How the Pope was Converted to Paruellism.

Evening Star, Issue 7177, 2 April 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

How the Pope was Converted to Paruellism.

The following is from a letter which Mr "Wilfrid S. Blunt has addressed to Mr Hurl bert. Ho says that he has the particulars from an authentic source:—“lt is hardly four years since, under a misapprehension of the real circumstances of the case, the famous letter to the Irish bishops, familiarly known as ‘ de Paruellio,’ was issued from the Propaganda; but already a complete change in the views and policy of the Vatican has been effected in regard to Ireland. At that time (May, 1883) it had been represented to the Pope that Mr Parnell and his Parliamentary party were members of a secret and revolutionary society analagous to those existing on the Continent; and, acting on this intelligence, the bishops were warned against according him their support or countenancing the subscriptions raised for his testimonial. Dr Croke, the Archbishop of Cashel, was then at Rome, and in an audience he had at the Vatican received from His Holiness an admonition so strong that without venturing explanations he left Rome forthwith, saying simply that ‘ as a bishop he knew how to listen and obey.’ The letter was issued the same week, and as you will not have forgotten, caused consternation in Ireland, almost revolt. It is certain that on account of it thousands of Irish Catholics throughout the world neglected for a while the practice of their religion, and so grave did the situation become that it seemed to some that there was danger of a general falling away of Irishmen from the faith. Fortunately, however, the 1 stter was no binding pronouncement. It was neither a Papal Bull nor an Encyclical Brief ; and, as it turned out, it was the means under Providence of a better apprehension at Rome of the facts of the Irish case. A searching inquiry was now made by the Pope in person, and each bishop in Ireland was called in turn to Rome and invited to give his opinion to his Holiness in private conference. Dr Croke’s patience in his first audience was now amply rewarded by his having an opportunity of explaining at length the whole land quarrel which lay at the root of Ireland’s misfortunes. ‘ What would your Holiness say,’ asked Dr Croke, ‘if a poor peasant of the Romagna were to hire for a few scudi a barren rock in the Apennines, and were to enclose it with a wall and plant it with a vineyard and build on it a house, and if when the vines began to bear fruit the lord of the soil were at once to raise the rent to the full value of the improvement made, and if, on failure to pay, the poor peasant were to be turned out and his labor confiscated ? ’ ‘I should call it,’ said the Pope, *a robbery.’ To which the Archbishop answered : _ ‘ That, Holy Father, has been the whole history of the land quarrel for generations in Ireland.’ A stronger argument, however, lay reserved in Dr Croke’s quiver, and he came to Rome provided with a full list of the communicants m the various parishes of his diocese. When’ he showed this to the Pope, and was able statistically to prove that 94 per cent, of his adult flock were practising Catholics, while churches had been built and schools opened, and when similar statistics flowed in from every part of Ireland, the scales fell front the eyes of those who had opposed the bishops most strongly at the Vatican., The doctrine is nowhere recognised more clearly than at Rome that the tree is known by its

fruits; and the Irish bishops returned homeward triumphant; nor has it been possible since for any adverse influence to shake the Pope’s perfect confidence in the loyal zeal of the Irish clergy and the innate justice of the Irish cause.”