The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-12-10
A Card from bishop MheIaa.-

A Card from Bishop Whelan.
TO The Editor orMs LHhElIQeneer.
lam sorry to be obliged to invoke your
MD TO repel what regard as u most un-
christian attack upon the character OF
myself and the clergy Of my diocese, and
large portion Of the lHbOring class who
compose my flock. Having been inform.
ed that Rev. DR.. WestwOOd, Of tho NJ.
Z. Church, had, in u discourse Of Nov,
GOTH, made serious charges against US, l.
addressed him u respectful note, inquiring
how far my Information was correct To
this Dr.. WcstwOod returned reply,
courteous in language, admitting the fol.
lowing rs substantially his Thought" and
utterance on the occasion named: VI dOu6t
not that the Roman Catholic Bishop Of
this diocese possesses II knowledge Of all
the private affairs OF all respectable pri-
vate families having Catholic servants,
said knowledge being obtained through
the confessional by the priests,
and by them impaired to the Bishop"
To this the doctor further added: u do
not knOlo that you possess the knowledge
alluded to, but 1 doubt not that you do
and so l said" (The length Of DR.. West
woods letter, and the irrelevanCe Of much
of it to the subject ofmy inquiry, induced
me for brevity's sake TO substitute for my
original intention Of printing the CORES
pOndenCe the above condensed statement)
NV remarks on the subject shall be d.
rected first 10 the charge itself, secondly
to the accusation, as connected with DR..
WestwOOd's name. As TO the charge, 1
pronounce ii totally deU0M Of truth as q
toltOIe. and in all its parts. To all and each
OF the respectable Protestant families Of
this diocese give this assurance, which,
were 1t necessary, am prepared to con-
firm with the sOlemnity OF an oath. Asa
gentleman and Christian, l repudiate
the accusation us foul and base imputa-
ton, without the shade Of foundation,
either US regards myself or the clergy Of
my diocese. Happily the latter part OF
the charge shows the falsehood Of the en-
tire: said knowledge" it is said,
"being obtained through tho confess
sional." Now, tirst the priest
is bound most strictly to secrcsy respect
ing all matters Of confession. This obli-
gation is well known not only to all Cath
0lics, but toall moderately informed men.
1t has moro than once been proven to the
satisfaction OF Courts Of law, and even I'D
mittcd by them in the United States. Its
violation would suffice to defeat every re-
quirCment of the Church, for who could
be induced to acknowledge faults which
were to become the theme OfcOnvcrSatiOn
among the priesthood? And hence the
practice of confession among Catholics,
who should know rather more oil these
matters than strangers, suillces to show
the absTdity ofthc charge made. Sec
Ondly, the sole matter Of confession 10 be
made by the Catholic is the accusation Of
his own faults. lie is forbidden to speak
of the faults Of others, and the priest is
equally forbidden to intcrrogNtc him res
pecting others faults; to ask even
the name OF IN accomplish in any
fault Thirdly, the time usually spent
in the confessional is so short rs TO
show conclnsivcly the ialsity OF the state.
mcnt made; OF which any ono Ireqnenting
the Church on such occasions can readily
he satisfied. So much for the accusation
itself.
A word now regarding it in con-
ncCtion with DR.. Wcstwo0d. 1t will be
noticed that lie freely admits TINT he does
not EllO,c, dc. Indeed il would be strange
il he did know, having never to my
knowledge exchanged u word with myself
or any OF my household, and being little
familiar, l presume, with Catholic ser.
wants. But what arc We to think Of the
man who, icithOWt knowledge Of the ,tactS
will dare make such damaging charges
against Bishop and his clergy. Aud
what Is almost worse, who will thus at
tempt to damage the poor and laboring
class dependent on the employment they
get for the very bread they cat? The
Christian law iOrbids to judge ones
ncighbOr, and laws human and Divine |
alike forbid and punish false accusation.
A crime which is aggravated in him who
standing up us minister OF Christ Jesus,
in the very act of preaching the word OF
God and eXhortng to It's observance,
mis.uses the occasion and tue posi-
tion to impress his own vague,
rash, unjust, and false judgments on. the
minds of others 10 the dCtriment Of his
ncighbor. The effect is apparent from
the testimony OF the witness IN this case,
who Is u Jealous non. Catholic, and surely
seems to hive understood Dr. WestwO0d
US giving forth the statement Us q certain
fact. What other intention can we con-
ceivc for the utlerUnCc OF his Judgment
but to damage, to excite suspicion at least
in the minds of his auditors? Is Chris
tianlty to be thus promoted Docs Method
ism, Professionalism require such means
for its support or extension! Does
the end justify the means: dismiss
with pity The man who could descend so
low, and leave him to answer at the tribu-
nal of his God tor the ungenerous and un-
attempt to injure the laboring
poor, and delamc the ministers Of God. |
~ '' RICHARD VINCENT WHELAN
90 ..iiu' w Blkoo Of Wheeling.
Wheeling, w. Va, Dec. 9th, 1870. .a,4