East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-09-02
WOMEN TO FIGHT
FEM|N|SM; POPE
STARTS CRUSADE
(By Henry Wood. Rome Correspond
ent OF the United Press.)

the principle of Setting thief I,
catch thief" Pope Plus. in hi,
worldwide fight against feminism, /.
hereafter to use the women them
selves as his principal combatants 10,
stamping out what he believes to be
the evils of the movement.
This crusade OF the Catholic church
which His Holiness considers equally
as important as and in some respects
closely allied to his fight against
modernism" has, up to the present
moment been largely In the hands OF
men-cardlnals. archbishops bishops
and prieses and prelates generally. Its
failure to attain the ends he had
hoped for is due, His Holiness now be.
lieves largely TO this one-siied nature
OF the combat and II Is this that has
decided him to seek the aid OF the
women themselves hereafter placing
the future OF the movement largely
in their hands.
As the first step to this end His
Holiness today officially approved the
prospectus for a world wide interna
tional federation of the Catholic Wo-
of this society already exist In the
United States, England ana nearly all
of the European countries especially
where the feminist movement Is
strongly pronounced.
A Reactionary Movement.
While II is known that the general
policy OF this new International fed
NJ 10 10 hn lt
reactlonary from the point OF view of
many of the feminist leaders in all
parts OF the world. yet. with possibly
one exception. 1t Is not TO be op-
posed to some of the more vital prin-
ciples OF the movement II has been
ever the theory of Pope Plus X that
the sphere OF women should be limit
ed absolutely to the home and the
church and this restriction will be
largely the basis end to be attained
by the new reactionary movement
The federation will in no way inter
fere with those feministic movements
the aim OF which is merely the high
est possible development of women.
In fact, It will have a propaganda all
OF Its own to that end. but In the at
tainment of this highest development
Of which woman Is capable It will
seek TO keep her ever within the
sphere OF the home. with the church
as her one outlet for activities OF n
broader nature.
The one exception, however, that is
to be made, and that is to be made
at once, is that of a determined cru
sade against the modern evils of
fashion It was In fact. the urgent
necessity of this based largely upon
the failure of the church 10 attain
this end by the usual exhortations OF
its prelates. that promted Pope Plus
TO the immediate approval OF the
plans for the international federation
of the women. The fight against the
Generalization which His Holiness
believes that the pursuit of fashion is
working in the ranks OF women is to
be taken up at once.
AS a matter OF fact this fight on
the part OF the church is already one
of long standing but, up to the pres
ent moment most OF its effors have
resulted in signal failure. Until a
few years ago, the question Of even
ing dresses for women was the only
one against which the church deemed
it necessary to legislate and the Pope
issued an order forbidding all cardi-
nails. papal ambassadors and other
prelates to attend social functions
where women were gowned In even
ing dress
Fashions To Blame.
Within the past three years. how.
ever, the modern fashions have
brought about a fight from the church
against much of the modern tenden-
cy which 1t declared is demoralizihg
women not only morally but econo-
mically, This fight, especially in
Italy, has had one or two eliminating
points, but eliminating points that
have always later ended in failure, |
ardinal Ferrari two years ago issued |
an order prohibiting the wearing OF
hobble skirts, Not only was the or. |
der utterly futile but resulted in the |
falling off of attendance at all religi. |
Gus functions by women and girls.
Last year Cardinal Cavallari patri- |
arch Of Venice and successor of Pope |
Plus in that position, announced. |
when the prevailing fashion reached
that point where the decollette of the |
waist and the slit of the skirt threat |
ened to meet at the waist line that
no woman, whom he considered i'm
modestly dressed would be allowed to !
attend any service at which he Off |
ciated. The first women, however. !
whom he ordered removed. from the |
church because of her dress, institu- !
ted civil proceedings against the car |
dinal and the movement came to a |
sudden end. In the face of these fail |
ures His Holiness has now asked the |
new international federation to take !
up the fight at once and this will be
done.
The other lines along which the
federation is to act in its fight against
some OF the more pronounced ten
denotes of feminism will be left open
until the first international congress-
At that time program will be sub
mitter which will have the approval
of Pope Plus X and which he is con-
fldent will attain the ends which up
to the present moment he has vaily
sought through the usual channels of
the church.
Dependency.
Is often caused by Indigestion and
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