The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1912-11-30
A National Religion
BY AN Ex-cArHouc


on November Itth. the Kannas ciu
star. on 10 Grst paEe. gave tuo col.
umns ko tell of the presence 10 Kan
naa Clty Of CARDINAL Fariey. Shorn lta
reporter referred 10 aa . Primes 81
the church.- the Roman Cathoiic
church The cardinal uaa extensively
quoted. tbouTh what be said waa eH.
cccdinEly commonpiace. On the odi.
torial page Of the sane issue sf ths
Star wna he etory % Lucrc1ia Bcrnia
her many marriages ana dlvorcrT
Lucreria. as history tells us, vac n.
legitimate. Her father Wa Popa
Ale1andcr VI Her brother was tbs
mul derer. Caesar BorEia. IlleEitimata
uon Of Pore Alexandsr VI. Locrcnin
and Caesar Borgia lived n ths a.
tecnth century. The mora,s of Rome
and of the princes Of the Roman Cath.
ole church were IN thoae times rot.
Ten. but no worse than they have been
Tor several hundred ycauL Up 81
their time a majority OF the popes
had been men Of the very worst type.
One or more were the Illegi,imate on.
spring Of other popes. Some we're
murderer. all were llcentious. and
nov Ne are taught By Catholics that
an were lnfallible.
We have three popes at one time
sighting like cats ana dogs Tor thu
papacy. yet Catholics claim that their
popcs form an unbroken succession
hom ST. PetRr until tbs present
The trouble with Catholics Is thar
they are not allowed 20 read hisio y
that ls n 4 censored by their church.
As q result they do not know history
and are In the dark ne 70 the true
sharaeter OF their church.
The Catholic church hghts the Pub
lic school through lear. Il has al.
ways opposed eduestion for the
massea To deny this charge IL
ldlotle. Italy. the seat Of the papaey.
the home OF the popss To- nineteen
oeDtutes. is an Illustration Of the
truth OF the charge. Elghig per cent
of the Italians can neither read nor
write. How is that for Catholic ecu.
cationi
m other Catholic countries the per
cent OF Illiteracy r. even greater.
namely, Spain. Portugal and Old Mex.
leo. For four hundred years the Cath.
ollie church controlled the anRlrs OF
the Philippines and when We tooh
charge ninety-hve or moro per cent OF
The population OF those Islands we're
unable to read or write. Hovs that
Tor edueationi
In America Il IL different The
Catholic church builds schools here
because u is forced 10. Were Il rot
forced Il would build none Its great.
est enemy is the public schools, a 10
eral education. II fears the light Il
fears for It's people to know the truth
concerning Itself. II does not want lie
sale Of indulgence was the primary
cause Of the Reformation which
caused millions OF men and women 10
leave H. Il does not want its people
10 know that for money paid to a
priest q Catholic could commit any
crime and be absolved from the ain
OF H. Il does not want lts people 10
know that the greatest Of all crimes.
according to the church. was assault.
Ing a priest To assault a priest was
n more heinous crime than murder. or
incest, or any other Of the revolving
crimes with which we are familiar.
The priest was infallible, the repre-
sentative Of Jesus Christ. though he
may have been a drunkard, a notori.
Gus murderer.
Such was Catholicism before the
Reformation and the boast OF the
church ls that Il never changes. lts
boast Is true. Il is the same today
that Il was before Luther's time. Just
rs corrupt. just as lrreligious-
For a thousand years now the Cath.
Dlic church has been an immoral and
political organization. not religious.
and the sooner America awakes 10 the
menace the less trouble we will have
In the future. A church that teaches
that man may commit any crime and
be absolved from sin by a priest is
neither moral or religious. So long as
there Is a church which teaches such
we viii have our Booths, our Gulteaus.
our CzolgosIs and our Schranks. all
four Of whom we're members Of the
Roman Catholic organization.
The Menace Is doing q great and
noble work. n is time for Protestants.
especially Protestant ministers. 10
awaken to the peril that threatens our
rounny.