Daily globe., 1883-08-13

the rest to God. In this connection he con-
demned members of the priesthood, who,
after finding the Roman Catholic religion
did not satisfy the cravings of their souls,
left it, denouncing their past associates,
heralding its evils to the world,and were
not able, on account of their own sinful
ness, to recognize and admit of those
things in it which were good. He would
not have priests and people lose all faith
in the religion in which they had so
thoroughly trusted, for it would prevent
them afterwards from accepting any re-
ligious truth into their hearts, but rather
have the church retain its elements of
true Catholicism, casting aside from it
these new devices, in the observance of
which the church and its commands had
usurped the place of God and his COM
mandments.
On leaving the prierthood he thought of
entering the ranks of medicine, but on ar
irving at New York, found others in sim
liar position, and here soon afterward he,
for the first time, met Jesus at the confes-
sional and gave his heart to him. He said
in this connection, that Jesus was ever
personally seeking the sinner for his con-
fession, and when he meets him this is all
of it. 1t is nothing which an Italian pope
has to do with, this spiritual confession of
man to his God, and nothing he has any
more right to dictate about than he has
about the politics of Ireland.
In closing, he said that the work of
breaking down the barriers between the
Roman Catholic and the Protestant church
was commenced in England thirteen years
ago, and has now obtained
a good foothold in New York,
where there are nearly 1000
members of the three independent Catho-
lie churches, 500 having been converted to
God in his own flock. This is a connec-
ting link between the Roman Catholic and
the Protestant church, but it is of neither,
but of the order of the great church of
Jesus Christ, in which the whole christian
world will finally stand as one.
He had the deepest affection for the
Roman Catholic priests, and could not feel
otherwise towards them. He only asked
them to hear him that they might find a
better way than through an Italian
pope, from whom even the Ital-
lans themselves were beginning to
break away. He asked his audience
not to villify or asperss the religion of
their Irish friends and those in their en-
ploy, who had not the advantages of edu-
cation, and to use the intelligence God had
given them to gently lead these into the
right way and make known to them that
which is so plain to them as having con-
fessed their sins to God, who has alone
the power of pardon and redemption.
A SIGNIFICANT GARD.
To the Editor of the Globe:
Rev. Mr.. O'Connor this morning assures
the public through your columns that as
priest of the Catholic church he was
never suspended by his bishop from the
exercise of the ministry. 1 Ihave very little
concern with Mr.. O'Connor, but my regard
for my fellow citizens of st. Paul does not
permit me to be silent when 1 know that
he is for purposes of his own telling them
that whSch is not the truth. The positive
fact in his case is that he was suspended in
Chicago by the late Bishop Foley, for good
causes. The officials of the church will
witness my statement.
The so called Independent Catholic
church of New York is simply the work of
a half dozen of suspended priests. Not
one of its leaders left the Catholic church
while in good standing. The people of ST.
Paul will judge for themselves what weight
is to be attached to the sayings and lee
lures of these ex-priests.
JOHN IRELAND.