The Indianapolis journal., 1892-12-01
INTERESTING CHURCH ROW
Father Corrigan's Coming Trial for AL
legged Disrespect to Bishop Wigger.
An Outcome of the Cahensley Movement and
the Growing Enmity Between Germanan
Irish Priests-A Divided Hierarchy.

New YORK. Nov. S0.-The question
whether or not the Rev. Patrick Corrigan.
pastor of the Church Of Our Lady OF Grace,
IN Hohoken, will be disciplined by Bishop
Wigger, of Newark, for the letter he. has
written denouncinR the German priests of
the diocese. who. he says. ara aiming to
Germanize the country by means of the
Catholic Church. Is exciting rare interest
not only in New Jersey. but. in fact,
throughout the United States. A year ago.
when Herr Cahensley presented his memo
rial to the Pope asking that foreign bish-
ops be Assigned to this country to take
charge of the people of their own nation
ality, q vigorous protest was made. Cahens-
ley was squelched as a result
Father Corrigan denounced q month ago
the attitude of the German Catholic con-
gress held in Newark. He wrote letters to
q Catholic newspaper in this city. He also
published fable in which German
bishop figured az treating tyrannicslly
those of his priests who were Irish. In the
fable the bishop deposes several Irish
priests and appoints German priests in their
places. The parlshiOners of the deposed
priests were not Germans. BIghOp Wigger,
fable. Bishop WigGer wrote to Father
Corrigan ordering him TO retract state
ments in the latter's letter which the
Bishop said were false. Father Corrigan
refused to retract, saying that he had made
no false statements. On Sunday Father
Corrigan received from Bishop Wigger an
order that he was TO appear for trial on
Dec. 12 before the coolest asticnl court of
tho Newark diocese. The trial is to deter
mine If Father Corrigan shall be dis
the rules of the Catholic Church tie court
consists of the bishop and his chancellor.
The bishop appoints priest to act as his
counsel, and the accused priest is also rep
resented by an ecclesiastical lawyer. ii be
cares to have one. A reporter was told
yesterday that Bishop Wigger would dele
gate priest to take his place in the cours.
1t is said that the bishop. will not act as
one of the judges because he Is personally
interested. from the fact that Father Corri-
will be Rev. Dennis Mccarthy. Bishop
Wigger's chancellor. 1t is not known who
Father Corrigan's lawyer will be. Many
priests who know him we'll say he will
lect any priest in the United States as his
counsel. Some of his friends declare that
as he has made this fight himself. he will.
no doubt, conduct his own battle. Others
say that. realizing the Importance OF the
case he may ask the Rev. Or. Burtsell,
who was Dr. McGlynn's lawyer. to defend
him. The Rev. Patrick Henry. of Jersey
City. q close friend of Father COrrigan,
also, is spoken of as his possible counsel.
Should the court decide that Father Cor
riQan ID guilty of disrespect to the Bishop.
which ie the technical charge on which he
is to be tried. the Bishop will suspend him
at once. This means that he Will be re-
moved from his parish which is one of the
largest in the United States. If Father
Corrigan 10 suspended he will have two ap-
peals. The first appeal will be to Arch
bishop Corrigan. who is at the head of the
ecclesiastlcaI province in which the New
ark diocese is located. If Archbishop Cor
rigan confirms the decision OF the court
Father COrrigan can appeal to Rome.
Rome's decision will be final. 1t 10 said il
the case goes to Rome IL will be one of the
most famous in which an American priest
h as been interested In many years. 1t will
mean that the long fight made 10y German
priests against their Irish contreres will
become more intense. In almost every dio-
cese in the country there Is much bitter
ness between these clergymen. The feeling
il especially strong in the West. Father
will have able assistance. Several mem.
bers of the hierarchy, as we'll as eminent
priests. will flock to his standard. The
German side of the question, it is said. will
also have strong allies. Thus, instead OF q
controversy between Bishop Wigger end
Father Corrigan, the case will be trans
formed into contest of national signif-
icance. Cardinal Gibbons and Archbishop
Ireland. among others, 1t is said. will stand
ready to aid Father Corrigau.
wrnneIe at ST. Lonis.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal