We have received, from a correspondent who has access to
good sources of information, the following version of the proceedings consequent upon Archbishop Croke's summons to appear at the Vatican :—" Archbishop Croke arrived in Rome on the 2nd inst., and it was announced by his friends that he proposed to have an immediate audience of the Pope, and to return forthwith to Ireland. But the Holy Father fixed the date of his audience for Friday, thO 11th. Meantime, the recent letter of the Archbishop on the Parnell Testimonial Fund, the strong representations of leading Irish ecclesiastics on the state of the Church in Ireland, corroborated by much evidence, such as comes in the regular correspondence of Propaganda, had been well weighed by the Pope personally, and it was determined that the terms of the document to be now issued should not be capable of misinterpretation or mis- representation, such as had happened with previous Papal letters on the troubles of Ireland. The letter to the Irish Bishops, which you will have already seen, was accordingly pre- pared and issued on Friday, the 11th, and on that same day the Pope received Dr. Croke at the Vatican and made him aware of its contents, and of his intention no longer to tolerate the course hitherto pursued by that prelate. The Pope was, it is said, greatly agitated during the interview, and at its close, when Dr. Croke completely submitted, two of his priests who 'had accompanied him from Ireland were summoned in a somewhat marked manner to the Papal audience-chamber. I believe Arch- bishop Croke left for Ireland the following day, without taking the usual formal leave of the Prefect of Propaganda."
