AMERICAN
Wit Ml CfMt
Nl M.H 4
Vott'Mk 111.
OMAHA. M lUIASKA. I KIlV, MM VUY tv.U
THE
MASONS.
-.1 l
:
Agnimt th0' t
It U 0MH IVoMut in All tti Miiin
Cathode Prr fit th Country
Rutit it Crtullt
Tl- follow ing U Hie lull tcvt of the
tvivM nec!tel I'tveiumtons,
m ill out by tin 11 I Wing print
od in nil tin- Konmii Catholic wtr In
lltl country. We take our copy, "
tin f Vfirxi of llotoii. front the Ciiffmie
.Voi'duf Nov - Vitrk. of .Innuary II, ond
P IVMM'VI' 1'Mpital, el.1.. In nil plllCC.
jllsl US llll'V lipH'HI' 111 lilt BhI pUT.
it will In- noticed that tin pronoun
"OUI" "WC," I'll.. tll Capital HIV Used
Ity the pope, it custom in vogue only
when Cod himself I supposed to lie
HjxMiktn. No comment is needed on
this it ieuks for itself. Tho fact that
It I ordered to bo printed in tliiu coun
try, shows Unit it is not intended for
Freemason in Italy ulone, but for
Amerieun und ull other Freemasons us
well.
A well-known New York priest, who
bu.) been interviewed by the daily press
in regard to this encyclical, says that
there arts Koinun Culholies in the Ma
sonic order, but adds: ''lioinan Cath
olics who enter Freemasonry do it with
the knowledge that they must either
neglect the confessional and so bo de
nied the rights of the church, or else be
bad Catholics through life and
confess and abjure Masonry on
their death beds as every one,
without exception, has hitherto done.
the actors Florence and Barrett
being notable Instances."
THE POPE'S ENCYCLICAL.
Dear Children An the guar
dian of that faith to which the
Christian nations owe their moral
and civil redumption, Wo would
fail in one of our chief duties If We
did not raise Our voice often and
very loudly agalnHt tho Impious
war by which It Is sought, dear
children, to deprive you of Biich
t.iiH-r&i'A'-tiviwtW 'Already
taught by a long and said exper
ience, you know well tho terrible
trials of that war, and you doploro
It deeply In your Catholic und
Italian hearts. Indued, could you
ho Italians In mime and sentiment
without revolting against the at
tacks daily directed against those
divine tenets which constitute
tho brightest of ourglorios, which
gave to Italy the primacy over
the other nations and to Home
the spiritual scepter of tho world
und which ruined on tho ruins of
paganism and barbarism tho
splendid structik J of Christian
civilization? Could you bo Cuth
olio in mind and heart, und in
this very land, In tho bosom of
which our udorablo Kodoemer
deigned to establish the seat of
Ills Kingdom, see with an Indiff
erent eye Ills doctrines assailed,
Ills worship outraged, His church
attacked, His Vlear subjected to
hostility, ho many souls that have
been redeemed by His blood, und
that from tho chosen portion His
flock, lost, and people who have been
ever faithful to lllm for nineteen con-
"turlcs exposed to tho continual an Im
minent peril of. apostatizing from tho
Fulth and forced into a path of oitoih
and vices, of material misery and moral
abjection'!1
Directed atnneu agalnstour heavenly
and our earthly fatherlund (la patrla)
and our earthly fatherland (la jiatrlo
celeste ot la Is putrlo torrcstc), against
tho religion of our fathers and tho civ
11 lat lor. transmitted to us by them
with so much splendor In science, let
ters and art, tho War of which Wo
speak Is, us you well understand, be
loved children, doubly wickedtreason
ugulnst humanity and also treason
against the Divinity, Hut where does
It principally come from if nut from
that Masonlo sect with which Wo dealt
at length In tho F.ncy ileal lluinanutn
Onus of the 20th April, 1HH), and in
the more recent one of tho 1.1th Octo
ber, lHill), uddressud to tho Hlshops,tho
clergy and tho pooplo of Italy? Hy
means of these two letters We tore
from Freemasonry tho mask with
which It covered Itself In order to de
ceive the people, and Wo exposed It In
Us naked deformity, In Its dark and
pernicious deeds.
We confine Ourselves on this occas
ion to considering Its deplorable effects
In respect to Italy. For, having long
since crept Into Our beautiful country
under the specious appearance of a phil
anthropic society and a saviour of tho
people, and having at last by means of
conspiracies, corruption, and violence,
succeeded in dominating Italy, and this
wahnik:
til) o! l- fi Mit j iU
oet. t Hn.J I...W iimf t!mn!lie h t
I not o ImiI l In the ."out ' t
) m.M- th t I. in v '
j In m It i( v f im- our
t-oiitiliV Ida hi n Mot i(!Vnil t'i l
, 'iH The t! litfion t our tmli r liw
rm'ine uii i.r )'t".v!ii ion ,i
(mi (, llh U MtniiU' iis ot uiU
luHC nliHnlim for 'bri! innlly, tin
iirliip of i ftwli for lie' worbln ..(
fmlli, wM'nll.tl x ml. nl ini'imiU
for C0iiiih iitomlity, Uie iV(jv of
innlt. V for Hint of the spirit. To the
holy ln ninl iiinxiniK of the t.o. . l
they lmo .Uivil to opMio Uu mi. I
ttlNxillix whleh mi'lil Im'hI,',1 Ihe emle
of Ihe Ui'voliiti.ui; whlli.1 thi-y Imve )
Mi opNiM'd t Ihem-hiNils lo wlrme,Hiul
to Christian ni l an nlij.vl Hllnist ie ri al
loin. They have invaded the Temple
of the ldird, they hnve MUandeii'd by
confiscation wli slHstieal proh-i ty, the
greater purl of the Income neceiiiiy to
Ihe exorcise of Ihe holy ministry, und
by the conscription of the clerics
they have reduced lioyond tho limits of
extreme need the numlier of priests.
If they have not been able to prevent
tho administration of tho Sacraments,
they have tried nevertheless by every
melius to patronize civil marriages and
funerals. If they havo not yet succeed
ed in dragging from tho hands of the
Church the education of tho young and
tho direction of charitable institutions
they endeavor nevertheless by jiorsis
tent effort to seculurize both, and to
effectually efface their Christian char
acter. If they havo so far fuilod to
stillo tho voice of tho Catholic press,
they have novortholoss done all they
could to rovllo It and bring It Into 111
rejiuto. .And to what contradictions, what
partialities will they notdoseond to op
pose, at whatever cost, tho Catholic re
ligion? They havo closed tho monas
teries, and tho convents but they havo
allowed to multiply uh thoy would
Masonlo Lodges and secular associa
tions. They have proelalmed,tho right
of association whilst tho Individual
legal liberty which all sorts of associa
tion, use and abuse is refused to re
ligious communities. They have pro
mulgated religious liberty, whilst odi
ous Intolerance and manifold vexations
aro reserved for tho religion which Is
pre-eminently that of tho Italians, and
to which they owo at least respect, and
special protection. Tho safeguard, tho
dignity, and tho Independence of the
Dope, they huvo made most ample dec
larutlonsund promises, hut you w 111 see
to what outrages Our person each day
Is subjected. All sorts of public mani
festations have an open field; it is
Catholic manifestations alone, first one
and then another, which are prevented
or disturbed. They encourage, oven In
tho bosom of the Church, schism, upos
taey, and revolt against legitimate su
periors; religious vows, and particularly
that of oliodlenee, aro condemned as
things contrary to man's lilicrty and
dignity, while, at the same time, they
leave unpunished associations which
bind their followers by iniquitous vows,
und which exact, even In matteis of
crime, blind and absolute obedience.
Without exaggerating the Masonic
srfef nrai; in i lii i n i (; i i few iwifij--:-ELi
!.. r. m 'n r-i.i M'.t , m .tii.i i j
linn.i-.! nlv Hi l. ;i IhfJ li li:th ft!
fUl t il.-ll l Mil- l-l. .Hir (
-., t.'i. l"M i Hu !. , nl il ) i it In
lti fw l !'(. It Yt I no- I1 ,1, mul
III nmiK .il i ,n I, V. M lo, h
lion. Il i lb.- SiH-otii.1 lione", the
illrtll--WV Jtlii IlirltlJ ol CtllllBl
Hi hiiiih, w h i1i - I. i! nn-ii.
nn.l me i-.-H.i.i . . i to I ,i),t l.i
khIihi' lie- U' itieitilft ot the
Chiiith of Chtt't her plMi.e.t linlion.
the wnt of Clu l' ' i ti m m lb
mill tlieci'iitiv of Cat hoi l- iiihH . 1 lo-iv
In lo IHM-d to im(., Iheett.t t ot llii
ln'Mili litUI mul jHiwel fnl iliflueliiv on
fverylhing Hint iiemly t'oiHH in I'n lo
diiy from nieiv onj.i tuiv foiiiiil.il on
passing indientioiis, or to judge of it
from the wrien of ev. nts that have suc
ceeded each other for the lust thirty
years. 1 'tiffed up li,v ll mhivwh, the
wh'I has loudly Itoastinl of lis works in
the past ninl Itolilly proclaim. mI what It
will do in the future. The public
jmwers, whether these take It into ac
count or not, are considered practically
its instruments! that is to say, thatthi
impious sect boasts of having chielly
caused the religious persecutions which
have afflicted, and which still afflict,
our Italy. Tno work has Is-en carried
out by other hands it is true, but it has
boon Inspired, patronized, encouraged,
aided, by it, mediately or Immediately,
directly or indirectly, by flattery or by
threats, by will or by revolut Ion. From
tho ruin of religion to social ruin tho
transition is rapid. Doing no longer
raised towards Heavenly hope and love,
tho heart of man, formed with inllnito
aspirations, and having need of their
fulfilment, with an ardor that cannot
bo satisfied, grasps worldly objects,
and from this, there of a necessity re
sults a perpetual combat of passions,
hungry for pleasures, riches and hon
ors, which thus become a vast and in
exhaustible source of hatreds, discords,
corruption and crimes.
Moral and social disorders wore not
lacking, It is true, In our country pre
vious to tho troubles of the present
time; but what an nppaling spectacle
is before us in our day! In tho family
tho loving respect which constitutes
tho harmony of domestic life Is con
siderably lessened; paternal authority
Is too often Ignored by parents and
children; quarrels are frequent, and
divorces are not rare.' In tho town one
sees civil disorders multiply each day;
amongst tho different classes of tho
population hitter hatred reigns. The
rising generation, set freo from all
moral restraint, reared with tho cry
of liberty (little understood) sounding
in Its ears, entertains no longer respect
for anything, in heaven or on earth,
while among them there multiply also
temptations to vice, precocious crimes,
and public scandals.
The State, in place of liolng true lo
its high and nohlo mission of recogniz
ing, guarding, and aiding In their har
monious universality of Divine and hu
man rights, would seem almost to con
sider itself the arbiter, und ignores or
limits them as it chooses. Social order,
In a word, is universally shaken In its
foundations. Hooks and newspapers,
schools and pulpits, societies and
SyjjiC, . . ...... ( y,l;,lr, ,;, ji.nn" C.rrtiVirtgi! TT(vjl
Oi. t.m,..t,. i.U .. Mttlul h
'"". -l'oi.i;tj-.l. nit , I ii
tj.t., io mm) Vhv n.l n.l ( i
Ho- l I A I Ho- .!( I'M"1 H-
(1. . ,.'jm-,-.l mi.! ITO)-. i t,. ,i
lr-i.t'.,.; mnnhUI fitf Ho-
olltitV . I lv ttl, II .,l it-.t
to lo '!! Hi. i tik of S'fc iim
Cnninitiim, itii.l iiftii hj Hi1 twUn..
of lln inlint in ii.m1 tui.I nmm -i'
j klio ing lu l.li,:'l Ih lo milt. I llh
jii,iiilv or lo n.im (tli niitliiiin
, ll,e e pmt ion hi. d I f.mtiil In u!ter
i iiii1, n. llulr il. by Hi." eoiirili net
o) ulelle.
Hi hnlil lite fruit Itielt the Mnonie
ivt has Uhtn lo no Italians! And
after this il has the Itolillies o ptvwlil
itoelf lo you holding Op it llielllslo.
wit r. N Italy, and ghitig IoI'smiuI lo all
who, hearing Our word, ivinain faith
ful lo .lestisClirist, tliecaliillillioiis title
of enclitic of our country, lint the
facts, it is well to recttl, s.i enough,
notwithstaiiiliug what aiv the favors
towards our country of this iM-rverse
sect. Faels prove Dial Mitsonic pa
triotism is only sectarian egotism, de
sirous of dominating overall, thanks
to the empire of modern States which
remit and concent ruto all into their
hands.
Facts say that in the designs of Free
masonry the names of political inde
pendence, of equality, civilization, and
progress, aim at fuvoring in our coun
try the Independence of man towards
Ciod, license of error and of vice, tho
conspiracy of a faction to tho Injury of
other citizens, the art of the more for
tunate classes to enjoy at their ease all
the lights and pleasures of life, tho re
turn of a people, bought by Divine
Dlood, to the divisions, to deprivations,
to tho shame of paganism.
And wo cannot bo surprised at this.
A sect which, after nineteen centuries
of Christian civilization, attempts to
ruin tho Catholic church and to cut off
the Divlno, springs of Its life; which,
ubsolutely denying tho supernatural,
repudiates all revelation and all tho
means of salvation with which revela
tion supplies us; which by its designs
and its works bases itself solely and en
tirely upon u nature weak and corrupted
such as ours such a sect can Iki not h lng
else but tho essence of pride, covetous
ness and sensuality. Hut pride o)
prcsscH, covetousness despoils and sen
suality corrupts, and when these three
forms of concupiscence reach their
highest stage, tho oppressions, spolia
tions, and seductive corruptions, In
creasing more and more, assume im
measurable proportions and lieeomo
sources of oppression to a whole people.
I'ermitus, then, in addressing you,
to point to Masonry us an enemy ut
oneo of (hid, the Church, and our coun
try. Once for all, recognize it practi
cally as such and guard yourselves
against such a formidable enemy with
all the arms that reason, conscience,
and faith place in your hands. lt no
one be deceived by Its fair appearance,
enticed by its promises, seduced by its
llatterii s, or alarmed by its menaced.
Komomlier that Freemasonry and
Christianity are essentially irreconcil
able, so that to join one is to bo entirely
separated from t lie other. This incom-
; ,s ,i.,'::n t.-,n it.. ot kl m,
; ,.; ft.i t!,t ,4 Un
,t,t!l, ot, U i oiv
:vfcwM, 1 i4 ,,, o.ii ,4 , aiol
1 n,, wfty. r rii.lin':i r
,.) mm.
,U,, HiH, wl,Mt Hon til
j ,iK!.M (,. pHrn lli.-f Itmn- U
mn ot H - (, u,. ,,! injiln ,,i.
t,ti.w llmt tin mv li t. ilv I.hiuI lo
j ki in. In tii.in II I! Initio
j t,,i li l,i ivmitiii rut oft fintti Hi."
U 'l,i in ma otu m.itili.n mul lo low ih.-ir
.Hi! in lime mul eleiliilv, lt mvtil
'o, Mini en hern, ami i inpley . r, m
nil thine who lme charge of tin- in.-
I .
j
t-sU ot oihers, iiiih iliiil thai a rigor
Otis oliligHt ion liimU theitt to lie. nil ItiHl
(sissilile lii pii-vellt those w bo tlejs i,
on I Item from joining ihl w ickei! si'l. j
and fiimi remaining in it if they have
actually joined II.
In a matter of so great importance
and in view of Ihe fact that mctliixt of
ttlliireiuoi't are so easy in our days. It
is likewise iiiiHrative that Ihe Chris
tian lie on his guard against taking Ihe
lirst stops, fear the smallest dangers,
avoid every occasion of temptation,
take the most minute precaut ions in
a word, according to the Fvangelieal
counsel, employ all tho prudence of the
serpent whilst preserving in his heart
the simplicity of the dove.
Let the fathers und mothers of fami
lies take care not to receive Into their
houses or to admit to t he intimacy of
domestic conlldences people who Rvo
unknown, or at least not sufficiently
known with rosoct to their religion;
let them first take steps to ascertain
t'MV,,n,i '. ii . i.i,i'Cr!TliVfitftf ttVci
that under tho garb of a friend, a mas
ter, a physician, or other acquaintance,
thoro is not concealed an astute re
cruiter of the sect. Or, Into how many
families has tho wolf entered In the
guise of a lamb!
Worthy of all praise, undoubtedly,
are tho different societies which now
spring up everywhere and in every
rank of social life with marvelous fe
cundity workingmen's societies, mu
tual aid societies, provident societies,
literary artistic, and other societies
and when they are jMinetrated hy a
good moral and religious spirit they
aro assuredly useful und suitable to tho
times. Hut since hero also, and even
in a special manner, the Masonic poison
has penetrated and porietratca those
societies must generally hi! regarded
with suspicion and avoided, which,
withdrawing themselves from every
religious influence, can bo easily di
rected and ruled to a greater or less
extent by Freemasons societies such
a those which, beside tendering as
sistance to the sect, are, so to speak,
its seed-plots and training-ground.
Let not women readily join philan
thropic societies of which they do not
quite know tho nature and the object
without first consulting prudent and ; 1""''. which Is also the supreme Inter
cxporlcneed persons, because this ests of Italy and of the whole Christian
mountebank uhllanthronhv. so nom-1
jMiusly contrasted with Christian char
ity, often serves as a passport to Ma-
yonic intercourse. Ix'l every one avoid 1
having tics of friendship and familiar-
ity with peo)lo suspected of Indonging
to Freemasonry or with tho societies
affiliated to it: recognize them by their
i
:ti:
: l,
ftlfl I III lit.
t Si If1. I1, o.i '
.. 1. 1 II.. .r
1 ti.i.l..t
j li.1 o.
111. II .Mr. I... IO'.
..it liU ,i, ftr.. I nf
t : i
Un it l.n.lm.U !ii,. I !.., t,
Iml mm II...-.- l.o is. ii.s nl lh. tr rl
j ,1: .!.. I (,. .., W of illiil. IMti
; toi. univ, r Mn I fof Hi) IM l'ioti. n.i
jft iiniin t.i r-stitii ilmj; Ihe ii.ioiiii, i
j the l.osl, ll, 1- l,Mlil,,a of tl..
j Un.ih.iion. t ht iMl mul II, lint, il.e
(l'liifi It of I.. si mul 1 1,., suir without
It o.l,
I 11 Hi.- IsmVsmi.l Hie jitiiirmU which
distil llie polMit, of llii., l t ami w hteh
klmlle in liiitiisn liiis ,i. (ir of itit-
In 'idled etipidtly anil kcIisiinI )Misi.iis,
let reading circle ninl rending room
wheri' lb.- Mii-siiiie spirit preiU,
ii king whom il may devour - ) for
the Christian - und for all Christian
w ithout except ion - pi nil- mid publica
tion Hint ii itken horror.
Since We are dealing with a wet
which has spread itself everywhere, it
is not enough to lie on the defensive to
ward II, but We must go courageously
Into the arena and meet it, as yon will
ilo tleitr children, by opposing press to
press, scIhmiI to school, association to
association, congress to congress, action
to act ion.
Freemasonry has taken possession of
the public schools, and you have tho
private schools, with the paternal
schools and those of zealous religious
and ecclesiastics of lailh sexes; contend
with them for tho education of Chris
tian children and youth, and especially
let not Christian parents entrust tho
education of their children to schools
in which they cannot have confi
dence. Freemasonry has confis
cated tho funds of public benefi
cence; make up for this by priv
ate charity. It has placed pious
foundations in the hands of its
inomlKirs; do you entrust to Cath
olic institutions tho distribution
of tho charitable funds over
which you havo power.
It opens and keeps up houses
of vice; do all that is possible to
open and maintain refuges for
tho preservation of morality that
Is In peril. In Its service Is con
ducted a press anti-Chrlstlan both
from the religious and civil point
of view; do you by means of ynnc
active zeal and your money, as
sist, favor, and propagate tho
Catholic press. Association of
mutual succor and loan societies
aro founded hy It for the benefit
of Its partisans; you should do
the sumo not only for your
brethren In the faith but for all
indigent persons, showing that
true and sincere charity Is the
daughter of Hi in Who makes the
sun to rise and tho rain to fall
upon tho just and sinners.
Let this httugglo of good
against evil extend itself to ull
things and endeavor as far as
possible to repair everything.
Freemasonry hglds frequent con
gresses to concert new plans for
combating tho Church: do you
also hold them frequently to
come to abetter understanding
with regard to tho means and
the order of defence. It multi
plies its lodges; do you multiply
Catholic cireoll and parochial
committees; promote associations
of charity and prayer; combine
together for tho purpose of pro-
serving and Increasing the splendor of
the Temple of (Jod. Tho scot, having
no longer anything to fear, shows it
self in tho full light of day; do you,
Italian Catholics, also make open pro
fessions of your faith after tho exam
ple of your glorious ancestors who in
the face of tyrants, punishments and
death, confessed It with intrepidity,
and sealed It with the testimony
of their blood. What more? The
sect tries to subdue the. Church,
und to place It as a handmaid
at the feet of tho State. Do you, on
the other hand, cease not to demand
and within legal limits to insist, that it
shall have duo liberty and independence.
The sect strives to destroy Catholic
unity, sowing cockle amongst the
elergv themselves, exciting quarrels,
fomenting disorders, and inciting
minds to insubordination, revolt and
schism. Do you, binding more closely
the sacred bonds of charity and obedi
ence, counteract its designs, render its
attempts abortive, and falsify its hoH's.
Like the faithful of the early Church,
lie of one heart and mind, and gathering
around tho chair of St. l'eter in unity
with your pastors, protect the supreme
interests of the Church and tho Da-
world
The Apostolic See has always beeu
the promoter and the jealous guardiau
of the greatness of Italy. He, then,
Italians and Catholics, freemen and
,u)t sectarians, faithful to your native
land and to Christ as well as to his
uniUuuiM uu Vnnv r.
