THE NEW PAPAL DECREE.
[To TER EDITOR or Ti's "SPROTATOR."] Stn,—The Press Agency of the United Irish League, in its letter in the Spectator of January 27th, appropriately quotes from a letter of Bishop O'Donnell—the particular bishop who has been in the habit of signing jointly with Mr. Redmond the United Irish League's yearly appeal for money—in the hope of allaying public indignation at the new Motu Proprio. Bishop O'Donnell did not come to the relief of the Separatist leaders in the columns of the Freeman's Journal until after I bad sent you my last letter. He, like the late Cardinal Cullen, is a canon lawyer, what Archbishop Walsh calls "an export in canon law," and the United Irish League, manifestly rely- ing on his opinion on the new Motu Proprio, informs us that he was professor of canon law at Maynooth. Archbishop Walsh, who was President of Maynooth when Bishop O'Donnell was one of the professors, has given us his estimate of such expert opinion, which is : " In the canon law, as in the law of England, the opinion of a lawyer of even the highest authority, whilst it may well justify the action of any one who relies on it, is not an authoritative decision. Such can only be given by the supreme tribunal "—which is the Pope of Rome. The new decree warns the faithful against such experts
thus : " Sometimes, moreover, on the part of jurists there are such contrary opinions that the law cannot be otherwise ascertained than by an authoritative pronouncement." And it discards all such "adroit interpretations," and lays down the law clearly so that there may be no mistake. Cardinal Cullen raised no doubts in Ireland as to the penalty of excommunication imposed by Pius IX.'s Constitution of 18G9, and reimposed by the new Motu Proprio, on legislators and Government officials who issue and execute laws infringing on the prerogatives of the Roman Church. That was in no doubt, and the Separatist leaders, judging by their awesome silence, are keenly alive to their risks under this branch of the decree. What we now know, on Pius IX.'s supreme authority, is that private individuals who bring actions against ecclesiastics without the leave of the Inquisition—alias Holy Office—will be likewise excommunicated. In the face of this the United Irish League may rely on its canon lawyer if it will—we shall all be retaining our favourite canon lawyers after Home Rule— but the public will prefer the " authoritative decision " of the Pope, which must stand until modified by the same "supreme
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