Chapter XXVIII: Preface

The following Lecture on the Spoliation of the Propaganda is given to the reader almost _verbatim_ as it was delivered. It contains, however, _in extenso_, a translation of a valuable document furnished by Monsignor Conrado, Rector of the Urban College, from the archives of the Sacred Congregation. Some other documents, referred to when speaking, are, for convenience-sake, embodied in the text. Every fact stated has been carefully authenticated; and the lecturer will be amply rewarded for his pains if the simple statement he has given serves to make his readers fully acquainted with a great wrong done to one of the most beneficent Christian institutions in the world by the greed and Anti-Christian hate of the Infidel Revolution.

ALL HALLOWS COLLEGE, _April, 1885_.

CONTENTS.

I.—STATE OF THE QUESTION.

Hostility of organized Atheism to the Vicar of Christ,
shown since the French Revolution—Recuperative Power of the
Papacy—Action of the Italian Freemasons—Destruction of the
Temporal Tower—Suppression of Religious Corporations—Illusory
“Guarantee Laws”—Forced Conversion of Church Lands into
“Vinculated” Italian Bonds—Consequences—The Propaganda—Its
Means and Destination—Difference between its Funds and the
Funds of other Corporations—Its Funds respected by Victor
Emmanuel—Action of the Italian Ministry after His Death—Decree
to convert the Estates of Propaganda into “Vinculated” Italian
Bonds—Violation of International Rights in this forced
Conversion—Wrong done to British Catholics by it—Causes why
British Statesmen have not insisted on our rights—Ignorance
of the Origin, Nature and Purposes of the Propaganda
Property—Necessity of Catholics being well informed on this
point, in order to be able to show the nature of the wrong they
suffer to their non-Catholic Fellow-citizens and non-Catholic
Statesmen.

II.—THE PROPAGANDA FROM THE BEGINNING.

What is the Propaganda?—The Propaganda in the Days of St.
Peter—St. Paul the First “Prefect”—The Propaganda as carried
on afterwards by the Popes—Resources for this work supplied
even in the ages of Persecution—Testimony of Monsignor
Dupanloup—Conversions in the days of Constantine aided by
the Popes—Palladius and St. Patrick sent by Popes to Ireland
and Britain—Missions Organized by St. Leo the Great—St.
Valentinus and St. Severinus—St. Gregory the Great and the
Conversion of the Angles—Consequences—Conversions wrought by
Irish Missionary Saints and by Saints from Britain, always
authorized, directed and assisted by the Popes—Sts. Cyril and
Methodius—Pope Sylvester II. and the Hungarians—Conversion of
Northern Europe the direct work of the Popes—New Missionary
Fields opened by the Discoveries of Columbus and Vasco di Gama
assiduously cultivated by the Popes—Increase of Missionary Zeal
on their part consequent on the Apostasy of many Nations at the
Reformation—The Works of Gregory XIII.—Necessity for Organized
Assistance causes the Formation of the Sacred Congregation of
the Propaganda under Gregory XV.—The Bull of Formation—Powers
and Duties of the Propaganda—The _Appunti_ commenting
thereupon—Its Staff.

III.—THE URBAN COLLEGE.

Foundation of the College commenced by Monsignor John Baptist
Vives in the Pontificate of Urban VIII.—Acts and Beneficence
of the Pontiff—The Offices of the Sacred Congregation of
the Propaganda formed in the Palace of Vives in the Piazza
di Spagna—Foundations for Students by Vives in the Urban
College—Foundations by Cardinal Antonio Barberini—Notice
of the Foundation of the College by the Rector, Monsignor
Conrado, taken from the Archives of the Propaganda—Foundations
from 1637 to 1883—Nationalities represented in the Urban
College—Proportion of the Irish from the beginning—Privileges
granted to Irish Students—_Alumni_ of other Missionary Colleges
Taught Gratuitously in the Propaganda Schools.

IV.—THE LIBRARY.

Its Contents—Books in Languages whose Literatures were formed
by Propaganda Missionaries—Oriental Literature—Propaganda
Linguists—Professors Ciasca, Ferrata, Cardinal Howard.

V.—THE PRINTING OFFICE.

The Vatican Printing Office—The Polyglot Press of
Propaganda—Utility for the Spread of the Faith amongst
Barbarous Peoples and amidst the various Oriental Rites.

VI.—RESOURCES OF THE PROPAGANDA.

Their Origin—Donations of Popes—The Cardinals’
Rings—Legacies—Careful Management—Gratuitous Services—Exemption
from Taxes under the Popes—Devotion of the Officials
Employed—Hard Work and Small Pay—Instances—Monsignor
Agliardi—The Cardinal Prefect, Secretary and
Minutanti—Spiritual Advantages, the Chief Reward—Distinguished
Men connected with its present Management.

VII.—WORK OF THE PROPAGANDA.

Nature and Commencement of its Work—Its Care of the Oriental
Christians—Successes—Its Work for India, China, Japan
and other Asiatic Nations—For America—Its Zeal for the
Conversion of Scotland and other European Nations lapsed into
heresy—Consequences—Its Work for Ireland and the Irish People
everywhere—Its Work in England—Its Administration in the Domain
committed to its Keeping.

VIII.—THE PERSECUTION OF THE PROPAGANDA.

Persecution from the French Republic and Empire under
Napoleon—The Students Driven from the Urban College—From Monte
Citorio—Return with the Pontiff—Other Missionary Colleges
Reopen—Persecution in our Days from the Italian Freemasons
in Power—Extract from the London _Tablet_—The _Appunti_ on
the Situation—“Going to Law with the Devil and the Court in
Hell”—Advantage to the Freemasons more Imaginary than Real—The
Rights of Foreigners deeply interested cannot be taken away
by an Italian Tribunal acting _ultra vires_—Injury to British
Catholics.

IX.—THE PRESENT STATE OF THE CASE.

Who Endowed the Propaganda?—Wrong Done to the Founders—Wrong
Done to an Irishman, Father Michael Doyle—The Premier’s
Reply to Mr. O’Donnell, M.P.—Is Father Doyle’s Money a
“Subscription?”—Other British Donors to Propaganda Robbed
by the forced Conversion of the Funds of Propaganda—A
Comparison—The Wrong Done to poor Oriental Catholics—The Wrong
as Great to British Catholics—The Funds of the Propaganda given
for the Administration of the Catholic Church in every portion
of the Dominions of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria—If Confiscated,
British Catholics forced to make up the Loss—The United States
Government forces the Italians to respect American Catholic
Rights less clear than the Rights of British Catholics—The Case
of the Proposed Sale by the Italians of the North American
College—Peremptory Demand of the United States instantly
Respected—Confusion of English Residents in Rome—Certainty of
our non-Catholic Fellow Citizens sympathizing with our Wrongs,
if rightly informed, as we would in theirs.

X.—MEASURES TO MEET THE DIFFICULTY.

Necessity of fully informing our Rulers and the Nation of
the Wrong done us in the forced Conversion of the Propaganda
Funds—The Fallacy of Hopes in Italy being Realized by
England—Italy’s ultimate Policy unfavourable to England—Opinion
on the Question by the late Mr. A. M. Sullivan.