The Irish standard., 1917-02-03
Anglican Orders Not
Recognized BY Pope
Some Leading Facts Recalled Which
Make Plain the Attitude Of the Cath
olic Church.

A few weeks ago there appeared in
the newspapers a despatch from
Washington saying, among other
strange things, that the Pope was
about to appoint Commission of four
Cardinals to re.examine the question
of the validity of Anglican Orders.
This extraordinary despatch has
given rise to a cloud of articles and
expressions of opinion which, for the
most part, display but little more
knowledge than the despatch itself.
Assuming, from the number of these
references, that sufficient interest is
taken in the matter to render accepta-
BILE very short statement of the facts
regarding it, we purpose making such
statement.
1t may be said with certainty that
there is no ground for the assertion
that there is to be any further exam
ination of the question of the validity
of Anglican Orders. That question
leading Anglicans themselves, acting
through some French clerical friends,
determined by a most solemn judg-
ment of the Holy See, pronounced the
18th day of September, 1896. The
decision was given after an exhaustive
inquiry, first, by Commission of
specialists, number of whom were
selected because Of their known dis
position to favor change of practice
in regard to the treatment of the
orders of Anglican clerical converts,
and secondly, by Il council of Cardi-
nails, to whom the results of the Com
missions inquiry were referred, and
who were unanimously in favor of the
decision as given by the Holy Father.
According to the best opinion, that
decision is final and irrevocable.
The following facts an considera-
tions regarding it are worthy of atten-
ton:
!. The decision was, as stated, the
result of steps taken by some leading
High Church Anglicans, notably Lord
Halifax; the Bishop of Salisbury, the
Rev. T. A.'Lacey, and Father Fuller of
the Cowley Fathers, the two last
named of whom visited and remained
in Rome throughout the deliberations
OF the Commission, prompting with
voice and pen those of the Commits
sioners who were believed to favor
decision acceptable to them, and SUBJ
hitting more than one written work
upon the subject.
2. These High Church Anglicans
reached the Roman authorities
through a number of French Catholic
ecclesiastics, of whom one Of the most
active was the Able Portal, Lazarist,
who visited Rome with Lord Halifax,
and passed as his chaplain. being even
presented to the Pope as such. He
convinced the Able Duchesne of Paris
of the desrability of the change
sought for, and the latter was made
a member of the Commission.
3. Through the efforts of these
Anglicans and their fiends in France,
the Pope and numbers of the clergy of
Rome, quite unaware of the fact that
all Anglicans were not of Lord Hall
fax's religious sentiments, were for
time in and following the year 1894 led
into the astounding belief that the
English people were on the point of
submitting to the Holy See. Many of
them would not listen to the assur-
ances of the Catholic Bishops and
clergy of England that this was pure
myth.
4. Cardinal Vaughan and the lead
ing Catholic theologians and historians
of England advised most strongly
against the opening of the question, as
entirely uncalled for, and as likely, in
its determination to arouse ill-feeling.
5. The latter were, however,
strongly in favor, once it was under
taken, of having the question very
fully examined and settled by defin-
lite and final decision. After the Com
mission was appointed, it was repre-
sented to the Pope that an English
priest, Father Scannell, was believed
to favor the validity of Anglican Or
ders; the Holy Father sent for him,
Cardinal Vaughan paid his expenses to
Rome, and he was made member of
the Commission.
6. The following were the men,
bers of the Commission, of whom it is
said that four entered upon their work
with predisposition towards the decis-
ion making the matter at least doubt
full, and thus causing change in the
practice of the Church from uncon-
ditional to conditional ordination of
converts from the ranks of the Angli-
can clergy: Cardinal Mazzela pres
ident); Mgr. Gasparri (now Cardinal
Secretary of STATED; the Able Duches-
ne; Padre De Augustinis, of the