It is three years now since the doctors of theology of the Polish National Alliance have been trying to prove, convince, and persuade their 'people' through their mouthpiece, Zgoda, that Catholics are permitted to join any society or organization, including masonic lodges and other orders. It happens at times that statements are made in such a way that tend to tell the people that Bishops who make attempts to prevent Catholic people from joining other societies violate their bishopric attributions. Priests, especially Polish, who try to dissuade the people should be punished and suspended from their order.

This is the kind of theology the Alliance theologists are trying to expound. It not only jeopardizes the position of the bishops and priests, 2but also is dangerous to our people. It leaves them open to advances of nonreligious and socialistic groups.

It is plainly evident that such statements and such articles are false. They only tend to deceive the rustics. Every Catholic who has any common sense of judgment relative to the moral concepts of the Catholic Church, and the decrees and orders of the Pope and bishops, can sense that such articles are trying to pervert the minds of the people.

Before we attempt to prove the falsity of these articles by argumentation and the highest laws of the magistracy of the Catholic Church, we must above all bring etymological enlightenment on certain phrases, and point out their true meaning.

We must bring out the definitions of the following words: permission, not allowed, forbidden, and ex-communication.

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Not allowed and forbidden mean the same thing. This means that certain things under law of man or God are not permitted to be performed.

Because we are especially concerned about societies that have been forbidden by an order of the Church, we frankly state that every society is forbidden which the Church has passed a ruling against for not observing its laws.

On the other hand, all societies are allowed and not forbidden, providing they observe every ecclesiastical law enacted by the Church and permits Catholics to membership.

The words ex-communicated and forbidden, or ex-communicate and forbid have separate meanings.

A society that is ex-communicated is also forbidden, however, a forbidden society is one that has not been, as yet, ex-communicated.

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Every society that has been ex-communicated by the high orders of the Church becomes condemned, and excluded from the community and association by faithful Catholics.

Ex-communication, or condemnation, is a positive penalty decreed by the Church.

The ecclesiastical order of the Roman Catholic Church can be compared to that of a nation or state, but it has this difference: It cannot impose any monetary fines or physical penalties to violators of its laws. It has only the power to render ecclesiastical punishment, and that is ex-communication, or condemnation.

Ex-communication can be 'latae santentiae,' that is, providing the Church makes an announcement of this decision, stating that this or a like offense carries with it the same punishment, 'ipso facto', or ex-communication.

Ex-communication can also be 'ferendae sententiae', that is, after a hearing 5has been held and judgment passed by an ecclesiastical body on a certain violation, only then can it be announced that the guilty party has been handed down the penalty of condemnation.

Certain like societies cannot be nominally ex-communicated (nominally, by name), however, they can be forbidden and also condemned.

Finally, certain societies which were neither condemned nor forbidden can be classed as 'dangerous', because of their practices and principles, or because of the corrupt members who are likely to endanger and influence others.

To substantiate the above statements we quote the following:

"Public sentiment and opinion is greatly mistaken to believe that only Masonic lodges are ex-communicated, and are forbidden to all Catholic people. Proof of this is borne out by the holy decrees of the Third Plenary Concilium of Baltimore, namely:

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1. All the decrees and constitutions of the Roman popes condemn societies which oppose the Apostolic See, especially as pointed out in Bulli: 'Constitutio Apostolicae Sedis', according to the Papal authorities are still valid.

2. That all Masons, Carbonari, and Irish Fenians are nominally ex-communicated.

3. All other societies, are not branded by ex-communication, but because of their pernicious tendencies, are compared with the above mentioned organizations, that is, all those societies that oppose the Church and agitate against its concepts.

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4. The faithful people, especially the younger generation, should be constantly on the lookout for such societies, and take special precaution not to join those that are considered dangerous or uncertain relative to morals and religion by the Church."

Dziennik Chicagoski, Mar. 1, 1892.

In the General Instruction of the Holy Roman Inquisition of May 10, 1884, we have found the following: 'There are many other societies that judgment cannot be passed on, whether they belong to the ex-communicated organizations, or should be forbidden under mortal sin because they oppose the teachings of the Church, or are dangerous from a moral standpoint.'... In this respect, it is the duty of every bishop to warn the people in his diocese against any such organization that tries to pollute its members with dangerous moral and religious ideas.

From the above statement, it is plainly evident that the Masonic, Carbonari, 8and Fenian societies are not the only societies ex-communicated by the Church. There are many other similar organizations which are not mentioned, but are forbidden to all Catholics under mortal sin.

There are societies "implicite" which fall under the ban of the general law, others that fall in the category of dangerous are also forbidden. As it happens many times, the priest at the confessional does not give absolution to the confessor because he deems that the membership in a certain society is dangerous to him and his soul.

Everyone of our readers well understands that we are not concerned with religious or nonreligious societies, but that we are primarily interested in our own Polish organizations, be they Catholic or national. If within our own ranks we find clubs that poke fun at our religion and tend to demoralize our people, then they fall into the category of "implicite" societies, and according to the general edict, are forbidden. If such society lies on the borderline of uncertain principles of faith and unmoral 9attitude, it is the duty of the priest and the bishop to warn the people about them.

A Polish national society that has incorporated within its constitution the observance of the Catholic religion and denies its existence in public is considered dangerous. A society of this calibre is not advantageous to the people. It is dangerous, unsafe, vile, and is forbidden.

A Polish national society that claims to observe the Catholic faith on the interior, but takes into its fold Jews, nonreligious followers, and persons of questionable character, is also considered dangerous, for a bad society corrupts good morals, therefore it is forbidden.

A Polish national society that through its organ denounces religion, denies an individual a higher destiny, denies the existence of God, and offers in His stead some undefinable belief of the people, opposes the commandments of God and the Church, replacing them with the free thought of the individual, 10is considered bad, dangerous, and forbidden.

A society that in its organ or official paper favors socialism, anarchism, sows among the people the seed of discontentment, jealousy, and tries to undermine the peace of the church, the family, and single individuals, according to the tenets of the Church is bad, dangerous, and forbidden.

A national society that in its organ ridicules the rites, practices, and holy things of the Church, as ecclesiastical vestments and confession, which it mocks by Saturday night drinking parties, influences individuals from performing the duties of the Church, attending mass on Sunday, or tries to make little of the commandments of the Church, is considered bad, dangerous, and forbidden.

A national society that in its own organs inexorably and with satanical endurance slanders the respect and good name of the ecclesiastical order of the Church, incites the peaceful attitude of the parishioners against the 11shepherds of the soul, stir up people against each other, praises one group only to lower another, brings to public light the smallest incident, or fabricates stories to dupe the people, is considered bad, dangerous, and is forbidden.

It is needless to write what society we have in mind. From the above statements, one can easily recognize it. Already it is notoriously bad and subversive, one cannot mistake it.

We warn our faithful readers, and beg them to carefully weigh the above articles.

Whoever joins the ranks of a similar society today is performing a sinful deed for which he will not receive absolution, because he himself becomes a person of doubtful religious belief.

Therefore, everyone should take special precaution, and particularly protect his soul from evil, for it is a major duty of every Catholic.