The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-11-10
THE PASSION PLAY.
liverpool Catholic Times.

SS<aeHS
Through the prompt action of the Car
diHal Archbishop of Westminster-as nd
| have every reason to beleve-the countrs
has escaped the reproach of permitting tbs|
Passion play to be in part produced a,|
Westminster Aquarium. When his Emil
nince became aware that arrangements had
been made by the director of the Aquari
nm to give a representation of the famous
PdSSionspiel of Catholic Germany, be i'm
mediately wrote strong protest to the
Times But let US say a word about anal
drama itself, for the informs alton of those|
who may not be familiar with its history
and argument. In the year 1853, followips|
the desolation of the wars of GustayuI|
Adolphns, plague broke out and com |
mitted great ravages. The inhabitants od
the Bavarian Tyrol in and around Obs,l
from the effects of the scourge and as b
thank offering to God they Instituted d
custom of performing the Passionspied
every ten years. In the course of time III
was produced in many other places as we'll
but the Church stepped in to put down.
scandals and profanity, and no representa-.
ton was allowed to continue bat that of
the picturesque village high up in the
noun tains beyond Munich. There the|
Passion Play bad been nothing other than
spectacle of marvellous impressveness,|
dramatisipg, as it does, the Life and DEATH
of our Saviour. The representation of Ie7O|
attracted the curious from all parts of Eu.
rope, and the least impulsive were deeply
moved by the scene.- Peasants played tte|
parts with strange realism, and thousands
OF other peasants looked on with awe. The|
idea of scandal or of profanity never enter.
ed their simple heads. But the Passion
Play in the Tyrol and the Passion Play in|
the concert-hall of an English AQuarium|
are two radically different things. One isl
pardonable, maybe even laudable; the|
other would shock the Christian sense. ID
was announced by the director of the|
Aquarium in advertisements that he had
secured the Ammergau peasants for his|
purpose. We are not in q position to con.
tradict the statement, but we may assume|
that those innocent people, if induced to|
come to England to display their talents in|
public halls, had no thought Of working
evil or causing pain. They were probably
unfamiliar with the ways Of great cities at
home as we'll as abroad. His Eminence, in|
his letter, expresses the belief that the|
Passion Play would be desecrated, and Of
fence given to the religious instincts of
Eight or nine years ago bel
received request to sanction it's intro
duction into London; but he declined, and
intimated that he would use all his inhu-
ence to prevent anything of the kind. Al
company, not the Bavarlan peasants, had|
attempted TO give representations in vari.
GUS parts of Germany and had been inhib-
tied by the Government.
'The usage which keeps alive periOdi-
cally the memory of Divine mercy in al
time of fpestience, by the piously intended
at Ammergau, cannot bel
transplapted without losing its sacred char
acter." This is the case in a nutshell.
Certain peasants of Bavaria continue al
custom piouely begun, as an act of graft
tude to Heaven for great mercy. To
give a representation of the whole or any
portion of that custom in London hall Of
common resort would be simply revolving:
Happily the manager of the Aquarium has
seen fit to abandon the project. He ans
nounced the fact in a letter the tone OF
which does him credit. We readily acquie
him of a reckless intention to subserve
every consideration to that of business,
stree be dsclsims it frankly I; and We are
glad he bad the good sense and good taste
to defer instantly to the objections raised
by those whose opinions can be received
only with respect. 1t is perfectly credible
hat such an item on the programme would
draw enormous .houses but respectable
caterer will generally feel that his highest
ideal caupot be the mere accumulation OF
The Passion Play is not suitable
to England, and we sincerely hope no
further attempt will be made to acclimatise
{.