THE DRAFT CHEERS HIS HOLINESS.
The Rev. George Montgomery, a gentleman who lately went over from Canterbury to Rome, has written to the Nation newspaper a letter intended to remove a little doubt which appears to have occurred to the delicate consciences of some of the more verdant of the faithful natives of jolly green Erin. The gentle scruple is hereinunder stated:-
“Sir,- There are, I have heard, many good Catholics who are of opinion that they would not be acting agreeable to the wish of the Pope if they were to make him an offering of money. I may be allowed to do something towards setting at rest this question – whether we ought to ought not to send money to the Pope – by making an extract from the letter which I have received from the venerated ecclesiastic at Rome to whose care I had committed the address to his Holiness, and the little offering made by the people of this place.”
Conceive the innocence which could entertain the question, whether the Pope would object to an offering of money. Try him! Such would be the exclamation of the least wide-awake mortal to whom any uncertainty on that point was suggested. The experiment was performed by the Rev. Mr. Montgomery, with the satisfactory result thus described:-
“I duly received your esteemed letter, with the address and accompanying draft for £10, the oblation of your good congregation to our Holy Father, Pius IX. Agreeably to your request, I shall have the address at once translated and duly presented; but in the meantime (to gain time) I made out a summary of it in Italian, and at once presented it to the Cardinal Secretary of State, H. E. C. Antonelli, with the enclosed amount, who at once laid it before his Holiness, who was greatly consoled by this act of final devotion of his faithful children of the mission of Wednesbury.”
No doubt his Holiness was greatly consoled by the receipt of £10, accompanied by an address which probably tended to intimate that there was more money where that came from. Such sterling consolation under the inevitable afflictions of this life is acceptable to almost anybody; by most people it is regarded as the only true solace which can be administered to real distress. The Pope is very likely hard up; but even if he were ever so flush, his Holiness, in common with all mankind, would be safe to know what to do with a £10 note, if sent to him. Whatever may be the result of Congress, or the policy of Louis Napoleon, the Holy Father will doubtless continue open to subscription to any amount, whilst the smallest contributions will be sure to be thankfully received. Let no the bashful Irishman, therefore, be ashamed to offer his mite to the common Father of the Faithful, who will be very glad of it, and whom it will help to afford a more respectable maintenance than tribute extorted from involuntary subjects.
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