The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-06-16
THAT INTERVIEW.


| We have been permitted, through the
courtesy of Rev.Father Coupons, to take a
copy of the following communication adj
dressed to the editor of our local con-
| temporary, the Ascension Democrat,
| by Mgr. Francis x. Leray, Bishop Of
| the Diocese of New Orleans and coadjutor
Of His Grace Archbishop Perche:
ARcHB1sHoPRIc OF NEW ORLEANS,
June IL, 1888.
To the Editor Of the Ascension Democrat:
Dear Sir find that your paper, in speaking
Of an interview between the Church Wardens
| and myself, has the following paragraph:
We are informed that during the interview
the Bishop expressly recognized the legal ex-
lstence Of the Board Of Church Wardens, but
d1ssented from the views Of their President re-
speeding the extent of their authority over the
temporal affairs of the church.
This is pure invention, as nothing was said
during our interview either of the legality Of the
Board Of Church Wardens, nor of the authority
of its members over the temporal affairs of the
church. To avoid misrepresentation some gem
tlemen were requested by me to be present at
the interview, but the President of the Board
insisted upon their withdrawal.
Very respectfully,
FRANCIS x. LERAY.
The interview lasted only few moments,
and while there is a discrepancy between
the impressions of the Bishop and the War
dens as to the alleged recognition by the
former Of the temporal authority of the
Board, it is agreed by both parties that
there was no discussion of that point. The
matter was quite fully canvassed, we are
told, in conversation between Bishop Lee
ray and two of the Wardens, but was merely
adverted to at the formal meeting later in
the day.
In our issue of two weeks ago we said:
"The interview was very brief and ended
in the withdrawal of the Wardens who, we
learn, declined to enter upon q considera-
ton of the question propounded by the
Bishop as to the real line of demarkation
between the spiritual and temporal affairs
of the church," correspondent of the
Ascension Democrat takes exception to our
article as giving an erroneous impression
to the community, and cites tho extract we
have just quoted to sustain the allegation.
We did not think that either the letter or
spirit of our remarks was such as to pro-
woke objection or controversy, and with all
due Difference to the opinion of our contem-
porary's able contributor, we submit that
his own report of the interview essentially
confirms the statement we made, upon in
formation received, as to the question which
abruptly terminated the conference of Mgr.
Leray and the Church Wardens. Vide the
following extract:
Le President" Avec votre permission, Mon
seigneur, nous desirons nous occuper desormais
DIES affaires temporelles de cette Congregation,
ct vous laissser enforcement libre en- &c qui con-
cerne lie spirituel."
Mgr. Leray-.' Voulez-vous me dire ce que
vous entendez par 10 temporels"
Qu'on en- JUICE
LIE President-"J suis fache de voir, NJ on
selgneur, que nous pourrons pas nous on
tendre sur sulet qul nous interesse, ct ayec
votro permission, je me retire." ct les Mar
gulll1ers Sc ret1rerent, ........
The CHIEF has no desire to add to the
perplexities of this unfortunate contro-
versy, and our aim has been to comment
fairly and impartially upon its several fea-
lures and keep our readers correctly in
formed relative to its developments and
progress. We are still animated by that
spirit, end we again give expression to our
sincere regret that there has arisen con-
fict between the civil laws of our State and
the laws of the Catholic Church as promul-
gated and interpreted by the Council of
Trent which places the authority of our
Catholic clergy and Wardens in iuxtaposi-
ton, keeps the doors of the church closed
and depriyes the Roman Catholics of this
parish Of their accustomed facilities for
public worship.
All hopes of an a1nicable adjustment of
the pending diffe rences seem abandoned,
and the present anomalous condition of af-
fairs will doubtless continue until final
decision has been reache in the injunction
suit now before the Supreme Court on an
appeal which involves preliminary questions
alone and does not touch the merits of the
case. The Church Wardens will not recede
from position which they deem essential
to the protection of the temporal interests
of the Congregation, and the clergy main
tain that they are prohibited by ecclesiasti-
cal laws and regulations from opening the
church while the existing controversy con-
tinues in its present shap e-that neither
the local priest, the Bishop or the Pope
himself is competent to ignore this prohi-
bition.