Newspaper Page Text
For tii« BaJJEer of tie 80-rfix.
the inquisition.
. jt.-.j fr OXL the French, bv Rev. David Mote*.
number two.
The Inquisition is. as every one knows,
an ecclesiastical tribunal, erected by the
B<.verei*n Pontiffs for the extirpation of
heresy. .
That the Church has the right to
establish such a tribunal is a point which
rro ved from the nature of her mission.
The Popes, and as also Bishops, subject
t j their jurisdiction, have been constituted
J.v Jesus Christ as judges of the faith and
t 4 guardians of the souls committed to
their care. The first duty of the shep
herd is to watch over the safety of his
fl (} T ANARUS( go that none may wander from the
fnld, and perish for the want of care. So
: t i* with the Church. Those who have
the charge of souls, and are answerable
f or the same to Cod, are obliged to com
bat heresy wherever it is found, and in
terdict the propagation of any opinion
contrary to the faith; to warn those who
have been deceived, and to censure those
who resist their spiritual mandates, in
order to prevent them from seducing
others, and gravely compromising the in
terests of that Society which the Son of
Cod has founded. The Sovereign Pon
tiffs have been faithful to this obligation,
and have founded, from the beginning,
tribunals, the object of which was to
judge of things pertaining to the faith. In
those primitive times, however, the pun
ishments inflicted for heresy were purely
spiritual, and did not lead to any intefer
ence on the part of the civil power. The
penalty incurred was generally excommu
nication, by virtue of which the obstinate
heretic was expelled from Christian society
and deprived of all the spiritual advantages
to which all true believers were entitled.
It was different, however, when the Em
peror Constantine came to reconcile the
State with tire Church, and establish in
civil society institutions which were Chris
tian in their scope and conformation. The
Emperor, from this moment, became the
protector of the Church; or, to use the
language of the time, became her “outside
bishop, and it was in this crqiacity that
he claimed to himself the right of issuing
•diets against heretics, and of visiting them
wit), the penalties of imprisonment, exile,
or death.
lain new state of things was really ac
cepted throughout Europe, both by" the
people and by the Church. That part of
Europe which was Christian universally
admitted the maxim that Nations had the
right of placing religion, as being the
highest blessing for a State, under the same
protection as the property and lives of
itizeiw. Nor was it until more modern
times that this maxim came to be contest
ed. It exists, even in these days, though
somewhat weakened in its application, and,
wdth the exception of Belgium and the
(Tiited States, where religious liberty in
*‘p ibed in the laws has passed into society,
there is no Government that does not
claim to itself the right of forbidding ex
ternal religious acts contrary to the inter
ests of the State.
Ihe Church, on its side, willingly ac
cepted this new system which Constantine
hsd suggested and carried into etfect; for,
•he thought, with truth, that the action of
the two ’powers, in distinct connection and
m harmonious accord, could not hut serve
in a material manner the interests of both
society and religion. Accordingly, she
accepted the aid offered her by the secular
arm. The result of all this was another
consequence annexed to the penalty of
he) #sy. I* anew doctrine arose, the Church
examined it, and ii it found it contrary to
the Divine teaching, she visited it with
her anathema. If those who supported
tins strange doctrine submitted to her de
cision*, there was no further course pur
sued, no penalty incurred. But if they
persisted in their error, then the State iri-
• ‘•Tiered, i hose who obstinately propagat
,;u heresy in public or secret assemblies,
- siting or by public speaking, were re
garded as disturbers of the peace, and on
! n,a ? roun( l were punished with more or
severity, according a* the law pre
scribed. ihe action of the Church was.
therefore, indirect; the corporeal punish
inent did not emanate from her, but from
:,e 7 !V1: power which carried it into exe
lt,‘on * spiritual power did not de-
[ uaau h> \ herself the application, but she
hesitated not to accept it. S. Thomas
- 'd J |h<as toe greatest theologian of the
i r m ; a PP° rt! * this course adopted
. •£ Lliun h, and sustains his argument
Xf™ 01 * '; ravvn fr om reason and from the
highest authority.
, fl :tVt ter epo< % found itself as
‘ \ ‘ b - v p’ccts ot a dangerous character—
■ h the Cathares, the Patharins, Albi
-f th*’ ? '! n ? —and the action
‘'or**.,•„ ef< authority became, in
ilc fir f n • ’ mw® stringent and energetic.
-uidH eign 1 ° ntl?fs or ganized the In
■X^ l T * ne , w Noting, and no longer
nup tod tnemselves with merely con
-< 'iming erroneous doctrines, bu* cent
veciai ], gai , to the infected pans tr
; purpose of finding out these heretics
;; and f3eno ?ncmg them to the civil authori
j'rr h.ing the Pontificate of Innocent
Jht was chiefly the Monks of Citeaux
■ were charged wit h this mission. Thev
■ ?e m ark able for their zeal and the
.; ',7; ° ! ’ bei . r hves was beyond reproach,
' r ’’V iS TANARUS; which doubtless determined
From the time of Gregory IX, the
Dominicans succeeded to tlfeir'inission. as
their order had been specially created ’for
the conversion of those who Lad departed
trorn the faith. 7 hese temporary missions
gave rise to permanent commissions or tri
bunals of heresy, which were properly
called tribunals oj the Inquisition.
In certain countries—and, notably in
Spain—the principle came to be ab»sed.
The Princes saw the results which were
obtained by these tribunals, and the pow
erf'd influence which they exercised upon
Christian population*, and were not slow
to make the institutions serve their own
peculiar ends. They turned it. from the
object for which it had been established,
changed the spirit which marked its ope
rations, and made it an instrument for the
exclusive purposes of the State. The
Sovereign Pontiffs protested against this
manifest encroachment which tended to
counterfeit the action of the spiritual au
thority and compromise it before the
world; but trheir remonstrances were in
vain. They pretended not to hear them,
and if, in certain cases, little deference was
shown to the Head of the Church, it was
merely to go through an empty formality,
but with no intentions to obey.
'The Church thus found itself forced to
take most active measures for the sup
pression of this evil. The first appearance
of the Reformation supplied it with a
favorable opportunity. The danger was
now more imminent and pressing, and it
became necessary to organize its plans of
resistance upon a larger scale, and in some
measure to centralize its efforts. Pope
Paul 111 was equal to the task. He sup
pressed all the tribunals of the Inquisition
which had already been established in dif
ferent parts of Europe, and instituted in
their stead a Congregation of six Cardinals,
vested with inquisitorial jurisdiction over
the whole Catholic world. Pius V carried
this number to eight, and likewise extend
ed the limits of their power. Finally,
Sextus V organized anew the Roman
Curial, and increased the number to fifteen,
to whom he confided all the various de
partments of the ecclesiastical regime. r fhe
institution now assumed the name of the
lltly Offire, or the Universal Congregation
of the Inquisition. This supreme tribunal
takes cognizance of cases of manifest
heresy, of schism, of apostacy, of magic,
of the abuse of the Sacraments, and of
other crimes which bear the character of
presumptive heresy. It is not the place
here to enter into detail, and describe
minutely its peculiar organization, or its
mode of procednie. Suffice it to say that,
from the beginning, no effort lias been
spared to enlighten the conscience of the
Judge, and protect the interests of the ac
cused. Thus the counsellors, whose duty
it is to examine cases within the compe
tency of this tribunal, are nominated by
the Pope himself, and chosen from amongst
the learned theologians of the Catholic
world. These counsellors have not a de
liberative voice ; they are restricted to the
simple office of exposing facts und pro
posing the sentence. Debates on different
grounds, both for and against, are carried
on, and it is only after mature investiga
tion, that this sentence is pronounced.
The accused is left every means of self
defence, and this he can conduct himself
or through the medium of his advocate.
The Cardinals, who form part of the Holy
Office, are alone called upon to decide; the
Pope is usually with them to preside, and
if he is absent for any special reason, the
verdict must be submitted to him in writing
for his supreme approval. An organiza
tion of this kind is the best guarantee for
the maintenance of justice as well as for the
interests of humanity. The age in which
the tribunal of the Inquisition was founded,
was that in which Spain and Portugal had
recourse to the auto-da-fe , and in which
France erected her chambres ardentes
against the progress of heresy. It was ini
this age, likewise, that Henry VIII tor
tured, or put to death, seventy thousand of
of his subjects, whose only crime was that
of holding opinions different from his own,
and that Queen Elizabeth practiced the
most refined cruelties upon all those who
subscribed to the Catholic Faith. But.
during this epoch, when deeds of blood
were so rife on every side, it cannot be said
that any were put to death by the action
of the Roman Inquisition. This spirit of
mildness which characterized its com
mencement has never departed from it, and
it will be difficult to adduce one solitary
example of a capital sentence emanating
from its tribunal. Thus, when we come to
examine things impartially, we find that
the Inquisition which the enemies of the
Church have held up to the execration of
mankind as practicing the most unheard of
cruelties, has. on the contrary, been one of
the mildest of institutions in its spirit and
operation.
But what proves more clearly than any
thing the truth of what we allege, is the
fact that, during the whole period of the
eighteenth century, an age so remarkable
for its skill in sophistry, and in the art of
lying, only one reproach for severity was
brought against the Inquisition. This was
the famous case of Galileo; who, it was
pretended suffered persecution on account
of his astronomical discoveries. But. if we
leave aside for a moment our preconceived
ideas on the point, and endeavor to exam
ine with an unbiassed mind the nature
of the ease, we shall see that Galileo was
not persecuted as an astronomer, but as a
perverter of the principles of theology;
that he was not condemned because he
maintained that the earth moved round the
sun—a principle which Copernicus had
openly taught b#for# him with impunity—
but Decause he sought to adduce the
sacred Scriptures in support of his novel
bmlib
system, and to elevate his astronomical
principle to the dignity oi a dogma of faith.
And, with regard to the alleged cruelty
with which he was treated by the Inquisi
tion, it will be seen by a letter which he
wrote himself to Father Reeeneri, his dis
ciple, that the reproach has no foundation.
“The Pope,” he wrote, “thought me worthy
of his esteem. I was located in the beau
tiful palace of Trinita da Monta. * * *
When I arrived at the Holy Office, I was
invited to make my apology. I was
obliged to retract my opinion as a good
Catholic. To punish me, I was forbidden
to write any more dialogues, and, afterfive
months’ sojourn in Rome, they gave me
leave to depart. I enjoyed there so great
tranquility of mind, that I betook myself
to my usual studies and succeeded in
proving a great part of my mechanical
propositions upon the resistance of fluids.
As the plague had ceased in
Florence, I was permitted to go to the coun
try. I then went to my house in Belve
dere, and from thence to iny other house
at Arcestri, where I am at present, enjoy
ing the pure air near tojmy native spot.”*
I his letter ought to be known to every
one, for it has been published more than
twenty times-as also the letters ofGuich
ardini, and of Marquis Nicolini, tlie Ambas
sador of Florence, accredited to the Court
of Rome. Everything attests that Galileo
was treated by the Holy Office with every
mark of attention and delicacy. The his
tory of his persecution has not the faintest
semblance of truth.
Those good people who feel the tears
arise at the remembrance of his pretended
martyrdom would do well to examine these
well authenticated documents that bear
upon the point, and then they would see
that their opinions were based upon a
fiction, and that the mournful images pic
tured to their minds from a perusal of
those falsified accounts, were nothing more
in substance than the airy phantoms which,
as books tell us, dance their myth dances
upon the surface of haunted lakes.
Catholic guttflligewe.
God Save Ireland.
High upon the gallows-tree,
Swung the noble-hearted three,
By flie vengeful tyrant—-stricken in tlieir bloom:
But they met him face to face,
With the courage of their race.
And they went with souls undaunted to tlieir doom. 3
“God save Ireland!” said the heroes,
“God save Ireland!” said they all;
“Whether on the scaffold high,
Or the battle-field we die.
Oh! what matter, when for Erin dear we fall!”
Girt around with cruel loes,
Still their spirit proudly rose,
For they thought of friends that loved them far and
near;
Os the millions true and brave
O'er the oeflftu's swelling wave,
And the frieuds in holy Ireland ever dear.
“God save Ireland \” said they proudly,
“God save Ireland !” said they all;
‘‘Whether on the scaffold high",
Or the battle-field we die,
Gh ! what matter, when for Erin dear we fall!”
Climbed they up the rugged stair,
Rung their voires out in prayer,
Then with England’s fatal cord around them cast,
Close beneat h the gallows-tree,
Kissed like brothers, lovingly,
True to Home, and Faith, and Freedom to the last.
“God save Ireland !” prayed they loudly,
“God save Ireland!” said they all!
“Whether on the gallows high,
Or the battle-field we die,
Oh! what matter, when for Erin dear we tall!”
Never till the latest day
Shall the memory pass away
Os the gallant lives thus given for our land;
But on the cause must go,
Amidst joy, or weal, or woe,
Till we make our Isle a nation free and grand.
“God save Ireland! ” say we proudly,
“God save Ireland!” say we all:
‘Avhether on the scaffold high,
Or the battle-field we die,
Oh! what matter, when for Erin dear we fall!”
Jiequiescat in I'avP! Amen.
[Loudon Universal Xetvs.
[From the Freeman's Journal.]
Death of Rev. Francis J. Peeters.—
We regret very much to hoar of tiie
death, by small-pox, of this estimable
gentleman, at the close of last week.
Father Peeters was Pastor of the Church
of the Most Holy Trinity, in Detroit ;
and was a native of Belgium. Req. in
pars.
Ordination of Priests in Texas.—
From the Brownsville, Texas, Sentinel ,
we learn that two Priests were ordained
in the Catholic Church in Brownsville,
on the 17th of January. Their names
were Thomas Lozano, and Santiago
Silva. The consecrator is reported as
Bishop Martinez—a Mexican Bishop, we
suppose, officiating across the Rio Grande
at the invitation of the Ordinary of the
Diocese of Galveston, Bishop Dubuis.
Consecration of the Bight Rev.
I SNATH'S Mrak.— This Prelate, appoint
ed to succeed the late apostolic Bishop
Baraga, as Bishop of Marquette, in Up
per Michigan, was consecrated in the
Cathedral of Cincinnati, on Sunday last,
February 7th. Archbishop Purcell was
the Consecrator, assisted by Bishop
Lefevre of Detroit, and Luers of Fort
Wayne. The Bev. Dr. Weninger, S. J.,
preached the sermon. The Catholic
Telegraph says that Bishop Mrak, like
his predecessor, is a native of Austria,
for very many years a Missionary among
the Indians of that region, and acquaint
ed with several of their details.
Poor Suffering Ireland. —The well
known Protestant writer upon the Irish
Church question, Dr. Maziere Brady, has
published the names of 199 Irish parishes
in which there is not a single member of
the Established Church. The Doctor
thus summarises the extent and popula-
i (
Hon of these districts, and the London
Jxpgister remarks in doing- so, that “ht
recals to memory the words of
Macaulay, that the world never yet saw,
in any age or in any country, so great
an iniquity and insult, to a people of
another faith, as the ‘Garrison Church,’
of the sister isle.”
‘ The total Roman Catholic population
of these 199 parishes is 28,229. Their
area extends over more than 557,000
acres. Their ecclesiastical revenues ex
ceed £lo,ooo per annum. About eigh
teen of them being impropriate, appear
to possess no Church revenue. The
smallest of these parishes in area is
Killarney in Ossory, a rectory appro
priate to the economy fund of St. (Janice
Cathedra], and covering 155 acres. This
small parish does not appear in Knox’s
Index, but is mentioned in the recent
Church Commission Report. The largest
of these parishes in Aghamore, in Timm,
which extends over 12,510 acres. The
average Roman Catholic population of
these 192 parishes is 493 and the aver
age area in acres is 2,799.”
The Pope Pit’ Him Out —The follow
ing is too good to be lost. Father
Hecker, the indefatigable Lecturer in
behalf ot the faith, was lecturing in De
troit, quite recently, on “Luther and the
Reformation.” The arguments of the
Rev. Father grated rather harshly on the
ears of a certain Rev. Mr. M’Grath, who
felt himself called upon to reply. The
affair is thus described by the Missis
sippi correspondent of the Pittsburgh
Catholic : “A Rev. Mr. M’Grath under
took to reply to the same lecture in the
town of Jackson, in this State, and made
a “point” which deserves to be placed
on record. Pev. Father Hecker shows
that Luther ceased to he able to reform
the Church the moment that he left it,
since the reformation of a thing must
take place within it. The Rev. Mr.
M’Grath “overturns” this, by declaring
(as reported in the Jackson Citizen, a
paper which is edited by an apostate
Catholic Irishman,) that Luther “ didn't
leave the Church The Pope put him
outr
Dr. Rogers’ Lecture.— Our readers
know that this eminent gentleman was a
prominent minister in the Episcopal
Church, but by the working of Divine
Grace he has been led into the One Fold
of the One Shepherd. In taking this
step, he himself says: “After mature de
liberation, I have ascended the cross,”
etc How this is, can only be appreci
ated by those who have taken a similar
step. Nothing is more necessary than
to state that he is the father of a large
family of children depending upon him,
and that lie has given up, or as he again
says, “sundered dear ties of friendship
and affection, and left my family without
the pecuniary resources of a profession
which would always have furnished them
with bread and raiment.” We trust,
and indeed know, that nothing more is
necessary to be said by us on this sub
ject to induce our readers to attend on
Monday night. But independent of these
considerations, we assure our readers that
from information we have received, they
will enjoy a rich treat in listening to the
exposition of Dr. Rogers on the question
that now divides the Episcopal Church
in Great Britain and America, and
threatens its entire disruption,
At the time Dr. Rogers was received
into the Catholic Church in St. Louis,
Providence directed the mind and heart
of the partner of his cares and joys, the
mother of his children, to take the same
step, in England, and now he has the
happiness, in his wordly estrangement, of
knowing that his whole family belongs to
the Church of Christ.
We remember of one providential in
stance of this kind occurring before.
Our late esteemed fellow-citizen, J. II;
Caldwell, professed himself a Catholic in
New Orleans, and his son had done the
same, the same day, in Rome, without
previous concert. They were to meet a
short time after in New York Each
dreaded the reproaches of the other on
meeting ; but what was their mutual joy
on ascertaining the actual state of things,
we leave to our readers to imagine.
j xY. O. Morning Star.
Diocese of. Little Rock.— The Sa
crament of Confirmation was administer
ed in the Cathedral on Sunday last to
sixty-two persons, of whom ten were con
verts to the Chueli.
The Cathedral has been renovated, and
is now quite a neat and attractive little
church. You will be glad to hear that
all our schools are liourishing. and that
we are compelled to enlarge them in order
to accommodate the increasing number
of pupils.
In spite of wars and rumors of wars,
Arkansas is growing fast and real estate
of every kind advancing in value. One
other such year as last, and our people
would be rich--As it is, they are now in
far better condition than anv time since
the commencement of the war.
4foMott gtoirs.
IRLAND.
„ j* understood that J. F. Maguire,
will visit Newtownlimivady,
- agheiafelt, and other towns in the
county Derry next week, with the object
() n cenmg statistics from the tenantry
ot the London Companies, for use in the
ouse of omrnons, when he brings on
ns motion. We have beard it is in con
templation to entertain Mr. Maguire at a
public dinner at JNewtonlimivady or
perhaps m the city of Derry.—ik )T)/
Journal, Jonuarg 18. ‘ '
■! monthly fair ot Camloustb, county
of Armagh, was held on January 18.
The weather was very unpropitious, and
the show of cattle was consequently very
small. Anything in the shape of beef
was in good demand, and the animals
were eagerly bought up by local fleshers
at the rate of (id. to 7d. per lb., sinking
tlie offal, Store cattle were in moderate
request, and'priees were in tiie ascend
ant. Two year old heifers and bullocks
ranged from £5 to £lO each, and year
lings from £o to £4. Milch cows wore
scarce, and the few disposed of brought
from £lO to £l2 each.
The January fair of Dundalk was held
on January 20, and was numerously
attended. The supply of fat cattle was
unusually largoe Some of the beast*
were in line condition, and the demand
was brisk, and prices high. Prime beef
may be quoted at from Gss to 75s Gd,
and second class from 56s to GOs. The
supply of sheep was not equal to the
demand, and good mutton rated at 5Vd
to per lb.
A meeting of the electors of Drogheda
has been held, and has adopted resolu
tions disapproving oi the decision of
Judge Keogh in the petition against Mr.
\\ hitworth. As one of the effects of that
decision disqualifies Mr.|Whitworth from
offering himself again for the seat, or
holding any office or dignity for seven
years, it has been decided to bring for
ward his son at the next flection.
On January sth, the solemn and
inposing ceremonies of Profession and
Reception took place in the ebapd of the
Convent of Mercy, Ballinrobe. county of
Mayo. The officiating clergyman was
the Rev, Thomas Bardiman, P. P„ assis
ted by the Rev. M. Brennan, C. C. The
young lady professed was Miss Delia
King, daughter of Peter King, Esq., of
Leenane; also, on the same dav, Miss
Yorke, daughterof Austin Yorke, Esq.,
Galway—in religion Sister Mary Made
line—was received into the holy
Sisterhood.
Wc- are happy to be able to record a
steady decrease in the criminal statistics
of county At the Quarter Sessions for
this division of Fermanagh, held last
week, there were only two cases for
trial, and one trial only took place; while
at Newtownbutler, a few days previous
the agreeable duty of presenting the
Barrister with a pair of white glows
(not the first time he had to perform it)
devolved on the sub-sheriff, M. iI. Mor
phy, Esq.— Mail, January 21.
The members of the North Kerry
Teachers’ Association held their monthly
meeting in Listowel on January l(h
Mr. M. Cussen, secretary. A resolution
was proposed and unanimously agreed to
re-electing the chairman and secretary
for the year 1869. A Mutual Improve
ment Society was then proposed and
agreed to. Other matters having been
discussed, the meeting adjourned. 0
Information wanted of Cornelius
M’Dowell, of Belfast; when last heard
of (three or four years since) had sailed
from Jamaica for New Orleans. Any in
formation concerning him will he -ratc
fnlly received by his affiieted father? Mr.
John M’Dowell, 13 Union-place, Beifast. *
or by T. 11., AstonVquay. Dublin.
the Irish bishops have been holding a
meeting at Dublin, to condder what ought
to be their course with reference to rl.e
proposed disestablishment of the Irish
Church.
M e regret to state, says the Irish Times ,
that on inquiry, on January Istb # at th«
residence of Mr. Carleton, we were in
formed that his condition had become
much worse, and little hopes were enter
tained of Lis recovery.
With deep regret we announce the death
of Mr. Michael Cleary, which took place
on January 22, at his residence 140 Great
Britain street. Mr. Cleary was one of the
most independent members of the Nation
alist party In Dublin. His purse was
always open whenever his creed or his
country required his assistance.— Dublin,
Nation.
According to the returns, obtained by
the enumerators, the number of emigrants
who left the ports of Ireland during the
quarter ending 30th September last,
amounted to 14,259—7,044 males and
0,515 females—being 4.216 less than the
number who emigrated during the corres
ponding quarter of 1807.
3