The Irish standard., 1902-11-15
BISHOP PoTTEh,s BOOK.

M'sSJ asStulcus
The following letter, which is self.
explanatory, appeared in recent issue
of the New York Evening Post:
Sir: 1 do not know whether or not
you have yet received Bishop Potter's
book, '"The East of Today and To-
morrow" but if you have the notice
has escaped my eye. Inasmuch, how
ever, as there is serious matter for
criticism of both author and publish
er of this book, you will perhaps per-
NIT me to point it out for the benefit
of your readers, who may be assumed
to feel some interest in questions of
fact and fairness.
On page SO find in the essay enti-
tied 1.-The Problem of the Philip
pines," the following sentences:
'That these things and others like
them were largely due to the malign
influence OF the so-called religious Or
oers-Heaven save the mark!-has re-
peatedly and very recently been de-
nled with coarseness and vulsarity
of vituperation to which I need not
here further refer than to say that to
minds capable of forming a dispas-
sionate opinion upon any subject it
was sufficient evidence of their truth.
Other evidence, however, there is in
the history of the Philippines, abun-
dant, continuous, and of indisputable
authority, most of all to those who
have ventured to challenge it. The
Jesuits were expelled from the Philip
pine Islands in the year 1868 by virtue
OF an Apostolic brief of Pope Clement
XIV. 1t is quite true that they were
permitted to return in 1852, but only
on condition that they should confine
their labors to strictly educational and
missionary work. And these were I'M
doubleday the least obnoxious of the
orders. etc.
Before discussing the bishops his
tory let me note that the purpose of
his argument is to show that condi-
tlons surrounding the occupation of
the Philippines by the friars were so
bad that the Pope himself was COM
PEELED to intervene and expel-the least
obnoxious of the offending orders!
Curious logic, is it not, even were it
based upon facts? You. sir, know, of
course, as do most of your readers,
fancy, that Bishop Potter's facts rs
above given are an absurd travesty of
| history, the source of which 1 shall
presently indicate, Allow me, mean
while, to briefly run over the actual
facts respecting the expulsion of the
Jesuits from the Philippines.
On February q, 1867, Charles Ill,
then being King of Spain, and Gle
ment NIII-not Clement NIV.-Pope,
royal decree was issued addressed
to the Council of CASTLE, expelling the
Jesuits from Spanish dominions. The
decree was communicated to all the,
Alcaldes in Spain for execution April
2. 17G-which execution duly took
place. The decree was published on
the morning of April 3 in Spain, and
in due course was executed through
out Spanish colonies. On April 13,
1867, Pope Clement wrote to Charles
III. letter of remonstrance beginning
as follows:
"Of all the blows by which we have
been struck during the nine years of
our Pontificate, the cruelest Of all to
our paternal heart is undoubtedly that
which has come to us from your ma
jesty.'
And in the same letter Clement XIII.
speaks Of the Jesuits-whom he had
encouraged and approved but two
years earlier, think in the bull Apos-
tolicum--as "a religious order so useful
and dear to the Church itself, an order
which owes its origin and it's splendor
to those sanity heroes whom God
deigned to choose from the Spanish
nation that He might spread His
glory throughout the EARTH" Nor did
Pope Clement XIII. rest with this
somewhat definite mark Of approval.
He went on to say:
'The body, the Institute, and the
spirit Of the Society of Jesus-we say
it in the presence of God and man
are absolutely innocent of all crime,
and not only innocent, but pious, use
| full and holy in their ends, their laws,
and their principles; and whatever en-
dcavors their enemies may have made
to prove the contrary they have not
succeeded" etc.
I So much for the question as to who
expelled the Jesuits from the Philip
pine Islands, and as to the Pope's at
| titude towards the order at the time
of this expulsion. Am I too cruel in
asking you, in the light of the true
| facts, to again read over Bishop Pot
ter's remarkable version thereof and
argument thereon?
You. sir. know we'll enough that
Clement NV. did not ascend to the
Pontifical throne until 1863, and tina
the suppression by him of the society
took place in 1918. You will natur-
ally be curious to know where Bishop
Potter found his facts. A foot-note or
| ~