The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-03
SAYS FIR. HARRISON
DID NOT D|SOBEY
o. w. LawIer Cites Canon Law
to Support Late-Pastor of
St. Joseph's

Daniel w. Lawler, chairman of the
| commlttee having in charge the ap-
peal of Father Harrison, late pastor
| OF st. Joseph's parish, in the contro-
versy with Archbishop Ireland, de-
clares that, according to canon law,
as he finds it, Father Harrison has not
been guilty of disobedience
| Il am a great admirer of Archbishop
Ireland and Father Harrison, and
! deplore as an injury to all religion the
| circulation Of an unfounded charge
against any of its minister's" said Mr..
Lawler last night. Continuing, Mr..
Lawler said:
I For the purpose of arriving at the
exact truth 1 have taken pains to in
| VeStlgate and have taken pleasure in
| ascertaining that the charge of dis
obedience is, in my opinion, unfounded.
! A Catholic priest takes a VOW of ODE
| dience to the lawful commands of his
| superiors 1t is not blind vow to
obey his superiors in whatever COM
mand they may give. If the command
seem unreasonable or unlawful the
| priest may refuse to obey it and may
take his appeal directly to the propa-
| ganda at Rome. This right is given by
the canon law, a system of jurispru
dence which has been established for
| centuries and which is happily devised
for the protection of priest as well as
bishop. The Catholic church is gov
erned by this great system, and no.
where in it's organization is lodged ar
bltrary power. During the present
controversy it has been frequently said
| that Father Harrison's duty was to
obey like a soldier but the people who
I Say this forget that even a soldier is
not compelled to obey the unlawful
command of a superior, but may ap-
| peal from his court-martial to the sec
rotary of war and from the secretary
to the president.
Father Harrisons friends believe he
has oheyed the law which governs
| every member of the Catholic church
from altar boy to pope.
What Happened
/ Here is the situa ton" said Mr.
Lawler. Father Harrison and his con-
| gregation had for years been engaged
In constructing new church. Sudden
ly. without consultation with either
pastor or congregation, the archbishop
| commanded that the new church
project be Abandoned; that st. Joseph's
parish be merged in the Cathedral par
| lsh, and that Father Harrison resign
from ST. Joseph's and go to parish in
Minneapolis. Father Harrison did not
refuse the Minneapolis appointment,
but accepted it under protest, and on
| account of broken health requested of
the archbishop a months vaca-
ton, accompanying his request with
!, a certificate of i'll health signed by Dr.
| c. E. Riggs. The certificate was dis
regarded and the request denied. The
acceptance under protest is recognized
as valid by the canon law, and is not
3diSobedience.' With regard to the re-
quest for vacation, it is proper to ex-
plain that under the canon law such a
request, fortified by the certificate of
a reputable physician that the vaca-
t1onEis necessary, entities the priest,
without further procedure, to his vaca-
ton, whatever the decision of his su-
perior may be. The canon law in this
case is controlled by and is subordinate
to the natural law, and no principle of
| the Jurisprudence of the Catholic
church is better known or more rigid
4 ly enforced.
Has Right of Appeal
:, Under the canon law the priest in
! this case has his right of appeal from
the decision of his superior removing
him from his parish and under the
| same law he has the absolute right of
taking his vacation instanter. 1t is
clear to me that Father Harrison has
acted in accordance with the law of
his church. 1t is not necessary to de-
fend the law which grants the priest
an appeal or the law which gives the
invalid an absolute right to recupera-
ton. The honest, and well meaning
/ critics of Father Harrison will be glad
to know that he has broken no vow.
They will also be glad to know that
| his course has been marked out by
jurisconsults Of the canon law in this
country and at Rome who are special
lists in their profession, and that the
archbishop has explicitly stated that
Father Harrison's action is in strict
conformity with the rules of the church
and that he had no criticism to offer on
that action.
Four Courses Were Open
Father Harrison, on being ordered
to Minneapolis, could have pursued one
of four courses. He could have taken
charge of the Minneapolis parish re-
gardless of his physical condition and
his physicians advice, sitting his con-
viction that the order was illegal and
unjust, making himself party to what
he considered illegality and injustice
declining to invoke the laws of the
church covering such cases. He could
have taken charge Of the Minneapolis
| parish under protest, appealed from
the order of removal. and while await
ing the decision of his case put him
self in the intolerable position of being
outwardly the pastor of the parish, but
really litigant at Rome for removal
from it. He could have remained in
possession of st. Joseph's parish, fore
ing the authorities to take legal meas
| ures to remove him, dividing the con-
gregation into hostile and opposing
factions and creating public scandal
In the fourth place he could have done
exactly what he has done, invoke the
law of his church, remove quietly from
st. Joseph's parish house and abide
the decision of the legally constituted
tribunal with dignity and magnanimity
'1t is unnecessary to discuss the
withdrawal of Father Harrisons facul-
ties because that action was merely q
piece of tactics and for the purpose OF
affecting Father Harrison's personal
standing, and" added Mr.. LAWYER. st is
because the motive of that action is
generally understood and because the
desired result has not been accom-
plished that we ignore the question"