Roman Catholic Intolerance.

published this circular deliberately for the purpose of insulting the Lord Lieutenant , the Duke of Leinster , Lord Naas , Sir William Somerville , and the host of noblemen and gentlemen , the best benefactors of . the Roman Catholic people , who are brothers of the Masonic Order . Why did he write the circular at all ? He says that joining in a festivity with Freemasons is a reserved

case in the diocese . But do not the Very Rev . and Rev . Confessors know that as well as he ? If it was necessary to send this circular to the clergy for their guidance , it surel y was not necessary to publish a document so offensive !

We have a few words to say to the Roman Catholic laity of Dublin , which we hope they will take in good part . All of them who have arrived at man ' s estate will remember Father Tom Maguire , the powerful champion of their faith . The elder ones willrecollect his magnificent defence of his Church , in the discussion with the Rev . Mr . Pope , which was a battle fought by intellectual

¦ g iants . As a theologian , who would think of comparing Dr . Cullen with [ Father Maguire ? Well , [ Father Tom Maguire , the renowned controversalist , was enrolled a [ Freemason , and his apron is in the possession of a gentlemen in this city . Yet , Dr . Cullen says , in reference to the injunctions against joining the the Freemasons . — " The violation of these constitutions or precepts of the

¦ Church is a grievous sin , and is punished by the Church with the severest censure—that of excommunication , the absolution from which is reserved , except in danger of death , to the Sovereign Pontiff , or one delegated by his authority . " Aud , lest his meaning should not be clearly enough inferred from this tramendous difficulty about absolution , he intimates that the deeds of the Masons must be deeds of darkness , and , therefore , they shun the light . It is true that the society is to a certain extent secret , but it was quite as much so when it was

patronized by Popes and Roman Catholic princes , and Dr . Cullen cannot surely be ignorant of the fact that Masons are associated only for purposes of benevolence . If the fellowship or brotherhood of the modern Churches were all that it ought to be , —if it recognised brotherhood irrespective of rank or condition , sect or party , or nation , —if it wore ever open to the stranger , the afflicted ,

the unfortunate , enabling him to count on the active . sympathy of brothers , no matter in what part , of the world calamity might overtake him , —then there would be no need of Freemasonry . But it is well that there is an as 3-lum in the world into which neither party , spirit nor sectarian animosity , nor the arrogance of rank and power and wealth must intrude , —where the intrinsic

worth of the man is prized , —where the Christian ' s claim to brotherhood is cordially allowed , —and where beneficence is the object of a perfect voluntary organization . This is what Freemasonry is , —and in order more effectually to carry out this object , it practises secresy , but it is a secresy compatible with true catholicity ; and it accomplishes what no priesthood has yet succeeded in effecting—an unsectarian , unrestricted Christian brotherhood . Hence the jealousy and hostility of Pontiffs and Prelates , and hence the holy wrath of Dr . Cullen .

The following letters appear in Saunders ' s Neivs-Letter , of [ Friday , May Sth , 1863 : — THE IRISH MASONIC BALL . SIE , —Will you be good enough to insert in your next publication the enclosed letter , which I forwarded to the Most llev . Dr . Cullen , Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin , on Monday last , and to which I have , as yet , received no reply ? sir

I am , , truly yours , JOHN O'LEAET . [ We have much pleasure in publishing the following letter , which is from the pen of a rising Roman Catholic member of the Bar , and son to the Vice-President ofthe Queen's University , at Galway ] -. — " 8 North Great George ' s-street , Dublin , May 4 , 1863 . "MY LOUD —I am an obscure member of your lordships flooi , personally unknown to you . I am , I trust , a sincere

Roman Catholic , and in the cause ofthe Roman Catholic Church in Ireland I venture to address the following observations to your lordship : —I have read in the Freeman's Journal of this day a circular letter addressed by your lordship to the Very Rev . and Rev . the Confessors of Dublin . In that letter your lordship reminds those reverend gentlemen that all Catholics who attended the Masonic Ball , recently held at the Rotundo , are therebexcommunicated . At this moment there is a

y notice affixed to the door of your lordship ' s Metropolitan Church , relating to the bazaar about to be held in the Rotundo , under the auspices of the Society of St . Vincent de Paul . That notice contains ( as my memory serves me ) the following words : — " The Messrs . Pry have kindly consented to allow the splendid decorations which excited such universal admiration at the recent ball at the Rotundo to remain during the bazaar . "

up My lord , the inconsistency herein seems to me apparent . The decorations alluded to are undoubtedly those used hy the freemasons . The committeee of the bazaar , therefore , will use , as part of these decorations , the emblems and insignia of a society the members of which are , according to your lordship ' s letter of to-day , to be treated in the same way as members of Ribbon Lodges . My lord , I attended the Freemasons' Ball

at the Rotundo , as also did several members of my family . I am not a Freemason , but I think it probable I should join that body , were it not for the rule of the Church which prohibits Catholics from becoming members of that society . I am not , therefore , one of those who , while nominally Catholics , habitually disobey the laws of that Church . As I am , by the terms of lordshi ' s letterat this moment " an excommunicated

your p , person , " your lordsnip will pardon me if I trouble you with a few observations on what , as far as my information goes , is the nature of that sentence , and the law under which it is pronounced . The only authority to which I can at this moment refer as to the . ' nature and effect of excommunication , is Mr . Fitzpatrick ' s Life of Dr . Doyle . In that work , vol . 1 , p . 371 , is this : —A man resident in that town ( Tullow ) had been

passage convicted by the Bishop of gross ancl repeated acts of immorality . Dr . Doyle , in consideration ofthe public scandal caused , decided upon publicly excommunicating him . He ascended the altar of Tullow Chapel in bis episcopal cope , * * and proceeded to fulminate tbe terrible censure of the Church . There are several

forms for effecting excommunication . Dr . Doyle , in this instance , acted upon the spirit of St . Paul ' s address to the incestuous Corinthians . ' Mr . Fitzpatrick here describes the words used by Dr . Doyle , upon which 1 shall only remark , that there is a mitigation in the sentence of Dr . Doyle , which , I regret to find , is absent from your lordship ' s circular letter . The conclusion of the document is this , p . 372 : —Dr . Doyle warned the people not to eat or keep with the unclean manThe le

company . peop shunned him , and he had to leave Tullow , of which he had long been an inhabitant . ' At page 500 of the same book is another description of a sentence of excommunication pronounced hy the same venerable prelate . The offences in each case appear to me to differ , not merely in degree , but in theirjnature , from that of attending the recent ball at the Rotundo . As to the law which gives a sanction to your lordship ' s - sentence , I beg to reminel

your lordship that it arises from the voluntary wish of the Catholics in this country . They agree to he bound by the law of the Church , which is not recognised by the Government of the country , and , therefore , cannot be enforced . Under this voluntary bond , I believe the laws of the Church are , generally speaking , obeyed in Ireland as completely as in any Catholic country in the universe . This being so lordI would

, my , respectfully apply to your lordship , not . in ray own name , for that is a cypher , but on behalf of a body of intelligent and respectable men who , I believe , do exist in the Catholic Church in Ireland , and will read your lordship ' s letter with regret . On their behalf I ask your lordship to reconsider your decision . I do not , my lord , intend to argue on nice technicalities of law , whether attendance at such an assembly as the ball at the

Rotundo can be considered as taking part in or participating in Freemasonry . I only ask your lordship whether you consider that the Catholics who attended that ball have committed an offence which should be treated with tbe severest punishment known to the Church ? If , in this letter , I have said one word that can be considered as disrespectful to your lordship , or to lordshi ' s sacred officeI sincerely state that such disrespect

your p , is wholly unintentional , and that , if your lordship will point out any such passage , I shall at once and amply apologise for it . —I am , my lord , your lordship ' s obedient servant , —JOHN O'LBABY . "To His Grace the Most Rev . Dr . Cullen . "