Americanism means true democracy—the rule of the majority in matters civil, and the protection of the rights of the minority.
Americanism means freedom of thought, conscience, speech and press.
Americanism means the right to worship God according to the dictates of your own conscience.
Americanism means that liberty of body, soul and spirit which tends to the development of all that is noblest and best in the individual.
Does Roman Catholicism mean these great principles?
Let me say emphatically, NO.
Catholicism means the rule of the Pope.
Catholicism means restriction of thought, speech, and censorship of the press.
Catholicism means the worship of God in no other manner than set forth by the Popes, and the persecution of heretics, even unto death. You weak Protestants will probably say, "Oh, not that bad." Well, let me tell you, that you had better open your eyes. Let me quote from the "Golden Manual," a prayer book I used while a Sister. This book has the approval of John Card. McCloskey, then Archbishop of New York, page 666: "That thou wouldst vouchsafe to defeat the attempts of all Turks and heretics, and bring them to naught." And according to the Roman Catholic Church, a heretic is anyone who does not believe all the teachings of that church. So you Protestants are each and every one heretics and the Roman Catholic church has no use for you, so why should you cater to them?
Catholicism means repression of individuality and the subjection of the body, soul and spirit to a ruling class (the priests) by the terrible doctrine of infallibility, for we, as Catholics and sisters, believe that the priest cannot sin, as priest.