ne temere," ("
concerning marTisgesf Are You
aware that according 70 this de-
cree all Protestant marriages are
considered null and veid, il the
marriage cereAepy be not per-
formed IN the presence Of and by
. Catholic pfiesti
Are you not informed that all
Pretestants helding q license 10
sued by the civil authorities and
united IN the bonds Of 9airimony
by o Protestant minister Of what
ever denomination are considered
by the Pope and The Rsman Cath
ole church as not marriedf
And is Il net the height Of mar
rowness and sectafianism, and
even insult, 10 proclaim that
neither you nor any other Protes-
tant husband is yet lawfully and
economically marriedi
Are there net laws in all the
States Of the unisn eendemning
bigamy as q crime liable TO i'm
Iprisonmenti
IL such is the case, then what
does a Catholic priest, bishop or
cardinal deserve, who, knowing
that some one has been married
according TO the laws Of the eoun-
try, proceeds 10 perform a new
marriagei II such ecclesiastical
dignitaries can escape punishment
and avoid prosecution before the
courts, why not grant the same
privilege TO the Msrmensi Do
not Mormons also elaim that they
are following the tenets of their
own church when they are mar
Iried to more than one wifei
II the civil marriage performed
IN the presence Of, and BY the
civil authorities, or BY a Protes
tant minister when the contract
ling parties hold q license issued
Iby the civil authorities can lie
ignored by Catholics and they can
proceed freely to the performaBce
lof q new marriage, then what are
the legal grounds TO ascertain =
ease Of bigamyi
| And II the marriage peri lrne
i'm the presence Of and BY the ci,
authorities and Protestant mini
|ters is q legal and valid one. thep
why not prosecute and punish
both the Catholic layman who
|marries second wife leaving ur.
divorced his first and the priesi