Section 1.-General Progress.

URING the last forty years the Roman Catholic Church in the United States received large accessions by foreign emigration, far exceeding any other time in its history. The stream of emigration, which had slowly advanced during the previous decades, after 1845 was suddenly swollen to enormous proportions. From 1845 to 1855 two and a third times as many emigrants landed on our shores as in the previous fifty-five years, and from 1845 to 1887 nearly ten times as many as from 1790 to 1845. Nearly thirteen million emigrants infused into our population since 1845 is about one third of our total increase since that date. The offspring of these new comers of the first generation, partaking largely of the ideas, prejudices and customs of their parents, would amount to from one half to three fourths as many more. Three fifths of these foreign-born accessions, it has been estimated, come from Roman Catholic stock. Such a large contribution to the strength of that Church has emboldened its priesthood an 1 led to aggressive movements upon some American institutions.

Encouraged by the augmentation of numbers and the flattery of political demagogues, the papal leaders ventured upon a fuller development of the peculiarities of their system than had ever before been made in this country. Roman Catholic "festivals" have become more numerous and prominent, public processions, in some instances led by the priesthood, have appeared on the streets, and pictures, rosaries, crucifixes, images, relics of apochryphal saints, etc., have been obtruded upon public attention. The cere

mony of "baptizing bells" was publicly performed in the city of New York and "indulgences" were openly offered for sale. In the chastisement of offenders and for the purpose of keeping others in subjection, recourse has been had to the whip, to excommunications, with their terrific accompaniments, and a refusal of the rites of burial to the dead-a great advance toward that type of Roman Catholicism long prevalent in Europe. The activity of the Jesuits, and other orders, in bringing forth their peculiarities has at times awakened serious apprehensions in many minds lest European Romanism should be fully and permanently established among us. Hence the Know-Nothing party of 1853-1855, and the legislative enactments bearing against foreigners in some States-movements which sprang out of the jealousy naturally engendered by the bold, defiant, and revolutionary conduct of Roman Catholics. Most of these legal enactments were, however, subsequently repealed after the popular frenzy subsided.

Plenary Councils.

On the 10th of May, 1852, the first Plenary or National Council assembled in Baltimore, consisting of 6 archbishops, 23 bishops, 40 theologians, and 18 other ecclesiastics. This Council laid down rules for ecclesiastical property, declaring that the administration of boards of trustees should be subject to the approval of the bishops of the diocese. It condemned secret societies, especially Free Masonry. It dwelt upon the rapid growth of the Church in the United States and stimulated the faithful to meet its wants. It also condemned the system of public schools, where children of all denominations are admitted and religious teaching is excluded.

The second Plenary Council was held in Baltimore in 1866-a very imposing spectacle, comprising 44 mitered prelates, 2 mitered abbots, and I procurator. Of these 16 were Americans, 9 Irish, 12 French, 2 Flemish, 3 Spanish, 2 Swiss, 1 Austrian, and 2 German. Of the 16 American prelates one half were of Irish parentage and nearly all of Irish descent. Archbishop Spaulding presided. The session of this Council was regarded as a great occasion, and unusual pains were taken to produce a deep impression. There were pompous processions with gorgeous trappings, extraordinary ceremonies, and many other things which to the simplicity of the American mind seemed puerile relics of the fast decaying hierarchical folly of the Old World. This Council gave special attention to the importance of providing for the education and religious culture

ARCHBISHOP HUGHES.

387

of the emancipated negroes. Parochial schools, recommended in the previous Council, were commanded wherever possible. The last decree of the Council recommended the erection of fifteen new episcopal dioceses.

The third Plenary Council * was held in Baltimore, November 9 to December 7, 1884, the Rev. James Gibbons, D.D., Archbishop of Baltimore, presiding, and was composed of 14 archbishops, 60 bishops, 5 visiting bishops from Canada and Japan, 7 abbots, I prefect apostolic, II monsignors, 18 vicars general, 23 superiors of religious orders, 12 rectors of seminaries, and 90 theologians. Of the foregoing 15 were Jesuits. Of the 74 prelates 24 were born in the United States, 19 in Ireland, 9 in Germany, 7 in France, 4 in British America, 4 in Belgium, 3 in Spain, 1 in Switzerland, I in Scotland, and 2 unknown. The Pastoral Address of the Council treated upon the education of the clergy, pastoral rights, Christian education, the Christian home, marriage, literature for the people, the Holy Scriptures, the Catholic press, the Lord's day, forbidden societies, Catholic societies, home and foreign missions, and temperance. The utterances upon the Sabbath and temperance were very emphatic. The Council attracted wide attention, and many of its declarations. were pronouncedly anti-Protestant.

The death of Archbishop Hughes, the most prominent Roman Catholic prelate of this period, occurred on Sunday evening, January 3, 1864, after a short illness. The announcement created a profound sensation in New York, where he had been a conspicuous figure in public life. No other ecclesiastic had done so much for the upbuilding of the Church in the United States, except, perhaps, Bishop Carroll. Distinguished by marked ability, he wielded the power of a Wolsey, and, wherever known, produced the impression of an experienced and sagacious man of affairs, a worker of great perseverance and energy, and a prelate of undoubted ambition. His name will ever be associated with the most prosperous period of Roman Catholicism in the United States. Although the Archbishop of Baltimore outranked him in the hierarchy, yet he was the recognized leader of the Church and its acknowledged champion before the public. His administrative abilities were unequaled. For this reason he was selected by the national Government for an important semi-official mission to Europe in the early period of the late civil war. His great influence over the New York mob in 1863 has been a topic of frequent favorable comment. In a state of

*See Memorial Volume of the Third Plenary Council. Baltimore Publishing Company. 1885. Pastoral Letter, pp. 10–30.

great feebleness from serious physical infirmities he addressed and quieted the enraged masses-the last public act of his life.

During the last thirty-five years the Roman Catholic dioceses have considerably increased. At the close of 1850 they numbered 26, and 6 archdioceses. At the close of 1886 there were 12 archdioceses, 61 dioceses, 9 vicarates apostolic, and I cardinal. March 15, 1875, Archbishop John McCloskey, of New York city, was created "Cardinal Priest," under the title of Sancta Maria supra Minervam, holding this office until his death, October 10, 1885. In the Consistory at Rome, June 7, 1886, Pope Leo XIII. created Archbishop Gibbons, of Baltimore, cardinal.

Defalcations.

Two great instances of pecuniary defalcations by Roman Catholic officials in high position have attracted much attention in recent years that of Bishop Purcell, of Cincinnati, amounting to three or four million dollars, financially wrecking many persons, and the other at Lawrence, Mass., in 1883, by the Augustinian Fathers. About thirty years ago Bishop Fitzpatrick gave the priests of Lawrence permission to borrow money of parishioners to erect ecclesiastical edifices. A form of a bank was instituted, administered by the priests. By high living, the erection of extravagant edifices, incompetent financial management, and over-indulgence on the part of too-confiding parishioners, it became hopelessly insolvent, occasioning serious losses and much scandal. "A Church Debt Society" is now undertaking to make up the losses.

Dogma of Immaculate Conception.

On the 8th of December, 1854, a new dogma, the Immaculate Conception-that the Virgin Mary was conceived and born without inherited depravity-was added to the Roman Catholic creed. Through many centuries an open question, Aquinas, Bernard, the Dominicans, and others, steadily resisted all attempts to commit the Church in its favor. Ever held in high esteem by the Jesuits, after the resuscitation of their Order, in 1814, they championed its adoption. Proceeding cautiously, sending circulars to all the bishops, and obtaining the assent of a large majority of them, the Pope publicly announced the dogma, much to the surprise of the Christian public. The action of the sixth and seventh Provincial Councils at Baltimore has been elsewhere noticed, the former

*

*Held in 1846 and 1849.

PAPAL INFALIBILITY.

589

adopting the "Blessed Virgin, conceived without sin, as the special patroness of the United States," and the latter, with only one dissenting vote, recommending the pope to declare the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The Roman Catholic clergy of the United States have ever been the devoted advocates of this doctrine, and Mr. De Courcey cites a long list of instances of its recognition by the early founders of Romanism in this country, which is both curious and instructive. The ship which bore Columbus to the New World was the St. Mary of the Conception; the second island which he discovered was called "La Conception;" the first chapel built by Champlain in Quebec was dedicated "La Conception;" in 1635 the Jesuits dedicated to the Immaculate Conception their adventurous Huron Mission; Father Le Jeune relates that the next year they consecrated the country in a special manner to "Mary, conceived without sin;" and in 1673 the River Mississippi was baptized with the name "Conception " by its discoverer, James Marquette.

Infallibility of the Pope.

The Ecumenical Council was held in Rome, 1868-9. On the 13th of September, 1868, a most remarkable document proceeded from the Pope, addressed "to all Protestants and other non-Catholics," as "those who, while they know the same Jesus Christ as the Redeemer, and glory in the name of Christian, yet do not profess the true faith of Christ, nor hold to, nor follow the communion of the Catholic Church." He exhorted them "to avail themselves of the opportunity of this Council," to "satisfy the longings of their own hearts, and free themselves from that state in which they cannot be assured of their own salvation;" to "continually offer fervent prayers to the God of mercy that he would throw down the wall of separation, scatter the darkness of error, and lead them back into the bosom of the Holy Mother, the Church, in which their fathers found the healthful waters of life, in which alone the whole teaching of Jesus Christ is preserved and handed down, and the mysteries of heavenly grace dispensed." "We address these letters. to all Christians separated from us, and we again and again exhort and conjure them speedily to return unto the one fold of Christ."

A few individuals and some religious bodies replied to this letter, among whom may be cited, as of particular appropriateness and value to American citizens, the action of the Presbyterian General Assembly in the United States. They declared their unhesitating belief in the Apostles' Creed and the doctrines of the first six Gen