The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-01-29 00:00:00

THE INSUBORDINATION OF AN
AMERICAN PRIEST,

The following is the account, according to a Times
correspondent, of the contumacy of Father M'Glynn:
As early as 1882 Father M'Glynn's practice of making
political speeches had been rebuked from Rome,; that
be had been suspended, and had promised to abstain
in 1883; that having resumed the practice he was
again admonished in August, 1886, all this occurring
before Mr. Henry George was a candidate for the
mayoralty. On September 29 Father M'Glynn sent
Mr. George to Bee the Archbishop, when that prelate
informed Mr. George of the great risk which
Father M'Glynn ran by taking part in politics.
On the same day the Archbishop sent Father
M'Glynn a letter expressing regret at finding his
name appended to a circular calling a politica
meeting, and forbidding him to attend or take part
in any future political meeting without the permission
of the Congregation of the Propaganda. Father
M'Glynn replied by saying that he would address this
meeting notwithstanding the prohibition. He was
then suspended for two weeks by a letter dated
October 2, the Archbishop writing that the objection
to his coursa had nothing whatever to do with this or
that political party, but that it was founded on the
instructions of the Holy See. "Then came," the
Archbishop says, "the sad sight of a Catholic priest
riding in an open•barouche from poll to poll on the
election day." Three weeks after the election a
pastoral letter was issued enunciating the plain teach-
ing of the Sovereign Pontiff. Later, on November 26, the
doctrine of the Pope was assailed by Father M'Glynn,
who said that the true and only remedy for social
evils lay in the abolition of private ownership in land
and the restitution to all men of those rights in the
soil now unjustly monopolised by a few. Father
M'Glynn was invited to correct this teaching, which
he declined to do. He never withdrew his statement
publicly made that private ownership in land was
unjust. He was then again suspended for the rest
of the year. The Prefect of the Propaganda on
December 4 telegraphed to the Archbishop : "Let
Alumnus M'Glynn proceed immediately to Rome."
This telegram was sent to Father M'Glynn, who
made no answer, and who has not, so far as is
known, shown any disposition to obey the Holy See.
The Archbishop, after waiting some time, wrote to
Father M'Glynn requesting some reply, where-
upon, on December 20, the latter wrote that he would
not go to Rome, at the same time reaffirming his
position on the land question, and saying: "I have
taught and shall continue teaching, in speeches and
writings, as long as I live that land is rightfully the
property of the people in common, and that private
ownership in land is against natural justice, no matter
by what civil or ecclesiastical laws it may be
sanctioned. I would bring about instantly if I could
snob a change of laws all the world over as would
confiscate private property in land without one penny
of compensation to the miscalled owners." The Arch-
bishop on December 29th, replied regretting Father
M'Giynn's position, and stating that in the circum-
stances the censure then in force must be prolon.ed
until the receipt of a letter of instructions
from Cardinal Sirueoni, then on its way to
New York. This letter, which is described as
kind and conciliatory, arrived in January. Father
M'Glynn declined to call on the Archbishop to re-
ceive it, whereupon it was sent him by post. Four
days afterwards Father M'Glynn acknowledged the
receipt of it, saying that he would not go to Rome,
and that the grave reasons which he had given on
December 20 still held good and would continue to
do so for a long time. On January 14, the Archbishop
wrote to Father M'Glynn that he had placed Father
Donnelly in temporary charge of St. Stephen's
Church, and that for grave reasons he deemed
it best to transfer Father M'Glynn from St.
Stephen's and to appoint him to some other
rectorship as soon as his relations with the Holy
See permitted it, and also asking if he had any
objections to offer. Father M'Glynn returned no
answer. On January 16 another telegram came from
Cardinal Simeoni : "Give orders to have M'Glynn
again invited to proceed to R;Ane, and also to con-
dense in writing the doctrines to which he has given
utterance in public meetings, or which have been attri-
buted to him in the press. Should he disobey, use
your own authority in dealing with him." On January
17 another telegram came. In it the Sovereign Pon-
tiff himself ordered Father M'Glynn to go to Rome
instantly. Both telegrams were sent to Father
M'Glynn, but they produced no answer. The
archbishop then describes an interview held
with the committee of Father Mik.llynies
parishioners, and also his reply to them which de-
tailed the above matters. The archbishop says that
the latest phase of this unhappy conflict occurred on
Friday, when Archbishop Jacobini, Secretary of the
Propaganda, telegraphed thus: "For prudential
reasons the Propaganda has hitherto posirsmed action
in the case of M'Glynn. The Sovereign Pontiff has
now taken the matter into his own hands." The
archbishop concludes by saying that the case now
1 rests with Father M'Glynn and the Holy Father.