The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-12-13
CATHOLIC PROGRESS IN
THE UNITED STATES
FATHER MAccAFFREY, IN HIS RE-
CENT HISTORY, TRACES THE
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
OF THE CHURCH IN THIS
COUNTRY.


COUNTRY.
In his admirable History of the
Catholic Church." recently published
by M. H. Gill and Son, Reverend
James MacCaffrey, Professor of His
tory at Maynooth, devotes a special
chapter to the progress of the faith in
the United States. Although the Cath
Ole work of the missionaries was con-
siderable from the sixteenth century
to the close of the eighteenth, it was
only after the War of Independence.
says Father MacCaffrey, that the
country could be said to possess a
freedom which was openly recognized
by law. AS in the British Isles, penal
laws were in active force against the
Catholics until, in 1887, the sixth ar
tlcle of the Constitution provided that
no religious test shall be required as
qualification for any office or public
trust under the United States"
Since, however, the individual
States of the Union were free to do
as they liked regarding religion, a
good many years passed before New
York, North Carolina, New Jersey,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia,
| and New Hampshire recognized the
principle of complete religious equal
ity. The total number of Catholics in
the former English colonies was 25,-
600, ministered to by some twenty
priests, the superior of whom was the
V1car-Apostolic of the London eng
land) district. Under the new indie
pendent conditions, Father John Car
roll became the first Bishop, with his
See at Baltimore.
Effect of immigration
The persecution in Ireland and the
Revolution in France had one good
result for Catholicity in America,
namely, that it enabled Bishop Car
roll to organize, by means of immi-
grant religious, the Catholic COM
munity and supply it with all it's re-
llg1ous and educational needs. A large
number of both the bishops and clergy
at the time the Bishop died in 1915
were Irish, when, besides that of Bal
timore, there were four dioceses in
existence, namely, New York, Boston,
Philadelphia, and Bardstown.
Had it not been for the immigra.
ton from Ireland, however, it is ques-
tionable if the organization of the
Catholics would ever have been COM
pleted. There were many obstacles to
impede the spread of Catholicity, and
the greatest danger threatening it's
organization came from the authority
which the parochial trustees claimed
for themselves, not only over the adj
ministration of ecclesiastical prop
erty, but over the appointment and
dismissal of officiating clergymen.
This was known as Lay Trusteeship,
the effect of which must be to render
nugatory the authority of the Bishops
Doctors Carroll, Hughes, Kenrick, and
England, all Bishops of Irish birth
fought the evil till they succeeded in
Kidding the Catholic cause in America
of its greatest danger.
The Rise of Bigotry.
Another obstacle was the strong
feeling entertained by the native-born
Americans against immigrants, the
majority of whom were Irish Catho-
lies. Religious bigotry added fuel to
the flames, and Catholics were every
where denounced after 1880 as Sub
jects of foreign power" ii. e. the
Pope, incapable of loyalty to the
Constitution. In 1884 and 1874 out
bursts of fanatical anti Catholic feel
ing took place, churches, converts,
and schools being burned to the
ground in Charleston, Boston and Phi
ladelphia. In New York it was only
the threat of the Catholic men to fire
the city, should the authorities refuse
them it's protection against the mob's
violence for their churches and con-
vents, together with the determined
attitude of Archbishop Hughes, that
at last forced the civic government to
do it's duty to prevent outrage.
The Know-Nothing Party.
Though the bulk of American citi-
zens were ashamed of this outrage
GUS conduct, a small section contin-
ued the agitation and formed the Ma
tive American Party G e. the Know
Nothing Party with the object of ex-
Guiding foreigners from all positions
of trust in the Union. This society
was killed by ridicule, although in
later times an effort has been made
with the A. P. A. to exercise a SINH
lar power. After it's failure in 1896
to capture the, Republican convention,
it disappeared to great extent.
Growth of cathoIicity.
Yet, from its small number in 1885,
till the present position Of the Catholic
Church is really lengthy series of
triumphs and consultations. At this
day the Catholic population of the
United States is, by the lowest calcu-
lation, well over fourteen millions,
and according to many at least seven
teen millions. If there be added the
Catholic population of the Philippines,
the number of Catholics falls little
short of twenty-five millions. With its
three Cardinals and some ninety
Bishops, its vast organization COM
pares with, if it does not exceed in
excellence, that of any other Catholic
community in the world.
1t is the Catholic success par excel
lence, of the nineteenth century
Towards this great success and in the