The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-04-26

n. n. CARROLL, FORMERLY OF
THE U. S. CENSUS BUREAU, DE-
scRIBlNG THE STATUS OF THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE
UNITED STATES, TELLS OF ITS
NUMERICAL STRENGTH AND
ASSIGNS REASONS FOR ITS
GROWTH.
The days of bitter, uncompromising
warfare between Roman Catholic and
Protestant churches are gone, never,
let us hope to return. They still con-
stitute separate camps, having more
or less the appearance of hostile
hosts, but the little fighting to be
seen is of a desultory character, in
which only participating groups are
engaged. Considering myself a
staunch Evangelical Protestant, with
a passion for the unadorned, undis-
torted truth, can say that / admire
and reverence many things in the Ro-
man Catholic Church, and it is al
ways painful to me to see it abused
and misrepresented. No reasonable,
respectable cOntroyerSialist should
call it by any name or title which it
does not recognize and which is Of
fensive to it. 1t accepts, without ques-
ton, the term Church of Rome, or
Roman Catholic Church. To apply
to it such offensive words as Rom
ish," "Popish," is not good manners
to start with and shows contemptu-
Gus feeling. If it be asked why these
words are Objectionable, it is suff-
cient to say that they are Objectionable
and being Objectionable, ought not to
be used Methodists were at first SO
called contemptuously, but they them
selves accepted the term and made ii
a legitimate name.
Stigmatized Foreign" Church.
The Roman Catholic is sometimes
stigmatized as foreign" Church. Il
is true that immigrants from othel
countries have made up most of its
millions. That is no valid objection
for immigrants have built up othel
churches, Protestant and Oriental
and they have built up our nationa
population. 1t is also true that the
central government of the Roman
Catholic Church has it's seat in Eu
ropean capital; but what of that? The
! Methodist Episcopal Church, with its
governing body in the United States
has an annual conference in Ital!
and similar conferences in man!
other countries, of Europe, Asia ant
Africa The Moravians of the Unite'
States took to a town in Germany a
their headquarters. In these days o
world powers, world faiths and worlt
denominations, it is not possible t.
confine much opprobium in the wort
foreign" particularly in a countr
which has attained it's eminence as
power by assimilating the popule
tions of the world. If there are an
denominations which have no foreig
element among their communicate
and who would not welcome it l d
not know where they are. Moreover
Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran
Congregational, Reformed, Baptis
Episcopal and other well know
churches came to this country fror
across the sea as missionary bodies
They came with immigration; the
profited by immigration, some mor'
some less, but all in some degree
They are polygot churches an
preach the Gospel in many tongue
not only in other countries but in tn
United States. Indeed it would be
reflection upon the adaptability an
enterprise of these denominations
they refused to minister to people {
different races The Roman Cathol
Church is not, therefore, peculiar
embracing many nationalities frol
the ends of the earth in it's commuI
ion.
CHARGE of Un-Patriotic Absurd.
Sometimes the cry is raised tn;
the Roman Catholics are not tru
American patriots, and it has been a
serted that whole regiment of Iris
betrayed the cause of the RevolutiC
and went over the invading host, thi
I0GT6 were mO1S SdInOI1S AO0OA IO
from the armies of the Union in Il
civil war than of any other clas
and also that the Pope recognize
the Southern Confederacy. The'
statements have been thoroughly di
proved, and there is no more grou1
for doubling the loyalty of Cathol
citizens than that of Protestant ci
zens. 1t is absurd, it is slanderous
impeach the loyalty of citizens simp
because they are Catholics. 1t hi
been to the credit of all nationality
coming to us that they have readl
become assimilated to our body politi
and whether they come from kin
doms or empires, from the mild ru
of England, the oppression of Russi
the persecution of the Sultan, or Il
reign of liberty in France, they a
content to accept republican instit
tions and republican government wit
out reservation.
Allegiance to the Pope.
But, we are told, Catholics gi
their allegiance first to the Pope, thu
to the President; a foreign potenta
is first in their scheme of loyalty, al
IN coso of a conflict thew would eli