CANTERBURY CATHOLIC LITERARY SOCIETY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 46, 8 March 1889, Page 13

CANTERBURY CATHOLIC LITERARY SOCIETY.

On Tuesday evening last, the Rev. Father Briaad read a very interesting and instructive paper before the members of the above Bociety, taking lor his subject " Tne Inquisition." The rev. essayist, after explaining very dearly the duty of the Church to the people, and the obligation of the faithful to Holy Church, proceeded to give an exhaustive account of the organisation of the Inquisition and" the functions of the tribunal. Father Briand deplored in scathing terms the gross ignorance displayed on this subject by non-Catholics on the one hand, and the gross and persistent perversion of fact on the other. Judgments given and sentences executed by orJer of the Spanish Inquisition were otten brought forward by non-Catholics as in opposition to the teachings of the Chirch and antagonistic to the doctrines of Christianity. This Father Biiand set aside at once, on tb« ground that the Spanish Inquinition wa9 a separate institution to that founded by Pope Lucius 111., it never having the authority of his Holiness, whj, moreover, had i«fused to give it his sanction. An extract was read from a decree of this great Pontiff (Lucims III.), which gave a very clear idea of the Inquisition. It was simply a mild and wise tribunal, in. stituted by the Church in order to keep her children in the path of virtue, to punish those who endangered the faith of others by leading irreligious and scandalous lives, and to denounce persistent and obstinate error. The relations between Church an 1 State, and the part taken by evch in connection with the Inquisition were ably described by the rev. gentleman, who, at the conclusion of his paper, was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.