Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-10-28

soning which Bishop Kemp will not under
stand, but 10 person conversant with the laws
and customs Of the Catholic church, Mr.
Whites assertion will appear the most absurd,
and preposterous.
In the second place this man is secular
priest: now by multitude Of canons and decls-
ions. it has been regulated and is an universal
custom, that the conlessor Of nunnery OF a.
regular order generally is, and ought 10 be a
frar of the same order To this rule there is
bu, one exception in such place as Seville, s
this exception could scarcely occur viz That
the {. immunity of nuns could no, be prevailed
upon TO confess TO friar Of their own ORDER
But this must be for the community, not for an
individual, as was decided by the congre cation
in case from Palermo, May 27.-!623. and
one from Genoa 9th April, 1857
Mr.. White tells us that about the age of
twenty-five he became an in6del; for he spent
ten years in the hypocrtical support Of what he
calls imposture, before he ef Spain at the age
of thiry-ive; his conduct did not escape suspi-
cion, for he tells US, his mother avoided his
presence lest she should hear what would he a.
| gainsl faith, both in Evidence and in Dobado's
letters, he informs us that prohgate clergy
men were his companions; but if their conduct
was not glaringly Bad ii was at least highly
suspicious; he gives us abundant proof in his
"Doblado's Letters" Vol. 2, p. 2el, of the
| Magazine, that it was, for he is found openly
the companion OF men under censure
! 81 have visited Salamanca after he great de-
feat OF the philosophical party, the strongest that
ever was formed In Span. A man of first rate
| literary character amongst US, whom merit and
court-tavor had raised 10 one of the chief seats
in the judicature fthe country, but whom court
| caprice had, about this time, sent 10 rusticate
at Salamanca, was doing me the honors of the
place, when approaching the convocatlon-hall
OF The University, we perceived the members
OF the faculty OF divinity strolling about, pre-
vious to meeting Of their body. A runaway
slave, still bearing the marks of the lash at his
| return, could not have shrunk more instructive
ly at the sight of the planters meeting at the
council room, than my friend did at the view Of
the cowls "white, black, and grey" which par
TALLY hid the sleek faces Of his offended masters
lie had, il is true, been lucky enough to escape
| his imprisonment and subsequent penance in
monastery, which was the Sad lot OF the chief
Of his routed party; but he himself was still Sus-
pected and ,calched closely.
Whether this is the same gentleman who held
an important place in the provincial judica,ure,
!
whom he mentions as an inhdel companion in
p 298, | cannot con lecture. But in that page
he informs US that after the acquaintance then
formed, she performed mass with heart in
open rebellion TO the church that en- Joined it;
but he had now settled with himself, to offer it
up TO his Creator, as he imagnes, that the en-
Hghtcned Greeks and Romans did their sacrifices
he was like them, forced to express his thank
r,,I,
which failed was to introduce into the Spanish
Universities the principles of French inideIity,
as he himself informs US in p. 2el. The The
ses which were introduced he describes as "gen-
uine offspring Of the French school, the very
turn of their phrases in spite ofthe studied
ton of their language gave strong indications
Of style formed in defiance of the Holy Inqui-
sitioa. That man OF this description should
b. selected confessor to nunnery, is an abb
surdity SO palpa5le to any divine, that am
only astonisheG how the man himself had the
hardihood 10 make the assertion. But he knew
who his readers were likely to be; persons who
greedily swallowed every libel against our
church, and neither knew whether its truth is
even possible, ana perhaps care as little. am
certain do no: Judge rashly when assert that
amonss, the Right Rev. and Rev. approbators
|
one, who know that ordinary appreciation to
hear confessions, does not confer power to hear
confessions in nunneries; that appreciation to
hear them in one nunnerv does not include ap-
probation to hear them in another, that appro-
baton to hear the confession of one nun, for in
stance upon the approach of death, does not in
cude appreciation 10 hear another. And that
one Of the most unheard of cases, though not
absolutely impossible, is that brother should
be the confessor Of nun who is his sister.
Blu, suppose all those obstacles removed, sup
pose those all II have been dispensed with; one
other insuperable difficulty remains. BY the
common law OF the church no special age is
requisite in priest to be qualified generally to
hear confessions. But the congregation before
mentioned, decided on the I'd Of May, 1917,
and on the 9TH of June, 1920, in cases from the
Patriarchatr of Venice, that the corfessor Of
nunnery ough, to DE at least over forty gears of
age In the Franciscan order, of which the
| Capuchins are branch there is special sta
lule. Sambuc cap. IL. II num- |. OF the mi
nor Obser, antines, which requires this age, and
the force of this statute was decided 10 extend
to the reformed of the order, by decree of the
congregation of the council, the proper rribu-