The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-02-23

The Duke of Norfolk, the foremost
Catholic layman in England, has re-
piled as follows to the structures and
criticisms of the British press upon his
famous address to the Pope OH papal
, independence and temporal sovereignty
of the Holy See.
The excitement in the press, caused
by the address which l had tho honor
of reading before the Pope at the Vati-
can on the Sth of this month, occurred,
for the most part. during my journey
homewards, and until 1 reached Eng
land ! was unable to form an opinion
as to it's cause OF it's significance.
have now read enough of what has
been said to lead me to think it fitting
that I should say something on the
subject. am sorry that indispostion
= has further delayed my doing so.
Il ought, first, to say that never on
any matter within my personal knowl-
edge have so great number of state
ments appeared in the press actually
at variance with the facts as have
appeared in connection with the recent
British pilgrimage. 1t is difficult to
contradict one statement without i'm
plying that there may be some truth
in others; but to some of these sugges-
tions ought to allude, as they suggest
the artificial character of the agitation
!, which has been raised.
The story Of Lord Currie and the
toasts have already contradicted.
The following statements also are fab
relations: That papers publishing our
address had been seized; that our no.
tells were guarded; that the pilgrims
met with hostile demonstrations in the
streets, and that a British flag, hoisted
over one of our hotels, had been low
cred by us upon the birthday of the
queen of Italy as mark of disrespect.
That statements in the press that these
things had taken place should have
excited no hostility towards us tends
to show how artificial was the paper
agitation raised. Not one of our pill
grims had to encounter the smallest
sign of disapprobation or ill will. In
deed, to our English minds, it is humb-
ling to have to contrast the calm dig
nifty and personal friendliness Of the
Roman people with the distressing
hysteria Of SO many Of our friends at
home. =
With regard to our address and the
statements which have been made as
to it's compilation, I may say that it
was drawn up by the council of the
Catholic union. This is representative
society Of British Catholics, founded
more than quarter Of century ago
for the vindication Of the rights of the
= Holy See and for the protection Of
Catholic interests in our own country.
Few British Catholic names of weight
are absent from it's list of members,
to which there has been an addition Of
200 during the past year. A few days
before the Pope received us in audience
I submitted an italian translation of
the address to His Holiness, as is the
custom; and I also showed it to the
committee of the pilgrimage and to
Cardinal Vaughan and others in Rome.
No comment was made by anyone,
nor was any alteration made or sug-
gested.
In dealing with the criticisms which
have appeared, may, 1 think, confine
myself to two passages in the address,
as it is chiefly upon them that COM
ments have been lavished. The first
is one in which we condemned certain
proselyting methods which have of
!. late been practiscd in Rome in regard
to the children of the poor. This con-
demnation of an abuse has been
strangely distorted into an attack upon
religious freedom. 1 do not for a mo-
Sment believe that any of those who
write thus really approve Of the sys-
tenn we condemned. If they do approve
Of it, we must agree to differ, and I
must accept this strange attitude on
the part Of our critics as sad proof
Of the necessity for our speaking out.
Ineed hardly contradict the suggestion
that our protest on this point is against
the Italian government or Italian laws.
To censure the abuse Of any liberty
is not to condemn the laws Inv which
that liberty is conceded. Let me only
add on this point that was assured
in Rome that the English Protestants
there as body held aloof from the
movement we condemned, that few, il
any, took part in it, and that it's flnan-
,@cial supplies came principally from
across the Atlantic.