In the venerable chambers of the Limerick Corporation, a resolute stand is taken against the perceived affront to the Catholic faith. The Mayor, addressing the assembly on the 8th of the month, highlights the recent interference by Prime Minister Asquith with the Eucharistic Procession at Westminster. While acknowledging the tardiness of their response, the Mayor seizes the moment to express the collective resentment of the Catholics of Christendom. The incident, though belatedly addressed, becomes a pivotal point for the Mayor and the assembled dignitaries.
The Mayor, a vocal proponent of the Catholic faith, proposes a motion that resonates with indignation and protest. The essence of the motion is encapsulated in a robust statement: “That we, the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the City of Limerick, publicly record our emphatic and indignant protest against the prohibition by Mr Asquith of the procession of the Eucharistic Congress.”
The motion vehemently condemns what is perceived as an insult to the dearest and most sacred object of the Catholic faith. The Prime Minister’s interference is characterized as a shameful act, deliberately demanded by bigots and accepted by the Prime Minister himself. The Mayor, in no uncertain terms, expresses disgust at the coarse and blasphemous language used by those influencing the government’s decision.
The protest extends beyond the act of interference; it becomes a stand against the revival of penal laws by the head of a Liberal government. The assembly, with collective strength, rejects the notion that such laws, long-buried out of sight due to a civilized regard for public decency, should resurface. The resolution firmly opposes the special offensiveness of offering the insult to the Catholic Church as a whole, assembled in an International Congress under the papal Legate’s presidency, consisting of dignitaries from around the world.
The Mayor’s proposal, laden with righteous anger and defence of the Catholic faith, resonates with the sentiments of the Corporation. The resolution, aimed at conveying their protest far and wide, calls for copies to be forwarded to the Lord Bishop of Limerick, Alderman Joyce, MP.., Prime Minister Asquith, and Mr John Redmond, Chairman of the Irish Party.
In a unanimous decision, the resolution is passed, marking Limerick Corporation’s emphatic stance against the perceived insult to the Catholic faith and the international assembly that represents its unity and sanctity. The corridors of power in Limerick resound with the echoes of this resolute protest, sending a message that transcends local boundaries and reverberates in defence of the faith.
Catholic Times and Catholic Opinion – Friday 16 October 1908
