Arbitrary Power

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · May 5, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 18.

ARCHBISHOP O’CONNELL, of Boston, is a veritable pope in his archdiocese. He uses the Boston Pilot as his official organ, and he expressly states (we quote from the Western Watchman, a Catholic paper):

“There is one and only one official organ of the diocese. All other papers, magazines, journals, reviews, and calendars, whether for parochial or general distribution, on sale in any way, controlled, printed, or edited in this diocese by priests of this diocese, must have, before publication, under penalty of suppression, the written permit of the Archbishop, with the added understanding that all such printed matter is subject to all the conditions imposed by the laws of the Holy Office, and that for good and sufficient reason the Ordinary may at any time call for the discontinuance and suppression of such papers and calendars.”

The Western Watchman remarks: “Here is something that will make every Catholic editor rub his eyes and look at the map on the wall.”