ROME AND HER ATTITUDE

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 10, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 45.

ROME AND HER ATTITUDE.

The Rev. E. G. Zwayer, writing from Girardville, Pa., to The Examiner (Baptist), calls attention to the real attitude of Catholics in the late war with Spain, as shown by the expressed sentiments of the common laymen and priests, and the politic attitude later assumed by these individuals after the instructions evidently received from higher prelates. Here are two excerpts:—

“Those of us who live in sections where the European Catholic population is large have seen some things, during the past few months, that convince us that Romanism is even more of a menace to the safety of American institutions than we have imagined. The anthracite coal region has a very large Catholic population. In many places the Catholics far outnumber the non-Catholics. Just before the war broke out, and during the first few weeks that followed the outbreak of actual hostilities, there was little, if any, attempt on the part of the Catholics to disguise their sympathy for Spain. In some churches the priests spoke strongly against the American attitude, and in some cases are said to have given the impression that it would be entirely wrong for the Catholics to fight against their ‘Spanish brethren.’ At Mount Carmel, a town of about 15,000 inhabitants, an American flag was torn down and trampled underfoot; and in another place an American flag was taken down and a Spanish flag substituted. In still another town the flag rope at the armory was cut and many small flags torn down from the homes of citizens.”

“By and by the sentiment began to change, and it was evident that some higher authority than the local priests was bringing about the change. It was surprising to see what efforts were made to prove, on public occasions, such as flag raisings, that Catholics are loyal and patriotic.”

“No doubt there are thousands of American Catholics who would have been loyal to their country even had the pope not given them the right to be so; but there is no question that there are thousands of European Catholics in America who would gladly have taken up arms under the Spanish flag. Is not our country in great danger with such a foe, or, if you prefer, such a doubtful friend, in its bosom? The fact that the pope did not continue to take a more active part openly for Spain, is no indication that he has any friendly feeling for the United States. His motives for the attitude he assumed were various and far-reaching. First, as The Examiner remarked some time ago, he is too feeble to stand the physical strain of such a campaign. Again, he could not have helped Spain without letting the whole world see what is his true attitude toward America, and he is too shrewd thus publicly to declare war against us. Again, there was great danger of losing more than could be gained; thousands of American Catholics would doubtless have been loyal to their country even against the wishes of the pope, and thus there might have been a split in the church, and his grip on American institutions would have been greatly weakened. Besides all this, it must be borne in mind that while the United States Government was fighting against Catholics, she was also fighting for Catholics, and whatever might be lost in Spain, would be more than made up by the fact that a new Catholic nation, however small, would be created, and the territory taken from Spain and added to the United States would increase Catholic influence in America.”