THE POPE ON IRISH AFFAIRS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1117, 5 July 1883, Page 1

THE POPE ON IRISH AFFAIRS.

The following has been received by the mail :

Itis said that Errington, known to the House of Commons by the soubriquet of 'The Pope's Nose,'and who is credited with having brought about the Papal veto against Irish outrages, will be rewarded with the Secretaryship of the British Legation at Rome. The. Pope has resolved to refer the settlement of»the difficulty which, has arisen between the Papal See and a section of the Irish clergy to a Special Commission.

The City of Cork had its first meeting, in aid of the Parnell fund, on Sunday, May 24th, since the appearance of the Papal manifesto. The meeting was large, but not one Priest attended. This intensified the determination of those present to prove their loyalty to Parnell. £250 for the funds was collected on the spot

The Daily News' correspondent at Rome says, under date May 25rh, ' The Pope is satisfied with the result of his circular to the Irish Bishops. He expected it would have been received with more ODDOsition than has been shown.'

The Popa has confirmed the appointment of tbo Very Rev. Thomas P. Carr, the Rector of Waymouth College, to the Bishopric of Galway, after being assured he was not connected with the agitation in Ireland.

Archbishop Croke received an enthnsiatic welcome on his return to Dublin from Rome on May 23rd. Pie made a speech at Wicklow dendt, in which lie dwelt upon the great love the Pope had for the.lrish people and urged them to submit to the Vatican. In his pulpit at Thurleston next day he said the Pope had expressed sorrow that Ireland was troubled owing to the lawless views of a certain class, anrt of secret societies. He exhorted the people not to allow a word of condemnation to escape their lips against the Pr.pe, who, he said, wns their best friend. When the Archbishop was in Eome the Pope, addressing him, said ' I was as good an Irishman as you are.' The Pope's letter to Irish Bishops disapproving of the Parnell testimonial fund, was the subject of many interviews by Irish reporteis of the Irish World with prominent Irishmen of New York. The general expression of opinion was to the effect that the circular would do a good deal of harm in alienating the affections Irish Catholics from the Church. The great fear appeared to be that the circular would stop the flow of contributions from America, and the Citizen, the Irish organ of Chicago advised that the Pope be ' boycotted,' in other words, that Peter's pence subscription should be stopped.

Mr O'Donnell, M. P. for Dungarvon, writes to the Dublin Freeman's Journal of May 17th, «that the Vatican had been misled by a species of mendacity which has availed itself of the monstrous ignorance of Irish affairs prevaling at Rome.' He characterises Errington, who was the medium of communication between G>-eut Britain and the Vatican, as a sneak and a renegade, and says the ' nttention of England should be called to the crime, fostered by the enforcement of an infamous land code.'

Mr John Dillon, in a letter to the Freeman's Journal, advises the Irish people tc make the Parnell fund such a success that the Pope will realise how great he has boen deceived by the Ebglish Government and the miserable pauper landlords who infest Rome.

Davitt, Healy and Quinn have been forbidden to receive visitors, in consequence of letters written by them condemning the Pope's circular and forwarding money to the Parnell fund at the same time.

At a meeting of the Land Leagtje at Dungannon, County Wexford, Mr Carey, MP. for Waterford, denounced Errington, through-whose diplomacy, it i> said, the issuing of the circular was pnrcied as a ' sneaking scented popinjay.'' He is credited with every English movement in the Vatican, result of conduct of dertain classes of Irish clergy foi taking a notorious stand in political agitation, and that he caused the order prohibiting the eleva tion to the episcopate of any priest who interfered in political affairs. Errington at one time very nearly succeeded in persuading the Pope to pronounce a bull forbidding the Irish clergy from interfering iu any way with pjoliticß. Mr Sexton, M,P. for Sligo, at a Parnell testimonial meeting in Dublin on the 16th, said the papal circular applied to the clergy alone, and not to the laity at all. He thought it might be desirable to send a deputation to Rome to explain to the Pope the condition of affairs in Ireland. The Irish people, he said, were sorry to have lost the valuable services of the clergy but, with or without these allies, the movement must go on. The Freema.i's Journal's comment on the circular is that the Pope must have I been misled, if not entirely deceived, by

emissaries of the British Government, who know that if the Parnellpary mnain unbroken, they will lold the balan.e ti power next Parliament.

Archbishop Croke has expressed his intention of obeying the Pope's command contained in his letter, of which the fo']owing is the full text:—''Whatever may be the cse as to Parnell himself and his objects, it is at all events proved that many of his followers have on numerous occasions adopted a line of conduct in open contradiction to the rules laid down by the Supreme Pontiff in his letter to the Cardinal Archbißhop,of ■■ Dablih, and contained in the instructions sent to the Irish Bishops by the Sacred Congregation and unanimously accepted by it their recent meetings at Dublin. It is true that according to these instruct ions it is lawful for Irish to seek redress for their grievances, and to strive for their rights, but always at the same time observing the Divine maxim to geek first the Kingdom of God and Hu justice ; an I remembering also that it is wicked to further any cause, no matter how just, by illegal means. It is. therefore the duty of all clergy and specially of Bibhops to curb the excited feelings of the multitude, and to take every opportunity, with timely expostulations, to recall them to justice and moderation, wnich are necessary in all tilings, so that they may not be led away by greed of gain to mistake evil for good, or to place their hopes of prosperity iu the result of crimin »1 acts Hence it follows that it is not per milted to any oi the c en>y k> I'eput from these rules themselves, or to tak« part in,

or in any way promote movements nconsistent with prudence and with the du'y of candid men's miuds. it is certainly not forbidden to collect fcr the relief of the distressed in Ireland ; but at the same time the Apostolic mandate absolutely condemns such collections aa are raided in order to influence popular passions and to be used as a means for leading men into rebellion against the laws. Above all things the clergy must hold themselves aloof from Bueh subscriptions, when it is plain that hatred and dissension are amused by them, and distinguished persons are loaded viih insults, and that never in any way is censure pronounced against the crimen and murders with which wicked men stain themselves especially when it is asserted the measure of true patriotism is in proportion to the amount of money given or refused, bo as to bring the people under the prepsure of intimidation. Under these circumstances it must be evident to your Lordships that the collection for the so-called ' Parnell Testimonial Fund,' cannot be approved by this Sacred Congregation, and consequently i f cannot be tolerated that an ecclesiastic, much less a Bishop, should tako any part whatever- in recommending or promoting them. In the meantime we pray God loi;g to pieserve jour Lordships.'

In the Honse of Commons on May 24th, Lord Fifzmaurice, Under-Secretary for Foieign Affairs, replying to a question, said he had already stated, on 19th March, that Government had never entertained a scheme to establish a.British Resident at the Vatican. Errington had not been a channel of communication between the Foreign Office and the Vatican. Errington received no appointment from the Government, and therefore no pay. The to the Irish clergy, ho said, had not been issued at *he request of the British Government. Sir Henry Wolff commented on what he termed the unsutisfastory answer of the Government In the House of Commons on June 7th Lord K. Churchill called attention to Mr Errington'smission to the Vatican, and argued there could be no doubt- the Government had recommended him, the recent Papnl manifesto in regard to Irish affairs being the result. Mr Gladstone replied that Mr Errington hart gone to Koine at hiso>vn suggestion. Mr Errington informed Lord Granville he was going to Home, and as he was a Papist, greatly interested in Irish, affairs, it was only natural that his intercouise: with the Pope would be interesting 16 ; His Majesty's Government. Mr Errington received no pay and no instructions W( re given him by the Government. ' But,' said the Premier, ' as Mr Errington's 1 visit to Rome would tend to alter his position, a record would be made of this proceeding and kept for transmission to the Biicqe«of of Karl Granville as Foreign Secretary.' Mr Gladstone added the Government had given Mr Errington information on the real state of Ireland in the interests of peace and order.

A despatch t<> thrf Dublin Mail of June 2nd saystlie Pope wiil,if f'»l uw up hi« recent circular to liis.'i Bishop* in rektion to the agitation in Ireland and the Parnell fund by a suspension from their functions of all ecclesiastics who dieobey the command* of the circular.