The Catholic Church in Politics
By L. A. S.
THE proceedings of the recent Catholic federation convention at Detroit throw much light on the question of the purpose of that organization. Two addresses given at the convention, one by “Father” O’Brien, of Toledo, the other by Bishop McFaul, dealt quite fully with this subject, especially that delivered by the bishop, which took up the question of the federation’s relation to politics. The following quotations from this address show that while the federation is professedly keeping carefully aloof from politics, it is really a political organization in the broadest and fullest sense of the term, and is not designed to be anything else. It aims to wield its political influence whenever that is deemed necessary to the realization of its ends:— There are some who at the mention of federation cry out, “Politics, politics.” Those who have raised this cry are either unacquainted with the literature of the movement, or they are scheming, selfish politicians, who realize that federation is a new factor which they can neither hope to influence nor control. Any one who stops to think will conclude that partisan politics can have no place in federation. It is made up of all political creeds and nationalities, and it would be suicidal to sway it in favor of any particular party. Others say: “But of what use is federation, if it doesn’t engage in politics? Isn’t it votes that count?”—Yes, that is true, and there is a sense in which the federation will take an active part in politics. To illustrate; a little over a year ago, a bill was brought up in the New Jersey Legislature; its language was ambiguous; bigots could have interpreted it in favor of taxing our parochial schools. Some Catholic gentlemen remonstrated against the phraseology of the bill, and requested that it be changed. No satisfaction could be obtained. When, however, a committee from the New Jersey American Federation of Catholic Societies, composed of both political parties and different nationalities, called on the introducer of the bill, he begged that the matter be dropped, and declared, “any changes you desire shall be made.” This is the kind of politics the federation intends to engage in. Is it not high time that we learned to employ the prerogatives of American citizenship in the defense of our rights? Others have been using these methods whenever it was possible; we are just beginning to understand the necessity of activity, if we are not to fall behind our fellow citizens. Federation is not then a mere grievance committee, although it will use its influence whenever possible to redress grievances. It is not a political party; it will not engage in partisan politics, yet there is no power known to American citizenship which it will not employ in the interests of Catholics. Already by the exercise of its political power the federation has exerted a persuasive influence upon the government. On this point it was stated by another speaker:— Since our meeting at Atlantic City a year ago, the federation has made steady progress in numbers and influence. Within the past year the rations that were withdrawn from the Indian children attending Catholic schools have been restored by an act of Congress. The “Browning Ruling” has been revoked, and the right of Catholic Indian children in the government schools to receive instruction in their religion has been recognized by the government. The bishop also touched on the same point, stating that “as practical results of the influence of federation may be mentioned the concessions made in the Philippine difficulties, the present amicable relations existing in Porto Rico, the changed aspect of the Indian schools, and the clear light thrown upon the vexed public school question.” Of the importance of the federation as a political power the bishop said:— If federation had done nothing else but unite, and have ready for action, whenever called upon, nearly a million and a half of male Catholics of different nationalities, this would have been a sufficient indication of the sincerity of its motives, and of the vast influence it must eventually command in a country like ours, where public opinion is irresistible. We must remember that in “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” it behooves the millions of American Catholics to have a voice, and to have some visible, tangible instrument whereby that voice may be heard. Seldom may it be necessary to use it, but we should know where to find it when it is wanted. The “visible, tangible instrument” is the ballot. The influence alone of the federation will suffice to gain most of its demands, but if necessary it will exercise its political power at the polls. The immediate objects to be realized through the federation, as stated by Bishop McFaul, are the following:—6Broadly stated, these objects are (1) the unification of the Catholic nationalities in America; (2) the voicing of Catholic public opinion on the solution of modern problems; (3) the destruction of divorce; (4) the banishment of Socialism; (5) the education of all citizens to a realization of the injustice of taxing us to maintain a system of public instruction which we can not conscientiously patronize, because it divorces religious from secular education. And among other purposes of the federation which were brought forward at this meeting, was that of the “better observance of Sunday as a day of rest and religious exercises.” Note this. This federation is really the Catholic Church in politics. That church has always been in politics, but the effectiveness of its political power was weakened in this country by the racial antipathies and social disunion of its adherents, which are drawn from so many different quarters of the globe. The federation is to unite all these in one body under one leadership and one political influence, so that the force of the entire mass can be concentrated upon any purpose of the church in the briefest space of time. This movement can not fail to have a profound effect upon the relation of other great churches in this country to politics, and to greatly stimulate the tendency of these churches which is now discernible to political alliances. “Old controversies will be revived, and new ones will be added. New and old will commingle, and this will take place right early.”