ARRIVAL OR BISHOP MORAN.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2500, 20 February 1871, Page 2

ARRIVAL OR BISHOP MORAN.

The newly-appointed Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, the Right Rev. Patrick Moran, D.D., and suite, together with the nuns of the Dominican Order, were passengers by the Gothenburg from Melbourne on Saturday. Shortly after the arrival of the steamer at the Port, the Bishop was met by Fathers Maloney and Norris, the reception committee, and a number of ladies and gentlemen belonging to St. Joseph’s congregation ; and after a short stay the party were conveyed in carriages to Dunedin, escorted by a number of gentlemen. On arrival at St. Joseph’s, the ceremonies usual on the occasion of the arrival of a Bishop in his diocese were gone through ; after which the Rev. Father Moreau presented an address on behalf of himself and fellow-priests in the diocese ; Mr Griffon presented another on behalf of St. Joseph’s congregation ; the Rev. Father Norris one on behalf of Catholics in the Oamaru and Mount Ida districts; and Mr Wood one by the Catholic Young Men’s Society. The address from the congregation read as follows :

“ To the Right Reverend Dr Moran, “ Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, “ May it please your Lordship,— “ We, the Catholics of Dunedin, beg to offer your Lordship a respectful aud most cordial welcome ou your arrival amongst us, to congratulate you on the happy termination of a long voyage, aud to express our heartfelt gratification and pride that a dignitary of such eminence in the Church should have been appointed to the see of Dunedin. Though far removed from the field of your spiritual labors, we arc not ignorant of the great services you have rendered to religion, your zealous aud successful exertions in promoting the spiritual welfare of those committed to your charge may well convey to us the assurance that the most beneficial results must attend your Lordship’s ministrations hare. By dutiful obedience to your teach ing, and faithful compliance with your directions, we may reasonably expect great moral advantage to ourselves and our children, and we sincerely hope that you may before long, in oitr religious and moral advancement, witness the qualifying effect of your Lordship’s teaching. That the Almighty, by granting you health and length of years, may enable you to continue 1 mg the able expounder of His Word, the guide aud the guardian of His people, and that your devotion to His service may meet its reward in the next life, is, we would beg your Lordship to believe, our earnest prayer. “ We hope your Lordship will allow us, through you, to offer a most respectful welcome to the religious ladies who accompany you. Wc would cudcavor to convey our deep sense of the blessing they bring to the Catholic community here, convinced that, like their noble Sisterhood throughout the world, they will be the consolers and comforters of the poor and the afflicted, the unequalled instructors of the young, and, in the saintly simplicity of their unsullied lives, an impressive example to all.” [Here follow the signatures of the Committee, on behalf of the Congregation.] Yesterday morning High Mass was celebrated in the morning by the Bishop, assisted by Rev. Bather Coleman, Rev. P. F. Maloney, D. ; and the Rev. J. A. Norris, S.D. ; and during the service the Rev. Father Norris read to the congregation the Papal bull transferring Dr. Moran to tbs bishopric of Otago, including Otago, Southland, Stewart’s Islands, and the islands adjacent thereto. The music, both instrumental and Vocal, at the morning and evening services, was excellent. The choir, which was largely strengthened, was led by M. Fleury, who also played ; and Mr Sykes, by request, presided at the organ—a post, we believe, he is likely again to occupy. At the morning service Mozart’s Twelfth Mass was rendered, the concluding voluntary being the “ Hallejuh Chorus.” The principal feature of the evening service was an address by the Bishop. His Lordship premised his remarks by stating that his first duty was to congratulate himself ami |those who had

come with him upon the very hearty reception they had met with; he and they had heartily to thank the congregation for their generosity, kindness, and hospitality. For his part, and, he believed he could add, for them, heTiad been agreeably disappointed. He had not expected to find such a flourishing state of things in Dunedin as a city, or so flourishing amongst the congregation in particular. It was gratifying to him, after a long and tedious journey, to find himself amongst a people so desirous of promoting the interests of religion, and of laboring for the honor and glory of God. He and those with him had come here for that purpose alone. It had been announced to the congregation that morning that on Thursday evening there would be a meeting for the purpose of taking into consideration two important subjects : first, the providing of suitable lodging and school accommodation for the nuns ; and secondly, how best to increase the church accommodation. These two things pressed upon him at once. But it might be asked why he preferred holding the meeting on Thursday, He might say that if he consulted his own desire he alien'd call it for Monday. He would not conceal the fact that he was somewhat in a hurry to bo at work. He bad been idle (a forced idleness, however,) for so many mouths, that be was anxious to redeem his time, and begin at once the objects for which he had come here. He had come to promote their i terests and the interests of their children in future generations, and all lie asked of them was to give him the means of carrying out those great objects. Upon this subject he would enlarge on Thursday evening : that was neither the time nor the place to call attention to worldly considerations. But he had not yet answered the question he had referred to. The reason why he deferred the meeting was because he understood the people were on the eve of agr.at political struggle, and he desired that they should have time to cool down after the excitement consequent upon that struggle before they approached the consideration of the questions he had to lay before them. He might be pardoned if on this occasion of his first meeting them he gave them a word of warning and advice. It was usual at times like this to have considerable excitement, during which people said and did things which in better moments, and in moments of sounder judgment, they did not approve of. He hoped, therefore, they would consider well what they were about to do, do their duty as men conscientiously, and then return to their ordinary occupations, Reclining to the subjects he wished to touch upon, from what he had seen and heard, he considered it was almost unnecessary to make the remark, but he hoped that the congregation would come forward prepared to act generously and justly in this matter which was one, which affected their own interests solely. The work before them was an arduous one ; both time and labor were required in its prosecution. When he said that, he did not wish it to be understood for a moment that he desired to find fault with the past. He looked well upon it as a young community ; and he was astonished at and gratified with what had been done ; so that when he said the task was an arduous one, he must not for a moment be understood as casting the slightest censure upon, or thinking desparagingly in the least of what bad been done. He trusted there would be no procrastination, but that they would set themselves at once to the work before them. As he had already stated lie was somewhat in a hurry, and his motto was Feathia Lmt<\ That day brought to his mind the fact that it was fifteen years that very day since he was appointed a Bishop ; and he was anxious that by increased industry and exertion be might make amends for the shortcomings of the past. He did not know that he hnd anything more to say upon that point; he should therefore at once address himself to tire particular object lie had in view in addressing them. As they were aware he bad come direct from the (Ecumenical Council at Rome; itwas thercforenaturalforhimtospeak in respect to that subfeet upon the occasion of his first appearance here. He supposed they had been reading the papers and per* odicals during the last eighteen months, a’d from them were well acquainted with those things which had excited so much interest in Europe and other old countries. He would therefore speak to them as though he were speaking to a congregation at Home, sup. posing of course that they felt the same interest in the subject. He had read those papers and periodicals, as it was his duty. Amongst various things stated in reference to the subject by these papers, it was asserted that the Fathers of the Church were endeavoring to force upon the Church'a new doctrine, and that they were going to make a God upon earth. He could not conceive how anyone, except a person blinded by. prejudice, could make such statements. Either the writers were thoroughly ignorant ef the subject, and therefore should not have written upon it, or they must knowingly have written what was false, which was more reprehensible. The dogma of Papal infallibility was no new doctrine, and the law of the Universal Church itself had defined it as an article of faith. All that bad been done by the <Ecumenical Council was to confirm in a formal and solemn manner what was always believed by the Church. Nothing new could be taught by the Church—that was impossible. There was no such thing as new doctrine ; the office of the Church was not to make innovations or changes, but to keep) the traditions of the past inviolate. All the General Council was called up to do was to bear testimony to the Church’s teaching of the Faith, and to declare formally that such teaching was universal, was sanctioned by the Church, and had been taught by the Apostles of the Church themselves. That was the office of the Council, and nothing more. In order to illustrate this, he read the speeches of the Bishop) of G anada and another Spanish Bishop};—speeches which when delivered at the Council made a greater impression than any others that were made. He hadsecnit stated again and again that there was considerable opposition in the Council to the dogma, and that there was a very respectable minority, which included the learning and eloquence of the Council. He (the Bishop), as a witness of the proceedings of the Council, declared most emphatically and solemnly that those statements were diametrically opposed to the truth. He had attended the discussions day by day; had had the privilege of hearing Bishops representing every nation in the world speak, but never heard one deny the power of the Church to proclaim the dogma. The only discussion was whether, considering the state of Europe, the circumstances of the time, and the advance of infidelity, it would be prudent to define the dogma as a i article of faith. On the contrary, he had heard several of those opposing the'proclamation emphatically declare that, although they believed in Papal iufallability, they were

opposed to anathamatising any man who chose just then to deny it. After explaining at some length the teaching of the Apostles in regard to this matter, his Lordship said there was just one matter which he had omitted. He did not know whether he ought to mention it, as he might perhaps give offence, certainly unintentionally, to some ; hut lie was inclined to do so—ho ought, in fact—because he hoped the majority of the congregation wouid do great things by-aud-by for the advancement of religion. He was about to call upon them to make great considerable sacrifices. He believed he was speaking to a congregation mainly composed of Irishmen or their descendants. He was an Irishman himself, and to that fact he believed was owing his appointment to the see of Dunedin. His Lordship concluded by paying a warm tribute to the zeal and devotion of Irishmen, and the of the Spanish representatives at the Council.