Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-15

The Rev. Daniel T. McDermott, pastor Of
st. Mary's Catholic Church. Fourth street
above Spruce, today returned to the charge
against the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
In statement issued this afternoon, Father
McDermott explained that "his ammunition
is by no means exhausted" and predicted
that the worst is yet to come"
The statement follows:
"My resignation was not rendered to en-
barrass the Archbishop or to gain n coign
OF vantage in any controversy that might
arise. on the contrary, my resignation was
rendered TO deprive me of any support my
position as pastor cuold give me, and to
leave me entirely at the Archbishop's dis
position or mercy, IL he felt constrained TO
discipline me.
"The pastorship of st. Mary's would give
an evil-disposed priest great advantage in
a contention with his ecclesiastical SUI
perior. This is a corporation which, accord
ing to civil law, has the right to retain or
reject a pastor independently of the Arch
bishops wishes.
ANY pastor who would fail to observe
the commandments of his superior would. of
course. be deprived of all ecclesiastical right
to hold the paStorate and be guilty of grev-
Gus sin IL he should exercise the ministry
in violation of inhibition to do so. Just now
there would be no quorum without me, con-
sequcntly the trustees themselves could
neither approve nor oppose the Archbishop's
action.
"I shall always be obedient to my SUI
perior unless the justification of st. Peter,
we must obey God rather than men, calls
upon me to do something contrary to his
prohibition. Even in such case, II
adjudged as acting from n mistaken notion
from duty. / shall unhesitatingly submit to
any punishment my superior may infiict In
this controversy need no adventurous sup
port my position is founded upon truth and
facts.
WORST is YET TO COME"
at is true no canonical reason was given
for my resignation a week ago. but the
Archbishop has been given heretofore
canonical reasons to Justify him in accept
ing my resignation; the reasons are both
delusion to suppose that my ammunition
has been exhausted. The funny cartoons
often have pictures of the worst is yet
to come
THE newspapers have placed great stress
upon my relations with the prisoners con-
fined in the Pottsvlle jail in the '7O's
and have led people to infer that my OPP
position to the A. o. II. is based upon the
information obtained from the condemned
men. On my first visit to the Jail, after
expressing my sympathy and regret that
they were in trouble, l insisted upon two
things: that the charges pending against
them should not be discussed and that their
confessions would not be heard until they
were acquitted or all nope OF pardon had
vanished. In the latter case assured them
that they could select their confessors, and
that 1 would bring them. no matter what
the distance or expense might be.
LEARNED NOTHING FROM CoNVICTS.
"As a matter of fact, | never learned
anything from them, except in the case of
one who was not convicted and who sought
my advice through Captain Linden Three
times l refused to see him in the jail tell
ing Captain Linden that, while II was COM
mendable in the officers of the law to bring