Class 36: Church in America 20th C

Ann T. Orlando

26 April 2006

Introduction

Early 20th C Catholic Labor Movements New Immigrants: Italians, Central Europeans US Catholics in WW II and mid-Century Rise of Catholic America Nearly complete assimilation Sex abuse scandals and financial crises

Early 20th C Catholic Labor Movement Spurred by Rerum Novarum and poor

Catholic immigrants working in factories Three different Catholic approaches

Fr. John Ryan (1869-1945) William Cardinal O’Connell (1859-1944) ‘Mother’ Mary Harris Jones (1830-1930)

Fr. John Ryan

Professor of Economics and Theology at CU Concerned about effect of economic

liberalism on working classes Computed first ‘minimum’ living wage Supported bans on child labor Very active in early years of Franklin

Roosevelt administration; economic and labor policies of New Deal

William Cardinal O’Connell

Archbishop of Boston, 1907-1944 Argued against Fr. Ryan on child labor laws;

O’Connell believed banning child labor was an unnecessary intrusion into family life by government

In general, O'Connell was suspicious of Government; concerned about Government sanctions against Catholics

Banned Sulpicians from St. John’s Seminary as part of Modernist controversy

‘Mother’ Jones

Born in Ireland, 1830 Started in labor unions by supporting wives of

striking miners in West Virginia Like O’Connell, suspicious of Government; but

believed that Government would always side with rich

Encouraged laborers to organize and strike Founder of Industrial Workers of World (Wobblies) in

1905 Opposed to capitalism, favored socialism

Wrote her autobiography at 88

New Immigrants: Italians

Over 2 M Italians immigrated between 1880 and 1920; peaked in 1907

Mostly unskilled laborers; Many brought over under contract by companies who returned to

Italy (Sicily) when contract completed Regular yearly migrations between southern Italy and Sicily and

US Poverty of immigrants contributed to rise in crime and activities in

socialists and anarchists politics Sacco and Vanzetti trial of 1921 for killing two guards for payroll

in South Braintree, MA; executed in 1927 Still question as to guilt or innocence; Gov. Dukakis set aside

conviction in 1977; several new books in last 2 years Prohibition contributed to growth of Mafia

Assimilation and the Children of Immigrants After about 1920 (due mostly to strict immigration

laws), many more native born Catholics than immigrants Irish for several generations

Military service by Catholic citizens in World War II GI bill after the war allowed many, many Catholic

men opportunity to go to college and enter middle class

Catholic baby boom children of the 50s led to extensive Catholic church and school building programs

Church and US had a common enemy: Communism

Growth of Importance of Church in 20th C American Society Catholic Institutions grow in stature and recognition after

WWII Catholic politicians become increasingly prominent in

Democratic Party John Kennedy election in 1960

Catholics aligned with ‘liberals’ as defined in mid 20th C on many social causes (Democrats) Economic justice Civil rights War in Vietnam Prominence of women in education, medicine,

media, social activism

John Courtney Murray

www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,871923,00.html

Did for American-Catholic politics what John Ryan did for labor economics

Emphasis on social justice

First priest on cover of Time, 12 Dec 1960

Church in America at end of 20th Century As Catholics become more accepted as mainstream Americans, less

incentive to maintain Catholic identity as primary social identity Church increasingly at odds with ‘liberals’ over personal ethics Sex abuse scandals have significantly hurt image and influence of Church in

America since 2000 With what long term impact?? History indicates that the Church will clean up the abuses, but reinforce

underlying doctrines and practices However, financial crisis has resulted in some ‘unbuilding’ of Church that

occurred in 50s and 60s In some ways Church now where it was in 19th and early 20th C

Attacked in press Viewed as being alien to American values Catholic schools under pressure Distrust of connection between hierarchy and Rome Some of strongest members of Church are recent immigrants (Latin

American, Vietnamese, Haitian)

Assignments

From Tracy Ellis Packet #15 Junipero Serra’s Report (p 34-47) #115 Bishop McQuaid describes Vatican I (p 389-

395) # 139 Pope Leo XIII Longinqua oceani (p 499-

511) John Courtney Murray, We Hold These

Truths, Ch. 1 and 2 (p 27-78)