THE PAPACY AND THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2170, 5 June 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE PAPACY AND THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE.

Bishop Bagshawk, of Nottingham, has been getting himself into hot water with some of his flock through denouncing the Primrose League as a secret society, though (remarks the London correspondent of a contemporary) it is true enough, as he puts it in his pastoral, ordered to be read in the churches in his Diocese on the first Sunday in Lent, that, from the Soint of view of the Church of Rome, the atholij members of the League will have to rub their holy bodies against members of a "sect called the Church of England" and other heretics, such as Freemasons, Jews, and possibly some evangelical Nonconformists. Bishop Bagshawe denies to Romau Catholic members of the League the sacraments, and otherwise excommunicates them unless at once and instantly they quit the habitations of the League and make their peace with the offended prelate. That reverend gentleman, has however, slightly reckoned without his host, for Mr Ernest de Lisle, of Grace Dieu, Leicestershire, the head of one of the oldest Catholic families in England, has written a trenchant letter to his spiritual master, and openly defies him, says iv effect that if he can't receive the sacraments he will for the time being do without them, and fully intends opening a habitation of the League in his own district at an early date. Further, he has appealed to the Cardinal Archbishop, and also to the Holy Father, and it is generally believed that the heads of the Roman Church will override the allocution of the intolerant Bi-hop. The monstrous part of the business is that the Bishop has promoted and planted a branch of the National Irish League in his diocese. When the above prohibition was published there was a strong feeling of opposition created among Catholics. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Clifton, who was appealed to by priests any'laymen of his diocese on the question of the prohibition, wrote as follows :—": — " In auswer to applications made to me for direction by priests and laymen of the diocese of Clifton, I reply that Catholics are free to join the Primrose League. It is not a secret society. The promise made by members to obey their leaders, and not to divulge their secrets, is no more than is required by all honourable men who combine in a body for defensive and offensive purposes. Without such an undertaking on the part of members of any society all political action would he impossible. In his recent Encyclical 'on the Christian Constitution of States,' the Holy Father exhorts Catholics generally to take an active part, not only in municipal affairs, but also in the wider field of national politics. He says it would be wrong for a man not to contribute his share of care and labour to the common weal, and that such conduct would be fatal to Christianity, There is a fpecial call for English Catholics to exert themselves in the cause of loyalty and patriotism, in view of tho present grave constitutional crisis of their country. Nor ought they for such purposes to hesitate to join in action with their countrymen who differ from them in religion. On the contrary, such united action of Catholics with others who are not Catholics is oxpresslv recognised by the Holy Fpther in this Encyclical, where he extol* and holds up for imitation the conduct of the early Christians, who (though the manners and aspirations of the heathen widely differed from those of thn Go«pel) bravely came to the fore and joined their pagan fellow countrymen in loyal and patriotic efforts tor their country's good, only retiring from public life when actions were demanded of them opposed to religion and virtue. In England tho recent appointment of a Royal Commission on education, composed jointly of Protestants and Catholics, of which the Cardinal Archbishop of We«tnrinster is a member, and from which much good is hoped for the cause of denominational education, is but one instance of the good which may result to true religion from the joint action of Englishmen, Catholics and P otentants. It in in this sense that all members of the Primrose League pledge themselves to work for the maintenance of religion. What I have snid of the lawfulness of Catholics joining tho Primro«e League, which is a loyal and patriotic and also a Conservative Association, applies in like mauner to their joining 1 similar associations of other political shade*, provided they be equally loyal to the Queen, true to the Constitution of the country, and be not opposed to morality and religion. I deem it necessary to add this remark, because thin ia a question affeotinar not only the conscience, but the rights and liberty of Englinhmen." The London Tablet, commenting on the above letter, says: — "The Bishop of Clifton has published an excellent letter, short and excellent to the point on the duties of Catholics ia the wider sphere of national politico, and on the prefect freedom wbioh they are to be encouraged to use in working them with fellow-country-men for whatever concerns the national welfare. If we are never to stand shoulder to shoulder with any but an orthodox Catholic, we may as well pack up our traps nt once, and seek some pleasant, sunny oasis in the Thebaid, where there will be plenty of clean water and a few wholesome dates; a lion, perhaps, and a jackal — but no Protestant." Shortly after the publi-ntion of the above, the Holy See ciu-<ed che BUhop of Nottingham to withdraw hi* prohibition, which he did in the following pastoral, ordered to be read in nil the chapels and churches of his diocese: — '• Dear reverend brethren and children in Chrixt,— lt ban been notified to us by the Saniwl Coneregation of Propaganda that, if jrnve rea»ou« existed for prohibiting the Primro«e League, they should hare been referred by us to the Holy Apostolio See for its supreme decision. Humbly accepting and venerating this declaration, we hereby withdraw the prohibition of participation ia the Primrose League which we issued on the 10th instant. We have aho submitted to the judgment of the Holy See the various reasons which we have for believing the Primrose League to be a society dangerous and unlawful for Catholics, and having* done so we await with entire submission any further action which it may be pleased to take in the matter. May the grace and blessing of Almighty God be with you all." The London Tablet published the following comment upon the withdrawal of the prohibition : — "The Bishop of Nottingham has withdrawn hit condemnation of the Primrose League by a letter which is noble in its frank simplicity and humble submission to the Holy See. His Lordship humbly accepts and venerates the decision which he publishes. Two things strike us — the promptness of the action of the supreme tribunal and its wisdom, and the motion of perfeat dooility given us by the Bishop. Had an Anglican Bishop been delated for some act of imprudence or stretch of jurisdiction, it would hare cost thousands of pounds and months, if not years of delay, before a final decision— and that proceeding from a lay tribunal— could hare been got. Bishop Frasers ecclesiastical suit cost bo heavy a sum of money that none but a rich man could bear it, and he was in the right. The Bishop of Nottingham has quietly taught by example a practical les*on of humble obedience to those fiery politicians who emulated the very Protestants in publicly denouncing their Bishop, without waiting for the propper tribunal to speak. The perfection of conduct would be that they also should now give a similar example."

A statite of Pharaoh, which had lain buried in the Egyptian desert over 3000 yeaw, has just been unearthed. It represented the Pharaoh who was responsible for all the Egyptian plagues, and on one side of it is the statue of a little baby, said to be that of the Pharaoh who perished in the Red Sei.