The American Federation of Catholic Societies
By C. M. S.
Rome Makes Plain Her Purposes Concerning America
The eleventh annual convention of the American Federation of Catholic Societies was held in Louisville, Ky., August 18-21. It was, without question, the most important gathering of this body that has ever been held. The spectacular was in evidence from the beginning till the close, but especially at the beginning. At three o’clock on Sunday afternoon, the eighteenth, the great procession began to move. The length of the procession was so great that it took over two and one-half hours for it to pass a given point. It contained seventy-four expensive floats, typifying various periods in the history of the Catholic Church. Not only were the resources of the church in every department drawn upon to make the parade a success from the spectacular point of view, but the State of Kentucky was made to bear a part in making this Roman holiday. The governor of the State was present to welcome the federation to the State, and the lieutenant-governor was also there to help in the matter and to contribute his part in the actual program of the convention. These State officials were also present at the pontifical high mass which followed the parade, and occupied the most conspicuous place in the church while the Pope’s special representative was officiating at the altar in the service of the mass. In addition to this, a regiment of the State militia was brought to the city to participate in the parade, and two batteries of the State artillery added their quota to the great spectacle. The city of Louisville also contributed its portion to the pageant, and its mayor welcomed the delegates to the city, and was present at the banquet that closed the convention. Everything public in the city of Louisville, and much that was in no way public, bore the trade-mark of Rome during the convention. The yellow and white bunting—the papal colors—was everywhere in evidence. On asking a property owner of the city why it was that so many Protestants had lent their horses and drays to make the parade a more striking event, the writer was informed that “they had to do it; they knew better than not to do it.” He was given to understand plainly that had they not done so, they would have been marked and their business would have suffered in consequence. This was no doubt the reason why department stores owned by Jews were so profusely draped with the papal bunting. There was manifest throughout this convention a tone of confidence in their ability to carry out their aims in this country, and many striking statements were made as to the demands that they should make of civil officials, and the success with which they were meeting in the demands already made of those in authority. It is claimed that the American Federation of Catholic Societies now numbers nearly three million members. As it is made up of the members of Catholic secret societies, it can readily be seen that its membership is restricted to men, and that means so many votes. There is no means of verifying the statements given out in reference to the number belonging to this federation; but office-holders and politicians undoubtedly believe the figures given; otherwise there would not be so great haste manifested on the part of public officials to yield to the demands of the federation. The writer was much interested in the annual reports of the president and secretary of the organization. The report9of the president, Mr. Feeney, dealt very largely with the question of socialism, holding that movement up as the greatest menace now facing this country. He declared that should socialism accomplish its purpose in the world, it would mean the establishment of “the greatest despotism this world had ever seen.” If that be true, then might the world well stand in dread of such a calamity; for a greater despotism than that of the Roman Church during the dark ages would certainly turn this world into a veritable purgatory. The report of the national secretary, Mr. Anthony Matre, was very full and complete, comprising about fifteen thousand words, and giving in detail much of the accomplishments of the organization during the past year. The statement was frequently made that the organization’s purposes were pacific and benevolent; but the reports of what had been accomplished and the means by which it had been brought about make it perfectly evident that the organization’s one object is the glorification and exaltation of the Catholic Church, and the accomplishment of every aim which the church has set for herself in this country. Now it ought to be apparent that when any church builds up an organization of between two million and three million members who are sworn to do its bidding without question, that organization ought to have the most serious consideration of every American citizen. By working through officials of the United States government, the federation has blocked the desires of the Filipino people as expressed in their own legislative actions, and is now interfering with similar legislation in the republic of Cuba, and doing that also through officials of the American government. The United States seems thus to have thwarted the will of the people of both the Philippines and Cuba under pressure from this organization. Last year the secretary’s report showed the government’s willingness to refrain from doing what it intended to do in the matter of the Kongo atrocities; and this year the secretary’s report shows the government’s willingness to go outside of its own jurisdiction to aid the federation in accomplishing in another republic the purposes of the Catholic Church. For years the hierarchy has been voicing its intention to “make America Catholic;” the American Federation of Catholic Societies is its most powerful and most pliant tool in bringing about that consummation. Bishop McFaul, in pleading for a more wide-spread distribution of Catholic literature, said: “Thus shall we confer countless blessings upon Catholics and non-Catholics, and bring about the consummation of our hopes by making America a Catholic country and the brightest gem in the crown of our holy mother, the church.” How this is to be brought about may be judged by such expressions as this voiced in one of the resolutions passed by the convention:— In exercising their civil functions, they [civil officials] must be guided at all times by the interests of God and country, which must never be supplanted by merely partizan consideration, and that Catholics holding public office are specially bound to live up to their church’s standards and be exemplars of the highest citizenship. The wording of this resolution must be understood in the light of Catholic teaching. The interests of God and country will be made known to Catholic voters by the clergy, and this instruction must take precedence over party fealty or over the personal preferences of the individual voters, and the Catholic official who would “live up to the church’s standards” must sink his individual preferences out of sight when the church instructs him as to what measures or men he must oppose or support. This is made certain by the following extract from Secretary Matre’s report:— The shibboleth of this universal union should be “God and Country,” and its members should proclaim before the whole world their unswerving adherence to the universal Catholic demand for the absolute independence of the Holy See, that the voice of Christ’s vicar may sound to every nation without let or hindrance. A resolution was passed incorporating this idea and making even more emphatic the church’s purpose to take its politics as well as its religious instruction from Rome. The resolution reads:— We proclaim before the world our unswerving adherence to the universal Catholic demand for the absolute independence of the Holy See, without secular dominance or interference; and while we pray that God in his providence may lighten the burdens of his pontificate, and leave him long to blazon the way we are to follow, we give him the solemn assurance that, in the future as in the past, the greater the fury of his enemies, the brighter will burn the fire of our love, and the more untiring will be our efforts to solace and assist him. These resolutions and these declarations leave no room for doubt that it is Rome’s intention to rule America politically as well as religiously; for the “absolute independence of the Holy See,” which would leave him free to carry out his will “without let or hindrance” in “every nation,” would put all power under his feet and make all rulers and all peoples subject to him. And that is the aim of the Papacy. When the head of the Catholic Church is so absolutely independent in every country that he can pursue his will “without secular dominance or interference,” he will be the supreme ruler of the world. There is no question that for a time he will occupy that position when the culmination of the conflict is reached, so that the church will say, in the language of Scripture, “I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning.” But then comes her end. To attain to that position in this world, it is necessary that she have some such organization to guide the willing and drive the unwilling to an acknowledgment of her sovereignty. This federation will be one of the chief instruments, if not the very chief, in bringing about that condition. Through the influence of the United States, England, Canada, and Australia, the Roman Church expects to lead the rest of the world back to her fold and see them bowing at her feet. That is why this organization is being so earnestly fostered in this country and in England and her dependencies. In another article we shall speak of how she is, through this organization, dictating in legislation, manifesting political activities in the interests of the church, what the church considers herself able to do with this strong organization, how she is accomplishing her purpose, and how deluded Protestantism is helping the program on. C. M. S.