The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-11-08
PRIESTS IN POLITICS
NO TRUTH IN THE ASSERTION
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE "PAR-
SON IN PoLITIcs?"

Priests in politics" has long been
a Protestant cry in Ireland, says the
Freeman's Journal, meaning in
directly that the Catholic clergy dom
mate in Irish political affairs, that
the priests are the cause and fomen
tiers of all the "agitations," that only
for the priests the people would be
content and loyal to British govern
ment as it is, implying in short, as
expressed in the later phrase, that
Home Rule would be Rome Rule"
Of course, the theory underlying
all these assertions is utterly false,
though at the same time it may not
be denied that the influence of the
priest in Ireland has been very great
For this there is good reason, and at
tested from on-Catholic sources. II
has been well noted by Mr.. Amman
Bryce, M. p, brother of the distin
guished Mr.. Bryce, lately British Am
basSador to the United States, who
in public letter has observed that
1T was natural that in the past
should be great. They come from the
peasant class, and have a fellow-feel
ing with it's ills, and were the friends
(indeed, the only friends) of that
class in it's long social struggle. They
possessed the natural influence given
by better education; and, in fact, in
many parts of Ireland the priest was
the only educated man whose advice
and help the people could obtain
The priests were of the people and
from the people and with the people
in their sufferings and sorrows !;
therefore, their influence was great
in the peoples politics.
But what of the "parson in poll
tics?" Have not the Protestant
clergy gone into politics whenever it
suited their purposes, that is to say,
whenever they thought any of their
rights to be in danger? They were
lin politics" against Mr. Gladstone
when he proposed the disestablish-
ment and abandonment of their
Church-the Church of the small
minority of the Irish people which
the Catholic majority were taxed to
support. They have been Gin poll
tics" against Home Rule ever since
the movement began. Sir Edward
Carson's anti-Home Rule covenant
was read and signed in the Protestant
churches. The Synod of the RE.
formed Presbyterian Church of Ire.
land" at it's recent annual meeting in
Belfast unanimously adopted a PRO.
test against Home Rule"
That was politics" and later still
only few weeks ago-the Protest.
ant Bishops of Ulster have issued a
"joint Pastoral appointing ga special
day of intercession and prayer" in
their churches, inasmuch as, they say
the dangers that threaten are SO
great and the possibility of civil war
and strife is so very real"
Moreover, Sir Edward Carson wrote
to the Ulster Unionist Council say.
ing that "as the 18th Sept. falls on
Sunday this year." he hopes "the
clergy of all (Protestant) denomina.
tons will think it proper to hold serv.
ices especially fitting to commemorate
Ulster Day'-the day on which they
entered into their solemn covenant
All this is politics, and the parson
is in it ALL And the parson is active
in politics in Ireland every time his
interests are concerned. Now, If IL
were the priest who was thus in poll
tics, what subject for Protestant
protest and denunciation there would
be. If the Catholic Bishops of Ire
land issued a Home Rule Pastoral
directing their priests to have service
in all the Catholic Churches in sup
port Of Home Rule and the Irish
Party, we can imagine how the
Orange-Tory press and platform and
pulpit would ring with excavations of
Rome Rule" and "Popish domina-
ton" and all the other terrible things
familiar in the anti Catholic harangues
of the Protestant Ascendancy party in
Ireland.