The northwestern bulletin-appeal., 1925-08-01
The CATHOLIC
CHURCH GAINS
RACE FAVOR
Suggests Possibility of Race Be
ing Forced in Catholic
Church.

The Rev. DR.. George L. Cady, dis
tinguished secretary OF the American
Missionary Association, started a cur
rent of thought not heretofore ex-
plotted when he raised the question:
Will the Negro become Catholic? and
at the same time made statements
which almost utter a prophecy that
he will, on account of Ku Klux Klan
prosecutions, as reported in a recent
issue of the Springfield (Mass.)
Union.
Protestant in the Past.
Negroes in this country in the past
have been overwhelmingly Protest
ant, but an increasing drift toward
Catholicism has been noted among
them in late years. Is the Khan
policy Of branding Negroes, Catholics
and Jews as un-American elements
bringing this great body Of people
together in a common sympathy that
is manifesting itself in augmenting
the Catholic forces with IL million
colored Americans? And is the un-
Christian attitude of the white Prot
estant churches In unwelcoming and
discriminating against Negroes in
their pews, in contrast with the cor
dial reception accorded colored peo-
pie in Catholic churches, another
factor which is working silently to
draw the race from Professionalism to
Catholicism? DR.. George l.. Cady
raises these questions and his explain
atory statements are virtually affirm
ative answers. He says:
Put yourself in place of the col
ored man." he says. This Klan has
prescribed you and your race in a
demonstration of a white Protestant
supremacy. But it has also proscrib-
ed the Catholic Church and has
drawn a clear line-on the one side
white Professionalism and on the other
the Catholic Church and with II your
self and your people of black skin.
You have neither the time nor the
heart to reason-what wonder IL you
accept the company into which you
have been thrust and which holds out
to you the arms of a Christian
through Catholic fraternity? One
wonders just how the Klan states
men figure out that they are to de-
stroy the power of the Catholic
Church by driving into its fields a
considerable part OF our 100000
Protestant Negroes?"
Contrasts Church Attitude.
DR.. Cady also draws a contrast he
tween the welcome that has been CIV
en- the colored man entering a Prot
estant Church and that accorded in
the Catholic edifice. "If You enter a
Protestant church you, a colored
man, rarely find a welcome there, but
are usually shown a corner or are
placed in the gallery. Again, IL you
seek Protestant church you are
likely to find a dingy, dilapidated
building devoid of paint or ornament.
Or perhaps a situation like that in
Boston where the Congregationalists.
while themselves worshipping in most
beautiful edifices, have for a quarter,
of a century provided for your meet
ings only a shabby old storeroonr.
That there are noble exceptions does
not minimize the fact that these con-
ditions are found nearly everywhere.
"On the other hand, here stands a
Catholic church with beautiful and
ornate ritual, ceremonialism en-
riched by procession and glittering
robes and beautiful church build
ing located in the most commanding
part of the city. You enter its doors,
always open. You are welcome to
any part of the house and find your
self for the time being an equal men,
ber of a democracy which knows no
distinction of race or color. For
whatever may be the unapproachable
autocracy behind the altar, in the
pews of the Catholic church there is
the utmost democracy. What may
happen there II your race becomes
numerous does not concern you; for
the present you have found religion
(Continued ON page p