Daily globe., 1883-05-25
THE POPE'S LETTER.
How the Minnesota Bishops Regard His
Anti-Parneu illumination.

How the Minnesota Bishops Regard His
Anti-ParneII illumination.
The Northwestern Chronicle of the cur
rent week contains a significant editorial
upon the letter of the pope to the Irish
bishops, relative to the Parnell fund. The
Chronicle so closely represents the senti-
ments of the clergy that it is safe to as
sumo that this article represents the views
of Bishops Grace and Ireland as closely as
if it was their own composition. 1t is as
follows
THE PoPE's LETTER TO THE IRISH BISHOPS.
We publish in another column the sum-
mary which the cable brings US of the let
ter addressed on the 18th inst, by the holy
father to the bishops of Ireland. We will
await not without some impatience the
full text of the letter, the reception of
which will alone make clear to US the
pope's mind. But taking the summary
which has reached Us as our text, we can
not but express our utter amaZement and,
indeed, the feelings of pain aroused within
US, at the wild and thoughtless excitement
to which so many Irishmen in Ireland and
America have given way, and at the decla-
rations of disrespect and even of positive
insult towards the holy see into which
they have allowed themselves to be in
veigled. To listen to them we should be-
lleve that the pope has condemned all
attempts in Ireland to secure to the people
their rights, and has struck an enduring
alliance with the English government to
maintain forever its unhallowed tyranny
over Ireland. Irishmen are sometimes &C
cused of speaking before they think; an
instance of the kind the present angry
controversy certainly affords The pope's
letter is addressed only to the Irish clergy
for their own guidance as bishops and
priests. 1t contains no allusion to the
Irish people, e,except to say that sit is lawful
fer the Irish to seek redress for their griev-
ances and to strive for their rights, while
at the same time seeking Gods justice, ,and
remembering the wickedness of illegal
means in furthering even a just cause"
We have here words most emphatic, recog-
nizing the existence of serious grievances
in Ireland, telling the Irish people that
their cause is just one, and bidding them
to strive manfully for their rights. Will
Irishmen censure the pope because he
does not approve wicked and illegal means,
Phoenix park murders and dynamite ex-
plosionS? If they permit him to refrain
from giving his approval to such modes of
warfare, they will allow that he could not
have spoken more forcibly in favor of Ire
land than he has done.
OF course the pope desired that the bish-
ops and priests would refrain to greater
extent than some have heretofore done
from the public and often angry discussion
of political affairs in Ireland. Is it not his
right to do so? Is not the pope the head
of the ecclesiastical regimen of the church
the world over, and is he not the Judge of
what BELTS or not the sacred ministry? If
the Irish bishops and priests find reason to
complain, it is their business to send their
respectful protest to their chieftain ;the Irish
laymen are in no manner concerned. Pol
itics in any country are not the proper
field for the exercise of ecclesiastical zeal.
To priests, the sanctuary; to laymen, the
forum. When the Irish layman refuses to
stand alone in the forum, and persists in
dragging thither with him the priest, he
confesses his own impotence, his own null
1ty. 1t has been long a misfortune with
the Irish people that, not satisfied witt
being left to themselves to conduct their
political affairs, they assume control over
the clergy, whom they would compel to be
their political henchmen.
The pope's letter reads to US. we confess,
as wise and thoughtful document We
have to bear in mind that whatever our
own convictions are regarding the present
affairs of Ireland, all Catholics in Ireland
are not of one accord on these questions.
The Chronicle has been and is the staunch
supporter of the land league; it has never
lost faith in the wisdom and the sterling
patriotism Of Charles Stewart Parnell.
But at the same time the Chronicle
knows that many Irish Catholics in
Ireland have other ideas, and on this &C
count, whatever Irish laymen may say or
do under its unstinted approval III favor
OF agitation, it is obliged in all candor to
confess that it sees no propriety in a priest
occupying the time of the sermon on Sun
day, as some priests are reported to have
done, in denouncing the opponents of the
league, not few of whom had come to
church to hear mass and listen to the Cos
pei of Christ. Important and valued as
the Irish land league is, religion is above
it within Gods temple and in the perform
ance of the ministerial duties of priests
and bishops.
To Caesar the things that are Cesar's;
to God the things that are Gods. We are
willing that Irishmen fight out the inter
ests of Ireland; but we are also willing
that the church be left to take care of the
interests of souls. Irish politicians, Irish
orators and Irish journalists will do well
to entrust the church to the keeping of the
successor of Peter. If they manage Ire
land, as well as he manages the church, all
will be satisfactory to themselves and to
those who hope and pray that Ireland's
grievances be soon redressed, the rights of
Irishmen guaranteed to them, and English
oppression in Ireland be soon brought to
an end forever and ever.
eB-No woman really practices economy un-