THE ROMAN CATHOLIC PEERS' PROTEST.
[TO THE EDITOR, OP THE "SPECTATOR."]
SIEr4Ilay I point out that you seriously misrepresent Cardinal Vaughan in your "News of the Week" in the Spectator of February 16th ? The Cardinal in his pastoral letter neither uses the words "as for peace-parted souls,"
nor any phrase which can be thus summarised. His references are wholly to "the souls of her own children," "members of oin. Church," "deceased Catholics." The para- graph succeeding those quoted from runs as follows :—" At the same time we may remind you that it is lawful to those who believe that any persons have departed out of this life in union with the soul of the Church, though not in her external
communion, to offer privately prayers and good works for 'their release from purgatory. The Church herself forms no judgment upon a matter which must remain the secret between God and the individual soul." The teaching contained in this extract is wholly opposed to that which your note suggests rather than affirms to be taught by the Cart1ien1 and held by the Church. When it seemed from telegraphic summaries that requiems were being celebrated for the Queen's soul in different parts of the Empire, many Catholics were aggrieved that they in England were forbidden masses for the dead. Subsequent information has shown the report of requiems to be incorrect, and Mgr. Stanley's letters to the Times have made it clear that responsibility rests not with Cardinal Vaughan, but with the Congregation of the Holy Office. It may still be permitted Catholics to regret that the Cardinal did not follow up the paragraph quoted by one urging his clergy and people to remember the Queen in their masses and prayers, and an intimation that he himself was offering the Holy Sacrifice for her soul ; that no popular service was ordered on the afternoon of the day of funeral similar to that held on Sunday; that the Cardinal did not return from Rome to be among his flock at a time of great national sorrow, unless his health forbade the journey to England. In two points your note seems to miss the point in its comparison of the King's oath with Cardinal Vaughan's pastoral. The Catholic Peers complain of the oath "branding with contu- melious epithets" certain doctrines of their faith. Your note represents the doctrine as harsh, but the language is as moderate and decorous as the expression of so terrible a proposition will allow. In the second place, the relation of the Cardinal to those outside his Commttnion and the King's position towards his Catholic subjects are very dissimilar and imply very different obligations.—I am, Sir, &c.,
BERTRAM WILSON.
[Unintentionally, no doubt, our correspondent has misrepre- sented our contention. In the first place, we wee's most careful to say that the words " peace-parted " were not Cardinal Vaughan's. Cardinal Vaughan says: "0 public religious services for the dead the Catholic Church knows of none but such as she has instituted for the souls of her own children. For them the Requiem. Mass, the solemn absolution, and the Catholic funeral office form the only memorial service for the dead in her Liturgy, sive praesente sive absente caclavere." And he says later: "Of other rites for the dead the Church has none." The Cardinal then asks : "What, then, can we do ? " and adds : "Where there are church bells they will be tolled as a sign of mourning and the national flag may be run up half-mast either within ot without the precincts of our churches." We said that the pastoral "was a shock to many Protestants who hoped and believed that a more tolerant spirit now prevailed in the B,ornan Church," and to that view we adhere. However that may be, we hold that the King should make no declaration and take no oath in any sense offensive to Roman Catholics, and we consider that legislation to that effect should be carried out. The Sovereign must remain a Protestant, but he must not officially condemn or in the slightest degree reflect on the religious opinions of his Roman Catholic subjects. Any pro- posals in this direction will have our warmest support. —ED. Spectator.]
Previous page
