The Irish standard., 1910-06-25
KING EDWARD A CATHOLIC?

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an all prevailing Creator.
KING EDWARD A CATHOLIC?
Since the death of the late King Of
England a great deal of discussion
has arisen out of a few circumstances
that point to his leanings toward the
Catholic belief. Many are inclined to
think that the King actually embraced
on his deathbed the faith which is so
wantonly denounced in the oath of
accession. There does not seem to be
any doubt that he declined in his last
illness to see the Protestant Arch
bishop of Canterbury though the
Archbishop called at the royal palace
on different occasions The London
Tablet, conservative and authori-
tative Catholic journal of England,
made reference to report that the
Jesuit Father Bernard Vaughan was
seen emerging from the palace the
day of the Kings death. This report
SOopASo VIII SlC 1dCl lIldl IIl0 ArCA-
bishop of Canterbury was not called
to the Kings bedside makes the cir
cumstance peculiar, to say the least
There is another incident which
goes to show the Kings Catholic
leanings. Before leaving Biarritz for
England he took occasion to visit the
wonderful grotto at Lourdes. He was
there received by the bishop and Cath
Ole clergy and it is said that the cler-
gy were much impressed by the Kings
reverent attitude. 1t is further stated
that a throat specialist who visited
the King a few days before his death
saw around his neck a scapular.
1t would not be at all strange if the
abusive oath of accession would have
the effect of arousing the interest of
fair minded monarch in the religion
which it so wantonly condemns. 1t is
an established fact that if child is
forbidden access to thing on the
ground that it is bad the child will
take pains to investigate for itself
whenever it can. Now it may be that
there was some of this youthful in
st'nct still dormant in the breast OF
his late majesty even after he had
assembled the throne If he did become
curious enough to investigate into the
reason why he was compelled by the
accession oath. to- say that he did not
believe there is any transubstan tiation
/ of the elements of bread and wine
into the Body and Blood of Christ IN
the sacrament of Our Lords Supper;
| or why he had to swear that he be-
licved the invocation of the Blessed
Virgin Mary and the saints and the
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to be SUI
perstitious and idolatrous-if he
sought by investigating Catholic doc
trine to convince himself that the oath
was justifiable, he may instead have
reached counter conviction.
! The prominent converts that have
entered the Church as result of Il
thorough study of the history Of the
Church are not few. Bishops and
priests necessarily urge upon their
people the necessity of a knowledge
of the history of the Church for d true
| appreciation of it's greatness. The
pages of Rome's early history that
bear the crimson stain of martyrs
| blood are still to be read and who can
ponder over them without being i'm
pressed with the wonderful attraction
which Catholic doctrines have ever
had for the human soul? The history
OF the middle ages shows that she was
often assailed from within by the de-
fciencies of her own members while
she was at the same time beset by
enemies from without. The history Of
every age depicts her battling with
wary enemies and yet she has sur
vived the storm and stress of CEN
turtles and today she is what she has
been in every century-a parthenon
on which weatherng winds have
beaten in vain.
If, then, King Edward studied the
history OF the Church it would not be
strange if he wandered back to the
true fold. No. would it be an unusual
irony of fate if the very infamous
oath which narrow minded bigots
framed to safeguard the Protestant
succession were means of turning his
mind in that direction.
UNITY FOR THE NATlONALISTS.
! Another indication of the solidarity