America’s Loyalty to the Roman Catholic Church
By K. C. RUSSELL
In the Washington Post of Aug. 1, 1905, there appeared an account of an audience which the pope had on July 31 with a company of American pilgrims. After giving his hand to each member to kiss, he made quite a long address, saying that he loved all Americans, even the non-Catholics, the latter for the liberty they allow the church. He concluded by saying:— America has a good right to be called the eldest daughter of the church, for, although she entered last among the nations, she has given proof of her loyalty, devotion, and tolerance. The Catholics in America are not only protected, but respected. When the pope spoke of the proof of America’s loyalty and devotion, he doubtless had in mind such things as the governmental appropriations which have been made toward Roman Catholic sectarian schools among the American Indians; the Supreme Court decision that this is a Christian nation based on various Catholic documents; the choice of a Roman Catholic on the board of arbitration in the settlement of the great coal strike in 1902; the appointment of Secretary Taft in adjusting the difficulties in the Philippines; and the deference shown to the prelates of the Catholic Church on occasions of great governmental functions, such as the inauguration of presidents, etc. Further along this line, the Literary Digest, in quoting from Harper’s Weekly, says that “two members of the cabinet, a justice of the Supreme Court, and representative legislators and military and naval officials sat down at dinner with an Italian member of the College of Cardinals, at which he was the guest of honor, and a member of the cabinet the host; nor has any previous president ever welcomed a Roman Catholic Italian prelate as cordially as President Roosevelt recently welcomed Cardinal Satolli.” The Boston Republican, a Roman Catholic paper, when speaking of the help the Roman Catholics rendered President Roosevelt at his last election, says:— There was good reason why the Catholic Church authorities should have been friendly to Mr. Roosevelt. When the truth is told, he has easily been the one man in the president’s chair who has insisted upon righteous dealings with the various governmental problems in which the Catholic Church has been vitally interested. The pope also is not unmindful of America’s loyalty and devotion to the Sunday institution, which she claims as the badge of her authority. America certainly is showing her devotion toward this institution, for, at the present time, forty-three of the forty-five States have Sunday laws, and at nearly every session of the United States Congress an effort is being made to get Congress to commit itself to Sunday legislation in order that a national Sunday law may be secured. Already one of the Supreme Court judges has plainly indicated that the Supreme Court would stand for Sunday legislation. It is not surprising that the pope should express his love for Americans when receiving such considerate treatment from them. Pope Leo in an encyclical a few years ago expressed not only his love, but his “burning love” toward the Americans. It might be remarked in this connection that there were many people in the past ages who could testify, were they to arise from their silent graves, to Rome’s “burning love.” Many martyrs around whom the fagots were lighted, gave evidence of their loyalty and devotion to God until the flames of this “burning love” had taken away the last evidence of life. It should never be forgotten that these faithful saints and martyrs of God in the past never showed their loyalty and devotion to Rome, nor will those who are loyal and faithful to God to-day do so. Instead of these expressions of love and other beautifully worded addresses of the pope causing Americans to think that, after all, the great Protestant movement inaugurated by Luther and others was a mistake, they should be aroused and alarmed at these endearing expressions coming as frequently as they do from the Vatican, and should seek, with greater earnestness, to warn the people, as God has commanded us, against the worship of the beast and his image. K. C. RUSSELL.