IRELAND, Archbishop Murray has published a letter in the Dublin
Evening Post to correct an erroneous representation of his opinions regarding the Queen's Colleges.
The Tablet attributed to hint the opinion that "no Catholic student could, under any circumstances, attend without sin the lectures to be given in the newly-established Queen's Colleges." This " mistake appears to have arisen from a supposition of mine, perhaps a vm, unfounded one, that the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda was impressed with a notion of that kind when the first rescript regarding the Colleges was issued, and when it was not, of course, accurately acquainted with the various checks against the inroads of irreligion and immorality which were then in preparation." Dr. Murray says—" On reviewing the two rescripte of which there is question, I cannot discover in either of them any declaration to that effect; and it is neither my duty nor my wish to make any addition to them. The Sacred Congrega- tion—always prudent, always dignified—gives no countenance in those docu- ments to the absurdity of applying the epithet of `Godless' to institutions which comprise ministers of religion, appointed for the express purpose of teaching the students to adore and love and serve God. It calmly expresses its doubts as to how far the proposed cheeks against irreligion would be sus- tained, by the laws of these realms, which it professes not to understand ; it indicates other grounds of fear, which lead it to apprehend that the new Col- leges would not be sufficiently safe for the general education of Catholic youth ; and it therefore enjoins the Catholic Bishops to take no part in the execution of the law in virtue of which they were to be established. I do not find any other distinct prohibition in those rescripts. With this *junction I at once pledged myself to the Holy See that I would strictly conform." But, says he, "I stop here ; and will not anticipate what future declarations may emanate from the supreme authority."
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