Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-12


been many tragedies and comedies ana
meiodramas enacted within these sacred
walls during the wars and Instructions
and religious disturbances that have oc-
Cured in Irish history. Some of the
tombs that We're here once have been
thrown out because they were raised TOR
men that the people hated. and statues
of Charles i and James III which once
adorned the interior were broken Ia rag
ments hy MODS
The Synod Hall.
Across the street and connected by
bridge with the cathedral is the sNho"
hall the headquarters of the genera
synod. v hich has the control Of the al
fairs of the Episcopal Church of Ireland
since il was separated from the tHufch
Of England and made independent OF the
state by an act OF parliament july n
$3.50 This is called ':the diSestabilsh-
ment''--a long and awkward WORD, out
such words common in EngiSh anu
Irish official literature. 1t IS often dlni-
cult for an American to understand tie
meaning of the terms used III acts OF
parliament and reports of officials OF titF
government.
But there was no doubt of the mea nine
of the word to the Protestant population
of the island. however. when the act Wa
passed under the leadership OF MI GIau-
stone as the price of peace and the tefihI-
nation of the rebellion in Ireland IL
was demanded by the Roman CathoIlc
bishops who saw the injustice OF conlpeH-
ing people of all denominations without
discrimina ton to pay taxes to support an
official church and the propaganda OF d
faith which they did not profess. So that
branch of the established Church OF Eng
land which was found across st. George s
channel was forcibly divorced and given
alimony amounting to 9SoS0,HO or about
$40, 100000 in American money. ms
represented a Communication in advance of
the stipends to which the clergy of that
church were entitled under the ecclesiasti-
cal laws for term of fourteen years. as
we'll as a vast amount of real estate and
other property which belonged to the
established church and was transferred 10
the new organization represented by Il
commission appointed for that purpose.
At the same time the Presbyterian
Church of ireland received G1:0oho. the
Roman Catholic College of st. Patrick at
Maynooth G372.:332, the board of inter
mediate education for school purposes,
Ct .coo,O0G: the pension funds for teachers
in Ireland. s1.127.1 $50: the congested dis
] tricts board. G1.J00.MW.
Since that time these funds have in
creased in value considerably and the
incomes from them are devoted TO the
purposes named. They were paid in lieu
of the annual contributions from the
established church which had been enjoy
ed for many years and were capitalized on
the basis of fourteen years income that is.
the government. In order to satisfy every
body advanced in lump sums what II
would have given in annual installments
for the next fourteen years if the dis
establishment act had not been passed.
Income of the Year.
The general synod which controls the
affairs of the Episcopal Church of Ireland
is composed of the two archbishops. the
bishops. the deans and canons of cathe-
drals and archdeacons of dioceses. The
value until il is now estimated at more
than e12.0OoDO or S60.o00.00G. and the
I income, now more than $2.HD.000 d
year. is very large in proportion to its
numbers.
Total population of Ireland 1DD. 4,3Si.-
GO: Roman Catholic. 3,:'0S. 600: Church of
Ireland. JS1 .oS3; Presbyterian, 443, 434
Methodist. 81 90.
These are the figures furnished by the
different church organizations, but you
will notice they exceed the total popula-
ton by the latest census. and therefore.
are only approximately correct.
At the time of the diSestabliShment in
! 1869 the adherentS of the Church Of Eng
land numbered 6l:5.:;41 which is ii decrease
| of 1l2.2JS since that time. This cor
respond very accurately with the general
decrease of the population of the island.
There are now 1G2S churches and
chapelS belonging 10 the Church of Ire
land. which is an average of about :;:a
each. and from my short experience here
I should say that the members of the
church We're very negligent in attending
worship.