Part 5

Be pleased to allow me to bring under your notice a slight mistake noticeable in the January issue of your _Record_, and in doing so I may be permitted to express my great satisfaction, and that of all those who spoke to me on the subject, with the interesting and varied matter in your _Record_. Your high character, not to speak of stronger reasons, will secure for your statements a ready acceptance with Catholics, and this, coupled with the very faultless character of your extensively read periodical, renders me anxious to have it the medium of correction to its own mistakes, however slight. The learned writer on the Irish sees of the sixteenth century, speaking of the vicissitudes of Clonmacnois, and of its subjection to the metropolitical see of Tuam, says, in p. 158 of the _Record_: "This change probably took place during the episcopate of Bishop Symon of the Order of St. Dominick, who, though omitted in the lists of Ware and De Burgo, was appointed to the see on the death of Dr. Henry in 1349". Now, Symon was never Bishop of Clonmacnois. Indeed, as remarked by the learned writer in the _Record_, Theiner gives, in page 291, the bull of his appointment. But the appointment was null, as the see was not vacant by the death of Dr. Henry. Hence, by looking to the next page of Theiner, you will see how good Pope Clement VI. acknowledges and rectifies the mistake by appointing Symon to the see of Kildare, then vacant. The report of Dr. Henry's death was unfounded; therefore, as the bull of Pope Clement declares, Symon was not, and in the circumstances could not have been, Bishop of Clonmacnois. "Cum autem sicut postea vera relatio ad nos perduxit", etc., the Pope says, addressing Symon, "tu nullius Ecclesiae remansisti".

I remain, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant,

SYLVESTER MALONE.

[We feel much obliged to our learned and reverend correspondent for the interest he takes in the success and the accuracy of the _Record_, and we beg to assure him that the greatest attention will be paid to every communication and suggestion from him, or from any other promoter of the study of Irish ecclesiastical literature or antiquities. In publishing the _Record_, our only desire is to illustrate and uphold truth, and thus to promote the interests of religion.

We regret that, our colleague who treated of the See of Clonmacnoise in the January number being at present absent, we have not been able to communicate to him the remarks contained in the above letter; we can therefore only state that, as he was not treating of the fourteenth century, he referred only incidentally to the appointment of Bishop Symon in order to fix the period at which a change had been "_probably_" effected in a matter of ecclesiastical jurisdiction connected with the See of Clonmacnoise, and that he had no intention of giving the history of the bishops of that diocese, or of entering into a question which was not connected with his subject; so that, having fixed the date in question with accuracy--as he does by referring to the appointment of Bishop Symon to Clonmacnoise, as given by Theiner--it did not appear necessary for him to proceed farther.

However that may be, we can safely promise in the name of our colleague, that he will be happy to correct any mistake into which he may have fallen. He will be able to do so the more readily because he has been requested to publish in a separate volume all he has written on the succession of the Bishops in the various Sees of Ireland. When corrected and completed, these articles will be a valuable accession to our ecclesiastical history, whilst they will supply a triumphant answer to an assertion of the learned Dr. Todd in the preface to his _Life of St. Patrick_, viz.: that the original Irish Church, having merged into the Church of the English Pale, adopted the Reformation in the sixteenth century. That assertion undoubtedly was made hastily and without sufficient reflection. Any one who reads the articles of the _Record_ will find that it has no foundation in fact. Penal laws, indeed, and brute force were employed to propagate the Reformation in Ireland, but the true faith was so deeply rooted in the minds of the clergy and laity of the "original Irish Church" that all the powers of Hell could not exterminate it.

As to Bishop Symon, mentioned by our correspondent, it appears that he was appointed in 1349 by Clement VI. to Derry, not to Kildare. According to Ware, there was no vacancy in that year in this last see, as it was occupied from 1334 to 1365 by Richard Hulot and Thomas Giffard. But in the list of the Bishops of Derry given by Ware, a Bishop Symon, of some order of friars, is mentioned as filling that see in 1367 and 1369. The historian states that he could not discover to what religious order that prelate belonged, or what was the date of his consecration. The valuable documents published by the Archivist of the Vatican, F. Theiner, show that Bishop Symon was of the Order of St. Dominick, that he was consecrated by Talleyrand, Bishop of Albano, that he was appointed to Derry in 1349, and that he succeeded a Bishop Maurice who was unknown to Ware. A copy of the brief appointing Bishop Symon to Derry, was sent to the Archbishop of Armagh, as appears from Theiner, p. 292. This shows that the _Ecclesia Darensis_ conferred on Bishop Symon belonged to the province of Armagh. Kildare, indeed, was called by the same name, but it belonged to a different province. Theiner gives the appointment of a Bishop of Kildare at page 261, in which reference is made to his metropolitan of Dublin. At page 64 _Ecclesia Darensis_ is mentioned again, but it is stated to belong to the metropolitan of Armagh. Thus, although Derry and Kildare went by the same name, it is not difficult to determine to which see the papal Bulls regarding them belong, because mention is generally made of the metropolitan to whose suffragan the document is addressed.]

DOCUMENTS.

I.

LETTER OF THE IRISH BISHOPS TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY GRATTAN, M.P.

We publish the following letter, addressed by the Irish Bishops to Mr. Grattan in the year 1795. It shows how anxious those Prelates always were to unite education and religion, and to preserve the sources of knowledge from being contaminated by error and infidelity.

Sir,

We, the under-written Roman Catholic prelates of Ireland, having, on behalf of ourselves and absent brethren, already expressed our wants and wishes respecting clerical education, in the minutes submitted to your revision and correction, take the liberty at present to explain some of them more particularly, in order to remove misapprehensions which may furnish an occasion of perplexity or equivocation.

As the principle of our application to parliament seems universally admitted, we shall confine ourselves to those parts only of the detail to which, as we hear, objections have been made.

It is said, that as our plan extends to the education of the laity, the appointment of professors to lecture on philosophy, mathematics, rhetoric, and the languages, which are common to clergy and laity, should not be vested in the bishops only, because these branches of learning are not intimately connected with religion and morality, and much less with the peculiar duties of ecclesiastics.

We cannot subscribe to this position, as experience has convinced us of the fatal impressions made on youth in all times and places, particularly in France, by infidel, seditious, or immoral professors even of grammar, and proved the necessity of scrupulous attention to the principles and conduct of every teacher previous to his admission into any seminary or school. It is always more advisable to prevent evil in this manner, than punish the whisperers of atheism and Jacobinism by a controlling power in the bishops to expel them. Moreover, the exercise of this control will appear odious to many, must occasion clamour, and would frequently excite disputes between the bishops and lay friends of those unworthy professors or lecturers.

These observations, as you will perceive, are grounded on a supposition that the intended colleges are to be regulated on the precise plan presented to your consideration. We extended it to _general instruction_ on the suggestion of our zealous and patriot agent at London, who constantly assured us, that it was the earnest wish of the Duke of Portland, Earl Fitzwilliam, Mr. Burke, and others, that the laity should not be excluded from the benefit of public instruction in the proposed colleges.

It appears from our printed memorial to Lord Westmoreland, of which we enclose a copy, that our original views were confined to clerical education only.

This continues to be the great object of our anxious wishes and solicitude; and as no one, to our knowledge, controverts the exclusive competency of the bishops to superintend and regulate it, we are perfectly satisfied to arrange the education of persons not destined for the sacred ministry on another proper plan, to be hereafter concerted.

As four hundred _clerical_ students are absolutely necessary to preserve the succession of Roman Catholic Clergy in this kingdom, we have, after very mature deliberation, judged it expedient to establish one house in each province for their education. It is needless now to enter into a detail of our motives. They are many and weighty. We shall mention one. By our having a college in each province, the opulent and religious Catholics will be more strongly excited to grant donations to an establishment in their own neighbourhood, than they would be to others at a great distance, which many of them may view with jealousy, and feel hurt at not being equally accommodated.

We confidently hope that these four colleges will equally partake of the national bounty in whatever time it may be granted by Parliament. It never was our wish or intention that you should introduce our plan of education or any part of it into Parliament, until the Bill on general Emancipation shall be disposed of, as we always considered the success of this to depend in a great measure on that of the other.

We understand that the appointment by us of a Medical and Chymical Lecturer is objected to from our incompetency to judge of his knowledge in these sciences.

It was our design to consult learned professional men on the choice of such lecturers, after ascertaining their principles and conduct; neither did this measure of a Chymical or Medical Professor originate with us. It was likewise suggested by our agent at London to Government from motives of humanity. We shall most readily give up that point, if required, as it made no part of our own plan.

With the firmest reliance on your brilliant exertions in promoting the measure we have so much at heart for the advantage of society in this kingdom, and with due deference to your instructions in conducting it on our parts, we have the honour to remain, etc.

Dublin, 2nd February, 1795.

Signed by eighteen Prelates.

[+] JOHN THOMAS TROY, of Dublin. [+] THOMAS BRAY, of Cashel. [+] FRANCIS MOYLAN, of Cork. [+] GERARD TEAHAN, of Kerry. [+] WM. COPPINGER, of Cloyne and Ross. [+] JAMES CAULFIELD, of Ferns. [+] DANIEL DELANY, of Kildare and Leighlin. [+] DOMINICK BELLEW, of Killala. [+] EDMUND TRENCH, of Elphin. [+] RICHARD O'REILLY, of Armagh. [+] BOETIUS EGAN, of Tuam. [+] P. J. PLUNKETT, of Meath. [+] HUGH O'REILLY, of Clogher. [+] MATT. LENNAN, of Dromore. [+] JOHN CRUISE, of Ardagh. [+] M'MULLEN, of Down and Connor. [+] CHARLES O'REILLY, Coadjutor of Kilmore. [+] DILLON, Coadjutor of Kilfenora and Kilmacduagh.

II.

LETTER OF CARDINAL ANTONELLI TO THE ARCHBISHOPS OF IRELAND IN 1791 REGARDING THE CHANGE IN THE CONSECRATION OATH OF BISHOPS.

PER-ILLUSTRES ET REVERENDISSIMI DOMINI UTI FRATRES,

Ex literis vestris sub die 17 Novembris anni 1789 scriptis summopere Vos commoveri intelleximus, quod cum in lucem prodierit quidam libellus a Pseudo-Episcopo Cloynensi conscriptus, _De praesenti Statu Ecclesiae_, occasionem inde ceperint obtrectatores nostri, veteris calumniae adversus Catholicam Religionem acrius refricandae nullo scilicet, modo posse hanc, salva Regum, ac Rerumpublicarum incolumitate, consistere. Cum enim, inquiunt, Romanus Pontifex omnium Catholicorum Pater ac Magister sit, ac tanta praeditus auctoritate, ut alienorum Regnorum subditos a fide, ac Sacramento Regibus ac principibus praestito relaxare possit, eumdem facili negotio turbas ciere, ac publicae regnorum tranquillitati nocere posse propugnant.

Miramur his vos querelis turbari potuisse, cum praesertim praeclarissimus iste Frater vester, et consors Apostolici muneris Archiepiscopus Caselliensis, aliique strenui jurium Apostolicae Sedis Defensores maledica ista convicia egregiis scriptis refutarint plane ac diluerint. Quid igitur proderit, novam nunc quemadmodum petitis, edi ab hac Apostolica Sede declarationem, ut sua jura tueatur, explicet, atque a criminationibus vindicet? Nihil hoc esset aliud, quam adversus ipsammet Catholicam Fidem novos excitare hostes. Ea enim est hujus nostri temporis improborum hominum mens, atque animus, ut dum certare se simulant adversus Apostolicae Sedis jura, contra ipsam tamen Fidem intentant aciem, eamque unitatem, quam Catholicae universi Orbis Ecclesiae cum Apostolica Petri Cathedra firmissime retinent, convellere, ac labefactare conantur.

Itaque ad hujusmodi conatus nolite expavescere; jam enim toties eorum calumniae repulsae sunt, ut nihil nunc agant, quam vetera ut nova proponere, instaurare disjecta, detecta retexere. Probe jam noverat Sanctissimus ille, nec sapientia minus, quam pietatis laude clarissimus Antistes Franciscus Salesius, nonnisi ad ciendas turbas, atque ad imbecilles animos commovendos, agitari haec passim, ac in vulgus jactari. Qua de re luculentissimum ille testimonium edidit epistola 764, tom. 6, edit. Parisien., an. 1758; quam vobis, non perlegendam modo, sed ut providam adhibendae moderationis normam, prae oculis habendam valde consulimus. Eodem exemplo, vos quoque insidias detegite, et populos vestrae solicitudini commissos docete, quae recta sunt, ut a laqueis, quos ante pedes struunt, declinare discant, ne in transversum agantur. Id sane cum vestra pietate dignum, tum etiam a vestra auctoritate profectum, multo magis Fidelium vestrae Pastorali curae concreditorum mentibus insidebit atque ab obtrectatorum calumniis vindicabit. Minime enim vobis pro vestra doctrina ignotum esse arbitramur, quaenam sint Apostolicae Sedis jura, quibusque argumentis propugnare possint. In hac causa illud accuratissime est distinguendum, quae sibi jure optimo vindicet Apostolica Sedes ab iis, quae ad inferendam calumniam a Novatoribus hujus saeculi eidem affiguntur. Nunquam Romana Sedes docuit haeterodoxis fidem non esse servandam, violari quacumque ex causa posse juramentum, Regibus a Catholica communione disjunctis praestitum; Pontifici Romano licere temporalia eorum jura, ac dominia invadere. Horrendum vero, ac detestabile facinus etiam apud nos est, si quis unquam, atque etiam religionis praetextu in Regum ac Principum vitam audeat quidpiam, aut moliatur. Non haec consectaria sunt ejus auctoritatis, qua valeat Romanus Pontifex in extremo religionis discrimine, jurisjurandi vinculum solvere, quam tamen satis vobis compertum est nec inter fidei dogmata recenseri, nec pro haereticis haberi, qui ab ea dissentiunt.

Verum neque etiam in nullo pretio haberi voluit postulationes vestras Sanctissimus Pontifex Pius VI. ut enim omnis carpendi, ac calumniandi eradicetur occasio, quam quidam, ut scribitis, sumunt ex iis verbis formulae juramenti obedientiae Apostolicae Sedi praestandae et ab Episcopis in eorum consecratione adhibendae, _Haereticos pro posse persequar et impugnabo_, et quam quasi classicum ad bellum iis indicendum, et tamquam hostes persequendos, atque impugnandos malevole interpretantur, non intelligentes, eam persecutionem, atque impugnationem, quam contra haereticos Episcopi suscipiunt, ad illud studium, ac conatum referri, quo eos ad saniorem mentem perducere, ac Ecclesiae Catholicae reconciliare nituntur, Sanctitas Sua benigne annuit, ut loco precedentis juramenti formulae, altera subrogetur quae ab Archiepiscopo Mohiloviensi, tota plaudente Petropolitana Aula, ipsaque Imperatrice adstante palam perlecta est, quamque his litteris alligatam ad vos transmittimus.

Ceterum Praesules Amplissimi, qui isthic agitis excubias Domini florentissimasque istas Hiberniae Ecclesias, divina gratia adspirante ex Apostolice Sedis gratia administrandas suscepistis, huic Petri Cathedra in qua Dominus posuit verbum veritatis, firmiter adhaerete, praedicate Evangelium Christi in omni patientia, ac doctrina: in omnibus praebete vosmetipsos exemplum bonorum operum, in doctrina, in integritate, in gravitate, verbum sanum, irreprehensibile. Haec si feceritis, quemadmodum jam fecisse, et deinceps incensius facturos non dubitamus, non modo vestra virtute, ac constantia male contextas calumnias propulsabitis, verum etiam qui _ex adverso sunt verebuntur, nihil habentes malum dicere de vobis_.

Enim vero, quis est, cui non perspicua sint illa, quae Ecclesia Romana omnium mater et magistra de praestanda a subditis saeculi potestatibus obedientia, praedicat, docet, ac praecipit?

Ab ipso nascentis Ecclesiae exordio Apostolorum Princeps B. Petrus, Fideles instruens, ita eos hortabatur--_Subjecti estote omni humanae creaturae propter Deum: sive Regi, quasi praecellenti, sive Ducibus, tamquam ab eo missis ad vindictam malefactorum, laudem vero bonorum, quia sic est voluntas Dei, ut benefacientes obtumescere faciatis imprudentium hominum ignorantiam._ His praeceptis instituta Catholica Ecclesia, quum Gentiles furentibus odiis adversus Christianos, tamquam Imperii hostes, debacharentur, praeclarissimi Christiani nominis defensores respondebant--_Precantes_ (Tertul. _In Apologet._, c. 30) _sumus omnes semper pro omnibus Imperatoribus, vitam illis prolixam, imperium securum, Domum tutam, exercitum fortem, senatum fidelem, populum probum, Orbem quietum_--Id ipsum saepius Romani Pontifices Petri successores inculcare non destiterunt, praesertim ad missionarios, ne ulla Catholicae fidei cultoribus, ab hostibus Christiani nominis crearetur invidia.

Praeclarissima in hanc rem veterum Romanorum Pontificum monumenta proferre pretermittimus, quae vos ipsi non ignoratis. Verum nuperrimum sapientissimi Pontificis Benedicti XIV. monitum vobis in memoriam revocare arbitramur, qui in iis regulis, quas pro Missionibus Anglicanis observandas proposuit, quaeque vobis etiam communes sunt, ita inquit--_Sedulo incumbant Vicarii Apostolici, ut missionarii saeculares probe honesteque in omnibus se gerant, quo aliis bono exemplo sint, et in primis sacris officiis celebrandis, opportunisque institutionibus populo tradendis, atque infirmis opera sua sublevandis praesto sint, ut a publicis otiosorum coetibus, et cauponis omnimode caveant ... at potissimum ipsimet vicarii, omni qua possunt ratione, severe tamen illos puniant, qui de publico regimine cum honore sermonem non haberent_.

Testis autem ipsamet Anglia esse potest, quam alte istius modi monita in Catholicorum animis radicitus egerint. In nupero enim, qua tota fere America conflagravit bello, cum florentissimae Provinciae, in quibus universa fere gens a Catholica Ecclesia disjuncta immoratur, Magnae Britanniae Regis imperium abjecissent, sola Canadensis Provincia, quae Catholicis pene innumeris constat, quamquam callidis artibus tentata, atque etiam aviti Gallorum dominii haud immemor, in obsequio tamen Anglorum perstitit fidelissime. Haec vos, egregii Antistites, crebris usurpate sermonibus, haec Episcopis Suffraganeis vestris saepius in memoriam revocate. Cum ad populum pro concione verba facitis, iterum, atque iterum illum admonete, _omnes honorare_, _fraternitatem diligere_, _Deum timere_, _Regem honorificare_. Quae quidem Christiani hominis officia cum in omni Regno, atque imperio colenda sunt, tum maxime in isto vestro Britannico, in quo Regis sapientissimi, aliorumque praeclarissimorum Regni procerum ea est in Catholicos voluntas, ut non asperum, ac grave jugum imponant cervicibus vestris, sed leni, ac blando regimine ipsi etiam Catholici utantur. Hanc agendi rationem si unanimes retinueritis, si omnia vestra in charitate fiant, si id unum respexeritis in regenda plebe Domini, salutem nimirum animarum; verebuntur (iterum confirmamus), adversarii quidpiam dicere de vobis, ultroque fatebuntur, Catholicam fidem non modo ad beatam vitam assequendam, sed etiam (Epis. 138) ut B. Augustinus inquit in epistola ad Marcellinum, ad terrenae hujus Civitatis firmissimam pacem, atque ad Regnorum columen, ac praesidium tutissimum a caelo esse delapsam: _qui doctrinam Christi_, verba sunt S. Doctoris, _adversum dicunt esse Reipublicae dent exercitum talem, quales doctrina Christi esse milites jussit, dent tales provinciales, tales maritos, tales conjuges, tales parentes, tales filios, tales dominos, tales servos, tales reges, tales judices, tales denique debitorum redditores, et exactores ipsius fisci, quales esse praecipit doctrina Christiana, et audeant eam dicere adversam esse Reipublicae, imo vero non dubitent eam confiteri magnam, si ei obtemperetur, salutem esse Reipublicae_. Hujus porro salutaris doctrinae constantem, ac firmam integritatem nonnisi in Catholica Societate consistere, ac vigere, quae videlicet communione cum Romana Sede velut sacro unitatis vinculo divinitus adstricta per totum Orbem diffunditur, ac sustentatur, idem S. Doctor, caeterique unanimi consensu Ecclesiae Patres invictis plane argumentis apertissimè demonstrant. Deus Opt. Max. Vos incolumes diutissime servet quemadmodum enixe optamus pro summo nostro erga vos studio ac voluntate. Valete.

Amplit. Vestrarum. Romae 23 Junii 1791. Uti Frater Studiosissimus. L. CARD. ANTONELLUS, Praef.

A. Archiep. Adven. Secretarius. Dominis Archiepiscopis Regnis Hiberniae.

III.

RESCRIPT PERMITTING A LOW MASS DE REQUIEM TO BE SAID EVEN ON DOUBLES _PRAESENTE CADAVERE_.

PERMISSIO LEGENDI MISSAM DE REQUIEM IN FESTIS DUPL.

BEATISSIME PATER,