A Protest.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 14, 18 January 1901, Page 3

A Protest.

Is connection with the Coningham divorce caso, mention of which has been made in Times cables, the following protest by the Roman Catholic priests of the suburbs of Svdnoy, has been published in the Sydney papers:— I "We, the priests of the City of Sydney and suburbs, do hereby protest againstthe foul calumnies and vile insinuations, regarding Catholio doctrines and practices whioh have been reported in the public press of the colony within the past few weeks. 1. Wo earnestly protest against the false and malicious insinuation that Catholics, who confess their sins to a priest in the sacred tribunal of penance, and who receive absolution, mav afforwards, in a court of justice, truly swear they never committed these sins. This oharge we declare to bo utterly false and defamatory, and in flagrant opposition to the teachings of the Catholio Church. The Catholic Churoh teaches that, though Gbd, in His great mercy, forgives the sinner when he sincerely repents, still for all time it will be true to say he had committed that sinful act; and to swear he had not committed it, because God had pardoned him, would be a disgraceful act of perjury and a heinous crime. 2. We also emphatically protest against the vile and slanderous insinuation that, whereas non-Christians are to be believed when testifying on oath, no such credence is to be given to the sworn testimony of Catholics when the reputation of their priests, or the interests of their church, are in question. This dastardly inBult we regard as a shameful libel on the honour and veracity of our Catholic people. While deeming it our duty to make this solemn protest, we willingly bear testimony to the kindly feeling manifested by the great majority of our non-Catholic fellow colonists, in reference to the above insinuations."