Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 17.djvu/797

 TOUNO MEN'S 0HBI8TZAK 7gl YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN

in rei>iy to questions on the subject of Catholic mem- ministrations. Although this Letter was directed

bersnip, "The Y. M. C, A.ia eaaentially a Pratestani against several organizations the Y. M. C. A. was

organi2aiion. In my judgment it should remain the only one to be named specificall^r. Of the Asso-

distinctly Protestant. I wDl be frank and say that ciation the Letter, while acknowledging the material

in my opinion the Y. M. C. A. should not include aid which it had rendered "to a Targe number of

loval Catholic young men in its acHve membership, unhappy persons in the world war/' and while finding

They are out of place there Indeed, taking no fault with its general material activities says,

into consideration the present [1915] attitude of the "this society indeed makes profession of a sincere love

Catholic Church toward the Y. M. C. A. it is my for young people, as if it had no dearer aim than to

belief that a Catholic young man shows a want of give them faculties for corporal and mental develop-

loyalty when he enters the Y. M. C. A." In 1910 ment; but at the eame time it destroys their faith and

the general secretary of the Y. M. C. A. Intemationfd declares that it proposes to purify it and to impart a

Committee in New York, speaking in behalf of the more perfect knowledge of life 'above any church and

Inter-Church Emergency Campaign said: "When beyond any religious creed'." As to the attitude

President Wilson wired the Y. M. C. A. that the toward Catholic members in the United States it is

United States needed it in the war, before I paid any only fair to add that with few exceptions there^ has

attention to athletics, to educational work, I pro- been no attempt to proselytize among them. At times

ceeded to form a committee on evangelical work in lukewarm Catholics on entering the Association have

the churches The result was the evolution been urged to join their Church again, in accordance

of a religious program. Prior to this evangelical with the general policv of seeking to have its members

work, the Y. M. C. A. had a few score of clergymen affiliated with some church.

employed as secretaries. Now we have over 3,000 The answer to the second question as to the relation

ordained secretaries. Now we have the direct leader- between Catholic faith and membership in the Asso-

ship of such men as Clarence Barbour^ President of ciation has in effect been already given. A Catholic

Rochester Theological Seminary; President J. Ross memberof the Y. M. C. A. cannot blink the fact that

Stevenson of Princeton [Divinity School]; President he is enrolled in a distinctively Protestant organiza-

Henry Churchill King of Oberlin College; more than tion. Even though he utilizes only the recreational

200 clerg3rmen, the leading clergymen of every features he is constantly in an "evanselical'' atmos-

denomination. We sent these 200 men overseas phere of religious indifferentism (the tneory that one

that the boys might hear the best preachers of the church is as |;ood as another), which is of itself suffi-

country. We sent 5,000,000 copies of the New cient to constitute a perpetual, at least remote, danirer

Testament to the Allied armies When the to his faith, and he is supporting by his membersnip

story of the war is written, if the Y. M. C. A., yes, and by his contributions all the activities which the

and the Y. W. C. A. are not on record as the identified Association conducts. There may, or may not be, for

Evangelical Church of America, then I, and many circumstances alter cases, any direct danger to his

others, will hand in our resignations, for the 'Y' will faith, but his connection with their work among the

have lost its interest." These statements make per- Catholics of South America and Europe, slight though

fectly clear the fact that the Association is essentially this connection may be personally, is a fact which

a Protestant organization having for its chief aim the must be weighed in conscience by a Catholic when

furtherance of Protestant principles and ideas. This enrolling himself as a member of the Young Men's

aim is especially apparent in the co-operation ex- Christian Association.

tended to Protestant missionary work in Latin Amer- The Young Women's Christian Association, ica^lready referred to, and in the after-the-war work although not officially connected with the Y.M.C.A., in Europe. A further indication of the Protestant nor historically sprung from it, is similar in character character of the Association, is the action of the Central and scope in its work Tor youn^ women. This organ- Branch at Philadelphia which has adopted a ruling, ization is the result of the muting of several smaller taking effect in the oeginning of 1922, limiting in the independent societies originating in various countries, future its respective non-Protestant groups to -five chienyduringthclatterhalf of the nineteenth century, per cent of the total enrollment. In Great Britain in 1855 two prayer unions with The reconstruction work of the Y. M. C. A. is a purely spiritual aims were founded simultaneously in combination of evangelization and material, educa- different places. These two united in 1877 as the tional and recreational aid, extended throu^ centers Y. W. C. A., with broader activities but with prac- chiefly in France, Belgium and Italy, includmg Rome, tically the same purpose. Special attention was The interdenominational character of the Associaiton thereafter paid' to social work, the aim being to leading; them necessarily to adopt the ''least common remedy conditions through hotels, tjraveler's aid. denominator-' in religion, the spiritual education factory helpers and the like. The Association spread that they offer is as a consequence not acceptable to to the English colonies and- also became connected Catholics because of the minimizing of of practice and with similar organizations in the United States. In belief which it entails. Yet the leaders of the work the United States various women's societies were went even further and in a pamphlet issued in Italy founded in the same period. The Y. W. C. A. of ("Che cosa la Y. M. C. A. : ci6 che si propone. Boston was founded in 1866. A conference of etc.")> announced that in addition to physical ana twenty-three similar oraanizations was held at Hart- intellectual training it proposed to give also a ''spirit- ford m 1871, the oldest unit member being the ual education" through free conferences on spiritual Ladies' Christian Union of New York. In 1875 this and religious problems "characterized by greater conference adopted the name "International Confer- liberty of thought and a wide tolerance, cibove and ence of Women's Christian Associations." In 1891 apart from any church or creed,** Such a course was after a union with some Canadian societies the title in effect a system of prosel3rtizing although the "International Board of Women's and Young Association in the same pamphlet disavowed any such Women's Christian Associations" was adopted. In intention. As a result of such actions on the part of the meanwhile there were many other independent theY. M. C. A. and other similar organizations, the or^nizations, especially student societies in the

and their religious indifferentism as constituting a founded at the State Normal School, Normal, lU., grave danger to Catholics who should accept their in 1873. In 1906 the International Board and the