' Souperism ' in Rome.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 36, 4 September 1902, Page 1

' Souperism ' in Rome.

For some time past all Catholics who read the Roman news in Catholic papers have been aware that an extensive and regularly organised system of ' souperism ' — i.e., making converts by bribery — is being carried on by certain Protestant sects in Rome ; but it is a very difficult matter to get Protestants who live outside of Italy to admit or believe this undoubted fact. A few weeks ago some discussion on the subject took place in the columns of the London Spectator, the editor of which urged, in reply to the charges of souperism, that ' this accusation is always brought against those who try to make converts/ and that in this instance ' the accused societies are not specified and the accusations brought against them are vague and unsubstantiated.' The Rome correspondent of the London Tablet has now taken the matter up and has published a reply, which, whatever else may be said about it, is certainly not open to the charge of • vagueness.' The society, the victims, and the history of the transactions, are all described with the minutest detail, so that the Spectator or anyone else who is interested can easily investigate and verify for themselves.

The society which is specially pilloried by this writer is that of the American Methodist Episcopal Church, chosen by him partly because the body it represents is the most prominent of the Protestant sects in Rome, and partly because, as he says, the methods it adopts are models of fairness compared with those adopted by some of the other proselytising bodies in Rome. This society has a handsome conventicle and hall in the Via Venti Settembre, and both conventicle and hall are, as a tribute to Garibaldi, consecrated to and named after Venti Settembre. This society, it is alleged, is constantly guilty of bribing converts, and here is a modern instance in point. We will let the correspondent tell the story in his own words : Roberto Palazzi is a native of Nemi, who came to Rome some time ago to find the work that was laukinpf in his own town. He was always a decent sort of a man, and attended his religious duties fairly regularly. His wife, Maria Todini of Rocoa Priore, is an excellent Catholio, and their four children, Emilia aged sixteen, Ada fifteen, Livia twelve, and Ghiglielmo nine, are quite aa pious as the average run of Homan children. Robert found after a while that Rome was not an El Dorado — nay, about a month ago he saw starvation for himself, his wife, and his children staring him in the face. So moody and depressed did he grow, that the neighbors began to ask him what was the matter, and to one of these he confided the real state of affairs, 'Go to the Metodisti of Venti Settembre, 1 said his friend, ' they will give you money and work — you have only to say that you will join them.' Hunger and despair are evil counsellors, and Roberto went. He explained his case — he was out of work, he was hungry, and he wanted to become a Methodist. Had he any family 1 Yes ; a wife and four children. What about them ? Roberto, having got over the difficulty of bolting Methodism for himself, had only slight qualms about throwing hie wife and children into the balance against starvation. He promised that they would all become Methodists. After this he thought he bad done all that was necessary to obtain the relief he needed so badly. He did not know the strict business principles on which the American Methodists conduct their establishment. Doubtless their experience has taught them that one Roman bird in the hand is worth any amount of them in the bush. Anyway poor Roberto was informed that he would have money and work provided for him — but only when he and his whole family had made their abjuration. The delay was not pleasant to a starving man, but Palazzi returned home with the intention of hurrying up the ' conversion ' of his household. His wife was horrified. She went at once to the Superioress of a religious community, and put all the facts before her. The Superioress, in turn, communicated them to a member of the Society for the Preservation of the Faith, who thoroughly investigated them and found them to be quite true. This Society is poor, and oould not hold out the rich promises of the American Methodists, but the unhappy Roberto only wished to be saved from starvation. Work of some kind will be found for him, and the Methodists will wait in vain for him and his family.

There is certainly nothing ' vague ' about that story and it is onlj one of many similar incidents which the Tablet correspondent is able to record. He shows further how organised attempts are made to obtain converts en bloc by offering ' free education ' in various technical and higher subjects of knowledge. Thus, he says, the Methodist free night schools for modern languages, especially English, used to attract quite a number of young men and boys until the Irish Christian Brothers opened similar classes close at hand and completely supplanted the Methodists. But another Methodist institution — a day and boarding school for girls — is still flourishing and the Tablet writer gives clear and definite proof of the practice

in this institution of proselytising tactics that are neither fair nor honorable. All this constitutes an indictment which is neither ' vague ' nor 'unsubstantiated,' and we will wait with interest to see what the Spectator will have to say in reply to charges of the truth of which such specific and apparently conclusive evidence has been adduced.