The Irish standard., 1918-05-04

Rome, March 17.-On yesterday for
the first time in 700 years the Irish
in Rome gathered around the Papal
Throne to hear the Vicar of Christ
raise one of their countrymen to the
Affairs of the Church. The former &C.
casion was the Canonization Of st.
Lawrence O'Toole, Archbishop Of Dub
lin, which took place at the Lateran
on December IL, 1926, under Pope
Honorius II. This happened before
the Vatican became place Of resi-
dence for the Popes and before the
building of modern st. Peters was
even thought. These details lend
color to the ceremony of yesterday,
when the Irish with Americans, Aus
tralians, Canadians and Scots gathered
in the Vatican to hear read the Decree
declaring the truth of the martyrdom
of Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop of Ar
magh and Primate of Ireland.
In the same hall were many French
and Canadians to hear read the De-
cree of Canonization of Margaret Mary
Alocoque. The capacity of the Throne
Room is 300. OF those present about
two.thirds were of the O's and the
Macs. Among those present on this
historic occasion were Cardinal Van
nutelli, Patron of the Cause of Oliver
Plunkett; Cardinal Vico, Patron of the
Cause of Blessed Margaret Mary; the
members of the Papal Court on each
side of Pope Benedict; the prelates of
the S. Congregation of Rites; Msgr.
Dontenwille, Archbishop of Tolemaide,
General of the o. M. l.; Msgr Zongi,
Archbishop of Collosi, representing the
Association of S. Francis de Sales;
Father Cimino, General of the o. F..
M; Msgr. Giobbe, Rector of Propa-
ganda, with the students of Austria
lasia; Msgr. O'Riordan, Rector; DR..
Hagan, Vice-Rector, and the students
Of the Irish College; Msgr. O'Hern,
Msgr. Mahony, Spiritual Director, and
the students of the American College;
Father Fontaine, Superior of the Inter
national House in Rome of the Vim
centians; DR.. O'Gorman, Assistant
General of the o. S. A., with the
priests and novices of St. Patrick's
Church; Father Murphy, Father Mack
sey, S. j., Father O'Rourke, S. j., Pro.
fessors (Gregorian) Definiter General
of the Reformed Cistercians; Father
Coffey, Guardian, and Father Carey
Vicar, and the priests and novices OF
S. 1sidore's; Father Nolan, o. p, with
the priests and novices of S. Glenn
ente; Father Conry, Canon of St.
Marks; Dr. Redmond, Vice Rector
and the students 600 per cent of them
are Hibernians) of the English Col
lege; Father Casey, Consultor General
of the P. S. NJ; the priests and nov.
ices of the Missionaries of LA Sa
lette'; the Irish Christian Brothers;
Commentators O'Neill; Father O'Gra
dy and the novices of the Carmelites
Ancient Observance; Father Connol
ly, Toronto, Canada; Father LIE Flech
Rector of French College; Father Ho
gan, U. S. A. The occasion was his
toric, one to be recalled in after years
In a special seat the Pope's wild
owed sister, Countess Persico, assisted
at the reading of the two DEGREES by
Msgr. Verdi, Secretary of the Sacred
Congregation of Rites, first that relat
ing to Blessed Margaret Mary, next
that concerning the Venerable Oliver
Plunkett.
The Decree on Blessed Margaret
Mary read, an address of thanks to
the Holy Father was presented by
the Most Rev. Archbishop Virili, Pos.
tulator of the Cause.
Thanks Of the Irish People.
At the close of the Decree on the
Venerable Oliver Plunkett, Msgr.
O'Riordan, Postulator of the Cause,
read an address which is in part as
follows:
Most Holy Father:
Through the Decree which Your
Holiness publishes today you enable
Ireland to pay Oliver Plunkett debt
which she has owed him for nearly
two centuries and half. In July,
1881, he was condemned to death in
London, and was consigned to a grave
of legal dishOnor. But Gods ways are
not mans ways. Your Decree of to-
day contradicts that condemnation
and solemnly assigned to him that
honor in which Ireland has always
held him, and which historians, non
Catholic as well as Catholic, have &C
corded him.
The way of civil and religious right
has progressed in Ireland since those
days, when Oliver Plunkett left his
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