The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-08-02

ing them that it would have been
more profitable for them to attend to
the reformation Of their own vices.
With the fearless zeal of John the
Baptist redivivus he denounced for his
concubinage Thierry, the king of the
place.
The result was that he was ordered
to be shipped back to his native land,
but the elements did not favor the
project with the result that the ship
had to return to Continental shores
again, and this time Columbanus di-
rected his steps past the former scene
of his labors, and towards Zurich and
Bregenz on the shore Of Lake Con-
stance in Switzerland. Here his for
mer fiery zeal was nothing abated.
With more courage than discretion.
he and his little band Of monks cut
down the sacred trees Of the pagan
natives, burned their temples, and
hurled their idols into the lake. The
effect Of this daring action was that
he had to leave this province. With
the undaunted courage Of Hannibal
or Napoleon, but with the higher
aim Of advancing Christs kingdom,
Columbanus next undertook to cross
the Alps, and no reached the fertile
plains of Bobbio, where he founded a
famous monastery.
Though he did not reach Rome, he
wrote several letters to its august
rulers. With a manly freedom that
reminds one Of apostolic times, and
Of the rebuking of st. Peter by Paul.
he strongly insinuated against Pope
Boniface the charge of having favored
heretics. In another place he stimu-
lates the Pope by the hypothetical
clause: IT You are true Christian"
This is an example Of what he calls
himself the "forwardness" of his dar-
ing spirit, and 10 accompanied in the
same epistles by clear and uneQuivo-
cal statements about the primacy Of
the Pope. "the Pastor of pastors" and
about Rome being the empress of all
churches.
Fruits Of His Zeal.
The fruits Of his missionary zeal
may be Judged from the number Of
nonasteries that followed the Column
ban rule; Lure, Roman Moutier. Beze.
st. Ursanne, and Eemiremont in Bur-
gundy: Fontenelle and Joumieges on
the Seine; Jouarre and Rebais on the
Marine; Leuconnais near Amiens; St
Centule on the somme; st. Berth
among the Morini
The eighth century furnished a
prominent Irish scholar and saint in
Virgilius, or Fergil Of Salzburg. His
life, epitaph, local tradition and AL
cuin-all support t1e fact of his Irish
nationality. In Bavaria st. Virgilius
disputed concerning the form of bap-
tism with st. Boriface. apostle Of
Germany, himself probably Of Irish
origin. Owing to the deficient knowl-
edge of the clerics at the time. some
employed the form: "Ego tie baptizo
in nomine Patria ct Fila ct Spiritua
sancta."
Virgilius affirmed the validity of
this form, and Boniface denied It.
They sought and obtained from Pope
Zachary q clear reply concerning the
Catholic doctrine. defending the view
Of the Irishman &C ncerning the valid
ity Of the form. But this decision did
not end the friction between these
two very human saints. Virgilius,
equipped with the splendid knowledge
Of the famous IriEh schools of these
days, was abreast of his age in de-
Tending the sphericity Of the earth.
and the existence of Antipodes. On
account Of this inr. ocent looking doc
trine in physical geography he was
regarded as dangerous spirit, and
denounced to the Pope by Boniface.
The fact was that Boniface and Pope
Zachary. for that matter, did not
know science as we'll as Virgilius.
Boniface misunderstood the doc
trine. caricatured t, and pronounced
the condemnation of thing of straw.
This can be judged from the cautious
reply Of Zachary: III 1t be proved
that he holds that there is another
world, another sun and moon, and
other men beneath the earth, expel
him from the Church, and degrade him
from the priesthood" Virgilius, prob
ably explained the true sense of his
doctrine, as he was afterwards ap-
pointed bishop of s;alzburg in Austria.
He taught the exis tence of other men
beneath the earth: he was made to
teach the unjustiiable and fancied
conclusion that there was another