THE FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLICS AND THE JEWS,
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:]
Sin,—Will you anew a plain Roman Catholic layman to enter a strong protest against the letter you publish under the above title from Mr. A. W. Richardson in the Spectator of December 17th? Your correspondent seriously and de- liberately holds up to us Britishera, an a sample of French otthodoxy, the remarks of a Parisian Baronne," of impressive appearance and apparently great intelligence, known, more. over, to be tree devote," at an afternoon tea-party. Asked how, as a religious Roman Catholic, she reconciles her and that of her Church towards the Jews, this lady answers that good Catholics are not permitted to discuss religious questions ; and that her director, a learned Abbe of Paris, clearly explained to her that our Lord was not of the Jewish race. Sir, it is a gross calumny to say that the Catholic Church, as such, entertains, tolerates, or teaches ill.
will towards any race, be it Jew or Gentile. towards any of our fellow-men is absolutely forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church, which insists that we must even love our greatest enemy, not only by forgiving him from our hearts but also by wishing him well and praying for him.
In regard to the " nationality " of our divine Saviour, do we not all, Catholics and Protestants alike, well know that our Lord had no earthly father, and that the grand mystery of the Incarnation was divinely brought about by the Almighty Himself ? "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee" (the Angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin at the Annunciation). Small wonder is it, Sir, that your correspondent should tell us (as he does further on) that this lady was highly intelligent in all subjects but rtligion. Surely, Sir, if she is not intelli- gent in religion, we have a right to assume that she misinterpreted the direction of her learned confessor, who, I make bold to say, never uttered a syllable capable of being interpreted according to the views of Mr. A. W. Richardson in his letter to you. Your correspondent's insult to Irish Catholicism, lay and clerical, as systematised ignorance, Lac., is mere abuse unworthy of a Christian or a gentleman; and, certainly, it is not astonishing that Mr. Richardson can go Sc far as to declare that the Catholic parish priest of Maidstone, Father Duggan, has been "formally pronounced a heretic.' I believe Father Duggan is faithfully performing his parochial duties as a loyal son of our Church, which would certainly not entrust its missionary work to a heretic priest.
If I may presume to advise Mr. Richardson, let him go to men like the learned Parisian Abbe, or Father Duggan ; to Catholics who are intelligent in religion, and not to isolated " pious " persons at afternoon tea-parties, in order to recon- noitre the true position of our Church. He will then at least know more accurately what he is attacking when he assails
our tenets.—I am, Sir, Sac., J. A. CUNNINGHAM. 3 Olive Terrace, Denmark Hill, December 19th.
P.S.—I beg to explain that I, as a Catholic, shall rejoice exceedingly if Captain Dreyfus be liberated, as I consider he has suffered enough, even if guilty, and I by no means sympathise with any anti-Jewish prejudice, but heartill condemn it.—J. A. C.
Previous page
