The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-03-18

oppttoeSf0n.
We hsve the honor to be, with all due filia
reverence, yoaF Eminencs's most obedient en
most faithful servants,
JAMES ocoNNoR,
| THoMAs SEXTON,
Il Hon. Secretaries TO the Committee.
The suhjoined is the reply of his Emil
SO EcCLKs STREET, February 21.
Gsatlenen-In your letter of the 18th inst
| which could not answer until now, you asl
me to permit the lying in state In the Pro
| Caahedral or one Of our other churches OF The
| remains of the late John oMahony for some
brief period previous to the date of interment
| which 10 now announced to take place on Sun
you viii allow me to delay You with some re-
| marks on cemeteries, faneral PROFESSIONS, and
| solemn honors awarded to the dead, which will
| make my answer moro Ineligible. Undoubt.
| eddy you are aware that it 10 the discipline OF
the Catholic Church to bless and copsecrate
cemeteries intended for those who die in her
| communion, to raise crosses and other reli.
gious embiems in them, to make them places
Of praye and serious meditation on death and
eternity, and to consider them almost as sacred
as churches. Hence 1t is contrary to her in.
tentions to use such hallowed places for
amusement, or for any profans, noisy, or
merely political affairs.
Fanersl professions participate Of the same
character as the resting places of the dead,
ity and sanctifed by prayer. 1t Is most i'm
proper to make them an occasion for riotoue-
ness quarrelling, drinking. or party exhibi-
lions. It 10 to be regretted that in the present
times, and in opposition to the feelings Of all
good Christians, cemeteries and funerals are
occasionally diverted from their sacred pur-
protesting themselves unbelievere, or Social
ists. or Red Republicans, or if any be killed in
duele and die whilst offending their Creator,
public professions are organized in their honor,
!ivered over their graves in praise of infideli-
ty reckless resistance to authority, the unls wful
use OF brute force, or Of secret organizations
dangerous to religion and subversfve of soci.
ETY.. Happily the people Of Ireland, 80 full of
faith and love for their religion, look with
horror on such abuses, and are ready to pro-
test against them were profanations 80 odlous
attempted among us.
Speaking of our churches, lit is not necessary
to say that we venerate them as consecrated
to God as the dwelling-place of His Divine
our sacrifices, our prs, ers, and the homsge of
our hearts, and in return imparts to us His
mercy, his graoes, and other good gifts. Hence
it 10 clear that it would be most reprensible,
and even saoriligious, to do anything in them
Offensive to God, or to employ them for the
purpose of sancsioning and approving aots or
proceedings undertaken in spirit of hostility
to the Church, of which Christ said, "He who
heareth not the Church, let him be to thee as
the heather and the publican"
Enough Our sscred ediices are specially ded
Church allows ne to use them for the benefit
or honor of the dead. In them occasionally we |
expose tbs remains Of the faithful departed, |
and in their presence we offer up the Holy
plicatIons, for their eternal repose, thus doing
homage to God and honoring and helpin & those |
whose loss We mourn. |
On some occasions where the merits of the |
dead have been very signal the greatest honors |
are paid to them. This occurs in the-canon-
lzation and beati6c alton of saints, which are |
view of stimulating the living to walk in their
footsteps. OfSt. Patrick we read that his re-
mains were exposed for twelve days after his
1eAth, that the people might have an opportu-
,ity OF testifsing their respect for the apostle
who had brought them from the darkness of
dolatry to the light of the Gospel, ard ad +
hiring the wonderful virtues which rendered
hin so dear to God aud made his preaching SO
ruitful. Five or six centuries afterwards we
ind that the corpse of the brave King Brian
5oru, who was killed at the battle of Clon-
N the way was exposed in great state in the
hurch of st. Columbkille, az Swords, and in
ther churches, to testify the gratitude of the
alton for the services he had rendered by {
the power of the pagan Danes in {
Ireland, and gaining glorious triumph for the
ross. Ii
In our own days great honors were conferred t
n the remains of O'Connell, and they were ex- |
osed in solemn state in the Cathedral. This G
lark of respect was paid to the memory of q
hat great man because he had been made, in {
BOLTON of the penal laws, for the attainment O
Emancipation, and for the liberation of &
;ieh Catholics from the state of servitude to P
blob they had been reduced. O'ConpelI was b
devoted child of the Church when he had 2
le msfortune to fight duel, he wept most r
Utterly for his offence, and fastened to seek d
It absolution from the excommu nication he n
I'D Incurred. When he had joined q secret ii
'ciety, as soon as he asoertained that he had b.
ansSressed the ecclesiastical law, he aban- Il
oned the society and p1blished an important D,
tier justifyiDg to discipline of the Church in IL
secret and dangerous OrgsnizI l. ir
ons, and afterwardsspoke against and con- tt
'mned them most vigorously, and even rs
;posed his life on some occasions in opposi ton at
them. Catholic Ireland was bound to pay be
ibute of esteem to she remains of suoh man, ii,
I'd Catholic Ireland showed in 1875, on the W,
ntenary of his birth, that the same feelings an
respect and gratitude are still sincerely &c
erished in every truly Irish heart. Or
From what have written aR sure you YC
ust have anticipated the conclusion at W hich to
have arrived. 1 am not aware that Mr.. tn
Mshony has contributed any great or signal of
Cvice to his country, but that rather he pro- tn
ked hostile legislation against rs, and by it
ord and example brought nnsuspectinGyoung an
s..&o :