Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-04
CANADA'S SCANDAL.
ONTARIO PRIESTS IN REVol 7
AGAINST BISHOP LANeEVIN
TIL. pr.,a,e Using His Ofiicc 10 Aid the
Torics-He Infiicts Punishment
on Opposing Clergy.

The gravest political scandalin Canada
for years past involves the historic Ian
gevin family. 1t has been occasioned by
the partisan zeal OF Bishop Langeyln, O
Catholic prelate, whose clergy are IN
open revolt against him. The sensa-
tional developments promise TO compro-
mise the Dominion Government at the
next general election, and besides are
very untimely, as Sir Hector Langeyin,
Minister OF Public Works and brother OF
the Bishop, Is mixed up in an unsayory
scandal in Quebec relating to dry-dock
contract there. A dispatch received
tonight from Rimouski states that
Cardinal Taschereau has been asked
by the priests of the Diocese OF Iii
mouski TO forward to Rome formal com
plant against Bishop Langayin, OF that
diocese, Sir Hector's brother. The
Bishop is charged with tyranny and par
tisanshipa and with trying to punish those
priests who refuse to support the pollti-
cal party in which his brother is such a
shining light. He has been particularly
severe upon those clergymen IN the
county OF Bonaventure who supported
Premier Mercier's candidature in that
county last June, and the priests are SO
inccnsed over the scandal caused by his
course that they are practically in q state
OF revolt.
INTERFERENCE IN POLITICS
Mgr. Blais was appointed for the Do
cese of Rimouski some time ago. Mgr.
Blais does not share Bishop Langeyin's
views on the subject of-episcopal inter
ference in politics, and it is alleged that
for this reason the Bishop has not yet
permitted the installation of his coadiu-
tor. IL is charged that the Bishop went
even so far as to order down the decora-
tions which had been put up in the Ri
mouski church for the enthronization OF
the coadjutor bishop and to refuse to al
low the Mayor Of Rimousk. on behalf OF
the people of that town, to present
the usual address of welcome to Mgr.
Blais at the Bishops palace, the result
being that it had to be presented out
side in the open air. Priests and laymen
are demanding Bishop Langevins retire
ment. He cannot tolerate the idea OF
priests entertaining political views which
do not coincide with his own, but being
powerless to otherwise punish them for
their insubordination, he appears to have
bided his time until the fall, when any
changes that are to take place among
the priests assigned to the charge OF the
different parishes are ordinarily made,
and then he sat down upon them with all
the weight of his vengeance
CANNOT BE DISPLACED.
According to the rules of the Roman
Catholic Church parish priests cannot
be displaced at the mere pleasure or
caprice OF their ordinary. There is
popular notion that the contrary is the
case, but in reality they enjoy fixity
of tenure in their rectorships which can
not be disturbed except for sufficient
cause or at their own wish-a wish, no
doubt, often expressed, as, like other
mortals, they have no objection to pro-
motion and TO the lettering OF their
material condition by transfer from
poor TO rich parishes.
Regardless of the wishes Of the incum
bents and the indignant protests of their
Pensioners, who have in many cases
become deeply attached to their pastors,
and who could not make the fine dis
tinction between interference in politics
being crime in a simple parish priest
and q laudable act in a bishop, he re-
solved upon q complete new shuttle Of
the parish cards. One Of the first TO
be singled out for the weight Of his
displeasure was Mgr Quay, who for
the last six years had been the mis-
sionary priest to the Indians at Ste.
Anne de Restigouche, whose church |
he Mgr Quay had repaired inward
lv and outwardly, besides building a
presbytery, chiefly out of his own pri-
vate means. Notwithstanding all this,
Mgr. Quay received orders to quit and
TO take up his ministrations elsewhere,
which was equivalent to degrading him.
Rather than obey, and in order to place
himself beyond the Bishops control,
Mgr. Quay preferred to resign from the |
ministry altogether, which he did this
fall, but the priest still holds the fort at
the presbytery which he built with his
own money and possession OF which he
refuses to give up to the successor named
by the Bishop until Mgr. Langevin has
reimbursed him for his outlay upon 1t.
MATTERS WORSE.
But to render matters worse Mgr. |
Guay's successor appears to be no moro |
DESTROYS of taking Mgr. Guay's place |
than Mgr Quay was of leaving it. He |
is the Rev. T. Smith, formerly Of st. |
Godfroid, Bonaventure, and he, too, is |
at loggerheads with the Bishop, who |
forced him to leave his old parish much |
against his will. Other popular priests
were ordered to poor parishes, among |
them the Rev. Mr.. Fraser, Of Nouyele, |
and the Rev. David Lebel. of Griffin |
Harbor. and the venerable cure OF
Gaspe Basin. The Rev, Vaude Moortel |
was dismissed altogether.
The singing out Of liberal priests for
punishment is most palpable, Tories
being generally promoted. Hence the
clergy and laity are indignant. They
recall that in 1878, when Sir Hector
Langevin was a candidate for Rimouski, |
Mgr. Langevin ordered a high mass to
he chanted in all the parishes Of his
diocese on nomination day, as he stated
in his circular "to incline all minds and
hearts toward truth and justice" and,
as they maliciously remark, the prayer
was heard, for the result of this was to
"incline all minds and hearts" toward
defeating his brother, the Minister of
Public Works, who was whipped on the
occasion by DR.. Fiset with crushing
majority.
TOBAcCC-WORKS DESTROYED.