POPE AND AMERICANS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 372, 25 April 1910, Page 8

POPE AND AMERICANS.

" PERNICIOUS PROSELYTERS." Tlic London cablegram? recently referring to the .Pope and Mr. Roosevelt, also mentioned an incident in connection with a visit to Rome of Mr. Fairbanks. The facts about that are given in recent London papers. Mr. C. W. Fairbanks, a prominent American politician, who was vice-pre-sident of the United States during Mr. Roosevelt's .presidency, celebrated his release from olliciai duties by taking a tour round the word, in the course of which he visited Rome. Arrangements had tan made for his being received by the Pope. At the last moment the proposed audience was cancelled by Ilia Holiness on .the discovery that Mr. Fairbanks had undertaken to address the local society of the American Methodist Episcopal Church, of which denomination Mr. Fairbanks is a member. He was informed that he could not be received at the Vatican unless he abandoned this engagement. Mr. Fairbanks elected to keep it. Archbishop Ireland, one of the most influential prelates in America, has since thought it desirable to issue an immcdite defence of the Vatican's action. He explained that the objection was not to Mr. Fairbanks being a Methodist or to his attending a Methodist church in Rome for his Sunday devotions. It was a question .of his appearing to give the fullest approval to the work of the Methodist propaganda in Rome. "American Methodists in Rome," declared the Archbishop, "are active and—l may rea-dTiy say —pernicious proselyters. The Methodist Association is not in Rome to serve and meet American Methodists, but to pervert from the Catholic faith all those upon whom they can bring influence to bear. There are in Rome Protestant - American churches for the •benefit of Americans that put forth legitimate efforts, mind their own business, and make no war on the Catholic Church. I have in mind the Protestant Episcopal Chapel on the Via Nazionae and its former rector, Dr. Nevins, a man whom I was pleased to call a friend." the Archbishop maintained that a public address by a former vice-president of the United States before the Methodist Association could have no other meaning in the eyes of the Roman public than the approval by America of the Methodist propaganda. It was "simply impossible" in such circumstances for the "Holy Father, the guardian of the spiritual interests of the Catholic Church of the world," to welcome him to an audience on the following day. Bishop Hartzell, of the American Methodist Episcopal Church, replying to Archbishop Ireland's explanation, declared that the Roman Catholic Archbishop's attack upon "what he terms the Methodist Association in Rome," was unjust. One of the most signfieant results of the incident was that the Methodist Ministerial Association of Washington, not content with criticising the action of the .Vatican and congratulating Mr. Fairbanks on his refusal to cancel his Methodist engagement, passed a resolution protesting in the strongest terms against recognition of the Vatican by the American Government. Such recognition was declared to be inconsistent with national traditions and a sanction of ecclesiastical assumptions outgrown by the world.