CARDINAL LOGUE, A CATHOLIC HANGMAN AND THE VICAR OF BRAY – by Donal Kennedy


When the appointment of a Catholic Viceroy of Ireland was first mooted during the Anglo/Irish War of 1919/1921  Cardinal Logue’s response was reported around the world –

“I WOULD AS SOON HAVE A CATHOLIC HANGMAN”

Within about a year the Irish hierarchy accepted as legitimate the Provisional Government appointed by the British-appointed Catholic Viceroy.

The Hierarchy never accepted the authority of Ireland’s Parliament, Dail Eireann ,established in a General Election “REGARDED ON ALL SIDES  AS A PLEBISCITE”

The quotation is from THE TIMES of London.

Some Catholic bishops presumed to excommunicate citizen soldiers resisting British repression in 1920.

In 1922  the Hierarchy collectively condemned the soldiers upholding the popularly created Republic against what was an irregular military junta. A Freudian(?) slip of a digit created HIRE-ARCHY, suggesting a Mercenary Bench of BIshops.(?)  Should I have given it my IMPRIMATUR or MY NIHIL OBSTAT?

For his part Cardinal Logue spoke with contempt of the Republic during the Anglo-Irish War.

Far too  often Irish Bishops have acted like the clergyman in the English Civil War who gave his allegiance to neither Crown nor Commonwealth so long as he enjoyed his “Living” as THE VICAR OF BRAY.

Who will immortalise  Archbishop Eamon Martin where Rhyme and Treason meld? The composer of Ireland’s Crawl?

Comments are closed.