Insulting Roman Catholics by J. N. Q.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 20, 1910

Insulting Roman Catholics

By J. N. Q.

ROME in some way must cover up the fact that in Spain she has been and still is opposed to religious liberty. Liberty of conscience is gaining ground in the land of the Inquisition. In 1876 “a royal decree had denied nearly every religious right to non-Catholics. Their meetings were held unlawful; their schools were under the ban; they were allowed to live, but could not have a public burial; and they were not permitted to indicate in any way on any building of theirs that religious services were there maintained.” These restrictions have been removed, except the last one, and it is now sought to remove even this. Monsignor Kieran, of Philadelphia, in the Evening Bulletin of that city, thus presents the question from Rome’s view-point:—

Suppose a person went into a lodge or Protestant house of worship, and displayed signs that, while harmless enough in themselves, were insulting from the motive that prompted the action, would not the members of the lodge or house of worship have a perfect right to resent it, and to resent it forcibly? The object of the agitators in Spain is not religious, but simply to insult other people.

Rome in Protestant Canada may display on the streets the eucharist, the crucifix, and other tokens of her idolatry, yet she does not regard this as an insult to Protestants; but when a Protestant church in Catholic Spain simply places a sign on the building indicating that it is a place of Protestant worship, then the Romanist is insulted. What a biased conception of religious liberty is that held by Romanists! J. N. Q.