THE POPE AND AMERICAN METHODISTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 38

THE POPE AND AMERICAN METHODISTS.

" PERNICIOUS PROSELYTERS."

The London cablegrams recently refer-* ring; to the Pope and Mr Roosevelt, alsomentioned 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-.presi-* dent of the United States during Mr Roosevelt's presidency, celebrated his release from official duties by taking a tour round the world, in the course of which he reached Rome. Arrangements had been made for his being received by the Pope. At the last moment the proposed audience was cancelled by his Holiness on the discovery that Mr Fair-! banks had Undertaken to address the local society of the American Methow dist Episcopal Church, of which denomy ination Mr Fairbanks is a member. Hewas informed that he could not be received at the Vatican unless he aban-> doned 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 immediate defence of the Vatican's action. He explained that the objection was hot toMr Fairbanks being a "Methodist or to his attending a Methodist church in Rome for his Sunday devotions. It was a tion 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 readily say—pernicious proselylers. The Methodist Association is not in Rome toserve and meet American Methodists, but to pervert from the Catholic faithall those upon whom they can bringinfluence to bear. There are in Rome Protestant-American churches for the benefit of Americans that put forth legi-; timate efforts, mind their own business,, and make no war on the Catholic Church.I have in mind the Protestant Episcopal Chapel on the Via Nazionale -and its former rector, Dr Nevins, a man whom I was pleased to call a friend." Accordingly the Archbishop maintained that a public address by a former vicepresident of the United States before the Methodist Association could have n» 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 um just. One of the most significant 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.