r The Catholic Democracy of America,64 - Digital Repository Services

The Catholic Democracy of America,
Church by the appointment of a superior nominated by the
court of France, but his diplomacy was disavowed by Congress,
and the Church in America just escaped being involved
in the disaster of the French Revolution. Finally, in June
1784, Father Carroll was appointed prefect-apostolic in the
United States, the name attached to the seal of the decree
being one which in another person has been distinguished in
our generation, Cardinal Antonelli. Thus was established in
national independence the American branch of the Catholic
Church, but, though a term was put to English jurisdiction,
it should be noted that the far north and north-west still
remained within the diocese of Quebec, and the American
territory near Louisiana, which was now Spanish, was administered
by the Bishop of Santiago de Cuba.
Dr. Carroll's utterances from the first days of the organization
of the Church struck a keynote of liberality and fearlessness
which is still heard in the voices of his successors. In
his controversy with one Wharton, formerly a Jesuit of Maryland,
he declares that " it never was our doctrine that salvation
can be obtained only by those actually in the communion
of the Church," and in a letter to an Irish Capuchin in connection
with the controversy he writes with remarkable boldness
upon the' character of the late Pope Clement XIY.:
"You think I was mistaken in attributing to him a timeserving
policy. . . . May God have mercy on his soul!
but whatever allowance charity may wish for him, the pen of
impartial history will not join you in attributing to his public
conduct the virtue of benevolence;" and he adds that from
his personal observation in Rome he considers that the Holy
Father's behavior to the Jesuits was irreconcilable even with
common humanity and the plainest principles of justice."
Again, he expresses a wish that the liturgy might be said in
English for the benefit of the poor people and negroes unable
to read. Be it remembered that these were not the experiences
of an ambitious separatist about to lead a schism, but
were the sentiments of the devoted priest whose recent
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