The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-12-16
SWIFT MAG NELL
DEFENDS CATHOLICS
Protestant M. P. Assails Protestant
Bishops Criticism of Irish
Catholics.
They Have Suffered so Much Them.
selves They Have no Desire
to Prosecute Others.
A Few Years Hence Home Rule Will
be Regarded as Blessing
by all Creeds.

Mr.. Swift MaoNeill. a Protestant
member Of Parliament has addressed
the following open letter to Right Rev.
br' DARCY, Protestant Bishop Of
Down. Connor and Dromore, in reply
to a bitter attack made by that pre-
late on the Catholic Church in Ire.
land:
My Lord Bishop feel it due to
myself as an Irish Protestant who
cannot sign his name without being
reminded Of his associations with Irish
Protestant Churchmen to take grave
exception to series of extraordinary
statements made by you with refer.
ence to your Roman Catholic fellow
countrymen - statements which as
sumo an enormous gravity when COM
Ing from prelate Of your well-de-
served eminence for piety and learn
ing.
In an address to the Synod of the
diocese OF Down. Connor and Dron,ore
you say in reference to the Roman
Catholic Church, "toleration for her il
only temporary expedient." Would
1t not grieve us to hear any Roman
Catholic pronounce such a. Judgment
on the Irish Protestant Church, even
IL no We're to base it on an HISTORICAL
document and make the following In
controvertible statement: "An AS
sembly of Irish Protestant Prclalcs,
convened by Archbishop Usher, de-
clared the religion Of Papists is sup
erstitious and idolatrous, their faith
and doctrine erroneous and heretical,
their Church In respect to both apos-
tatical; to give them, therefore, toll
eration or to consent that they may
freely exercise their religion and pro-
fess their faith and doctrine is a griev-
GUS sin.'"
Causes Pain and Indignation.
"Professions and promises, even the
most stringent guarantees" you say
In the sentence Immediately succeed
ing the one I have quoted. "made by
individual Roman Catholics are not
of tho slightest value, even when those
Bishops, much less political leaders.
daughter and applause). The Roman
Church claims the right to repudiate
every contract and break every such
promise, no matter how solemn" Do
you realize the insult Of such expres-
sions, and the pain and Indignation
they must create in the hearts Of Irish
| Protestants-and they are many
| who are on terms OF close intimacy
| and affection with Roman Catholics
| and have as much confidence In their
honor and truth and friendship as IL
they knelt at the same altar as they
themselves? Would it be right for
Roman Catholic to urge that Protest
ants do not regard it as obligatory to
keep faith with Roman Catholics, and
to base his argument not on assertion
but on a. matter of history? From the
pulpit of Christ Church Cathedral
Dublin, Protestant State made pre-
late. DR.. Doping, the Bishop Of
Meath, preached sermon in which he
openly advocated as a sacred duty the
population OF the Treaty of Limerick
that treaty by which "even the most
stringent guarantees" were given for
the security of Roman Catholics in
the exercise Of their religion and the
enjoyment of their property-guaran-
tees which were shamelessly violated
by the atrocious Penal Code, which 1t
has been said entailed more misery
than the Ten Prosecutions of Chris
tendon. What would be thought of
the PRONUNCIATION Of these doctrines
with reference to Protestants at this
time of day by Roman Catholic
clergyman or layman! What would
Protestants think Of him? And still
his discourse would be less wounding
to Protestants than your words must
be to Roman Catholics, and would,
however misleading. have greater
element Of accuracy than, in my judg-
ment at least, appertains to your pro-
nouncement.
II Leely's Judgment. II.
On this question of the religious toll