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Socialism and Catholicism in Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

Emmet Larkin
Emmet Larkin
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Extract

There is no man or movement in modern Irish history that can be intelligibly discussed apart from the Roman Catholic church in Ireland. That Church had for centuries been intimately bound up with nearly every phase of Irish life. Taking the measure of so complex and venerable an institution is an enormous task. Since there is no general history of the Church in Ireland, the main difficulty is in maintaining perspective. In confining the discussion to the narrower limits of the relations between the Irish Labour movement and the Church, an obvious distortion is attendent. Seeing the Church in microcosm is not seeing it whole and constant, if indeed such a thing is possible. Examining it with regard to Irish Labour is actually taking liberties with its historical context. Two unequal figures are in contention on the Irish stage, and the Church, which is certainly the larger of the two, suffers proportionately by having to play so limited a role.

Type
Research Article
Information
Church History , Volume 33 , Issue 4 , December 1964 , pp. 462 - 483
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Church History 1964

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References

1. Kennedy, David, “The Catholic Church,” Ulster Since 1800, Second Series, A Social Survey, (1957), ed. by T. W. Moody and J. C. Beckett, p. 180.Google Scholar Mr. Kennedy quotes Rev. Walter MacDonald's Some Ethical Aspects of the Social Question, p. 3.

2. Irish Nation, September 4, 1909. See Irish Catholic, July 23, 1910, “As regards the avowed aim of Socialism, to produce a condition of universal equality. …The thing, of course, is absurd, but so was the Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, and the Goddess of Reason of Robespierre and Marat and the rest of the unspeak able scoundrels of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.” For more of the same see Ibid., December 30, 1911.

3. Irish Catholic, February 8, 1913. See Lenten pastoral of Cardinal Logue, “I do not mean to depreciate in the least our other excellent Catholic weeklies, if I mention, as an instance, the Irish Catholic, which I known more intimately, because I read it regularly. It is a clever exponent of Catholic views and a fearless vindicator of Catholic interests, which it never makes subservient to more expediency. I should be glad to see it more widely circulated, put, in fact, in the hands of all our people. In it they would find sound direction on Catholic claims and Catholic polity, useful information on general subjects, and a mass of matter, either original or judiciously selected, well suited to instruct, interest, and edify.”

4. Irish Catholic, February 19—March 26, 1910.

5. Connolly, Michael, S. J., “James Connolly, Slcialist and Patriot,” Studies, September and December, 1952, Vo. XLI, Nos. 163–164, pp. 301–303.Google Scholar

6. James Connolly, “Labour, Nationality and Religion,” p. 16. Connolly quotes Father Kane extensively.

7. Ibid.

8. Ibid., p. 61.

9. Ibid.

10. gilson, Etienne, ed., The Church Speaks to the Modern World. The Social Teachings of Leo XIII (1954), 206–208.Google Scholar

11. Ibid., p. 206.

12. Ibid., p. 239.

13. Irish Worker, July 6 1912. See James Connolly, “Maynooth Union and the Irish Labour Movement.” “The clergy need not and should not complain if they are rigidly kept in a position of sympathetic outsiders—along with all others of that growing mass of professional and middle-class who are coming to recognise the justice as well as the glorious possibilities of the ideals sought by Labour. We want their help; we welcome their tentative attempts to understand and direct us; but we must respectfully remind them of the old saying. “Hereditary bondsmen, know ye not, who would be free themselves must strike the blow.” only the slave who feels the gall of slavery is competent to guide and direct the modern antislavery movement. The Labour movement must remain a movement of the working class, by and for the working class.”

15. McCaffrey, Rev. J., “Lecture on Socialism,” Freeman's Journal May 10, 1910.Google Scholar The Rev. Lecturer “was confident that Irish trade unions would never allow themselves to be enslaved by the snares of imported agitators (hear, Hear).” See also Irish Catholic, July 23, 1910, “Socialism—Its Nature and Its Aim.” See also Irish Nation, August 20, 1910,Google Scholar “The Workers and the Nation.”

16. Rev. Finlay, T. A., “The Church and the Co-operative Movement,” Record of the Maynooth Union, 1898–1899, pp. 20–31.Google Scholar See especially the discussion following the paper, pp. 31–37. See also Rev. Meehan, J., “On Co-operation,” Record of the Maynooth Union, 1908–1909, pp. 45–68.Google Scholar See also Irish Homstead, “Maynooth and Economic Training,” July 3, 1909.Google Scholar

17. Riordan, E. J., Modern Irish Trade and Industry (1920), pp. 265–66.Google Scholar See also Rev. O'Donovan, J. O., “Priests and Industrial Development in Ireland,” Record of the Maynooth Union 1899–1990, pp. 38–48.Google Scholar See Rev. P. J. Dowling, “The Medieval Guild and How It Might Help the Irish Industrial Movement,” Ibid., 1905–1906, pp. 49–52.

18. Rev. Coffey, P., “Organization and Methods of Temperance Work,” Record of the Maynooth Union, 1906–1907, pp. 56–65.Google Scholar See also Rev. P.Lyons Temperance Propaganda — Some Ways and Means, “Ibid., 1909–1910, pp. 43–52. See also Rev. P. Daly, “The Problem of the Poor,” Ibid., 1908–1909, pp. 26–34. See discussion following paper, pp. 34–35. See also Micks, W. L., History of the Congested Districts Board (1925), pp. 199–208Google Scholar, for work of clergy in rural social and economic reform in the west of Ireland.

19. Irish Nation, August 13, 1910.

20. Ibid., September 3, 1910. Quoting the Irish Rosary, no date.

21. Freeman's Journal, February 28, 1911.

22. G. C. King, “Catholic Social Guild and Its Objects,” Leader, February 25, 1911. See also Lugh, “Catholic Social Guild,” Leader, May 18 1912. See Freeman's Journal, January 9, 1912.

23. Leader, October, 1910.

24. Freeman's Journal, October 14, 1910.

25. Ibid., October, 1910.

26. Leader, October 22, 1910. Irish Catholic, August 26, 1910, “The Housing Problem in Dublin.”

27. Irish Nation, September 3, 1910.

28. Irish Catholic, August 19, 1911.

29. Ibid., December 16, 1911. “The Red Peril. The Socialist Campaign.”

30. Irish Worker, September 16, 1911.

31. Freeman's Journal, October 2, 1911.

32. Irish Worker, October 7, 1911.

33. Freeman's Journal, October 11, 1911.

34. Irish Worker, October 21, 1911.

35. Freeman's Journal, October, 18, 1911.

36. Ibid., February 20, 1912.

37. Ibid.

38. J. Kelleher “On Strikes,” The Catholic Bulletin, December, 1911. Vol. I, No. 1, pp. 590–596.

39. O'Donnell, M. J., “Strikes,” Record of the Maynooth Union, 1911–1912, p. 19.Google Scholar

40. Ibid.

41. Ibid., pp. 20–21.

42. Ibid., pp. 27–28.

43. Ibid., p. 28.

44. Ibid.

45. Ibid., p. 29.

46. Ibid.

47. Ibid., p. 30.

48. Ibid., p. 31.

49. Ibid., pp. 31–32.

50. Ibid., p. 32. James Connolly, who read a report of the address in Belfast in the Irish News, wrote William O'Brien that he “was much struck with it.” “The exhibition of real sympathy and understanding,” wrote Connolly, “made me marvel.” The Attempt to Smash the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (1924), p. 162.Google Scholar Date of letter was June 29, 1912.

51. Ibid., p. 41.

52. Ibid., p. 42.

53. Freeman's Journal, October 11, 1912.

54. Ibid. This was obvious from the reported remarks of Cardinal Logue, who said, “Nothwithstanding the rather severe criticism of Father Lawrence, the paper was… a beautiful one.”

55. Ibid.

56. Ibid.

57. Ibid., May 18, 1912. See article by Rev. William J. Kerby, Catholic University, “The Organization of Labour,” Third lecture in a series on “Social Problems.” Ibid., October 26—November 16, 1912. See series of four editorials based on “The Church and Social Problems” by Rev. J. Husslein, S. J.

58. Ibid., November 30 and December 7, 1912.

59. Ibid., July 12, 1913.

60. Ibid., August 30, 1913.

61. Ibid., February 14, 1913.

62. Ibid., May 23, 1913.

63. Irish Catholic, September 6, 1913.

64. Ibid., the reference to the “blood-stained hand” is to the Transport Union badge, which was the red hand of Ulster, symbol of that historic Province.

65. Freeman's Journal, September 18, 1913.

66. Irish Worker, September 20, 1913. See also Shellback, “Red Hand of Socialism, A Reply to Rev. F. E. O'Coughlin, C. C. Rathmines,” Ibid., September 20, 1913.

67. Irish Catholic, September 27, 1913.

68. Ibid., October 18, 1913.

69. Ibid., quoted from the Universe, July 11, 1913.

70. Ibid.

71. Ibid., October 29, 1913.

72. Ibid.

73. Ibid., November 15, 1913. Rev. Joseph Keating, S. J., “Socialism According to Mr. Snowden.” “…I think we may agree with the Archbishop in feeling that Mr. Snowden's program is not to be feared. What is noxious or unsound in it experience will reject, and if Catholics, with the divine wisdom of the Church as their inspiration and guide can only manage to under-pin the rest with Christian principles, Socialism will, indeed, be clothed in its right mind.”

74. Forward, November 17, 1906.

75. Ibid., April 12, 1912.

76. Ibid., August 3, 1907.

77. Ibid., August 10, 1907.

78. Ibid., November 27, 1912.

79. Ibid., April 12., 1912.

80. Ibid.

81. Ibid.

82. Ibid.

83. Ibid.

84. Manchester Guardian, September 15, 1913.

85. Leader, November 15, 1913.

86. Ibid., November 1, 1913.

87. Freeman's Journal, October 17, 1913.

88. Ibid.

89. Ibid.

90. Leader, November 29, 1913.

91. Ibid., February 1, 1914. “Up to the 27th January the Committee expended in the purchas of clothing the sum of ℒ2,525, and in grants to local committees for supplying food to school children ℒ2, 438 a total of ℒ4,963.”

92. Irish Catholic, February 28, 1914.

93. Ibid.

94. Ibid.

95. Irish Worker, February 28, 1914.

96. Freeman's Journal, March 6, 1914.

97. Ibid., June 11, 1914.

98. Ibid.

99. Dublin Trades Council. Minutes, June 16, 1914.

100. Irish Worker, June 27, 1914.

101. Minutes, op. cit., June 29, 1914.

102. Ibid.

103. Faerman's Journal, January 7, 1916. See also for Father Flavin's speech on “Socialist Adventurers,” Ibid., January 1, 1915.