The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-03-28
WHY sT. pArR1oK suoorEnrn

The following is from Charles de
Kay's illustrated article on Christian
Ireland IN the March Century "It is
an old error 10 count St. Patrick among
the emissaTies, missionaries, or nuncios
from the see of st. Peter. His conver-
sion Of Ireland was an independent act,
which may be compared with similar
independent conversions of the Bulgar-
ians and other nations to the orthodox
or Eastern Church by st. Cyril and st.
Methodius four hundred years later.
The terms of his confession Of faith and
ietter TO Welsh brigaDd who carried
off his converts into slavery two authen-
tic documents, forbid any other view.
Rome was indeed in the field TO convert
Ireland, but failed because the situation
was not understood. A few years be.
fore the arrival of St. Patrick IA. D. 490)
the then Pope, Celestinus l., sent Bishop
Paladius. Though there is no record of
harm done to him by the pagans, but, ON
the contrary, he was permitted to build
churches and leave pastors, vet his re-
ception was 80 chilling that he left. He
never reached Rome, death overtakinR
him in Pictland, what is now Scotland,
North Britain having received that ap--
pellstion since his day when oveTrun
and conquered by Kettle return wave
out OF Scotia or Ireland.
ut has been suggested that Patrick
never existed, and that his legend was
founded on these meagIe achievements
OF Paladius; but the hypothesis has too
many documentary, historical, and leg
endary evidences against it. There was
every reason for the want Of success of
a hiohnr
thodoxy had been discarded for a more
enteTprlslng and ambitious form OF
Christianity. Paladius must have found
the upper classes free-thinkers, addicted
to Druidical and other heather vices, to
human sacrifices and the black art, to
polygamy certainly, and more than
probably to occasional acts Of CannIbai-
ism, such as drinking human blood and
tearing the human heart with the teeth.
Such things have often co-existed with
a high grade Of civilization. That PaIa-
dius was permitted TO build churches
shows two important things-one, that
the upper classes were contemptuous of
the new religion, the other, that Christ
Ians were present in Ireland. But they
must have been humble folk and of the
humble folk and of the orthodox East
ern sect. The record Of Palsdius and
his mission reported by the Four Masters
has internal evidence or genuineness in
its trait of moderation. The churches
are wooden. We know that architecture
in Ireland was late in affecting stone as
material; but if this record has been
forged after the twelfth century, ma
tioual vanity would surely have made
out the material to be stone.
"The success of st. Patrick whereRome
had failed could hardly hsYe been psla-
table. The hatred and contempt felt by
the Italian ecclesiastics come out in st.
Jeromes reference to Celestius the Pela.
gian as an eater of Irish porridge, Scott
tis Putttbus pr9grdUdtus cgorgcd with
his Irish mushO and by other remarks
in the polemics of the day. Two years
later another missionry, not accredited
from Rome,-an Irish Scot by residence
If not Scot by birth, student in Gaul,
and man who distinctly denied that he
was learned arrived in Ireland and did
that which Paladius could not do; go
that today the Irish Catholics in all parts
of the world turn out in procession once
a year to honor his memory.
How came it that Patricius succeed
ed where Paladius failed ? Primarily
because he had nothing to do With Rome
or Italy. This preserved him from the
active jealously of the upper classes, the
kings, chiefs, and Druids, who had good
reason to perceive that Rome, having re-
tired her armies from Britain, was now
trying to extend her sway by religion.
1t also conclliated the Christians scat.
tered along the borders of the island,
who must have resented the pretensions
OF the Roman Bishops with as much
vigor as did the orthodox of the East.
But there was another reason for Pa
tricks success. He addressed himself
to the temporal and intellectual leaders,
the chiefs, Druids, and Files, or poets.
because he was a man Of genius and saw
that only in that way could a communi-
ty existing on the clan system be con-
verted."