The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-04-30
METHODIST METHODS OF PROSE-
LYTlNG IN ITALY ARE EXPOSED
ITALIAN PRIEST INFORMS
AMERICAN CATHOLICS ABOUT
CONTROVERSIES TO BE TAX
EN- TO COUNTERFEIT ACTIVE
TIES OF Y. M. C. A.
(By N. C. w. C. News Service J

(By N. C, w. C. News Service)
Efforts Of American Methodists
with the assistance of the Y M. G. A
to make philanthropy the instrumen
of proselytism and turn Italian Cath
olics from their faith, have SO aroused
Archbishop Vaccari of Bari, Italy. t.
the menace of their propaganda tina
he has resolved, as means of meet
ing the danger, to establish two insti
tutions similar to that conducted by
the Protestant proselyters.
The Rev. Vito Lattanzi, secretary te
Archbishop Vaccari, and former mem
ber of the American ambulance serv
ice on the Italian front during the
war, has been sent to this country tC
collect funds for the welfare center
which His Grace intends to found in
Bari. Father Lattanzi says that the
cost of the institutions which are con
templated will be about 100000. Fa
ther LattanZi visited the headquarters
of the National Catholic Welfare
Council last week and gave an account
of the MethodistS' endeaVors.
Pope Benedict's attention has been
called by Archbishop Vaccari to the
activities of the Methodists and the
Y. NJ. c.. A. in his diocese, and His
Holiness has promised his Apostolic
Benediction to all who cooperate in
the endeavor to counteract the Prot
estant campaign. American Catholics
are to be asked to share in the work
of defeating the aims of American
Methodists
Methodist Methods.
In addition to the ~proselytism
which the Methodists, the Y. NJ. C. A.
and other American sectS are under
taking in different cities of Italy, their
attempts at @,'iTc he faith OF
emigrants are L DE observed in the
principal ports of embarkation in Italy
and Frances sat,ler Latttauzi says
These sectarian organizations have
large financial resources and employ
many agents to go among the emf
grants, supply them with comforts
anu WIFI IIdCIS anu papers. HIS Ill
erature. Father Lattanzi says, is filled
with animus against the Catholic
Church and slanders on Catholic
teachings and practices.
The Methodist center in Bari, cit,
on the Adriatic Sea. $50 miles from
Rome, is in a large building which
they recently bought for 100000 lire
In the upper stories of this building
the Methodists conduct schools fo
boys and girls. The whole main foo
is equipped as club. There are poo
rooms. reading rooms, smoking rooms
and other facilities for education ant
recreation.
One of the notable concession
which these Methodists make to 1t
aians whom they hope to proselytiz
is the smoking room. Not only is
permitted to use tobacco in this Ger
ter, but large supplies of cigarette
are furnished to the frequenters fire
of cost, FL ther Lattanzi says. In tn
United States, the Methodist denom
nation frowns on the habit of smokin
to the crusades against cigarettes. De
scribing this Methodist philanthropy,
Father Lattanzi said: -
Besides conducting a school, whic
is attended by several, hundred boy
and girls, the Methodists in Bari pr,
vide meals without charge to thes
children and others. Coffee and brea
is served in the morning. light lunc
is provided at noon, and at 3 o'cloC
the children are given bread and ma
malade. Before leaving the instit
ton in the evening they get a me-
of bread and meat. They also distri
ute clothing for the children of tt
poor The center has accommodation
for about 600 persons.
"Fhe books and tracts which Il
Methodists circulate among the Italia
people of Bari are such as would pc
son their Catholic faith. In this VOL
of spreading their literature the Met
odists have the cooperation of the :
NJ. G. A.
''His Grace, the Archbishop, has b
come alarmed at the propaganda
these American sectaries, and h;
warned his flock against the insidio
evil which has arisen, but unless t
Catholics are able to give the peop
an equivalent or better institution, t
Methodist center is sure to do il
mense harm. To most of those w
are very poor. and especially to tho
who lack proper instruction in thu
religion, the free food and clothi
are temptation that may succeed
alternating them from the Church.
Y. M. c. A. Propaganda Work.
While in Cherbourg for sever
days, awaiting ship to the Unit
States, Father Lattanzi says he n
a good opportunity to observe the i
tics of the Y. M. c. A. and other Pr
estant agencies engaged in social Sc
ice for emigrants.
These representatives OF al
Professionalism exhibited great zeal
behalf of these emigrants. Many
these people on their way to Amer
hailed from Italy, Poland and Cent
Europe.