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Show CATHOLIC OPINION. A thriving Congregational church in New York has surrendered not to the Mormon, but to Mormonism. At the beginning of last year two of its most earnest Christian Endeavor leaders fell away and adopted the Mormon faith. Since then the. female members have been passing over the the polygamous gospel in tens and twenties. Last Sunday Sun-day the pastor announced the indefinite indefi-nite suspension of Congregationalist services. A question might arise as to the plurality. The Mormons believe in plurality of wives, but the Congrega-tionalists Congrega-tionalists believe in free love. Is .there not sufficient identity of creed-here to establish in the seceders a valid claim to the church edifice? Western Watchman. . The president seems to have been aroused at last to the gravity of the evidence as to the brutality of some sections of the army, inasmuch as he consented - last week to receive Mrs. Richter. the- mother, of a private soldier sol-dier who had been tortured to death i 1 while serving in the Philippines. She ' had been endeavoring for a considerable consider-able time, by letter and otnerwise, to have justice done in the; case, but met with many obstacles in the way of official offi-cial obstruction. The murder, as it I would seem to be, -was effected by.-I by.-I much the same .form of torture as "( .that of Father Augustine, but the courtmartial which investigated the tragedy, like that in the similar case, found no difficulty in acquitting the perpetrators. It is evident that the ' justice of a Philippines military tri-i tri-i bunal "is somewhat, on par with the ' purity of vote by ballot in Philadel- i phia. Christian Standard and Times, j It is interesting to observe in what ' unlooked for quarters the adoption of Lenten austerities is becoming fash- . ionable. Among even those who but a few years since, regarded the pious practices. of this season as surviving relics of detested Popery, the spirit and exercises of the penitential time are finding general and ' enthusiastic favor. As imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery, it may be hoped that the change of view manifested mani-fested by our separated brethren in this respect is the beginning of a more Just and rational attitude of mind among them toward the true Church. To know Catholicity in its real character char-acter means the removal of the barriers bar-riers of prejudice and misconception which serve to keep many religious minded and well meaning Christians out of the ancient fold Monitor. An eastern priest who wants more liberality shown toward the collection box says: . ' "There are three uses, is seems, for the use of pennies. One is to throw them to prgan grinders, another is to use them in slot machines, and the third is to give them to the church. This puts the church in the same class as the organ grinders and slot machines, ma-chines, and I don't think it is right that it should be so. I have noticed at the monthly collection that poor shop girls will deny themselves some little luxury to contribute at least 25 cents, while strong men sitting beside them will throw a nickel into the collection basket,' and immediately after leaving the church visit some saloon and spend anywhere frbm 50 cents to $1, and think nothing of doing so. To these men I. say: If you .can only afford to give a penny or a 5-cent piece, you are robbing yourselves and the church doesn't want you to rob yourselves; under such circumstances you need the money more than the church." Certainly a man should give more to the church during the year than to the saloon or the theatre. Catholic Citizen. |