The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-31 00:00:00

ESTABLISHED CHURCHES.

None are more opposed than Catholics to the
disestablishment of National Churches, to the
confiscation of property set aside fer religious
uses, and to the severance of religion, as em-
bodied in a State Church, from the State.
Catholics have no sympathy with the irreligious
principle of modern society, which aims at
making religion a matter of private concern,
and excludes theXhurch from taking part in
the public life of nations. The intimate and
cordial union of Church and State is a Catho-
lic principle. Even in non-Catholic nations
the public recognition by the State of a reli-
gion is, according to Catholic views, a condi-
tion of things infinitely superior to the irreli-
gious theories of modern Liberalism regarding
the relations of religion and politics. Hence
it is out of no sympathy with the " Libera-
tion Society," or with revolutionary Liberalism
that Catholics demand the disestablishment
of the Protestant Church in Ireland. This
demand is in nowise opposed to Catholic prin-
ciples ; if it were we should not find it insisted
upon by the Catholic episcopate of Ireland.
But, putting the weight of authority aside, it
is superabundant,ly evident that the disestab-
lishment of the Protestant Church in Ireland
is not opposed to Catholic principles.
The Protestant Church is not the National
Church, but an alien Church, forced upon an
unwilling people. Its existence as an Estab-
lished Church is a violation of justice, and of
the rights of the national conscience. Although
Catholics uphold the principle of Established
Churches they only do so because they believe
the public recognition of religion is pleasing
to God, beneficial to the people, useful to the
Church, and a duty on the part of the State.
But in the case of the Established Church in
Ireland none of these conditions are fulfilled;
on the contrary, they are, every one of them,
violated. Such an act of injustice as the sub-
stitution of an alien Church for the Church
of the people—not to say of a false religion in
the place of the true—cannot be an act pleasing
to the God of Justice and Truth. Instead of
being beneficial to the people the establish-
ment of Protestantism in Catholic Ireland is
the fruitful source of disaffection and discon-
tent. It is an insult offered in the name of '
religion. It is a badge of conquest flaunted
in every parish before the eyes of a sensitive
and high-spirited people. In what its utility
to the nation consists the best friends of the
Establishment would find it difficult to specify.
Since it offends the conscience of the nation its
disestablishment would promote religion, and,
consequently, it is the bounden duty of the
State, in its own interests, and on behalf of
justice and religion, to separate itself from
such an institution. Catholics, therefore, on
their own principles are bound to insist on the
disestablishment by the State of the Protestant
Church in Ireland.
On the other hand it may be argued that
the State on Catholic principles is bound to
endow and establish the Catholic Church as
the National Church of Ireland, and that the
Church is under the correlative obligation of
accepting such a public recognition at the
hands of the State. We would readily agree
to the proposition, provided under the actual
circumstances of Ireland such establishment
or endowment of the Catholic Church would
be for the benefit of religion. If, however, such
relations with the State—owing to abnormal
circumstances—would not promote the salva-
tion of souls, then the general principle of the
Church's acting in co-operation with the State
must be relinquished. But who are the ap-
pointed judges of what is good for religion,
under the actual state of things in Ireland, if
not the Irish Episcopate ? The endowment of
the Church is one of those matters which espe-
cially fall under their jurisdiction. They are
entitled to pronounce their judgment, and it
is the duty of Catholics to accept and act upon
their decision without afterthought or reserve.
The Irish bishops have unanimously declared
that they would not accept any endowment of
the Catholic Church at the hands of the State.
They will not touch any part of the revenues
of the Establishment. After such a decision
it is plainly the duty of Catholics to give no
countenance to any scheme which the State
may propose by way of endowing the Catholic
Church. What the bishops and the Catholics
of Ireland demand, in the interests of religion
and in the name of justice, is the disestab-
lishment of Protestantism in Catholic Ireland,
and the non-endowment by the State of the
Catholic Church.
We have endeavoured to show that Catholics
in so acting do not in the least contravene
their own principles, nor countenance in the
slightest the irreligious Liberalism which is
everywhere opposed, under every conceivable
circumstance, to the public endowment of reli-
gion and to the principle of State Churches.
Catholics, on the other hand, maintain that the
endowment of religion is a public duty, and
that the union of a National Church with the
State is the normal condition of things. But
Ireland, according to the unanimous judgment
of the Irish bishops, is an exception to the
general rule. Therefore, without the least
sacrifice of principle, we have the right to
demand the disestablishment of Protestantism
in Ireland, the recognition of the Catholic
religion, and the non-endowment of the Catho-
lic Church.—Westminster Gazelle.