THE MAYOR and BISHOP LUCK.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 298, 18 December 1886, Page 2

THE MAYOR and BISHOP LUCK.

HIS WORSHIP DECLINES TO PRESIDE AT PROPOSED PUBLIC MEETING.

Tho Roman Catholic Position re Religious Objects. It will bu remembered that at the meeting of Roman Catholics held on Wednesday last to dovise mcasurcsforlhc raising of subscriptions for the upuocly re-buikllngof St. Benedict's Church, Jlishup Luck, wlio presided, commented with satisfaction upon tho expressions of sympathy, and the probabilities of substantial help from other denominations in ercctinK a more durable church in placo ot the one destroyed by lire. .As the best means of taking advantage of this general manifestaiion oi' Koodwill he strongly recommended the convention ola public meeting over which the Mayor should be asked to preside. The recommendation was adopted as a resolution of the mooting, and. in conformity with it, Ilishopljiick yesterday waited upon His Worship the .Mayor (Sir A. IS. Devon') at the City Council oltiees. He. was accompanied liy tho ex-Mayor (Mr W. It. Waddel), who had consented to introduce him to .Air JJovore. Tuo necessary introduction having been given, Bishop Luck said that Ills Worship had doubtless heard of the (,'reat calamity that had befallen the people of .St. Benedict's through the destruction by lire of their handsome and commodious church. Towards tho building of. that chinch members of other denominations had actively assisted their Roman Catholic friends and fellow citizens. It had been determined to ro-bul!d the church as cxpediliously as possible and as very many expressions of sympathy had been received, it was also proposed to initiate a public subscription in furtherance of the object in view, lie had therefore been desired to see His Worship the Mayor and request him to preside at a public meeting to be lii-ld In the City Hall, for the purpose of .starting a general subscription. His Worship replied that his duty in tho mutter did not appear to him in tho snme light as it apparently had presented itself to the Bishop's mind. As the representative of tho citizens at large he failed to sco how he could with propriety and fairness consent to preside at v public meeting, the object of which was to raise subscriptions fur the benefit of a particular church or a special denomination. So far as the request, therefore, was concerned, he fell that his answer niuat bo in the negative. It seemed to him that as Mayor he could only presido at meetings convened for general or municipal purposes. It. did not appear to him thai, the proposed meeting answered to such a character. Bishop Luck presumed that His Worship felt himself to bo in a dtlemna. The Mayor thought the dilcmna was on tho other side. His course and duty were clear. It wa^l'or the ltishop to show that his proposed the beiiilU of all denominations. The Bishop asked if the -Mayor would consider It to be within his functions to preside at a gathering assembled to witness the laying of Ihe foundation stone of a Roman Catholic hospital. The -Mayor replied that ho certainly should.

for ho iciiow that Protestants in need of relief would not be likely to l>o turned away from the doors (if an institution whose object was the alleviation of physical suffering. Bishop Luck then added that the Governor of New South Wales had recently presided at the laying of the foundation stone of a Roman Catholic Hospital in Sydney. Hedidnotv.erecne much distinction between a uieoUns of such a character and one designed lo assist in (he re-eroction of a church destroyed by lire. Hitherto the Catholics of Auckland in building tli tir churches had recoived considerable assistance and support from the Protestants of tin) city, mill lie hoped they wo.ilcl receive similar help again. Ho was an Englishman and therefore could say disinterestedly of thoKoman Catholic Irish of Auckland thai they had always given liberally to every body and everything. The Mayor had no doubt that what the Bishop had said with respect to the assistance received from Protestants was perfectly correct. Ho demurred, however, to the statement respecting Iho reciprocal liberality of the Catholics. Sonio years ago it had fallen to his lot to solicit subscriptions for the erection of a Protestant placo of worship in Ponsonby, and it was clear in his recollection that all tho ltoman Catholics whom ho spoko to on the matter refused to subscribe. Sonic years Inter, he collected subscriptions for the purpose of having some additions mado to tho name church, and again the Roman Catholics who were applied to for assistance deolincd to give it The Bishop replied that in those matters the Roman Catholics occupied a totally dissimilar position to that of other denominations. They were taught to beliovo that theirs was the only true Church, and that being so, it was a matter of conscientious principle with them not to contribute to Churches that proclaimed different doctrines. Roman Catholics had no objection to receive from persons outside their Church money for religious purposes, but they had no sanction to contribute in turn towards the schemes of other denominations. The Town Clerk said that ho conld bear testimony that this was tho position taken up by the ltoman Catholics of Auckland, for while the members of the .Towish community|in Auckland had contributed again and again to Roman Catholic objects, the Roman Catholics would not give anything towards the Synagogue Building Fund. 'Some conversation followed upon tho onesided nature of such a position, but Bishop Luck said it was unnecessary to argue the matter. They reasoned upon different se ts of premises. Tho Mayor asked Mr Waddcl whether, if St. Benedict's Church had been burnt down a month ago, ho would have consented to preside at a public meeting as requested by the Bishop. Mr Waddell said : Certainly not, Tho Bishop then asked Mr Waddoll if lie vould preside, now that he was ho longer in oflico, and Mr Waddoll answered in tho negative. Tho Bishop asked tho Mayor if he would consent to occupy a se'it upon tho platform, and His Worship replied that ho would not consent to do so. The interview, which had been conducted with perfect courtesy on both sides, terminated shortly afterwards.