The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-06-25
MOST ATROC|0US
LAW OF PENAL CODE
Bv it the Priests of Ireland Were
Required to Take Oath of
Abjuration.
Catholics Were Prohibited From
Teaching Even as Assistants in
Schools.
Priest Hunting Became a Profession
and Clergy Were Treated
Barbarously.

One of the most infamous measures
of the atrocious Penal Code was that
of March 25, 1910, which required all
registered priests of Ireland to take
an oath. of abjuration, says the New
York Freeman's Journal.
Other infamous measures had pre-
ceded it from the beginning of the
reign of Queen Anne, in reference TO
which Mitchell, in his history, re-
marks as follows:
During all the rest of the reign
of Anne the law for preventing the
growth Of Popery was as vigorously
executed all over the island as 1t was
possible for such laws to be; and
there was the keen personal interest
of the Protestant inhabitants of every
town and district, always excited and
kept on the stretch to discover and
inform upon such unfortunate Cath
olics as had contrived to remain in
possession of some of these estates,
leaseholds or other interests which
were now by law capable of being
held by Protestants alone"
Describing the act put into force on
March rs, 171o, the same; writer; thus
says: Its intention was chiefly to
close up any loophole of escape from
the penalties of former statutes and
guard every possible access by which
'Papists' might still attain to indepen-
dence or quiet life. Some, for ex-
ample had secretly purchased an
nuities-by this statute, therefore, a
Papist was declared incapable of hold
ing or enjoying an annuity for life.
1t had been found also that paternal
authority or filial affection had pre-
vented from it's full operation that for
mer act of 17O4 which authorized a
child, on conforming, to reduce his
father to a tenant for life.
Further encouragement to children
seemed desirable; therefore, by this
new law, upon the conversion Of the
child of any Catholic, the chancellor
was to compel the father to discover
upon oath the full value of his estate,
real and personal, and thereupon
make an order for the Independent
support of such conforming child, and
for securing to him, after his fathers
| ho Of a
the court should see fit; also to secure
jointures to Catholic wives who should
desert their husbands faith. Thus
distrust and discord and heartburning
in every family were well provided
for. One clause of the act prohibits
Papist from teaching, as tutor Or
usher, even as assistant to a Protest.
ant schoolmaster; and another offers
salary of 6 80 to such Popish priests
as should conform.
But one thing was still wanting. 1t
was known that, Notwithstanding the
banishment of Catholic bishops and
priests, ETC., there were still in the
kingdom many foreign priests, who
exercised their functions and braved
the terrible penalties of transporta-
ton and death in order to keep up
the indispensable connection of the
Catholic flock with the head of the
Church. 1t was known that this was,
indeed, an absolute necessity, at what-
ever risk; and that to pretend a toll
Grafton of Catholic worship while the
hierarchy was banished was as rea-
sonable as to talk Of tolerating Pres
byterianism without Presbyterians or
courts without judges, or laws or
juries.
Therefore, this act for explaining
and amending assigned stated rewards
to informers for the discovery of any
Catholic clergymen or religious exer :
cising ecclesiastical jurisdiction. For
such information the informer was to
receive ESQ; for discovering any
monk, friar or any secular clergyman
not only registered, EGO; for discover
ing Popish school teacher or tutor
! e10. Any two justices were also en-
powered to summon before them any
i Papist over 18 years of age and exam
inc him upon oath as to the time and
lplace he last heard Mass and the
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