The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-06-14
BOMBAY CATH 40 Lie D Ton
It's Memorial to Our Most Holy
. Father. :sss

All Faithful Catholics May he Firmly
Knit Together Throughout the Indian
Peninsu1a The Objects of the Union and
& Its M issior. sS \,
The following letter has been sent to
,ur Holy Father from the Catholic
Union Of Bombay:
This Association is composed exclu-
sively of Catholic laymen who owe.
allegiance to her Most Gracious Majesty
the Queen Empress, and it enjoys the
patronage and support Of the ecclesias-
tical authorities of the archdiocese of
Bombay and of tho diocese Of Poona.
The promoters of the Association had
also the warmest encouragement from
the late Most Rev. DR.. Porter. S. j., first
Archbishopof Bombay, prelate whose
loss to the Indian Church is keenly felt
and universally deplored. Tho organi-
zation includes in its ranks the leading
Catholics in this Presidency who are of
British birth, as we'll as the principal
representa- yes of the native Catholic
community subject to the Grown of
Great Britain and Ireland. It has in
augurated q movement among British
Catholic laymen in India which has
already led to the formation of
"Catholic Union" in Madras with the
full support of tho ecclesiastical au-
thorities of that Province, and it il
sincerely hoped that similar Associa-
tions will soon DO formed in other parts
of India, so that before long, all faith
full British Catholics may be joined and
knit together throughout the whole Of
this vast Peninsula.
Amongst the main objects of this
are the following:
To promote spirit of love and vsne-
ration towards our Holy Father the
Pope, and to assert by every lawful
m cans his right of restoration to his
temporal sovereignty.
To bring together Catholic laymen
who are British subjects resident in
India, and by their combined action to
increase their resources and influence in
matters of Catholic interest, whether
religious, charitable, social, or educa-
tional.
In conjunction with the ecclesiastical
authorities, generally to uphold the in
terests Of the Catholic Church in India.
The concordat concluded in 1886 be-
tween the Holy See and the Crown of
Portugal has not, we regret to say, re-
allied the happy results which your
Holiness had in view when ratifying it.
Those provisions affecting the right of
patronage in British India enjoyed by
his Majesty the King Of Portugal, are
working to the detriment of the best
interests of our holy church, and are
discord and disunion. We are aware
that it was the earnest desire of the
Holy See in 1884 to abolish the Portu
guese Padroado in the territories out
side the jurisdiction of his most faith
full Majesty, and that the retention of
this ANTICIPATED privilege in British
India was but concession which it
was hoped would serve to further reli
gious peace and the progress of reli-
gion-a hope which, in the event, has
not been fulfilled.
Portuguese pre1ates and Portuguese
priests aim, as is but natural, to pro-
mote the temporal interests of the
country with which they are connected
both IS subjects and as dependents of
their royal patron; East Indian Catho
lies, on the other hand, out of gratitude
and affection to the Government which
protects them, and under whose benign
sway they enjoy the fullest measure of
civil and religious liberty, are devoted
and loyal subjects of Her Brittanic
Majesty; hence they consider it most
that any foreign temporal
potentate should have any right to mix
or meddle in their ecclesiastical affairs.
His most faithful majesty's patronage,
even if it could be eficacious, is alto
gether superfous; British Catholics in
India enjoy the most complete religious
freedom in common with all classes of
their fellowsubjects-a liberty guaran-
teed to them under the proclamation of
the Queen Empress of those realms.
We need not dwell on the financial
incapacity of Portugal adequately to
discharge the duties incum bent on her
in connection with the exercise of the |
royal Padroado; nor is it necessary that
we should point out the glaring incon
sistency of government which affects
a solicitude for the progress and devel-
opement of religion in the East, whilst !
at the same time it expels the Religious
Orders, confiscates their property, and
places every obstacle in the way of
the ordinary and regular administra-
ton OF the Church at Rome.
The miserable and most lamentable
state of ignorance in which the large
Christian population of territories in
British India. subject to the Portuguese
patronage, have been allowed for gen
erations to live and die cannot but be
too we'll known to your Holiness. Many
of the native Catholics are, unhappily, |
but Christians in name. Without op- |
portunities Of receiving instruction in
the principles of their faith they grow
up in the greatest ignorance Of their !
religion, adopt the manners and heath |
enish customs OF those around them,
and in the end not unfrequently lapse
into Paganism. Those amongst them
who have tho means are obliged to send
their children TO schools which are un- |
der the missionaries of the Propaganda: !