THE SPIRIT OF BIGOTRY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1585, 3 September 1873, Page 3

THE SPIRIT OF BIGOTRY.

■ : [WELIINGTON POST.] , Some time ago our Australian telegrams announced that the Roman Catholic priesthood of Victoria had- created no small amount of consternation by placing' ■ < their ban on all such; Benefit Societies as the Qdd Fellows, Foresters, GoodTem- 1 plars, Rechabites, &c. As thousands of j members of the Church of Rome belonged to these societies without having the slightest idea that they were doing wrong, and as many of these men had for years, byfneans of subscription to such societies, belli making provision against sickness, old age, or death, it may easily be imagined what a sensation their condemnation from the pulpit created. In many a case it became a question whether the savings of a lifetime should be sacrificed, or whether the benefits of church communion should be relinquished. Can any one imagine a more cruel position for a conscientious man to be placed in ? The priestly crusade against Freemaeonry was as nothing compared to the condemnation of all, benefit societies, which profess to have any secrets confined to their members alone. A Masonic lodge is not a bene6t society, and Freemasons generally are men less likely to be influenced by ignorant clerical fulmination than, the members of the orders referred to. We hoped, even though knowing that the Roman Catholic Church boasts of being one and inctivisable, as well as infallible, that this bigoted, and, with all respect, let us add ignorant condemnation of the societies named was a mere effort of local bigotry, and an example not likely to be followed elsewhere. We were the more inclined to this opinion from a knowledge of, the fact that an exclusively Catholic benefit society, termed the Hibernian Australasian Catholic BenefitjSociety had. recently established numerous branches in this Colony with the full sanction of the clergy, and from our having read in the Tablet an account of the inauguration of a branch of this society at Naseby, where, the .Rev. Father Royer in the chair, Mr Bunny,; who. had visited the district for the purpose of establishing the society, proposed the toast of " kindred'societies," which was responded to by a newlyinitiated member, who spoke of the benefits of Oddfellowship. We. regret to find, however, that we were wrong, as we learn that one of the clergymen of this city on Sunday last took occasion to unequivocally condemn all these " kindred gooieties," and particularly the Good Templars and Rechabites. We hear he ■went even so far as to threaten a withdrawal, of church privileges r to, all who countenanced or joined such societies. Public opinion on a previous i occasion unequivocally condemned the bigotry of Father Cumminsin regard to Freemasonry. We believe it will do the same in the ' present case, and we axe sure that the good sense and intelligence of the Catholic community will in the present instance, as in th© foicaer one, aaseit itself in opposition to clerical dictation influenced by the narrowest spirit of bigotry I - '