The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-09-12

The Late Removals u Clargynen.
THE Rr. REV. RIsHor's SERMON THEREON.
LouIsville Catholic Advocate.


The Lesson of the day being from the
fourth chapter OF st. Paui's epistle to
the Corinthians. the bishop commenced
by eu Analysis Of the meaning OF the texs,
after which be referred to the the late re
movals made by him and gave his reasons
therefor. We copy 1t as appears in the
Courier Journal:
He was going to speak briefly, simply. |
candidly about Q matter that had been the |
subiect Of much comment and come com |
motion. A pastor of one tho city churches |
had been removed. That was the imme- |
diate cause Of the difficulty. But the
whole trouble had ito origin farther back.
It had grown ont Of the fact that he (the
Bishop wanted to know the financial con-
dition of the churches. in his diocese. For
this he was alone reepopsibie, and his re-
sponsibility could not be assumed by any
nther person. Apart from be responslom-
ity as Bishop, it was an ordinary business
act. Every prudent business man knew
that it was necessary to watch the small
streams the river will fow on Of itself.
There are many business failures because
of want of attention to small things. ne
wanted to know precisely what was the
| financial condition of his diocese. Hence
ne required the various parish priests TO
| render yearly statements Of the financial
condition of the churches. This was no
new thing. cit was done in all the large
| dioceees of the East. 1t was done in the
diocese of the Cardinal Archbishop of New
| York, in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, IN
| the diocese of Boston, and in other do
| ceses. They render their accounts every
| year; so that the Cardinal, the Archbishop,
or Bishop, know how much their churches
| are in debt. But when Bishop has no
means of knowing this, how can he render
an account7 This was no email matter.
| It involved many thousands of dollars.
Hence ave years ago he sent out circular,
calling for this information; three years
vnnf hE
sent out third, and this later was issued
in accordance with a decree of the Dio-
cesan Synod, held on the 2lst OF July, 1874,
which required that these accounts should
be rendered every year before the lst OF
August. In the absence of such informa
tion it was often impossible, especially In
case of the death of a pastor, to tell what
belonged to the priest and what to the con-
| gregation; and sometimes, in such cases,
the church had to let all go the relatives
of tue deceased clergy men to prevent pub
lie scandal. Thank God there had been no
such scandal in this diocese, and he hoped
there would be nona. But thoee yeary y
T financial statements were required not only
for the good of the churches but for the
I protection of the pastors themselves. IL
: was an old law in this diocese. but 1t mao
, never been enforced. He (the Bishop had
gathered around him last year the oldest
n and most experienced priests of the dio
y cese in the synod before referred to; amsnf
q them were Fathers Bax, MeaRher, Lawle
4 and others, whose names the Bishop reae
r from pamphlet that he held in his hand
q This subject was then fully and freely dis
n Icussed. Nothing was done in hurry, il
: | passion or in excitement. Children acS II
N the latter way, but not 90 men OF eoll'
a Judgments. The Synod resolved that pas
II tors should be required to make mp ant
n forward to the Bishop, before the first @
Ar August of every year, financial statement
,t of the condition Of their several congrega
or tions and this resolution was approve
s4 and then printed and promulgated. Nov
N there were Protestants listening to him b
was glad of it, for they would see that theT
a was reason in this proceeding that ther
- was legitimate authority here, and that
ar demanded obedience.
~ There was another consideration cor
r nected with this matter. The people hav
1 a right to know something as to the dii
80 position of the money they contributed
" aud as to the financial condition of I'll
i'd churches to which they belong.
b, Some time before he (the Bishop) left Fl
he Europe, he directed that their fnauci
ic, statements be furnished I; and while he vi
to absent the pastor of st. Johp's chur'
n /; strove to make u disturbance and TO pr
by vent the handing in of the reports.
he went to the south side of the dioces
on what be did there the Bishop did n
'te know; but he went to Bethlehem, ar
ID, there said to young priest, "Have u
Zip sent in your account 2" The young clsrg!
of man answered, ono, l have not, but i
n tend to do So" 'Well, "said the past
20 of st. Johns II would not submit TO SUI
ss: degradation" The young priest T
Ak sponded by saying that he considered
m; far more degrading to refuse complain
es, with the instructions of the bisho
rec Hence, in the letter addressed to the pa
tor Of st. Johns, notifying him OF his 7
moval, he was told that he was remov
Co. (the bishop quoting from copy of t
our letter in his own handwriting) "for q
noe, tempting to create discomfort and iDsubC
We dination among some of the priests Of
lish diocese" He could take these words a
i by carry them with him to Rome. The
and was nothing more painful to bishop th
mot, to be called upon to discharge such du
any az this J.; but the older and higher the prit
ouHl the more Injurious. Hence POpes had CT
ling aside once eminent prelateA, venerable
,per years, for INSTRUMENTATION, and DOlling
Be isan example in the present times th
an long service aud old age will not excu
~. disobedienca to the Drecepts of the churC