CORRESPONDENCE. ON THE JUBILEE OF OUR HOLY FATHER. To the Editors of the Ecclesiastical Record. "GENTLEMEN,-An esteemed correspondent, lately writing from Rome, tells me, that the youth of Italy, and (he believes) of Austria, and of some parts of Spain, are preparing an address and a small present, to be offered to His Holiness on the approaching 50th Anniversary of his first Mass, the 11th of April next. I am sure it would gladden the heart of our Holy Father to receive a like offering from his sons in Ireland. And a suggestion to this effect in your influential pages would not fail to be responded to by the esteemed Heads of Colleges and the youth entrusted to their charge, and would evoke that spirit of devotion to the Chair of Peter, of veneration for the aged Pontiff, and of love for our Holy Father, which animates the heart of every true Catholic child of Ireland. "I remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant, DOCUMENTS. 1. RECENT DECREE OF THE HOLY OFFICE ON THE MANNER OF RECEIVING CONVERTS INTO THE CHURCH. Beatissime Pater "Inter decreta primae Synodi Provincialis Westmonasteriensis sub C. XVI. n. 8., ubi sermo est de abiuratione Protestantium adultorum, et de baptismate sub conditione eis conferendo, additur 'Confessio etiam sacramentalis semper in tali casu est exigenda.' In adnotationibus, quas adiecit Pater Ballerini Editioni Romanae Theologiae Moralis P. Gury, dicitur hanc confessionem esse conformiorem Instructioni a Suprema S. Officii Congregatione super modo reconciliandi haereticos editae, ex qua Instructione deducitur, opportunam esse integram peccatorum confessionem. In textu P. Gury tenetur eam esse suadendam in praxi. "Quum vero hic Auctor tam in Theologia, quam in casibus Conscientiae citaverit opinionem aliorum Auctorum docentium propter existentiam dubii de primo baptismate a neo-conversis tempore infantiae suscepto (adeo ut si nullum id fuerit, vera baptismi susceptio sit ea, quae occasione abiurationis sub conditione traditur) dubiam esse obligationem peccata integre confitendi ante hoc baptisma conditionatum, nonnulli Confessarii in Anglia censuerunt, eos auctores secuti, dubiam confessionis integrae obligationem esse nullam obligationem: ac propter repugnantiam conversorum ad eam faciendam, et propter periculum confessionis imperfectae, vel etiam sacrilegae, omnino expedire, ut conversi aliqua tantum peccata Confessario exponant, ut ab eo absolutionis sacramentalis, si forsan ea opus sit, beneficium impetrent. "Ex alia parte habetur praxis constans maximae partis Confessariorum Regni integram confessionem tam ante, quam post approbationem Concilii Provincialis non modo suadentium, sed etiam exigentium; habetur difficultas conversorum, intellectum ad obsequium fidei ipsius captivandi, nisi per animi humilitatem et submissionem, quas in Sacramento Poenitentiae Christus Dominus reponere dignatus est; habetur etiam impossibilitas sciendi, nisi per integram peccatorum manifestationem, utrum neo-conversus rite sit ad ipsum baptisma dispositus, velitque, ex. gr., restitutionem famae vel bonorum (si ad eam teneri contigerit) facere, occasionem proximam peccandi vitare, a matrimonio nulliter contracto resilire etiamsi, per S. Sedis dispensationem (uti in casibus quotidie frequentioribus matrimonii post divortium civile contracti) illud sanari nequeat; habetur insuper necessitas suae saluti per iustificationem in Sacramento Poenitentiae prospiciendi, a cuius integritate nemo in infantia semel baptizatus possit eximi; attenta praesertim diligentia iuniorum e Clero Anglicano circa ritum baptizandi fideliter servandum, et attento proinde maiori numero eorum, de quorum baptismatis infantilis valore non licet dubitare. "Quum vero certum sit, quod post plures annos confessionis integrae obligatio vim suam omnino sit amissura, si in praxi sequi valeant Theologi uti tutam opinionem Auctorum praefatorum, Archiepiscopus Westmonasteriensis, et Episcopi Angliae enixe rogant, ut Sanctitas Vestra, pro sua in Missiones Angliae benignitate, dignetur declarare hac super quaestione gravissima mentem Ecclesiae: "An debeat, iuxta Synodi Provincialis Decretum a S. Sede probatum, confessio Sacramentalis a neo-conversis in Anglia exigi, et an ea debeat esse integra ?" DECRETUM. Feria V. loco IV. die 17 Decembris, 1868. "In Congregatione generali S. R. et U. Inquisitionis habita in Conventu S. Mariae supra Minervam coram Emis ac Rmis DD. Cardinalibus contra haereticam pravitatem generalibus inquisitoribus proposito suprascripto dubio praehabitisque DD. Consultorum suffragiis, iidem Emi ac Rmi Patres ad utramque dubii partem censuerunt respondendum esse: Affirmative; et dandum esse Decretum latum sub feria quinta die decimaseptima Iunii anni millesimi septingentesimi decimi quinti. Eadem die ac Feria. "SSmus D. N. D. Pius divina providentia Papa IX. in solita audientia R. P. D. Adsessori Sancti Officii concessa Resolutionem Emorum Patrum adprobare ac confirmare dignatus est; eamque una cum memorato Decreto mandavit remitti R. P. D. Archiepiscopo Westmonasteriensi." ANGELUS ARGENTI S. R. et U. I. Notarius. II. DECREE ON THE SAME SUBJECT IN 1715. DUBIUM. "An plena fides sit adhibenda Carolo Wipperman de Rostoch in ducatu Mechlemburgh praedicanti et Lectori theologiae Lutheranae quietisticae superintendenti et doctori primario sectae Lutheranorum Quietistarum, S. Fidei catholicae reconciliato in S. O. Parmae, et circa nonnullos errores detectos in eius Baptismo; an ipsi credendum sit circa ea quae enarrat, et quatenus affirmative, tum ut ipsius saluti, tum etiam ut coeterorum illius sectae seu Regionis, praesertim si fuerint ignorantes, saluti pariter consulatur. "Quaeritur, an dictus Wipperman sit rebaptizandus, et quatenus affirmative, an absolute vel sub conditione; et quatenus affirmative; an teneatur confiteri omnia peccata praeteritae vitae; et quatenus affirmative; an confessio praeponenda sit, vel postponenda Baptismo conferendo sub conditione. "SSmus auditus votis Emorum dixit: Carolum Ferdinandum esse rebaptizandum sub conditione, et collato Baptismo, eius praeteritae vitae peccata confiteatur, et ab iis sub conditione absolvatur." MONASTICON HIBERNICUM; OR, A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE ANCIENT [N.B.-The text of the "Monasticon" is taken verbatim from Archdall: the notes marked with numbers are added by the Editors.] COUNTY OF ANTRIM. Achadhdubthuigh, in Magh-li, a small territory near the river Bann; St. Goar, or Guar, the son of Colman, who was surnamed the Big, to distinguish him from another St. Goar, the son of Lasrenn and named the Little,' was abbot of this ancient monastery in the seventh century, and is still the patron saint of it; the festival day is held on the 22nd of January.a This place is now unknown. Achadhnacill, a church in Dalrieda;b it was formerly known by the name of Achadhcinn, or Achadhkind, and was built by St. Patrick, who appointed one of his disciples, St. Cathub, the son of Fergus, abbot; he died April 6th, in the year 554.c We are told, in M'Geoghegan's annals, that at his death this saint was 150 years old. Now unknown. Act. sanctor. p. 223. Dalrieda comprehended the N.N.W. and part of the S. of the county of Antrim. · Act. SS. p. 192. C 'The name of St. Guaire Mor appears in the "Martyr. of Donegal" on 22nd of January :- "Guaire Mor, of Achadh-Dubhthaigh, on the brink of the Lower Banna. He is of the race of Colla Uais, Monarch of Ireland." The feast of St. Guaire Beg is marked on the 9th of January :-"Guaire Beg, of AchadhDubhthaigh, in Magh-li, on the banks of the Banna, on the west side between Loch Neagh and the sea. He is of the race of Colla Uais, Monarch of Ireland." The Genealogy of St. Guaire Mor is thus given by O'Clery :- "Guaire Mor, the son of Colman, the son of Fuachtaighe, the son of Fergus, the son of Laoghaire, the son of Fiachra-tort, the son of Colla Uais." St. Guaire Beg belonged to the same family, being "son of Laisren, the son of Fergus, &c." The Leabhar Breac states that "the two Guaires are commemorated in Magh-Lii" (fol. 4, 6); and we learn from O'Donovan's "Hy-Fiachrach" (p. 312), that the territory of Lee belonged to the king of Dalaraidhe, and was situated on the west side of the river Bann. Colgan (Tr. Thaumat. p. 182, n. 195) mentions the church of Achadnacille, "Ecclesia hodie vulgo dicta Achadna-cille," as being in the territory of Dalriada. It was situated at Aughnakeely, where there is still a very ancient burial place in the townland of the same name, not far from the southern boundary of Kilconway. The feast of St. Cathub, bishop, the son of Fergus, is marked on the 6th of April in the "Martyrologies of Tallaght and Donegal." Colgan conjectures that he was the same as "the priest Cathbad," who is mentioned among the disciples of St. Patrick (Vit. Tripart. part 2, chap. 130), and who gave his name to Loch Cathbadh in Dalaradia. See Lanigan's remarks on this matter, "Ecc. Hist." ii. 103. VOL. V. 19 Antrim, from which the barony and county is named, is a market and borough town, sending representatives to parliament, and is variously written by our ancient writers.3 Durtract, a disciple of St. Patrick, founded an abbey at Aondrium, or Entrumia.d a Trias Th. p. 265. 'Antrim, in our Irish writers, is generally known by the name Oentraib; sometimes, too, as in "Annals of the Four Masters," at the year 1490, it is called Endruim, i.e., "the one ridge." In Latin writers we find it styled Oentreb, Endromia, Introia, Antroia, Entroia, &c. Much confusion has arisen from the similarity of the Irish name with Oendruim, or Nendrum, situated on Strangford Lough, in County Down. The following notices of the Church of Antrim occur in our early Annals :-- A.D. 612.-"The rest of Fintan, of Oentreibh, Abbot of Bangor." (Ann. of Ulster and Four M.) The Annals of Clonmacnoise call this saint "Fintan of Intreive," and mark his death in A.D. 613. Tighernach mentions him under the same year, as "Fintan of Aentruim." A.D. 722.-"St. Flann of Aentrebh, Abbot of Beannchair, died." (Ann. F. M., Ulst., and Tigh.) A.D. 822.-Bangor being plundered by the Danes in this year the relics of its holy founder were translated to Antrim. The Ann. of the F. M. preserve a quatrain, composed by St. Comghall, in which he predicts the desecration of his shrine : "It will be true, true, By permission of the supreme King of Kings, A.D. 877.-"Muredhach, son of Cormac, Abbot of Entraibh, died." his own tribe." Celbach, son of Bec, lord of Dalaradia, was slain in Entribh by A.D. 1018.-" Antrim spoiled by Fermanach." A.D. 1030. -- "The men of Tyrone destroyed the ships of the O'Longsy (O'Lynch), in the midst of Antrim." A.D. 1096.- Flann O'Muregan, superior of Aentruibh, died." A.D. 1147.-" Roscrea and Entraib were burned." (Reeves Eccles. Antiq. of Down and Connor, p. 278.) The glosses of the Feliré of Angus, in the Leabhar Breac, at the 31st July, give us the following quatrain on the number of religious in Antrim and other monas teries: "The nine hundred of Beannchoir, the six hundred of Oentreib, The five hundred of Conaire of the Contests ; It is for Moedoc, it is for Choemoc, it is For Comgall." And it is added, "Mac Carthaigh Coir was soul-friend to them after Comgall." One of the most interesting monuments that now remain connected with Antrim is its round tower, which is about half-a-mile from the present town, and is one of the most perfect in Ireland. Over the lintel of the entrance may still be seen the beautifully-sculptured cross of the original building. See a drawing of it in "Ulster Journal of Archæology," vol. iii. p. 32. Colgan, "Tr. Thaumat." p. 265, thus mentions this disciple of St. Patrick:"Durtractus, de Androim, frater S. Dichuonis." O'Clery, in his "Book of Genealogies," traces the descent of these two saints from Fiatach Finn, Monarch of Ireland: "Dichu of Sabhall, and Durthact of Caondruim, the two sons of Trichim, son of Fiec, son of Iomchada," &c. In the margin is added, “Durthact at Liathdruim on 16th May." In the "Martyrology of Donegal" at that day we read: "Duthract of Liathdruim. I think that this is Durthacht, son of Trichim, of Caon-druim, brother of Dichu, son of Trichim, of Sabhall, who is of the race of Fiatach Finn, Monarch of Erin, and I suppose that it is at Tam, or near Tara, he is honored, for Liath-druim and Druim-caoin are names of Tara." |