THAT CATHOLIC CIRCULAR.
By Editor
ABOUT two weeks ago a dispatch was sent out from Baltimore which stated that, by "direction of Cardinal Gibbons, printed circulars bearing on the local school question" were being distributed among all classes. It indicated that a demand was to be made for public moneys for parochial schools. The Catholic Review declares, it is said, that the circular was issued on the authority of the Cardinal, but the following, from the Independent of December 14, would seem to indicate the Cardinal's position:— In reply to an inquiry from us about the circular, Cardinal Gibbons wrote, under date of November 29, as follows:— I am just in receipt of your letter asking me whether myself and Monsignor Satolli "have signed a general circular advising Catholic citizens in all the States to make a demand upon the State legislative bodies for a division of the school fund." In reply I beg to say (1) that I have signed no such circular; (2) I am sure Monsignor Satolli has not signed any circular on the subject; (3) I never heard of the circular till your letter came; (4) I am certain that no such circular has any existence except in the imagination of people ever open to suspicion. You are quite correct, therefore, in not believing the report. Faithfully yours in Christ, J. CARDINAL GIBBONS. The dispatch to which we have referred stated that this circular was to be distributed in all the States. Thinking that there might be some misapprehension as to what we referred to, we wrote again to Cardinal Gibbons, inclosing a copy of the circular as it appeared in the Catholic News, with an introductory statement similar to that published in the daily papers, and asked him if it was true that it was issued by his direction. His response is as follows:— CARDINAL'S RESIDENCE, 408 North Charles St., BALTIMORE, Md., December 7, 1893.131MY DEAR SIR: Replying to your kind note, dated December 6, I would beg to say that the circular which has appeared in some papers, alleging my action in presenting a claim for State aid for parochial schools, did not emanate from me and was not published with my authorization. Neither have I signed any petition to the Legislature for the purpose, and I am sure that Monsignor Satolli has not. Moreover, the paper in question is not something new. It appeared about a year ago without my sanction, and it has again appeared without my knowledge and consent. Faithfully yours in Christ, J. CARDINAL GIBBONS. But it will be noticed that the Cardinal does not say that the circular was issued against his authority. He may not have written it; he as Cardinal may not have authorized it, nor sanctioned it; but he does not say that he disapproved it. It is a good way to sound public opinion without committing himself. Be not deceived; Cardinal Gibbons is not in the movement simply because he does not want to commit even to temporary defeat the authorities of the Catholic Church.