The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-11-23
PROSECUTING AMONG
The SICK AND DYING
Roman Catholic Hospitals and Asy-
Iums Are Great Incubators Of
Propaganda For the Church

Propaganda For the Church
Catholics always maintain that
their hospitals are purely charitable
and philanthropic institutions free
from graft and religious propa-
ganda.
When trying to raise money for
one of these institutions, great
stress is placed on the allegation
that the hospital is non-sectarian,
that people Of all creeds are well
coined, and no ones religion is in
terfered with.
In fact, the Sisters" are always
pictured as human angels who
wouldn't for the life of them take
advantage Of the weakness caused
by disease or the condition Of
dying man, to whisper Catholic
propaganda into his ears, for the
purpose Of securing a convert or a
bequest in a deathbed will.
Such ideas are declared to be
monstrous, and a libel on the va
rious sisterhoods. Strange to say,
many non-Catholics believe the
specious tales and hand over the
needful to build and maintain these
most insidious of Catholic propa-
ganda institutions.
The following write-up Of their
methods which we clip from The
Catholic Standard and Times, Of
Philadelphia, Of the 9th, explains
their methods, and shows that the
nuns lose no opportunities to
make converts, though they COM
pass land and sea to make them.
Non-Catholic influenza patients at
Mercy hospital, Denver, have been
sitting their prejudlces and many OF
them have willingly accepted spirit
ual assistance from the sisters and
chaplain, according to the Catholic
Register. 1t is always problem
what to do in the Catholic hospitals
when patients are in danger and do
not seek religious consolation from
ministers Of any faith.
The good sisters in all Catholic
hospitals are the means Of making
many patient die with a prayer on
his lips, when, were it not for them,
he would have passed over without
the SLIGHTEST repentance or suppli-
cation for mercy. Some of the pa
tients who have been helped during
the epidemic at Mercy in this way
have admitted that they wished for
the visit and ministry of the priest,
but had not dared to ask for It. Our
simple and beautiful acts of faith,
hope, love, and contrition find re-
sponse in their souls.
"Do these words sound right to
you?" was asked a dying non-Cath-
olic at Mercy.
"You bet!" was his characteristic
American reply, for Americans can
use slang even on their deathbeds.
"Won't you repeat them for me?"
Others are pleased to hear for the
first time, that baptism would cleanse
their souls from sin and secure a
place for them il heaven.
"If I ever join a church." re-
marked one, "it will he the Catholic,
because she Is the only church that
can deliver the goods" The words
are the patients. The fact that they
were delivered in slang in this in
stance is an undoubted proof Of their
sincerity.
Everyone comedies that it is the
right Of any sect, cult or political
party to indulge in propaganda for
their own interests. but to profess
one thing and do another is arro-
CANT hypocrisy, and to get money
under false pretenses for religious
or sectarian purposes is worse than
criminal,
In view Of the revelations of The
, Standard and Times which we sup
, pose was intended for Catholic
: consumption, with no thought Of
further publicity, we would sug-
gcst that in all fairness Catholics
: in future appeals for aid for their
hospitals and other sectarian
schemes should drop all non-sec-
tartan and other misleading repre-
} sontations, come out in the open,
like honest people, and say:
This is o Catholic institution.
= It is owned by Catholics,
, It ia operated by Catholics and
will bc managed solely for the
, benefit Of the Catholic church.
Then, il with such avowals,
Protestants give them their money
, it's their own look out.
Honesty in church affairs is moro
) necessary than in business rela-
! , tions and the Catholic managers
ought to be able to see the point.
| The recent election will cause the