Roman Catholic Internationals.
The following article from the Watchman and Reflector speaks for itself; but it speaks of new elements of strife and swiftly-coming trouble which the world would do well to heed. Ponder well the testimony and prepare for the coming storm. The Watchman says:— The Internationals, of whom we have heard so much of late years, would exalt human brotherhood above the accidental distinctions of race and the factitious distinctions of rank. But, however good their end, they aim at it by the worst of means. They would succeed, not by a universal diffusion of the idea and spirit of brotherhood, but by the extirpation of the classes above themselves and the abrogation of all law. They would establish anarchy, and call it peace. They would repeat the reign of terror and the deeds of the Communists all over the world, only they would push both to a bloody success. But a new and worse class of Internationals are springing up. The name of the organization is “The Catholic Militant Union of the Cross.” It was first suggested by the pope, and the thing is being pushed by the bishops. It proposes to include within it all male Catholics fifteen years old and upward throughout the world. Females eighteen years old and upward form themselves into auxiliary societies. Children who have had their first communion become Aspirant Members, and children from their birth up to their first communion are enrolled as “Co-operative Members.” Each member avows his belief in the pope’s infallibility. Its object is to defend the church and the pontifical chair; i. e., to labor for the restoration of the pope’s temporal rule, and the universal recognition of his infallible authority. Its means are prayers, instructions, sermons, and EVERY ACT APPROVED BY THE POPE. Its name, “Militant Union,” suggests what some of these acts will be, whenever the pope issues his infallible order as “Commander-in-Chief” of all the papal hordes throughout the world. We may as well look this thing in the face. It means fight. It means war to the knife with carnal weapons of the latest and most effective patterns, and with ample material, whenever the right moment shall come. It means the plunging of all Europe into war, so soon as the necessary combinations can be effected, and its support by contributions from all lands. Some may ridicule all this, but it is only in keeping with the whole past history of popery; and this history, with all its holy wars, and inquisitions, and auto da fe, and unprincipled strategy, is now fully accepted, from pope to priest, as involving the true ideal of church. It boldly rejects all the current ideas respecting the spirit of the age, human progress and civilization. The pope claims to be, as God’s vicegerent, not only head of the universal church, but the supreme ruler of the nations; and every Roman Catholic bishop is pledged by oath to do his utmost to securing the recognition, and when the time is right for it, the assertion of these claims by force. Hence, the pope calls on all Catholics to lay aside all national and personal views, and to enter heart and soul into the work of the Militant Union. We regard both classes of Internationals, with all their lofty professions, as equally enemies of the human race,—the latter, however, as vastly the worse of the two.