The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1912-05-23


notes Of your otherwise valuable pa
per. This shows very little knowl-
edge on the part Of many American
writer's Of what Roman Catholicism
really is. Of course [ understand
your point, that we ought not to re-
gard Catholics as enemies, but as
friends, and unite with them in all
which is good and strive together for
the civic and moral betternlent Of our
city. I agree with you in this, fer [
myself despise polenics and fights
among Christians, and because have
many friends among sincere Catho-
lies, both priests and laylnen. But I
sustain that we Protestants ought to
stand by our principles, and fight, not
the persons, but the system, which is
pernicious, baneful and oppressive
both to the Catholics themselves and
to the nations where Catholicism has
had undlsputed sway.
You seem to be carried away by
the royal welcome" given by the
people Of New York to the returned
Cardinal Farley, and make the seri-
Gus suggestion that we Protestants
initiate Catholics in claiming the
right to forgive sins and in using re-
ligious SYMBOLS and paraphernalia to
awe and hold the people to us as the
Catholic church does. ct would be
nice to see Protestant pastor
bishop some day, clad with flowing
red or white robes, driven through
the streets of New York and expect
ing Protestants to kneel down before
him!)
The question I ask is, Do they hold
the people really by those claims?
The answer is No as far as Catholic
countries is concerned. l have seen
priests saying mass in the great ca
thedrals Of Italy without soul being
present. 1 entered church during
the past summer in Italy, where 10
priests were chanting vespers, and
not soul was present, not even the
sexton, who was by the door talking
with me.
The question we ought to ask also
is this: Was that manifestation
Christian? Would Christ and His
Apostles have accepted those honors?
We know from the Scriptures that
they repeatedly refused such honors
from the people. Acts 10:25-26 and
14:13-15 but said that God alone is
to be honored and worshipped.
Then was it American? Is not the
title cardinal" a title of foreign no.
bility which prospective American cit
liens ronounce when they become
naturaliZed? Cardinal Farley may
keep his red cap and title to himself,
but before the law he is simply
James Farley, like any other citizen.
The conclusion that | draw from
that royal welcome is, that the
American people are yet children, and
as children flock to a circus parade,
the inhabitants of New York focked
to see a man dressed in red regalia
driven like a king. People always
flock where there is something
strange to be seen. I remember AL
exander Dewey had even larger
crowd when he spoke at the Madison
Square Garden some years ago.
The fact remains however, that
such manifestations to Catholic pre-
lates do not take place any longer in
Catholic countries. Why? Because
they know the Catholic Church too
well to be deceived any longer. The
New York Tribune said editorially,
THE welcome festivities accorded to
Cardinal Farley yesterday were
worthy of old Rome That was the
plain truth, although said uninten-
tionally, for "old Rome means
either the medieval papal Rome or