The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-10-31
The Irish Priesthood.

A writer in the London Times lately charged
Catholic priests with being haIf-educated,
encouraging early marriages for self interest,
and encouraging outrages against the land.
lords. Tho Cork Examiner thus responds to
the English slanderer:
The Catholic clergy, thanks to their devotion
to the interests of their focks, do possess
powerful influence them; but no man
who knows Ireland, and is devoid of sectarian
bitterness, which warps the Judgment can
believe that that influence is baneful. This Is
not the opinion of statesmen and rulers, unless
they he of the class whose policy has been to
i"'.r 10 the existence of abuses to attribute
rem to any save the right cause. Then there
is the old taunt of a low-aHd half educated
priesthood, levelled in ignorance or in malice.
No doubt the Apostles We're drawn by their
Divine Master, as an example to all future
ages, from the humblest and lowliest of the
earth and over the tomb of the Prince of the
APOSTLES, who left his nets to follow the
Rcdeemer, there rises in majesty the most
sublime temple which the genius of man has
ever erected to the worship of God. Still, as
q matter of fact susceptible OF proof, the Ca,
tholic clergy of Ireland are taken from all
classes of the community, and constitute
thoroughly representative body - such as
should exist in National Church. 1t is true,
the son of the strong farmer, and the homely
bat we'll TODD c0untry-shopkeeper sock the
sanctuary, not from motives OF base greed or
vulgar ambition, but from an Irresistible in
fuence which worldlings cannot comprehend,
because they cannot sympathise with, but it is
equally true that the sons OF wealthy traders
and merchants, and people of hereditary
estates, also pursue the same hailowed pain
from the same-high motives. But whether
selected from the lowly or. the wealthy classes,
the Catholic clergy of Ireland are not only
eminently suited to their work, but are the
very opposite to the scornfnl descriptions given
to them, not for the first time, nor for the ten
thousandth time. Possibly they have not
cultivated the graces of the daRcing master,
nor do they ape a false refinement but in
Il
equal to any body of Christian ministers in
Europe We should like to see some of the
supereilious revilers of the Catholic clergy IN n
Ireland venture to graphic with any half
dozen of these "low and half-educated priests"
We say should like TO witness the intellect
nal encounter; we do not say that the
supercilious sneerers would look very self con-
hdent after the trial. As to the priests
keeping the people in squalid ignorance, it is
simply an atrncous falsehood-a daring, stupid
liza lie that the records of the National
Education Office annually disprove. Ehey,
these reviIed Irish priests, are the principal
promoters and patrons of popular education
in this country; and though Moderator" may
not know the fact that they are so, every
official in Dublin Castle does know it. Ono
point more-the alleged hostility of the priest
to the Protestant landlord. If the Protestant
landlord is unwise enough to treat the priest
with enmity or contumely, why the priest is,
after all, but man, and is as likely to resent
insolence most of us laymen. But where
the Protestant landlord treats the Catholic
Clergyman W ith ordinary courtesy and respect,
that which one gentleman is bound to exhibit
to another, the landlord finds in the priest his
most useful ally in promoting peace and order,
and in stimulating the people to Improvement
in various ways. The Irish priests are at times
to take their stand by their flocks
against harshness and injustice but we well
know the truth of what say when
assert that the priest is most pleased when he
has the opportunity of praising the worth and
the Kindness of n deserving land
lord and not the less pleased when that land
lord happens to be a Protestant, and. not a Ca
tholic.