Catholics in the country can be grateful that penal laws do not prevent personal gifts and gifts for charitable purposes to members of “illegal societies.” This follows a recent decision by the Master of the Rolls in a case involving a bequest to a member of the Franciscan Order, £500 to the Rector of St. Mungret’s College for Foreign Missions, and the residue of the estate in question to the Superior of Limerick. The first two cases involved a personal gift and a £500 bequest for a charitable objective; however, the Superior could not benefit from the will since it was a gift to the Order, which is considered an “illegal society.” Consequently, despite the state’s attempt, the Order cannot be eliminated through this legal challenge.
Northants Evening Telegraph – Friday 10 May 1901
