HD2:031-32
Bishop Pompallier to Fr J J P O’Reily, Auckland, 13 May 1845
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HD2/31-32 Auckland, 13 May, 1845 To the Reverend Father O’Reily, Catholic priest, Port Nicholson My dear Reverend Father I was very pleased to receive your two letters of 27 February and 26 March 1845 and the news you gave me in them. I am in Auckland for a few days and I shall set off back to the Bay of Islands which is currently blockaded because of the hostilities of the natives who have ravaged the area. Governor Fitzroy has been extremely kind to me during my stay here in the town of Auckland; he has also allowed me an exemption from the blockade for the mission ship and for the exercising of my ministry in that area. Write all your letters to me at Auckland, care of Reverend Father Forest, Catholic Priest. I sent off a letter dated 17 April to Father Comte, signed by Baty. I think it has reached him or soon will reach him. Tell him, please, that I am very happy with the letter he wrote to me from Tauranga, but that it is not expedient for the mission that I undertake the journey he proposes among the southern tribes of the North Island. Later I’ll be able to do it and I am most grateful for the offer of his services for that. At the proper moment I could well request them. Beside the £50 that I sent you from Sydney, here is another £50 that I sent you from the Bay of Islands in February 1845 via Sydney, Bank of Australasia. You did not really understand my letter where I was talking about your little work An Abridgement of Christian Doctrine. My non-approval is not of Douay’s catechism in the form it is usually published in England and Ireland, but of the book as a whole that you had printed before obtaining the permission of your present ordinary, which is contrary to the rules of this mission and to the advice I gave you at Port Nicholson where I told you to show me the work before getting it printed. But I am very satisfied with your docility in your letter of 26 March 1845, and continue to leave this little book as something that hasn’t happened. I cannot, before Our Lord and the Holy See, allow priests of my mission to have spiritual production printed before they have been submitted to me. That is not the order of the Church’s discipline, when people do otherwise. The only catechisms I allow in the mission for those who understand English only are Ratter’s and Douay Catechisms. The Catholics of Great Britain can obtain books of devotion which are printed in such great quantities for their salvation. I cannot see that it is necessary for this mission to print new ones…. |
Translated by Fr Brian Quin SM, May 2002
HD2/31-32 JMJ Auckland 13 May 1845 To Reverend Father O’Reilly, Catholic priest, Port Nicholson Reverend and dear Father I have received with satisfaction your two letters dated 27 February and 26 March 1845; along with the news that you give me in them. I am in Auckland for some days and I am going to leave for the Bay of Islands, which is in a state of blockade because of the hostilities involving the natives who have ravaged the district. Governor Fitzroy has shown me every sort of kindness during my stay in this town of Auckland. He has also given me exemption from the blockade for my mission ship and for the exercise of my ministry on these coasts. Address all your letters to me in Auckland “[care of Reverend Father Forest, Catholic priest]”. I sent on 17 April a letter to Reverend Father Comte, signed [by Father] Baty. I think that it has got to him, or is about to get to him. Tell him, please, that I am very satisfied with the letter he wrote to me from [or about] Tauranga, but that it is not expedient for the mission that I undertake the voyage to the southern tribes of this North Island that he proposes to me. Later on I will be able ]?] to do that, and I thank him very much for the offer of his help. When the occasion arises I can take advantage of it. Besides the £50 which I sent you from Sydney, there are another £50 which I sent you from the Bay of Islands in February 1845, via Sydney, Bank of Australasia. You have not properly understood my letter where it talks about your little work An Abridgement of Christian Doctrine. My non-approval does not concern the Douay Catechism as it is currently published in England and Ireland, but [it concerns] the whole of the book which you have had printed before having obtained for it the permission of your present Ordinary, which is contrary to the regulations of this mission and to the advice which I had given you at Port Nicholson, where I told you to present your work to me before sending it to the printer. But I am very satisfied with your obedience [expressed] in your letter [of] 26 March 1845, and [now] go on and leave this little book as something that has not happened. I cannot, before Our Lord and the Holy See, allow priests of my mission to have spiritual works printed before having submitted them to me. It is not according to the discipline of the Church when one acts contrarily in that matter. The only catechisms which I allow in the mission for the people who understand only English are Batters [?] and [the] Douay Catechisms. The Catholics from Great Britain can provide themselves with books of devotion which are printed in such great quantity for their… I don’t think [?] that it is necessary to print new ones in this mission. Prayers and …
My good wishes and compliments to Mr & Mrs Fitzgerald |
