The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-04-08
DENY COMMISSION
OF ST. PATRICK
Protestant Writers Try to Prove
St. Patrick Was not Com
missioned by Rome.
When Brought Face to Face With
Facts They Call Them Inven-
tons of Later Age.
All Authorities Agree That Irish
Saint Was Commissioned by
Pope Celestine.

Some Protestant writer's have as
serted and still assert that ST. Patrick
and his Mission in Ireland had no
connection whatever with Rome and
that therefore the ancient Irish Church
was not the Roman Church, says the
Monitor (Newark). On this matter
Most Rev. DR.. Healy, present Arch
bishop OF Tuam has some interesting
chapters in his Life of Writings Of
ST. Patrick" from which we quote the
following:
Some few Protestant writer's in our
own times have, for controversial pur-
poses, sought to obscure or deny what
is called the Roman Mission of St.
Patrick: that is, his commission from
st. Celestine to preach the Gospel in
Ireland; that is from the silence of
certain writer's, who, in their opinion,
might be expected to make special
reference to the Roman Mission, they
infer that it had no existence. When
brought face to face with the vast ar
lay Of ancient authorities that express
~ assert in various ways this Roman
Mission Of st. Patrick, they Try to ex-
plain them away as the inventions of
sought to mix up the acts of Palladius
and Patrick with q view to throw
doubt on both, and ignoring the sub
stantia1 agreement in the ancient
Lives Of our Saint, they seek to magni-
fly the minor points of difference for
the purpose of throwing discredit on
them all. Really learned mon, like
Csher and Ware, never lent their au-
thorty to controversial arguments OF
this kind. They set out the facts as
they found them,. and let history speak
for itself.
We merely propose here to give an
outline of the question, so that any i'm
partial reader can judge for himself
the real points at issue.
First Of all we may point that
the practice Of getting a Roman Com
mission to preach the Gospel in new
end of the fourth century. ST. Niniar
of Candida Casa was probably the ear
liest British missionary of whom we
have any certain information. He was
the Apostle Of the Southern Picts, g
most reverend bishop and holy man Of
the British nation, and he founded his
Church of Candida Casa, as Bede ex-
pressly tells US, towards the close OF
the fourth century. But though 8
13riton, he was regularly instructed al
Rome in the faith and mysteries OF
the truth and came from Rome will
apostolic authority to preach to his
countrymen in North Britain. So fal
13ede.
When the Pelagian he:esy was ram.
pant in the British Church, we know
that st. Germanus of Auxeere was sen
as his legate by Pope st. Celestine, t.
arrest the progress of heresy in Brit
ain. Although requested by a SYNOD
Of Gallican Bishops to undertake th'
weighty task, Germanus would not dt
SO without the express authority of thu
Pope. as the contemporary Chronici,
of Prosper tells us.
Again, when Germanus reported thu
state Of Ireland to the Pope, and sug
gested so far as we can judge, the pro
priety of sending missionaries there
it was Celestine who commissioned Pa
ladius to go to Ireland, ordaining hin
Bishop with plenary authority tt
preach the Gospel to the Irish Scots
as the same Prosper asserts, and thu
scholars of every school admit.
Later on, too, when the pagan Sax
ons of England were to be converted
everyone knows that it was Pope st
Gregory who sent st. Augustine ant
his companions to carry out that glo
rlous mission, which they did will
such marvellous success.
Seeing, then, that it was from Rom'
that all the great missionaries whom
we have named were sent to all part
OF the British Islands. is it not natura
to EXPECT that ST. Patrick likewis
would seek his commission from thu
Pope. lust as his master Germanus hat