Americanizing the Catholic Church.
By Editor
THE Catholic Council, at Baltimore, held an imposing public session on Thanksgiving day, in accordance with the President's proclamation. It has been decided that henceforth the national thanksgiving day shall be observed by Catholics, in the same manner as other holidays, with the mass and an appropriate sermon. The Congregationalist notes this fact approvingly, as evidence of progress in the Americanizing of the Roman Catholic Church in this country. It seems to forget that such a step is in perfect keeping with the established policy of the church of Rome. In order to disarm prejudice, and win converts, it has always adapted itself, outwardly at least, to the customs of the people among whom it was located. This conformity has not stopped with innocent and lawful customs, but has extended even to gross error. In fact, the Roman Catholic Church owes its very existence to this habit of adapting itself to its surroundings, for if the Roman bishops had not allowed their heathen "converts" to retain the licentious rites of the pagan mysteries, its growth would have been very slow. A church whose service is composed of forms, ceremonies, and the observance of festivals, does not make any great concession when it adds another holiday to its calendar. The shepherd does not rejoice when the wolf dons the sheep's pelt, because he knows that his flock will suffer because of the disguise; even so it ill becomes Protestant clergymen to glory in the Americanizing of the Romish Church. It is far less dangerous when it appears in all its hideous deformity.