The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-08-06
Father Hyacinthe Again in the Field.

AuEc0 l0CCer6 rom THIS unIOrCuDato MA
have just been published together. Tw'
of them were written, as their dates show
a good while since, but this is their frs
appearance in print. The third is q recen
one from Rome. OF the two first he says
"They will define the position which hav,
Carmelites." Here is the first letter. /
is addressed to the murdered Darboy:
"PAR1s, PAssY, Sept. 20, 1869.
To Ills Grace the Archbishop OF Paris:
Monsei0meur-The condition of actual op
preston to which find myself reduced, at the
present moment, in the rider to which be-
long, has brought me to two very grave reso
buttons. / have maturely pondered them, be-
fore my conscience and at the foot of the Cross
ana come now to communicate them to your
cause of pain that 1 would fain have spared
you.
The first of these resolutions is not to preach
the coming Advent Conferences at Notre Dame.
Since my speech, henceforth is not to be al
lowed to be the sincere expression of my
thought. and is to be held in bondage to the
demands OF a party, let it sink into silence as
toward the earth, and turn toward Heaven in
My second determination consists in with
drawing, until the holding of the Gcumenical
have become as hurtful to my health as to the
tranquility OF my mind. In the exceptional
circumstances with which I am surrounded
can have no recourse to the Holy See for JUS
are omnipotent at Rome that my own Order
has suddenly shifted front with respect to me.
The only way open to me is this into which
enter.
Accept, Monseigneur, with the expression of
my painful regret, that of my Interchangeable
gratitude and profound veneration.
BROTHER HYACINTHE,
OF the Barefooted Carmelites."
According to everything in this letter,
excepting the place at which it was dated,
HyacinIhe was still-at the moment at
which he wrote tan actual resident mem
Der of the convent. But the place at
which it was written, Passy, q place at
which there is no Carmelite convent, shows
that when he wrote it lie had been expelled
the Order.
His case then is, that, when expelled, he
had the cool impudence to tell the Arch
bishop he would preach no more, aud the
talsehood that he would withdraw from his
convent.
The author of this letter is, therefore,
pure arrant liar.
We make no defence of his suppression
as preacher or of his expulsion as
monk. The Church would be an absurd
Church if it permitted unsound preaching,
and the Carmelite Order would be n-ab-
su, d Order if it did not unfrock disobedient
sons.
Here is the wretcied mans second letter.
1t is addressed to the Father General at
Rome:
"PARIs, August a. 1870.
Most Rererend Fdfher-Last year, just before
the extreme peril impending over The Church,
and the fatal illusions prevailing, both 20
the extent of the danger and as to the practi-
cal means of preventing it, I deemed it an inn
perious duty to lift up my voice. This 1 could
not do while remaining under the monastic
discipline, more especially as the Reverend
Father General of our Order had just inflicted
order n to keep me from ron msdd1ins @ith
tions under dispute among Catholics" had
ordered me. under the severe penalties of the
formal precept, to "print no more letters nor
discourses." In this state of things did not
hesitate to quit my convent for season. My
in Intention in 80 doing was not to trample under
foot my monastic vows, nor to break rudely
with the life of the clOister; but only to dis
charge an obligation which considered more
and more sacred. This is the reason
why have never regarded myself as really
resting under the accommodation which falls
upon the apostate monk.
This grave and painful duty seems now to
have been accomplished. The Council, too,
without being officially prorogued, continues
to be really suspended, and the war imposes
silence all religious discussions.
come, then, to express to you, Most Rover
end Father, my sincere wish and ardent desire
to resume the exercises of the life of Carmel.
You will find in me, trust, docile mind in
everything that respects the things of the mo-
nastic state. ] entreat you only not to require
from me, in another line of ideas, what my
mean the retraction of my two letters of Sep
TENDER goth, 1869, aud July Both, 1870, and the
of convictions which are dearer
to me than life, and on which Couacil truly
Gcumenical has not yet pronounced.
Painful as is the present condition of the
Church, must hope still that there remains
Some possible way Of reconciliation between
the diverse obligations that rest upon my con-
science, and l reckon confidently on your wis
dom and paternal kindness to help me find it,
Accept, ETC., etc.,
BROTHER HYACINTIIE,
Of the Barefooted Car1nelites."
The animus of the first part of this let
ter is in substance this: that Father Hya-
cluthe freely and independently left the
convent in order to save the Universal
Church. But the preceding letter, by the
place at which he dated it, and the cool
impudence with which it speaks to the
Archbishop, is clear proof given by him
self that he did not leave his convent free
ly aud independently, but, on the COZ rary,
that he was, ipso .facto, expelled from it.
As to his purpose to save the Universal
Church--that indeed was very generous in
him. Assuredly, for he is a very shrewd
60, liz hol oaIf wi 1,a