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THE DEMANDS OF ROME
[Illustration: _Elizabeth Schoffen as Sister Lucretia_]
[Illustration: _Elizabeth Schoffen, Lecturer and Author_]
DEDICATION
In the name of all that is good, kind and Christian, I humbly dedicate
this book to those two dauntless Americans, my friends and benefactors,
Mr. and Mrs. E. U. Morrison.
"The Demands of Rome"
--By--
ELIZABETH SCHOFFEN (SISTER LUCRETIA)
Second Edition
_Her Own Story of Thirty-One Years as a Sister of Charity in the Order
of the Sisters of Charity of Providence of the Roman Catholic Church_
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, PORTLAND, OREGON
Copyright, 1917, by ELIZABETH SCHOFFEN
(All rights reserved)
PREFACE.
After many entreaties and a sincere vow, it is now "mine to tell the
story" of "THE DEMANDS OF ROME" as I have lived them during my long life
and faithful service in the Roman Catholic Church and sisterhood. I
would sound this story in the ear of everyone who has the interest of
the oppressed at heart--in the ear of everyone who has the interest of
disseminating knowledge, the light and power of which would be a great
help to the freeing of the captive from religious bondage. For as I view
it now, religious bondage is the most direful of all.
In a few words, "THE DEMANDS OF ROME" from the individual are from the
"cradle to the grave," and they do not stop there, he is followed
through "purgatory" and into eternity. In the commercial world, you must
listen to "THE DEMANDS OF ROME" or the Roman Catholic trade goes
elsewhere, and the anathema of the church is invoked upon you.
The church of Rome _demands_ property, and when they have it, _demand_
that they be not taxed for that privilege; they _demand_ wealth, never
being satisfied, but forever _demanding_; they _demand_ the suppression
of liberty; they _demand_ life; they _demand_ death.
Now, as a sister in the church of Rome, it is _demand_ from the very day
she enters the convent, as I have explained throughout this book. The
first _demand_ is the hair of the victim. The Word of God says, "If a
woman have long hair, it is a glory to her," but what does the church of
Rome care what the Bible says? It is the _demand_ from the church, and
blind obedience of the subject to that _demand_ that Rome cares about.
It is their endless _demands_ for supremacy of heaven, earth and hell.
We have all heard of the dumb animal which would run back to his stall
in case of fire; nevertheless, we must take an interest in the faithful
old horse and use every effort to save his life from the horrible death
that he would rush to.
How much more must we take an interest in the lives of the poor,
oppressed humans, the over-burdened, entrapped nuns behind the convent
walls, though she may imagine that she is enjoying the greatest freedom
and the happiest life. Yes, we must all look well to the doors that
stand between Liberty and bondage, even though those doors seem bright
with "religious" paint.
Let me say with the poet, that I cannot hope to "live but a few more
days, or years, at most," and my one aim is to give to the world a book
that will stand the crucial time of the changing years--a book that
shall be known and read long after the author is forgotten. I write it
with a fond hope that it may be helpful to "those who have a zeal for
God, but not according to knowledge," those who may be floundering in
the meshes of a crooked and perversed theology. I want no other
monument.
ELIZABETH SCHOFFEN.
February, 1917.
CONTENTS.
Chapter. Page
I. Introductory 11
II. My Early Life and Schooling 17
III. My Novitiate Life 23
IV. A Virgin Spouse of Christ--My First Mission 37
V. My Begging Expedition--St. Vincent's Hospital--Routine
of a Sister 47
VI. How I Educated Myself--I Become Superintendent
of the Third Floor at St. Vincent's 61
VII. Sacrament of Penance--Mass and Communion--Extreme
Unction--Indulgences--Annual
Retreat 72
VIII. My Trip to the General Mother House 85
IX. I Receive My Diploma for Nursing from St.
Vincent's Hospital--Trouble Among the
Sisters 103
X. My Removal from St. Vincent's Hospital 122
XI. Two Interesting Letters from Sisters--My
Letters for Redress to Archbishop Christie 130
XII. My Emancipation 144
XIII. I Quit the Roman Catholic Church 155
XIV. Form for Dispensation of the "Holy" Vows--My
Suit and Settlement With the Sisters
of Charity 165
XV. My Recommendation from the Doctors of
Portland--The Good Samaritan--I Affiliate
With a Protestant Church--My New
Work 181
XVI. My "Advertisement" in the Catholic Sentinel 191
XVII. The Care of Old Sisters by the Roman Catholic
System 199
XVIII. Conclusion 205
Appendix 217
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Page
Elizabeth Schoffen attired in the garb of a Sister 2
Elizabeth Schoffen--Lecturer and Author 3
Elizabeth Schoffen one month before she entered the
Convent 25
"Father" Louis de G. Schram 33
Sister Ethelbert 49
Caught in the Act of Kissing the Floor 55
St. Vincent's Hospital, Portland, Oregon 65
Mother House, Montreal, Canada 89
Fac-simile of My Diploma 107
Archbishop Alexander Christie of Portland, Oregon 139
Fac-simile of the Check I received from the Sisters of
Charity 180
A Gift from God 195
THE DEMANDS OF ROME
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY
In writing this story of thirty-one years of my service in the
Sisterhood of the Roman Catholic Church, I have no apologies to make.
From the treatment I received after I left the cruel and oppressive
Romish institution, I feel that there are thousands of Protestants,
so-called, that need to know what is required and demanded of the poor,
duped girls that are in these prisons of darkness that dot this
beautiful country of ours from one end to the other, guising themselves
under the cloak of religion.
Then, there is the Roman Catholic, who has been brought up in that
faith, and yet feels that the system as practiced in this country is not
in accord with the American principles. To these I wish to give my
message, that they might know the inner workings of these damnable
institutions, falsely called "charitable and religious."
With malice toward no one, but for love of God, charity and liberty to
all, I tell this story of my life, with a sincere hope that it may--in
some little way--help you, dear reader, and your posterity from drifting
into the now threatening condition of pagan darkness and the
indescribable, as well as uncalled for, unnatural, inhuman tortures I
escaped from.
Protestants are brought up in such grand freedom and liberty of spirit,
both civil and religious, that it is almost impossible for them to
believe that there can be anything to prevent Roman Catholics (I now
mean the good Roman Catholic) from enjoying the same rights and
privileges that they do. If my Protestant friends will just stop one
moment and think about the difference between Americanism and
Catholicism, then they will realize how it is that the good Roman
Catholic cannot enjoy the true liberal government that their forefathers
fought, bled and died for, and which they are enjoying today.
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.
With these Roman Catholic principles, which I learned and practiced as a
sister, so diabolically opposed to our American principles, it can
readily be seen why a good Roman Catholic cannot enjoy the freedom which
the Constitution gives to every American citizen. And, my dear American
Protestant, if you do not get any other thought from this book, I wish
to give you one here in the introductory which will be well worth your
earnest, thoughtful study: If these principles of the Roman Catholic
system are allowed to continue being put into practice, there is a
possibility that we may lose our precious heritage of freedom which has
been handed down to us. I was deprived of all the rights of an American
citizen till about five years ago. I was buried in pagan darkness and
superstition and my soul longed and was dying for light and life, and I
did not know how to obtain freedom because of the ignorant manner in
which I was raised in the parochial school, and the damnable
instructions I received from the so-called representative of Christ on
earth, the priest. I have heard that there are about eighty thousand
sisters in the convents of the Roman Catholic system in the United
States, and if this power can keep that number of girls in subjection
and ignorance, do you not think that they will do the same with the
seculars, if they had a little more power?
Just think it over, and read of the demands of Rome I had to yield to
for thirty-one years. Read the dark history of the Roman Catholic
Church, and remember that Rome never changes; 'Semper eadem--' "As it
was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen." Then maybe you will cease being Protestant in name only, and
begin to protest.
Why are we Protestants? What is the meaning of the word Protestant?
Protestant is one who protests, and we are called Protestants because at
the time of the Reformation the people who protested against the
cruelties and superstitious practices of Rome took the name Protestant,
and we are supposed to protest against the same teachings and cruelties
today.
But how many true Protestants have we today? Very few, indeed. If you
would be a true Protestant, you must protest twenty-four hours a day,
and seven days in every week in the year. Thank God, the American people
have, in the last few years, begun to wake up, and see the evils of this
terrible system, which is gnawing at the very vitals of our free
institutions. And, if the American people do not become indifferent, as
they have in the past, Rome will meet the same fate here that she has
met, or is meeting, in nearly every country where she has held sway for
any length of time.
History tells us in no uncertain language of the downfall of the once
powerful country of Spain, of the suppression of the convents and
monasteries in Portugal, Italy and France, and without the system of
convents and monasteries, priestcraft can amount to naught. With these
historical facts staring us in the face, the convent and monastery
system is becoming a power in this land, and the inevitable is sure to
come--the suppression of all closed institutions. "History repeats."
Therefore, I wish to give to the world my experience of thirty-one years
in a convent, that I may help hasten the time when these institutions
will be open, and the captive set free; that I may help, if I can, the
real true, red-blooded American citizens from returning to sleepy
indifference.
I cannot write this story in the language of an educated person, for as
you will learn in the succeeding chapters, my education was sadly
neglected. There will, no doubt, be many grammatical errors, which I ask
my readers to overlook, as it is not intended as a work of rhetoric, but
a message from the heart. I will write it in my own language, that which
I had to learn mostly by myself, and it took a great many years of hard
work and a great deal of deception on my part to be able to tell it even
as well as I will. And, if I can convey to my American brothers and
sisters any new light on the workings of these damnable institutions,
or, if I may be the means of influencing a few more to be real, true,
honest Protestants, then this effort will not be in vain.
I have no tale of immorality to tell, as the order of which I was a
member was what may be classed as one of the "open orders," and the
institutions in which I worked most of my so-called "religious" career,
were among the most modern operated by the Roman Catholic system in this
country. I have heard and read a great deal about the nameless infamies
and the degradation of the "cloistered" orders, but that story I must
leave for some other to tell. I will tell the unvarnished, plain truth
of my experience in the "modern" institutions, and let the reader draw
his or her own conclusion as to the life the sisters in the closed
orders have to live.