, 1879-03-09
THE CATHOLIC CLERGY.

SoRDID AMBITION AND PETTY JEALOUSY.
ssCatholicus,'' d correspondent OF the New
York Herald, contributes the following OIL the
internal troubles of the Church in this country
-. i. First let me say tnar the self-dc-
nial and suffering Of the early missionaries have
few imitators in the present generation, and too
often nowadays the young priest may be openly
heard cxulting in the wealth and numbers Of the
parlsh to which he has succeeded. Never will
you hear these young clcrgymen speak Of the
number Of souls they have chance Of saving.
To this degrading woridllness IS added sordi0-
ness OF ambition and petty Jealousy difficult to
conceive without intimate knowledge. No Licu-
tenant in the army is more anxious for his
step than many OF the young assistants, and
if by any chance 4 talented clergyman is adopt
another country, the stir among these young
priests is the reyorse Of cdifying. Indignation
meetings are held by them, and the authorities
arc petttioncd against the new conner being
allowed to take precedence OF them.
IA great source OF many Of the troubles in
the Catholic Church in Am orica IS the TACT that
there is no canon law in this country. The
Ordinary Of the diocese is the law to his priests
An effort was made-a feeble one, it is
true7to remedy this at the last Council
the way OF granting rights or priyi-
lcges to pastors or assistants. The reason is
very plain. The Council consisted Of the Epis-
copatc and their theolosians ('Tho all expect to
become Dishops)a as well rs the heads Of the reg
ular orders. Why the first two divisions Of tho
Council did next to nothing may be surn,iscd,
and, as the regular Orders have no need OF canou
law, their constitutions being their canons, they
did not interest themselves in what did not i'm
medtatcly concern them.
''What the Council actually did In the matter
Of discipline, we'll inteutioned as it may have
been, has almost absolutely failed Of effect,
and the 'precepts,' Recommendations
or .mandamcnts,' arr ;, daily violated
by the secular priesthood. Among
these. violations I may emphasize the
wearing Of the Roman collar, the abstention
from visiting places where liquor is sold, the
use OF picnics and water excursions for the pur-
pose Of raising funds, the charging for admts
sion to the church at mass, and so on to the end
Of the chapter. It needs but, little exercise Of
the memory on the part Of tens OF thousands Of
Catholics to recall instances where these 'pre-
cepts' have been treated as ii they never ex-
listed.
4sIn consequence OF the numerous cases OF
trouble between Bishops and priests, which
were appealed TO Rome. the Sacred Congrega-
tion for the Propagation OF the Faith, which
has dominion over all missionary countries, has
created a law that each Bishop in the United
States shall appoint three Or four OF the most
learned and holy pastors OF his diocese before
whom all cases Of disagreement mag be brought.
This Inv takes away from Bishops the power
they have hitherto held and frequently abused
Of changing about their priests ut their whim or
pleasure. It is satisfactory to many OF. the
Bishops who do not like the odtnm OF e7cn hay
ing to remove passive or ineffective priests. Not
so is it regarded by another class Of Rishops,
who look upon it with alarm, as an entering
wedge for system of canon law as it obtains in
other countries. They are bitterly opposed to