The sun., 1919-06-23
CATHOLICS OBJECT
ITO METHODIST PLAN
Father Duffy Denounces Step
to Conduct Proselyting
Drive in France.
GUTHRIE ALSO PROTESTS
Addresses Are Made at Car
ncgie Hall Meeting-Arch-
bishop Hayes Speaks.

/. tempiatsd by different American Prot
estant Church organizations as an after
math OF the war were bitterly de-
nounced last night a. unfair. unsener-
GUS. un-Christian and un-American by
speakers at the Catholic meeting in De-
fenss Of the Faith in France, held in
Carnegie Hail under the auspices Of the
Society to Help Devastated Churches In
France. The meeting marked the
opening Of the national drive to raise
5000, 900 with which to replace by next
fall some OF the ruined edihces In the
invaded area.
1t was predicted freely by the speak
era among whom were Archbishop
Hayes. the Rev. Francis p. Duffy. senior
chaplain of the 1ebth Regiment In
France w, d. Guthrie. chairman Of the
New York Archdiocesan Committee In
charge of the drive; Morgan ]. O'Brien
and others, that the mutual understand
ings which the war brought about be-
tween members of different religious
sects would be nullifed by This new
move. which was characterized as being
openly hostile to the Roman Catholic
Church
Quoting from literature caused to be
distributed in connection with Its mis-
sionary plans by the Methodist Episcopal
Church Of America, extracts Of which
told Of the intention to spend q portion
Of fund of $40. 900, 900 in the erection
OF schools, community centres and ITO
spread sane evangelism TO help France
keep up her morals as she once more re-
stores her beauty and prosperity"
( Father Duffy did not mince words In his
denunciation of the objects of the cam
paign.
Modern Uplifter Criticised.
.Every character Dickens delineated
to represent this form Of guile" he said,
was honest and upright when compared
with the SNUG hypocrisy of the modern
uplifter. When the war was on the
celrgymen and laymen Of the different
denominations got along so well to-
gether that 1t almost amounted to
scandal. There was no jealousy. no
blgotry-that was the spirit of the war.
"Now that the war is over there 10
new factor introduced by a class that did
not particularly distinguish itself during
the war. An attempt is going to be
made to force an organization and
religion on Catholic France which could
not be forced on the American soldier.
There is no objection to any sect going
about the work Of repairing the damage
caused to It's buildings because Of the
war. There have been a great many
synagogues destroyed and the Jews Of
America undoubtedly will replace them
but they will not interfere with other
religions while doing 80.
what we object to II the injection
OF the power Of money In this work.
Large sums Of money used In politics
means rottenness- Large sums of
money used in the buying Of souls means
hypocrisy and It IL the intention Of these
uplifters to take advantage OF the ruin.
(. desolation and misery of parts Of that
unhappy land to buy souls a. n man
who has been out fishing all day witfIs
out success would buy a string Of Ash
to hold up and say Look at what I
caught
'it is planned to erect welfare huts
with Rymnasiums and propaganda litera-
ture for the $4,000 children whose
Catholic hero fathers were killed In bat
tie and whose Catholic hero mothers
were murdered by the Germans and TO
steal these prospective parishioners
from the hero priests who answered
Frances first call to the coiors and
fought in the ranks for moro than four
years"
Mr.. Guthrie's Address.
Equally emphatic was the address of
Mr.. Guthrie, who said that the meet
ing should be one of protest against the
proselytinE campaign, which. he asserted,
constituted a menace to France. as the
invasion being planned in America
would be a. cruel and a. farrsaching In
Its effects upon the happiness OF the
French people as the one In 1914 from
the east bank of the Rhine. which re-
suited in the devastation Of Its fairest
provinces.
Denying the assertions that there are
100000 people Of no religious faith
in France. which. he said. was used by
the Methodists in raising an immense
missionary fund, Mr.. Guthrie expressed
the, opinion that the Professionals in Bel
GUM could be easily accommodated in
Carnegie Hall and II obviously was not
for their benefit that the Methodists had
raised the money Continuing he said
I'VE are not criticising the great body
OF patriotic, generous and fair minded
citizens who are Professionals. We re-
spect and admire and love them. Their
generosity. their spirit Of patriotic sac
rifice ana their religious zeal are superb
and deserve the fullest admiration,
praise and emulation They have given
without stint or counting. even beyond
their means.
"As Catholic can never forget that
We owe the blessing OF religious polit-
ical liberty which we now enjoy to
generation or Americans that was over
whelmingly Protestant but could not en-
dnre the religious intolerance Of the
Puritans
But venture to assert that not one
American Protestant in a hundred of
the generous contributors intended to
support or consciously would approve
and support a proselytizing compaiEn
directed against the suffering women and
children Of France with the object of
leading them away from the faith of
their fathers.
81 know full weli that in their hearts
they intended that American charity
should be non-secterian. at least as far
as Il concerned the relief OF the pres
emit misery directly caused by the war
In Europe"
from the men and women who hlled
every seat and every inch OF standing
room on the main floor, balcony and
gallery OF the large hail greeted Mr..
Guthrie when he said:
England in hundreds of years of
persecution could not seduce the Irish
from their faith ana the combined
wealth of American Professionalism can
not seduce Catholic France from its
faith 1t Is the duty of this meeting to
send an inspiring message to that eff
feet across the ocean"
Archbishop's Address.
Archbishop Hayes expressed his dean
appreciation and profound gratitude for
the great outpouring OF members OF the
. archdiocese In attendance ana %. a.