THE POPE AND IRELAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 24, 5 October 1888, Page 5

THE POPE AND IRELAND.

(Special correspondence of the Pilot.) Borne, July 31. During the week bis Holiness has referred on several occasions to the Irish question, or to something connected with it, at audiences granted by him to distinguished persons. The mention he makes in his letter of his satisfaction at the pro posed construction of a national Irish Church in Rome, dedicated to St. Patrick, and his promise of more material assistance than mere words of encouragement, have been emphasised during the week. A* an audience granted to a distinguished Italian prelate he said that he intended shortly to bestow a considerable sum on the building of tha church, which he hoped would be worthy of the great apostle and ot the Irish nation. In another audience the Holy Father inquired what effect his letter to the Bishops had produced in Ireland, and on learning that) it gave great satisfaction, though calm bad previouslj been restored throughout the country, he expressed himself highly pleased, and spoke most affectionately of his "dear Ireiand," and of the good " Irish people," whom he dearly loves, and whom he blesses from the depths of his heart. Bveryone here understands well how kindly disposed towards the Irish people the Holy Father is ; but many of them likewise know that amongst those who surround his Holiness there are men who, from conviction, or for some less noble reason, are opposed to the Irish, and especially to tbeir acquirement of Home Rule. The authenticated account, or proces-verbal, of the laying of the foundation-stone of the Irish National Church ot St. Patrick ia Borne by Archbishop Walsh, and the sermon preached on that occasion by Archbishop Ryan, of Philadelphia, and of the other ceremonies which took place on that occasion, was signed July 16, in the Countess Ma'ilda Hall, in the Vatican. The signatories were Mi>r. Mar.iol> n , Pontifical Maiter of Ceremonies, who conducted the ceremoniei on that occasion ; Brother Thomas Connolly, 0.8.A., as representing the Order of Irish Augustinians, and Commendatore Cassell, as member of the Executive Committee of St Patrick's National Chnrch. The Very Rev. Dr. Hassan, the recently-appointed vice-rector of the Irish College in the place of Mgr. Verdoa, called to the rectorship of St. Patrick's College, Manly, near Sydney, arrived in Rome this evening. Dr. Hassan has been a student of the Irish Cullege. Hii Eminence Cardinal Moran lefc Rome on Thursday, July 26, for Florence, on his way to Paris and Dublin, which he expects to reach on August 8. On the previous day the Cardinal had a farewell audience of his Holiness. Thi» audience, it is said, was remarkable for the mark of special affection shown by the Holy Father to the Cardinal ; that is to say, his Holiness rose from his throne on the entrance of the Cardinal, and came forward to embrace him. This is the more remarkable, as the Cardinal's words on the Irish question, which have been going the rounds of the Press, have not been denied by his Eminence. In the London Daily Chronicle of July 26, it is said of Cardinal Moran: "Notwithstanding the assertions of Irish journals to the contrary, he is instructed to communicate varbally to Archbishop Walsh the ideas and wishes of the Pope with regard to the Irish question," This is quite fabulous, as are so many of the reports from Rome issued by that journal. The Cardinal has no such mission or task entrusted to him. The inuendo of the journal in question is diiected in this case, as in so many others, to cast reproach on the Irish bishop", and to suggest that thuy do not fully carry out the wishes of the Pontiff. P. L. CONNKLLAN.