Catholic Church Authority in Civil Life
During the hearing before the Massachusetts Legislative Committee on Education, having before it a bill to bring all schools under the inspection of public officers, a liberal and intelligent Roman Catholic witness, named Desmond, was asked: "Supposing the two powers, ecclesiastical and civil, in your judgment, or in the judgment of any good Catholic, were not in harmony, to which would you be called upon to give the precedence, to obey first?" To this he replied: "I should be inclined to obey the ecclesiastical. It would depend somewhat upon the circumstances." And yet there are a great many good people who profess to believe that the Church of Rome exercises no control over its members in civil life.—America.