licae Anglicanae, benedictionem ac gratiarum abundantiam apprecamur, quibus foecundati labores Vestri in dies magis fructificent, ipsa Ecclesiae in dies firmiora fundamenta ac majora incrementa accipiat, in pristinum perfectionis et prosperitatis gradum assurgat, ac eum gloriae splendorem recuperet quo olim in orbe catholico refulsit. In nomine omnium Episcoporum Helvetiae-Stephani, Episcopi Lausannensis; Nicolai Francisci, Episc. Coire; Caroli Joannis, Episc. St. Gall; Stephani, Episc. Bethlemen, in partibus, Abbatis St. Maurice; Gaspari, Episc. Hebronensis i. p., Vicarii Apostolici Genevae; Gaspari, Episc. Antipatren. i. p., Auxiliarii Curiensis. PETRUS JOSEPHUS, Episcopus Sion, Senior. Sion, in Valais, die 4 Junii, 1873. THE DOCUMENTS. HE following documents refer to a triduum of public prayers which is to be performed throughout the Church on the 12th, 13th, and 14th August next. The Pope has granted seven years indulgence for each time any one attends the triduum, and a plenary indulgence to all who attend three times, and go to confession and communion during the triduum on the festival, or during the octave. LETTER OF THE PIOUS UNION OF ROME, ADDRESSED TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CHURCH. Illme. et Rme. Domine. Pergratum Tibi fore confido, si nomine Societatum Foederis Piani supplicem nostrum libellum ad SS. D. N. Pium IX. P. M., Ejusque responsa Tibi exhibeam. Pietati Tuae et singulari, quo Catholicam Religionem foves, studio rem totam committens, manum Tuam humillime deosculor. Romae die festo Pentecostes, 1 Iunii, 1873. Ex Aedibus Comitatus Foederis Piani ad Carcerem Mamertinum. PAULUS EQUES MENCACCI, PETITION OF THE PIOUS UNION OF ROME TO THE POPE. Beatissime Pater. I. SUPPLEX LIBELLUS. In coetu Foederis Piani Societatum Catholicarum Romae nonis maii initum fuit communi consensione consilium, omnium Christifidelium, si fieri posset, pietatem fraterna charitate excitandi, ut in triduum catholici omnes, in singulis orbis terrae partibus, eodem tempore, poenitentia et precibus vim, ut ita loquamur, Deo inferant, ut incolumitatem et triumphum Sanctitatis Tuae, et Ecclesiae in his temporum difficultatibus impetrent. Quam nostri Foederis mentem maxime probarunt Moderatores, qui modo Romae versantur, Sacrarum Peregrinationum Gallicarum. Itaque omnes concordi animo hoc a nobis initum consilium Sapientiae Tuae subiicimus, ut illud auctoritate Tua sancias, et confirmes. Cum vero tres solemnes dies, quibus haec praemitti queant, propositi fuerint, festa scilicet aut Apostolorum Petri et Pauli, aut Transfigurationis Christi Dei, aut Matris Dei Mariae in coelum assumptae, socii nostri ita censuerunt : Festum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli, utpote quod brevi immineret, reiciendum indicavimus. Alterum impiis in Christum Deum verbis, et probris redimendis apprime aptum nobis videbatur. At vero socii Galli Matris Dei Mariae in coelum assumptae festum ceteris diebus anteferendum forte ducebant ob singularem aetatis nostrae pietatem in Virginėm Immaculatam. Erit autem Sapientiae Tuae, Pater Sanctissime, et dies praefinire, et obsequia, quibus Dei opem expetamus, statuere. Ad Tuos autem pedes proni a Te petimus, ut Ecclesiae thesauris haec obsequia ditare digneris. Romae die XVIII Maii. F. PICARD Dr. du Comité des Pélerinages français. VICOMTE DE DAMAS, Président du Comité des l'élerinages. KOURNISIEN, Vice-Président du Comité des Pélerinages GERMER DURAND, Secrétaire. DUC DE CHAULNES, Trésorier. Cav. PAOLO MENCACCI, Presidente di Turno della Federazione Piana, Presidente del Circolo S. Pietro della Gioventù cattolica. Monsig. LUIGI MACCHI, Presidente della Società Preservatrice. PIETRO ALDOBRANDINI, Principe di Sarsina Presidente della Società degl'Interessi Cattolici. Msa CHIARA ANTICI-MATTEI, Direttrice generale della Unione delle Donne Cattoliche. Pel Mse PATRIZI-MONTORO, Presidente dei Reduci Pontifici, Comm. GIOACCHINO MONARI, Vice-Presidente. Mse GIROLAMO CAVALLETTI, Presidente della Società Promotrice delle buone Opere. Prof. Tiro Cav. ARMELLINI, Vice-Presidente della Società Artistica Operaia. Prof. VINCENZO Cav. DIORIO, Presidente dell'Associazione di S. Carlo per la diffusione della buona stampa. Msa MARIA CAVALLETTI, Presidente delle Dame Protettrici delle Serve. Mse GIUSEPPE DONATI, Segretario Generale della Federazione Piana. RESCRIPT OF HIS HOLINESS. II.-SS. D. N. Pi PP. IX. RESPONSA. Voluntas orandi non solum est laude digna, sed est etiam necessaria his praesertim temporibus. Nam Ecclesia Catholica undique turbatur, divexatur infernali conatu. Rogemus ergo, ut liberet Deus Ecclesiam Suam de laqueo venantium, et de gladio persecutoris. Benedicat Deus Fideles suos, et det eis semper spiritum gratiae et precum, ut tan lem audire possint vocem Ejus, quae imperat ventis et mari, et post turbines facit tranquillitatem. EX AUDIENTIA SSMI. Die 30 Mait Anno 1873. PIUS PP. IX. Sanctissimus Dominus Noster Pius PP. IX. quoad tempus universalis supplicationis peragendae, dies 12, 13, et 14 mensis Augusti huius anni praefinivit, et quoad preces, Litanias Sanctorum assignavit. Praeterea omnibus Christifidelibus qui illas devote recitaverint, indulgentiam septem annorum pro unoquoque die; qui vero singulis diebus praedictis easdem preces fuderint ac vel uno ex praedictis diebus vel die festo Assumptionis vel infra Octavam vere poenitentes confessi ac sacra Communione refecti fuerint, plenariam Indulgentiam benigne concessit. CONSTANTINUS CARDINALIS VICARIUS. THE IRISH ECCLESIASTICAL RECORD. AUGUST, 1873. THE QUESTION OF HIGHER, OR UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN IRELAND. THE following article has just been published in the learned Jesuit periodical "La Civittà Cattolica." Last March there was great commotion, even in the Liberal newspapers of Italy, with respect to the ministerial crisis of the English Cabinet, brought on by the opposition of the Catholics of Ireland to Mr. Gladstone's Bill on Higher, or University Education in that country; but they discussed the crisis rather in the political sense than in respect to the question which had occasioned it; and hence, the ministerial crisis having passed, there has been scarcely any further mention of the Bill. Another Bill, more simple and limited in its scope, having been proposed by Mr. Fawcett, and since then discussed in the British Parliament, new interest in the question of Irish University Education has been awakened even in foreign countries, and the Liberal journals have spoken of this second Bill, although of less importance than the first. The question of Higher Education in Ireland cannot but possess great interest for us Catholics, not only in general, because there is at issue the great question of the chief part which Religion must have in Education, but also, in particular, because there is question of that heroic Irish nation, which never ceases to awaken the sympathies of all Catholic peoples by the battles she has maintained for ages for the Catholic Faith. And this interest must be greatly increased when we come to hear in detail how great has been the struggle which Catholic Ireland has had to maintain, and still maintains, in defence of her right to Catholic Education. Wherefore, we think that we are undertaking a task which will be most agreeable to our Catholic readers, in sketching as it were, in an historical picture, the past and present position of Irish Catholics with VOL. IX. 32 regard to Higher Education; for we wish to treat almost exclusively of this portion of the question of Education to which Gladstone's Bill, which was lately rejected by the British Parliament, and Fawcett's, which has been recently discussed in the same assembly, both referred. From this simple exposition of facts, more than from any arguments of ours, it will appear manifest what good reason Catholic Ireland, so long oppressed by anti-Catholic educational laws, has now at last, after Catholic Emancipation and the disestablishment of the Law-Church in Ireland, reason to expect from the justice of Parliament a law which will meet the wants and concede the rights of Catholics in the matter of Higher Education; and that the Government, which up to this time has not even recognised the University erected and maintained at their own expense by the Catholics of Ireland, will at last confer upon it some portion at any rate of the favors hitherto bestowed and even lavished upon Protestants. The Catholic University of Ireland, although brought into existence by the circumstances of the day, really owes its foundation to the reasonableness, or even necessity, of the principles that a people possessed of intellectual, moral, and religious characteristics peculiar to itself, should not be without some great central School for the development of the national genius, and the expression of the national mind. Every nation has her own University; and it is but natural that Catholic Ireland, as soon as by the abolition of the odious Penal Laws she could take a place among the nations, should have her own University, which would at once be Catholic and Irish. The abrogation of the Penal Laws against the Catholic Religion, or, as it is called, Catholic Emancipation, was achieved under the leadership of our great O'Connell in 1829; and almost immediately steps were begun to be taken to secure for Catholics that Higher Education on sound principles, from which, with the exception of Ecclesiastical students, they had hitherto been excluded by law. I say, with the exception of Ecclesiastical students, for in 1793 the College of Maynooth had been founded and endowed by Government for the education of aspirants to the Priesthood, and several other Ecclesiastical Colleges had been founded by the Bishops. From that date also Catholic laymen had been admitted to study and take Degrees in the Protestant University of Dublin; but the Government teaching and whole spirit of that Institution have always been most anti-Catholic, as I shall hereafter explain more fully. As to the position of Irish Catholics with respect to Education previous to 1793, you may form an idea of it from the following facts:— |