The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-05-11
Continued from Page ~
ARCHBISHOP REPLIES TO BISHOP
BURT.

BURT.
Catholics, however, must not be
over-surprised at Bishop Burt's dec
lamations against their faith. Cath
olicism is not alone in the degraded
forms of superstitions he has I'M
earthed in Europe. Bishop Burt is
superstition-mad: wherever he turns
it is superstition-hard and fast de-
graduation. In Italy, France and Spain
the Catholic Church: in Russia and
the Balkan Kingdoms it is the Greek
Church: in Germany, Denmark, Swed
en- and Norway it is the Lutheran
Church. The whole continent of Eu-
rope, we have to learn from Bishop
Burt's address to the Conference, is,
in religious matters, one vast Black
Forest save where, here and there,
American Methodism has CHANGED to
light it's Pickering candle. Poor Eu-
rope! 1t had to wait long time, be-
fore hearing the pure Gospel of Chris
tianity-the Christianity, I mean, of
Bishop Burt. Only quarter of cen
fury ago, or Whereabouts, did this pure
Gospel cross the Atlantic from the
genial shores of America. And yet
long time it must wait before much
will have been done towards bringing
it out of the gloom of it's Lazarus-like
grave. Here are the achievements to
present date of Methodism on the
whole continent of Europe according
to Bishop Burt's own accounting:
Members and probationers, 71,071."
How many are members and how
many are probationers, the Bishop
does not say. It we're well, however,
if the separation had been made. In
his book-"Four and One-half Years
in the Italy Mission"-a candid Meth
odist, Rev. Everett S. Stackpole, D.
D., informs us that probationers are
mostly occasional hearers, who most
frequently fall by the way-side before
their onward journeying leads them
to the final goal of solid conversion
Of course, the showing is more fatter-
ing when the item of real estate is
put into the reckoning: Present value
of our property in Europe, $5,133,5 $3.50.
! Real estate, it should, however, be re-
marked, may easily be purchased in
Europe by American dollars-not so
with consciences.
In Great Britain and Ireland.
Passing from Bishop Burt, who
speaks for the continent of Europe, to
Rev. ]. T. Wards Stafford, delegate
from Great Britain and Ireland, we
learn that Methodism is also needed
in England, there to combat the Epis-
copal Church, especially the High, or,
as Mr.. Stafford calls it, "the sacer-
dotal'' wing of the Episcopal Church;
in Scotland, to combat both the Epis-
copal Church and the Presbyterian:
and, in Ireland-very much needed in
Ireland-there to combat the Roman
Catholic Church. Verify, in religion,
the world would be in a frightful con-
dition were it not for American Metho-
dism.
The European country most recall
citrant to the Gospel of Methodism,
many in Minnesota will be pleased to
learn, Is the old land of the Sham
rock. Here is the lament of Rev. Mr..
Stafford: Not with rapid strides
does our beloved Church advance in
the Emerald Isle. We are begirt on
every hand by hostile forces: Ireland
is in the grip of an alien religion. We
have to fight for every inch of ground
we win" Bravo for the Emerald Isle!
But is 1t not amusing to be told that
ireland is in the grip of an alien
religion?'' The religion preached by
st. Patrick on Tara Hill, the religion
in whose behalf, during fifteen hundred
years, the Irish people prayed, fought
and bled, declared to be in the EN-
erald Isle IAN alien religion!"
i All things considered, were it not
much the wiser course for the General
Conference to devote its sessions to
Methodism pure and simple-and let
the Catholic Church, whether in Eu.
rope or in America, look after its own
affairs?