ought in my feeble way
to study the needs of the Church, and prepare myself to assist in the
inauguration of reforms which I felt she must some day undertake."

The Pontiff's features twitched with ill-concealed irritation at this
confession; but before he could speak Jose continued:

"Oh, Father, and Cardinal-Princes of the Church, does not the need of
your people for truth wring your hearts? Turn from your zealous dreams
of world-conquest and see them, steeped in ignorance and superstition,
wretched with poverty, war, and crime, extending their hands to you as
their spiritual leaders--to you, Holy Father, who should be their
Moses, to smite the rock of error, that the living, saving truth may
gush out!"

He paused, as if fearful of his own rushing thought. Then: "Is not the
past fraught with lessons of deepest import to us? Is not the Church
being rejected by the nations of Europe because of our intolerance,
our oppression, our stubborn clinging to broken idols and effete forms
of faith? We are now turning from the wreckage which the Church has
wrought in the Old World, and our eyes are upon America. But can we
deceive ourselves that free, liberty-loving America will bow her neck
to the mediaeval yoke which the Church would impose upon her? Why, oh,
why cannot we see the Church's tremendous opportunities for good in
this century, and yield to that inevitable mental and moral
progression which must sweep her from her foundations, unless she
conform to its requirements and join in the movement toward universal
emancipation! Our people are taught from childhood to be led; they are
willing followers--none more willing in the world! But why lead them
into the pit? Why muzzle them with fear, oppress them with threats,
fetter them with outworn dogma and dead creed? Why continue to dazzle
them with pagan ceremonialism and oriental glamour, and then, our
exactions wrung from them, leave them to consume with disease and
decay with moral contagion?"

"The man is mad with heresy!" muttered the Pontiff, turning to the
Cardinal-Bishops.

"No, it is not I who is mad with heresy, but the Holy Church, of which
you are the spiritual Head!" cried the priest, his loud voice
trembling with indignation and his frail body swaying under his
rapidly growing excitement. "She is guilty of the damnable heresy
of concealing knowledge, of hiding truth, of stifling honest
questionings! She is guilty of grossest intolerance, of deadliest
hatr