Catholic Church

John D. Crimmins informs President Roosevelt that he is held in high regard in Rome.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-03-11

Cardinal Satolli toasts the health of President Roosevelt for the “progressive condition of Catholicity” in the United States and for the accord achieved on the “religious question of the Philippines.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-02-29

Underground revolutionary activity, led by Artemio Ricarte, continues in the Philippines and succeeded in forming a mutiny in the Philippine Constabulary near Vigan. Ricarte is currently on the run and several secret service men are on his trail. Governor Wright remains confident in the loyalty of native forces. Sixto Lopez attempted to return to the Philippines but once again refused to take the oath of allegiance and returned to Hong Kong. The Aglipayan movement is strong in several provinces and is creating tensions with the Catholic Church.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-02-15

Margaret Sanger writes about the Boy Scouts, stating that the movement was imported to the United States from Great Britain and “seized upon most enthusiastically by America’s grown up boy scout, Theodore Roosevelt.” Sanger criticized the Boy Scouts, claiming the organization was intended to train boys to obey and prepare them for the military, support the capitalists, and continue the oppression of the working class. She argues that President Roosevelt was “delighted” to “hasten” these ideas upon American society.

Collection

The Margaret Sanger Papers Project

Creation Date

1912-04-06

Daniel H. Reese believes that the Jesuits are very dangerous and sends a related newspaper article.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-11-15

Daniel H. Reese sends a newspaper article that shows his views toward Catholics.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-11-15

American Baptist Flag suggests that a Jesuit was involved in the assassination of William McKinley.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901

Daniel H. Reese criticizes the Catholic Church and the changing of its doctrine throughout history.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-10-31

Theodore Roosevelt views the war as a battle between militarism and democracy. Currently, Russia and Japan are allied with democracy, but with their “alien” institutions and ideals they may “menace civilization.” To do her duty, the United States must be the “just man armed” and avoid pacifism. Roosevelt, and his views, are unpopular and he no longer desires to be a political candidate. He fears his candidacy would be interpreted as greedy ambition. Roosevelt is also opposed by many Catholics due to his previous policies and recent statements. His victory in the Barnes libel suit was also a victory for his supporters as it showed they were right about “boss rule and crooked business.” Roosevelt feels he has done his share in the progressive movement and can no longer take a leading role. The public has had enough of reform and Roosevelt’s presence will now hinder, rather then benefit, the cause.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-06-03

A priest stands at the pulpit in a cathedral, preaching from the “Holy Ledger.” Beneath his feet is a cut-away of an area labeled “Rentals” and revealing bags of money above the phrase, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” The bottom half of the image shows the squalor of poor families living in sections of the city identified as “Filth Lane, Tuberculosis Alley, Bacteria Court, Thug Corner, Squalor Street, [and] Fire Trap.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

The great radical cartoonist Art Young, creator hundreds of effective and famous cartoons over his long career, once called “Holy Trinity” the favorite among his cartoons. The color double-page in Puck was prompted by an article about the Episcopal Church in New York City owning a multitude of tenements. Its clergy, in Young’s powerful Puck cartoon, were in effect slumlords

Pope Leo XIII holds out his robe labeled “Catholicism” and bows to Columbia who politely returns the bow and declines the offer to shelter under his robe. Behind Leo XIII is “St. Peters” at the “Vatican” and behind Columbia are buildings labeled “Public School” and “School.” Caption: His Holiness–Dear Miss Columbia, won’t you come under my robe? – you’ll be so much more comfortable! – for further particulars, see my late encyclical. / Miss Columbia–Much obliged, Pop; but I’m doing very well as I am!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1895-02-13

Cardinal “Satolli,” holding a crosier, sits atop an enormous dome labeled “American Headquarters,” and casts a large shadow in the shape of Pope Leo XIII across the landscape of the United States, from New York City south through Washington, D.C., to the Gulf of Mexico and west to San Francisco. Several cities, some with buildings labeled “Public Schools,” are encompassed by the shadow of the Pope, including New York City, the U.S. Capitol building, “Memphis, New Orleans, El Paso, Denver, [and] San Francisco.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-09-05

John G. Ewing and his cousin, Father Thomas Ewing Sherman, are concerned that the Catholic Church in the United States represents people of many nationalities, many of whose “instincts and prepossessions are not American.” Recognizing the growing influence of Catholics in national life, Ewing believes that the appointment of bishops who uphold Americanism is necessary. He urges President Roosevelt to use his influence, including sending a representative to Rome, to ensure the appointment of bishops who support American ideals.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-11-23

Pamphlet with statements from Catholic leaders supporting the American Federation of Catholic Societies.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-03

Thomas B. Minahan, president of the American Federation of Catholic Societies, describes the formation, goals, and benefits of the federation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10

Judge Thomas McDonough reflects on his first three months in the Philippines. He is surprised at the “remarkable progress” and shares his thoughts on the friars’ question. McDonough is struggling with what to do with the land of the friars and the friars themselves.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-04

Pope Leo XIII climbs through a ballot box in an effort to get to the sign on the wall that states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion–Constitution.” Other notices pasted on a wall in the background state, “Every Catholic should rigidly adhere to the teachings of the Roman pontiffs…”; “All Catholics should do all in their power to cause the Constitutions of States and legislation to be modeled in the principles of the true church”; and “All Catholics … must penetrate wherever possible in the administration of civil affairs.” Each is noted as a “Papal Encyclical.” Caption: Through the ballot-box to the Constitution.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-11-18

Members of the clergy sign a document labeled “Declaration of Dependence” and are joined together by long strings of beads that are held by Pope Leo XIII sitting on a chair in the left foreground. Cardinal John McCloskey is sitting at the table where the document is being signed, glaring at the Pope. The American Declaration of Independence, torn and crumpled, lies at his feet. Caption: Made at Cincinnati, on the 19th of March, in the year of the Republic 106, by the Fourth Provincial Council of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-04-12

A bull labeled “France” is being attacked by insects shaped like clerical figures, which cause it to kick with its hind legs, knocking Pope Pius X off a stool and overturning a bucket and spilling “Papal Revenues.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

There is a French saying that France will never be anything if not Catholic; however of all the Roman Catholic countries through the centuries, and despite magnificent French cathedrals and associations, France probably has been the most aggressively anti-clerical of all countries. High (or low) moments in actions taken against the Church and papal authority have included the excesses of the French Revolution, and measures to restrict proselytizing, lessen government subsidies, and conform to various secular regulations.

Bernard MacGillian is concerned that the Catholic Church is being ignored when selecting chaplains.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

Unknown