Year: 1869

Cardinal CuIleu on Rome and the Fenaus.


Cardinal Cullen has issued pastoral to the clergy
of his diocese ON the subject OF tne S me s
testant press that the Bishops are called together
ito condemn everything favorable to true liberty
and progress, and to give to some fond inventions
of the human mind the character OF Cathollc doc
trnes and to impose on the faithful the necessity of
believing in them" He asks the Catholics 10 walt IN
patience until the Head of the Church shall have
published the DEGREES of the synod. He begs of his
reverend brethren to exhort young men VINO are en-
gagged i'm secret societies, such as the Fenians, to
abandon them and TO listen to the warnings OF reli
zion ON this subject he observes -'ManV of them,
lam sure nave no malice in what they are doing;
they are smple-mnded and unsuJpecting young men
gradually drawn into bad company, and only the
dunes of Others who wish to make tools OF them for
their own evil purposes. They think that they are
acting in a spirit Of PATRIOTISM out in reality they
are endeavoring TO Introduce system which would
bring ruin and desOlation on the country. See what
evils have inundated Italy and Spain since secret
societies have got the mastery in them Undoubtedly,
under similar rule, Ireland would share the same
fate and bloodshed, anarchy, and irrelgiOn would
be our lot Point out these evils reverend brethren,
to your focks, and endeaNor 10 preserve them
from destruction. Let them also know that if
they belong to the Fenians, or to any
other secret or unlawful organization, they
incur the penalty of accommodation, are cut
off like rotten branches from the mystic vine, and
cannot participate in the blessings of the Jubilee.
Yon will, moreover, remind your fiocks that those
who cOuntenance and encourage such secret soce-
ties as much under the ban OF the Church as
those who are members, and that no member or
votary OF condemned societies can be absolved un-
less he absndons all connection with them Incul-





Many good young men who have been led astray by
bad example will derive salvation from your words,
and you will not have labored in vain, though you
may have regret that some leaders OF the organza
tion, imbued with Continental in1delity, may
despise the teaching and laugh at the Censures OF
the Church The articles which appear in some Ee-
nian newspapers, both at home and abroad give evil
dence of their designs, and OF the spirit that ami
mates them. The state of Ireland is referred to by
him in the following terms -"There is another sin
which has lately stained some few parts of this
country but which, fortunately, is known in this
diocese onlv by the reports which reach US from
other dstricts-I mean the dreadful crime of murder
Every Christian should be inspired with the greatest
horror Of crime which is expressly prohibited by
God himself; and every one should recOllect the
dreadful denunciations with which 1t is condemned
in the inspired pages. Cursed says the Book of
Deuteronomy, 'be he that secretly keth his neigh
bor and all the people shall say, amen. Cursed
be he that aketh gifts to slay an innocent person,
and all the people shall say amen.' (Deut. xvii,
24) The murderer, like Cain, is agitated by the
OF his conscience, the cries OF his victim con-
tlnuay resound in his ears, every shadow fills him
with terror, and he feels that the mark of the Divine
vengeance is branded on his forehead. Happily, as
| said. this crime Is unknown in this district; It Is
held in abomnation everywhere, and it was never
congenal to the Irish heart. only refer to it in
order to beg of you to maintain among your fiocks
the greatest horror Of what is so hateful to God lest
by hearing reading of the wicked deeds of Others
they should look with indifference on one Of the
greatest and most horrible of crimes"