ARCHBISHOP CROKE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2533, 1 October 1902, Page 65

ARCHBISHOP CROKE.

The best description of Archbishop Croke ever written was that in the pages of Mr William (TBiien's story, ''When we Were Boys." Here it is: — "A stiong-built, mas-sive-headed, precipitous-looking figure, with masses of &t»mi-cloudy wi Inkles piled over his eyebrows in the region to which physiognomists assign quickness ot perception and swiftness of action ; an upper-forehead, where the ramparts of the reflective powers were rounded off, as in all fine Celtic heads, into an imaginative arch ; a square mouth, which would be a cruel mouth but for a twitch of drollery that now and again trembled at its corncis ; and a wonderful grey eye which always seemed to pierce you through and through, whether with a sunray or a dart of lightning." CHURCHMAN AND POLITICIAN. Archbishop Croke was a very Winning personality ; a mixture of strength and softness, such as. always makes a man very attractive. In spite of the large, bold, blue eyes ; in spite of that strong mouth, square chin, and heavy jaw ; in spite of the suggestion of huge strength in the muscular and square-built form, there was the universal impression of tenderness, geniality, good humour, about the whole face and person. He was almost as if he stepped out of one of the dramas of Boucicault, with all the possibilities of stern discipline of his floek — of gentle, and if necessity arose of rtrong^ despotism— and jt»t of good

humour, merriment, and warm affections. And one saw all these things in his career ; for he was a man always on the side of the poor, and thus he was adored always by them. In his day he took a very prominent part in Irish politics ; he was the first ecclesiastic of high position to give his assistance to Mr Parnell ; and in that way he was one of the founders of the modern Irish movement. But Irish politics brought little joy to him, any more than to other men who embark upon that tempestuous sea. When the split began, he took for a while an active part against the old leader, and so became tangled and torn in all the wild epoch of violent abuse which succeeded the split. He was already getting old when this cloud came ; with aS his bravery he had not the power to withstand it; and the last years of his life were sad, sombre, relieved now and then by a dash of almost cynical humour — a laugh that conceals tears ; the humour that is the mask for despair. DR CROKE'S COLLISION WITH ROME. And yet few men ever dared so much for his opinions at an earlier hour. Those who do not know the workings of the Catholic Church in Ireland can little understand what took place wher the Archbishop came into collision with Rome. The stern discipline of the Roman Catholic Church does not know such a thing as resistance from an inferior ecclesiastic to his superior. It is this stern,' uncompromising; deadly discipline that accounts for the extraordinary strength and unbroken unity of that wonderful organisation. And when once that discipline is-put forth against a man it crushes him and kills him as effectually as did the earthquakes before which Captain Freeman did not quail. I used to occasionally see in Ireland in my young days what, is called a "Suspended priest" ; a more pitiful and pathetic figure it is -difficult to imagine. The combined respect and horror which surround him as with an atmosphere ; the way people try to befriend him, and yet shrink from him as from one accursed : all this I can recall quite vividly in the case of one of those unfortunates, and no amount of personal veneration or affection which the people might feel for n priest could altogether do away with the horror with which the "condemnation of his church surrounded him. THE ARCHBISHOP AND THE POPE. Ib is necessary to realise all this to understand the full magnitude of the historic scene which took place between Archbishop Croke and the Pope at one great moment in the dead prelate's career. lam nob arguing, of course, whether Archbishop Croke was right or wrong ; that would bring me into the domain of politics, which here is tabooed. lam simply describing a historic scene from the personal point of view. Dr Croke had v rJeen one of those who started the testimonial to the late Mr Parnell — the testimonial which afterwards reached the handsome figure of £40,000. The Pope condemned the tribute, and issued a bull against it, and Dr Croke was called to Rome to explain his conduct. The Pope, with all his gentleness, can be a very formidable being when he likes, and c\ en those who love him also tremble before him. When Dr Croke got to Rome he saw there nothing around him but pale and haggard faces, and he was already almost avoided as one who was already condemned. But the nerve of the fearless man rose to the occasion. Ha vr.is summoned to the presence of the Pope. Entering the room, at the end of which the Pope sat in his chair, Dr Croke advanced slowly ; as he advanced, he bowed slowly and ceremoniously three times. Jt is part of the ceremonial which surrounds the Pope in his dealings with his bishops. The Pope looked on at this solemn and slow approach with vehement impatience, and said at last, "Come, come, let us to business ; we don't want all this ceremony." Dr Ci'oke answered that he knew the rights of his Holiness and — here was the daring additifhi — his own; and he was resolved that he would observe and defend both. And then came a discussion on Irish politics which was vehement on both sides, in which Dr Croke refused to budge one inch from his standpoint, while giving to the Pope all the obedience his position demanded, and offering to make such submission — even to resignation of his Archbishopric — as his Holiness might order. The Pope was wiEe enough to see that nothing could be done with such a man ; and Dr Croke returned horne — obeying the orders of his superior — but dropping the significant observation in Paris, where he visited the college there which belongs to the Iri«h, that he was "unchanged and unchangeable." It is a pathetic ending to the story that one of the last things the dying prelate heard and understood was that the Pope had sen£, lam his blessing.