Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-12-31
FRoWNS ON BILLY SUNDAY.
Cardinal Gibbons Voices Disapproval
of Erangelist's Methods.

that the 'tpurport of his conversation
with the Rev. DR.. George c. Peck
pastor of First Methodist Episcopa
Church. regarding the Billy Sunda!
campaign was misunderstood ant
declared that he had rot authorized
the sending of letters to Catholic pas
tors asking prayer for the success OF
the coming campaign in Baltimore"
The Cardinal said he did not know
DR.. Peck was an accredited represen'
tative of the prayer meeting COM
mittce of the Sunday campaign man.
agement and received him only as Z
minister, calling as would any other
individual. The prelatc says he cX-
pressed no. positive opinion whatever
on the soundness Of unsoundness of
Billy Sundays doctrines, but merely
remarked that his doctrines seemed
less heterodox than those of many
Protestant ministers.
81 received DR.. Peck" said the Car
dinal, Every kindly, as | always re-
ceive visitors, but gave no indorse-
ment of Billy Sundays doctrines or
methods. While not condemning all of
Billy Sundays utteraEces and doctrin-
es and while not giving any explicit
approval, l could not and cannot APP
prove the b!asphemous utterances,
the coarse epithets and the theatrical
antics of Mr.. Sunday"
The Cardinal was asked if he OBJ
jected to the prayers of the Catholic
clergy being sought for the success
Of the Sunday campaign. He replied
that he had no objection. Prayers
are always good,' he said. But he
stated firmly that he had not auth
orize any letter being sent to the
priests under MS jurisdiction. This
is the point that the. Cardinal en-
phasized strongly and which seemed
to have created much discussion
among the priests of the archdioc-
eSe.
They, like others. seemed to infer
frnW thn ,;,..Lh'!" s..-t sat u 9r.
Peck that the minister had been given
this permission. THE committee
had best rescind," said the Cardinal
ANY order given for the printing or
sending of those letters. The Cath
o!ic clergy are not likely to pay any
attention to Them
Explaining the stand of the Catholic
church on the coming campaign, the
Cardinal added:
"The members of the Catholic
church know that their church is the
only divinely commissioned body for
the worlds enlightenment about the
teachings OF revelation. They know
that Mr.. Sunday possesses no divine
credentials to teach them the trtuh.
They do not need to be commanded
to keep away from the Sunday meet
ings. Mr.. Sunday is always kind to
the Catholic church in his reference
es and we mean no discourtesy to
him by keeping away from him and
his meetings and his influence
"The campaign committee is wasting
its time in trying to get Catholic ap-
proval and Catholic attendance"
1t is possible that the Cardinal. in
his sermon at the Cathedral next
Sunday at the II o'clock mass. will
touch on this subject. He has chosen
for his topic on that occasion "The
Universally of the Catholic Church" :"
A writer in the Baltimore Ameri-
can gives the following reasons why
Catholics cannot vie with Billy Sun
day:
!. All the Catholic teachings con-
denim such a participation of any
N"Niloiit, SiSi X man VI dyllldn, III any
affair of the "Billy Sunday" kind :;
accommodation is the penalty. See
all the Catholic authors-theologists.
encyclopedias, publications. papers.
2.No Roman Catholic, lay o. cleri-
cal. may encourage, directly or indi-
rectly. such movement as "Billv
Sundays
3. No Roman Catholic may assist
at any of the meetings of "Billy."
even for curiosity's sake.
4. No Roman Catholic may contri-
butte.
The fundamental reason for the
foregoing is that from the Catholic
standpoint, "Billy Sunday" is here.
tic, although he does say some true
things. Hence, not all that a hereto
says is false.
A merchant pleaded guilty, th7oue el
his attorney in the Police Couri
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