PROTESTANT OPINION

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XV, Issue 21, 16 September 1887, Page 29

PROTESTANT OPINION

(From ihe Auck'and Evening Bell ) Wb observe that the Advocate, the Cathol.c organ in Auckland, has seen fit to attack us because of certain articles which appeared in the Evening Bella to the evident intention in ecclesiastical appointments to denationalise the Irish Catholics of the colonies With that affectation of superior knowledge which some controversialists believe to have a telling effect in dealing with an opponent, our contemporary refers to our " pitiable efforts " and • slight acquaintance '■ with the subject of our remarks, and in a double-barrelled shot through the correspondence columns our discussion or the subject is referred to as a " daring impertinence " and childish r >lly. The New Zealand Advocate is no representative of true Catholic feeling at all, but whether it is or not, we make no apology to anyone for discussing any subject we please, and if the Catholic Church does a soupid or a foolish thing we shall direct our criticism as pointedly to it as we would against the Orangemen, whom we have so often attacked for their intolerable bigotry to their Catholic fellow-countrymen. We fear not the face of man or devil, and when duty calls, we waive the " daring impertinence," and go at it no matter who wince. ' Our contemporary would have his readers think that this is some new thing that has been brought to light. He knows as well as we do that it is at this hour a burning question with Irish Catholics everywhere, and though there are Irish Catholics so mean spirited as to cower down and for fear of offending their spiritual superiors keep their mouths shut, the best and truest-hearted Celtic Catholics in the world are boldly denouncing the notorious intrigue that is pronceeding among English noblemen and English Catholics in coniunctio with the British Government, to have Irish prelates and Irish priests in Ireland placed under supervision so as to check their national proclivities, and to have English or foreign prelates appointed to the colonies, so as to check the national sympathies of the Irish priests and root out the love of their suffering native land from the hearts Irisrjmen. We have attributed no " unworthy motives to the Pope "• on the contrary, we have spoken in the highest terms of respect of that noble Pontiff, who is placing himself in friendly relations with the Liberalism of the day. It in of the intrigues of English Catholic noblemen, creatures who are among the cruelest of Ireland's landlord tormentors, and who, by their misrepresentations at tlie Vatican, are engaged in this infamoas business that we have written. Nor have we spoken one woid of disrespect of the Catholic Bishop of Auckland, Dr. Luck, whose kindliness of heart has placed turn not only in the affections, but the confidence of all the Iriub.

Catholics in his diocese, although we do remember how, in common with many Irishmen from whom we might have expected batter, he did give the cold shoulder to Mr. Redmond when he was here. But it, 19 not of these we mide complaint, bat of the villanoat intrigue that is afoot, fostered by English Catholics of position, which i?l°Z lv n . otonouß ob Ject the suppression of nationalist feelings in Irish Catholics at Home and abroad; Our attention was drawn to the subject by the article in the Bruce Herald, an outside and secular paper, from which we quoted, ibat article openly commended the scheme as one intentionally framed to suppress national feelings among Irish Catholics in the colonies It illustrated from the very appointments to which we made reference, and specifically stated how, under the influence of those English noblemen and others, English prelates were bein* sent to the colonies to wean the people from their love of country. iJut does our Aucklaud Catholic contemporary snppose that everybody is ignorant of the brilliant trenchant articles that hare been appearing in the N.Z. Tablet published »t Dunedin, the real Catholic organ o f the Colony) & f thafc hag mQre sterling ability in one of its columns than is found in all the pazes t our Auckland contemporary taken together. In the latest number of that exceedingly able and well-written paper now lying before us there is an article headed " Infamoug Proceedings m which it refers to this intrigue led by Right Rot. Dr. Herbert Vaughao, Catholic Bishop of Salford, in England, and rZ\ a kI BeV L Fatber Belaney at Rome, whom the London linua described as being "in intimate relation with many of the principle parsonages near the Pope." The article is such a brilliant one that we wish we could transfer it into our own columns, as showing the strong feelings that are glowing in the breasts of honest Irishmen on this scandal to politics and religion "The English diplomatic agent at the Vaticanas great iinghsh lords at Propaganda have already done with respect to New Zealand-is to exercise the right of veto over the appointment of Catholic Bishops in all the British dominions, and no Irishman, unless he be that worst of all aliens, the anti-Irish Irishman, v to be allowed to exercise the office of a bishop in any colonial dioceße:" and in fearless language the writer gives as one of the objects " to eradicate the nationality, and to make the Irish father and mother i he objects of contempt, or at least of pity and forbearance to the son and daughter who should be Irish too. * « A ° d - W^ xt the Advoca -t« is'whining about " the pain caused "by us to Irish Nationalists in Auckland," hear this trumpet sound from the true representative of Nationalism and Catholicism in New v ft ' howr ever, that the matter is proclaimed, now when the trumpet sounds the attack upon the Irish Church at Home and abroad, and when we are expressly told that genuine Irish bishops are to be excluded in future from the olonies, there is no excuse to refrain. There is, on the contrary, an imperative call on Irian Catholics in every quarter of Australasia— and not only in New Zealand, where the first fruits of the improved system are already apparent -to combine to make their wishes known, and to back up their wishes by their strong determination. The Irish Catholic who win suiter his Church to be placed under the supervision of an English layman, duecting the Pope at Rome, must indeed be a craven and a slave.' These are brave words, and they have the true ring of that brave keltic spirit which has resisted alike the blandishments and the persecutions of the foes of its Church and race for centuries, where th« craven spirit that is disposed to accept the present intrigue would long ago have sunk and crawled in submission ; and the article, which is one ot extraordinary ability and vigour, ends withjproposing a " united deputation from the Irish Catholic population in every part of the world to proceed to Rome for the purpose, and lay their grievances before the Holy Father face to face," r >• ou 0t f ? r us t0 Ba y what is the duty of the rulers of the Catholic Church as Catholics. They may be assumed to know their own business best. But we are perfectly convinced that in conniving at this attempt to root out of Irish hearts that love of country which h,.s so powerfully protected their fidelity to mother Church in long and weary days of suffering, they are dealing a heavy blow at Roman Catholicism. That, however is their business. „• Vri T£ to the the Nationalist cause we are perfectly con vincea that the course taken will lead to diametrically opposite result! to those contemplated. For in the first place wrong and oppression ana suttenng have never extinguished lwve of country in the heart oi a ye\*, and just as surely they never will ; and in the second place tms intamt us attempt will win to the Irish Catholic NationAlist the warmest .sympathies ot thousands of generous-hearted and nobleminded Pro'estants woo might otherwise have stood aloof ; aud, wane tois scandalous wrong must inevitably shake the hold of uaiDoncism, it will make more certain and make more near the coming ot the day when accursed alien influences will be skaken off and Ireland will be governed by Irishmen for Irishmen.

.o, JJ BocH^-P. AIBA . -Quick, complete cure all annoying Kidney tßladder, and Unn*ry Diseases. At chemists and druggists. Kemt> borne, Prosser and Co., agents, Danedin. It is said Gladstone has been induced by Blame to Tiiit America. M Leo Taxi 1 (Gabriel Jog and- Pages), the converted infidel writer, has just returned to Paris from the Eternal City On the 30th ult. he was received in audience by Cardinal Paro'cchi, the Cardinal Vicar ; and in the evening by Cardinal Bampolla, Secretary oi State ; and on Friday evening he was received by the Moly Father. His Holiness graciously accepted from Leo Taxil a handsomely bound edition of his works upon Freemasonry and accorded him his Apostolic Benediction. It is hard to realise that the Leo laxil who has thus prostrated himself, humble and contrite at the feet or the Ft-pe, is tbe samejindividual who two years ago, went to Kome to take part in the proceedings of the Congress organised by the French Aati-Olerical League, of which he was the secretarygeneral, * -