The Express.
London, England, 1852-08-18 00:00:00

MOCKERIES OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC

CEREMONIES.

The following correspondence has been published :
39, Duncan-terrace, Islington, August 9.
rt Hon. Sir,—l beg to lay before you, as her Majesty's',,
Secretary of State for the Home Department, the
mprasestation:
• ti th• ease of Teodor, who styles himself a
eslheisbet whs. there is every /*M bel
ieve,
W to belie,
bin awe= the tide, with the assistance of another
=rnamed Chylisaki, is giving, in various parts of
ase its neighbowdmed, alerts' of public exhibitions,
the avowed object of whisk Is to hold up the most solemn
rites of*, catholic collsieli to mockery and comtempt. Tho
Crione invited te thses rejwasmediens by handbills of
ess eseinag dreams, (I smokes a copy), in which,
=other things, It is said that the materials of the
Eucharist are to be exposed for sale at a contemptible
rise, for the evident purpose of bringing odium upon the
mind holy sacrament ; for, although It be true that the per-
forates in these exhibitions is no priest, and consequently
that the materials in question are subjected to no true con-
secration under his hands, yet it is sufficient for the purposes
of scandal that they should be popularly supposed to be
what in fact they are not. Having reason for expecting
that Nis profane exhibition, which took place as recently
as Friday last in the neighbourhood of Portman-equare,will
be attempted in my own neighbourhood also, I am desirous I
of knowing whether I may look forward to the resistance
of the police in suppressing the circulation of these hand-
bills, and in preventing the admission of the public to any
performance of the same nature with that described in the
advertisement I enclime, . . . .

I venture, as a catholic priest, to claim this interposition
in behalf of a religion tolerated by law—first, on the
ground that. Inch exhibitions are contrary to public de-
cency and morality ; and secondly, because they have a di-
reettendency to inflame the passions of the catholic popu-
lation. Although mortantions for the public tranquillity,
I cannot undertake to answer for the behaviour of my flock
if their religion be openly insulted by handbills such as the
enclosed and public exhibitions of the nature it announces.
I respectfully beg permission to make inch use of any reply
with which you may favour me as may be necessary
towards preventing the repetition of such proceedings.
I am, Right lion. Sir, your obedient humble servant,
F. OAKELEY,
Missionary I' r i ... , of Islington.
The Right Hon. Secretary Walpole, M.P., &e.
Whitehall, August 14.
Sir —I am directed by Mr. Secretary Walpole to inform
you that the subject referred to in your letter of the Nth
inst. has already occupied his attention. Mr. Walpole has
not hesitated, and does not hesitate, to express his deep and
sincere regret that such scandalous exhibitions should hare
occurred, and he has given more than once instructions to
the police to caution all perms who promote these proceed-
ings that they will bring open themselves a serious respon-
sibility if any disturbance of the public peace should arise
from such conducts—l am, sir, your o'vedient servant, •
The Roe. F. Oakeley. W. J. H. JviLit it.