The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-03-15

IL 10 WC4 hAOWA IAIC 44C1duu Is
debted to st. Patrick for the glorious
light of the Gospel, and for having dis
PEELED from it's borders the darkness of
ignorance and paganism. But from
whom did st. Patrick receive his mis-
sion? Had he any relations with
Rome? Did he teach his spiritual
children the doctrine of the Papal su-
premacy? These questions are plainly
answered by his life and actions. AZ
ter his elevation to the priesthood,
when he conceived the generous and
holy design of devoting himself to the
conversion of people, among whom
he had suffered while youth all the
hardships of slavery, his first step
was to secure the appreciation and
sanction of st. Celestine, who was
then seated in the chair Of st. Peter.
All the old chronicles Of Ireland-all
the ancient biographies of St. Patrick,
are unanimous on this point. Henry
of Auxerre relates the same fact, more
particularly in his life of st. Germain.
"st. Patrick" he says, "was referred
to Celestine by Germain, who sent his
priest Segetius, with him, in order to
acquaint the Holy See with his dis
tinguished merit. Having received the
appreciation of the Pope, and after be-
ing clothed with the necessary powers,
and strengthened with the benediction
of His Holiness, he departed for the
shores of Ireland"
After such formal testimony, who
can deny that Ireland is indebted to
the Holy See for the services of her
great Apostle? Some Protestant anti
uuaries contend that the first heralds
of the Gospel in Ireland came from
Greece. and introduced into that coun-
try their own views Of ecclesiastical
independence. In the first place, this
hypothesis is a mere dream, without
the slightest foundation in history; and
then we might well ask, where was
the Greek church in the fifth century
that did not plainly acknowledge the
primacy Of the Holy See? st. Patrick,
therefore, derived his mission from the
successor Of st. Peter, and commenced
fis anostolic Iabors with his sanction
and benediction.
It was this blessing that gave eft1-
cheney to his efforts and crowned his
zeal with such rich harvest Of souls
Without this he would have toiled In
vain; his words would have been SO
many Intellectual sounds, like those OF
the numerous Protestant missionaries
who travel over the world without be
ing sent, without the true spirit Of the
apostleship; who succeed, perhaps, in
seducing some loose Catholic from the
faith, but are totally unable to estab
lish among heather nations the doc
trines of Jesus Christ.
st. Patrick not only received his mis-
sion and Jurisdiction from the Pope
he impressed upon his spiritual chill
dren, whom he had begotten in Christ
that duty Of obedience and filial de
votion which the Holy See, in virtue
of it's divine institution. had right te
expect.
The spirit of st. Patrick was trans
mitted to his disciples, who always
had recourse to the Chair Of Peter fol
the removal of their doubts and diff
culties. OF this, the life Of st. Colum
ba furnishes a remarkable instance.
After having founded the monastery
of Luxeuil, in France, he edited all by
the splendor of his virtues. A contro
versy arose between him and certain
bishops, regarding the time Of celebrat
ing Easter. st. COLUMBIA adhered tt
an erroneous computation, which hi
had learned in Ireland, while they con
tended for the practice observed al
Rome. But how did st. COLUMBIA act
in this case? In whom did he believe
the right of settling the question resid
ed? In no other than the Roman Pom
tiff. He had addressed two letters t.
st. Gregory the Great, laying before