The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-10-18
IN THE Elk
IRENE.

IRENE.
An anonymous leafet whose
every line reflects it's unhallowed
paternity and which purports to
be a reply" to Archbishop Ire
land address at the Federation
Convention in Milwaukee, has just
made its appearance. 1t is need,
less to say that it is worthy of it's
origin. No intelligent reader will
admit its claim to consideration
as a "'reply," unless abuse consti-
tutes argument and unfounded as
sertions pass for truth. The only
valuable portion Of it's contents is
that in which it reproduces a part
of the address.
The pamphlet contains an ex-
tract from an "encyclical letter.
supposed to have been written by
'tthe Pope lin regard to Amer
lea or the United States" The
words ''the Pope" are sufficiently
indefinite to satisfy the require
ments of Menaceism. It makes no
difference who the Pope was or
when the encyclical letter was
written. 1t prefaces the extract
by the following words: "This is
what the Pope says in his letter
to the American Hierarchy as
printed in The Red Light, a patri-
otic paper published in Wilksboro,
N. c." Then it gives the citation,
which is as follows:
1T is with deep sorrow we are
now constrained to have recourse
to the arms of justice and to take
action against a nation that has
rejected the Pope as head of all
church and state governments. In
virtue, therefore, of divine author
ity by which | have been placed
on this supreme throne of justice,
an Office so superior to our capa-
bilities, we do, in the plentitude
of apostolic authority, declare that
all heretics and the encouragers
of heresy, together with all adher-
ents, have incurred excommunica-
ton, and they are hereby cut off
from the body Of Jesus Christ.
Moreover, we proclaim the peo-
pie Of the United States of Amer
lea to have forfeited all rights to
rule said republic, and also all
communion, dignity, and priv
leges appertaining thereto. We
likewise declare that all subjects
of every rank, and every condition
in the United States and every in
dividual who has taken any oath
of loyalty to the United States,
in any way whatever, may be alb
solved from the same, and also
from any duty, fidelity and obedi-
ence, as we (that is, the Pope)
shall exonerate them from all en-
gagements and it will be the duty
of the faithful to exterminate all
heretics found within the iurisdic-
ton Of the United States Of Amer
ica."
One does not need to be a theo-
logian to know that no Pope ever
penned such words as these. The
statements contained in this ex-
tract are supremely ridiculous and
yet they will be accepted at their
face value by those who regard the
Menace and similar publications
as authoritative opponents of
Catholic belief and practice. It
is almost incomprehensible that
there should be such a large mum
Der of people in this age of boast
ed enlightenment who are willing
to believe the ridiculous and lying
statements made by irresponsible
bigots through the medium Of the
press and on the platform. The
dupes who accept as true such
stuff as this are not worthy of the
serious attention of intelligent
people. They are either so ignor.
ant as to render fruitless ali eff
forts to enlighten them, or Sc
prejudiced as to be fanatic in their
hatred of everything Catholic. In
either case, it is too much to ex-
pect them to have even an occa-
sional lucid interval. One can
only marvel at the lengths to
which anti Catholic prejudice
goes among those who pretend to
be terrified by the bugaboo OF
Papal aggression.