BISHOP LUCK AND THE REDMOND MISSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6592, 31 March 1883, Page 2

BISHOP LUCK AND THE REDMOND MISSION.

(Pen Ukitkd Pbkss Association.)

AucKIiAND, March SOMi.

Bishop Luck's letter to the Auckland Hibernian Society, which cauboi some; talk a few weeks ago, lias hOi»i publi.-hed. After assuring the Society that ho wits awa-m admiror of tho faithful, loig-Buffering Irish nation, and a true and earnest i-ympatliiser will) them in their many wrongs, ho (toia on to say:—"The newspapers announce the an! alof a diplomatic aao'it, whose misiion is to work on tho national feelings of the IrUh colonist-, and to implicate thorn in the mohes of political leiguns and piwtioj. lam n4 going to di.-cuts any politic >1 question, nor even to pas< judvme >t ou the cause ' which tho expeotod agitator lias in hand. Aly only object is to let you know what my own line ol conduct as "j our Bishop will be with regard to thin or any ot.ier a>"-nt likely to excite political animosities and etrife amongst my fl ck, ami by hrlcfly giving out the rea-ons for" my course of notion, i shall be pleased to influence and kuUIo you, also, in principles whicli will underlie your co operation w.th, or abstention from, complications in which you will doub less he invited to take part Jly own policy, as your Bishop, will bo an abstcn ion from participation in the progr.imme of the political a:i;ators. My reasons In1 this line of conduct are: Firstly, thou/h love o( country ii a duty and a virtue, 1 dcprecito its influence with tho bom s of charity which cu,'ht to unite the Catholics of all nationalities in the peace and harmony of tho Catholic Church. Secondly, from my expmience of tho i-a t I am distrustful of politic-.1 leagues. Aa tho late Archbishop of Dnb in said, t.hciu leagues miy be compared to a train into which agouti invite you to stop, but in aj.ito of your intention and their asservations, you will find yourself orried beyond the point at which you intended lo stop, and be ,'anded at a terminus altogether beyond your original place. Thirdly, leagues aro looked on with favour by tho secret societies, which socner or later work their way into them, and then set their machinery to work for objects disipprowd of by the Church, Pnurthly, funds which ate invariably an essential condition for the existence of the-ie league* have to he laised from amonirht those who j >in them, and those often (hid th<-se funds exhausted by their application tothepaynient (if the sa'arics ut "gents who parade their own disinterestedms.'. Fifthly, Ido not sio the wisdom or utility of mixing one's self up in our adopted country in tho feuds and strife* of tho land of one's birth, especially when the land of one's adopti m is at tho very \;itiuodes of the Ik-Id of action. Sixthly, 'By their fruici ye shall know them.1 Tho rosull of oxviKcratcd party feeling, c-specially in connection with Icaaues, Ins been in many diocesos and parishes a prolific sonrco of crimoii crying to heaven for vengeance, disunion ain-nigst families and fr.'enda, and of ta'so piiuciplcs i'.fluor.eing individuals to Mich ade-i'reoas to c>m-*o them to cease t'j heel tho voice of the Church. Tho Chlhoiit body in this dince-e have hitherto kept alouf from all di-turbin,' agencies nuil remained usefully and sensibly intent on the r own businos'. 1 would be grieved lo see ihe existing harmony broken in upon by discontented party cries," The Hishop concludes as follows :—" Your active ci-oper.ition will doubtless be asked aid parhapi reliod on by the gentleir.au who baa announced Ilia iiolitical errand in the cities of New Zealand, b;it f trust that your prudence and wisdom, together with ynur filial defereu c to the express wish of yoiir ISishop, will give you a course that 3*ou will a Iho reply of the Hi'ernhn Society, which is also published,'!* to tho effect that the rules of the Society prohibit tho<li=c:ission pf political affairs.