BEATIFICATION CEREMONY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 205, 25 May 1920, Page 7

BEATIFICATION CEREMONY

PAGEANT AT ST. PETER'S. Rome, May 23. An impressive ceremonial for the beatification of Oliver Plunket was carried out at St. Peter's. Many Irish, English, American, and Australian Church dignitaries participated in the pageant, including Cardinal Logue and irclibishop Kelly —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. (Rec. Mas 2, 1.20 a.m.) g Rome, May 23. It is reported that Archbishop Stanley, the doyen of English-speaking prelates in Rome, was invited to celebrate Mass at tho beatification of Oliver Plunkett, but the Irish Bishops remonstrated against tlie choice of an Englishman, and an Italian was selected—Reutcr.

[Oliver Plunket was an Irish Roman Catholic divine. For some time, says the "Encyclopaedia Britaimicahe acted as representative of Irish ecclesiastical affairs at Rome, Pope Clement IX appointed him Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland in 1669, Lord Berkeley of Stratton, the Viceroy, showed him mucll kindness, and allowM him to establish a Jesuit School in Dublin. Plunket showed amassing 'diligence in furthering the cause of his Church. He was in very straitened circumstances, the revenue of liis. See being only iC2 in good years. The ropressivo measures fol, lowing the Test Act bore heavily upon him, and in 1678 he was imprisoned in Dublin Castle' for six weeks. Accused of a share in the Irish branch of the "Popish Plot," he was taken to London, end in IG3I was charged l with conspiring to bring a French Army to Carlingfoixl. He made a good defence, 'but on tlio absurdist of evidence the'jury convicted him of treason, and on July 1 he was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn.]