The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-20

1871, DR.. Conroy. Bishop Of Ardagh. Ireland.
was cspatchcd from Rome as Ab-Lcgato io'an-
ada. His instructions had been drawn up 10y
the propnganda and in obedience 10 them tho
Canadian Bishops met in C"nsisiory' and
ia n loint pastoral nndc IL known That ihcy had
ncvcr intended to authori1" the priests to d"-
,,cnd IL, tine battle ground of political parties
and assume direct nntIguuism to ind, iduais.
There is no doubt that ycrS different views had
been rropoun ted in their previous Joint letter
IT ls7j-bu' what would Mr. Lindsey haveY II
.- hard to see what rornration more absolute
'ould he cNuctcd Of the offending prclatrs than
the public dsavOwal and rchukc. under their
own signatures OF opinions which they had
preached two years before Only percmptory
orders from Rome could have enforced such
performance. But. strange 10 say. the author,
who gives chapters 10 the ra-hncss and mis-
management Of suhord mates. has not a WORT oi
approval for the sagucity and nrmncss cvinccd
ut this junciuro by the Head Of the Church.
which knew how 10 impose on its zcnlous hut
ill-counscllcd and uncrcumapcct adhcrcnis tho
sour duty of recHntation and retreat.
Now let us turn 10 the alleged condemnation
Of the In-titut Canadien by the lnuuision.
and the grave scandals which attended the
burial nf Joseph Guibord. We find. in the first
place. that this literary association was not put
UNDER the ban because it included protcstnnts
as we'll as Catholics among lts members or be-
cause II possessed on inc hh'lN's OF. us library
books prohibited 10y the Index AS Judge Mon
d"lct pointed out IN uie "uihori case the lnsu-
tut 'anadicn WAS never condemned at all. what
was condemned was the yearly report or Az
""d"e 81 thal society," Il Ii'li' pupil'a'i"n which
reprinted lc''ure OF auuross advocating re-
liglous t"lcratIoh. Ihat panphlctpc brought.
through the agency Of the Bishopof Montreal.
before the congregation oil the Index neccs-
saflly received lts stigma. But events nave
shown that the Roman Curia fully sus-
tains the statement Of Judge Mondcct that
Bishop Bourgct had drawn from that decree in
i"rcnccs which were not justified. Who, in fact.
was responsible Tor all the violent and tyrann
cal proceedings against the lnstitut Canalicn
which eliminated in the outrages Of mob'
Let Us first hear the answer OF the civil power,
and then mark the action Of the Papacy for
here at least We ought TO light on proofs Of that
fatal incompatihility which il is the aim OF Mr..
Lindsey and Mr.. Thompson To- establish. In
liz judgment in the Guibord case the Court de-
clared that the whole rcSpon9 blty of this
afIair-for the bad passions which are the fruit
of ignorance AMI fanaticsm hut which were
raised and famed into activity as we'll hy the
attitude of the Bishop as by the inconsidcratc
sallics of the cotcrc which made itself the organ
OF his will-the whole responsibility belonged
To the exaggerated prctcnsions Of the Bishop
OF Montreal and his immediate cl,to'Udge.'
This II the voice Of the civil tribunal and the
next pertinent question is how tar IN, action Of
the Bishop was ratified at Rome. NJ sooner
had a complete report of the matter reached the
Vatican than IL seems TO have been perceived
that the policy OF the Montreal Episcopate
would be- disastrous To the Church Bishop
Bourget received an iniimation that his res
isnHtion was desired. hut in losing his diocese
he acquired the nominal rank Of Archbishop II
Murtnopolis a., pdlfjbtsl. The hollow title
was of course a poor substitute for renl power
and il II natural that his admirers should
sympathlze with the late Bishop under the
cfert II surh a stunning blow. But Bourgeois
friends sought in vain ioinducc the Papal Court
t. modify it, wc-considered purpose and TO
recall the acceptance OF the resignation About
the same time the Archbishop Of Quebec ap-
rarently in complain. with instructions issued
Il mandcmcnt which substantially condemned
everything the united cpiecopateo Of the province
had done for the past thru, years.
Such was tho course Of the Roman Cura re-
/ earding the Guibord scandal. Other proofs Of
/ moderate and sound policy on the part Of the