A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

John McClintock & James Strong • SECTION 869

Section 869

← McClintock & Strong Cyclopaedia — Volume 4

Dublin in 1870. The Church will be governed by a General Synod, consisting of a House of Bishops and a House of Clerical and Lay Delegates. The House of Bishops has the right of veto, and their veto prevails also at the next synod ; but seven bishops must agree upon a veto to make it valid. The bishops wiU be elected by the Diocesan Convention, but the House of Bishops will in all cases be the court of selection when the Diocesan Synod does not elect by a majoritj- of two thirds of each order a clergyman to fill the vacant see. The primate (archbishop of Armagh) shall be elected by the Bench of Bishops out of their own number. The property of the Church is to be vested in a " Representa- tive Church Body," which is to be permanent. It is to be composed of three classes: the ex-officio, or arch- bishops and bishops ; the elected members, who are to consist of one clerical and two lay representatives for each diocese ; and the coopted members, who are to con- j sist of persons equal in number to such dioceses, and to be elected by the ex-officio and representative members. The elected members are to retire in the proportion of one third by rotation. The Convention also adopted a resolution against the introduction of the ritualistic prac- tices which have crept into the Established Church of England.

The folloAving table shows the population connected with the Anglican Church, according to the official cen- sus of 1861, in each of the dioceses, together with the number of lioman Catholics, and the population of other religious denominations in each, as well as the number of benefices and curates. The dioceses, which are now united under one bishop (such as Armagh and Clogher) are given separately :

i

Popi.

ation— Census 1861.

1870. i

Diocese.

Irish Church.

Roman Catholics.

(JtherCon.- muuities.

Beue- fices.

Cu-

i ■*• 2.

3.

4. 5.

6.

7. S. 9.

10. 11.

Armagh

Clogher

Down

85,563 65,195 28,868 80,125 44,474 31,646 10,506 11,044 16,289 9,041 4,724 3,392 43,738 22,213

234,651 170,998

46,451 103,245

66,136 169,886 189,508 124,185 235,136 302,367

81,337 105,203 164,475 126,991

66,026 '26,379 8S,624\ 202,057/ 61,605 8,182 1,865 1.069 i;929 1,553 1,014 275 85,038 20,000

108 77

126 28 56 41 31

111 55 16 12 70 42

36 £5

53 10 26

19

23 17

3 49 15

Connor

Dromore

Kilmore

Elphin

Ardagh

Meath ....

Tuam

Killala

Achonry

Deny

Raphoe

Armagh

Dnblhi ■)

Glandelach../

Kildare

Ossory. . . .

456,838

2,120,569

566,216

772

3iJU

100,267 12,499 S,25S 14,383 13,022 4,721 1,414 2,943 4,775 26,736 11,746 4,746 12,700 251 2,521 434 8,679 6,424

396,910 84,590 131,248 135,650 111,006 114,831 60,707 39,472 139,769 206,918 202,294 64,540 211,098 22,789 61,183 24,.333 162,324 215,028

16,146

1,280 580

1,335 SGI 4691 75/

1,091 » 721 1

5,559

1,126 617

1,298)

31 i 1,619.

487/

140 44 67 64 38

75

77 75 90 24 68 7 17 126

:;

15 15 14 30 34 23 17 8 14 1 6

Perns.

Leighlin

Cashel

Emly

VVaterford

Llsmore

Cork . . .

Cloyne

Killaloe

Kilfenora

Clonfert

Kilmacduagh..

Limerick

Ardfei-t >

Aghadoe . . . . /

Dublin

Joiut total

236,,'>19

2,384,696

3H.T26

871

306

693,357

4,505,265

599,942

1643 1 600 1

The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland is governed by four archbishojis, whose sees are in Armagh', Dublin, Cashel, and Tuam, and twenty-four bishops; they are all nominated by the pope, generally out of a list of three names submitted to him by the parish priests and chapter of the vacant diocese, and rejwrted on by the archbishops and bishops of the province. In case of expected incapacity from age or infirmity, the bishop names a coadjutor, who is usually confirmed by the pope, with the right of succession. In many of the dioceses

IRELAND

645

IRELAND

a chapter and cathedral corps have been revived, the dean being appointed by the cardinal protector at Rome. The diocesan dignitaries are the vicars-general, of whom there are one, two, or three, according to the extent of the diocese, who have special disciplinary and other powers; vicars-forane, whose functions are more re- stricted ; the archdeacon, and the parish priests or in- cumbents. All of these, as well as the curates, are ap- pointed by the bishop. The whole of the clergy are supported solely by the voluntary contributions of their flocks. The episcopal emoluments arise from the men- sal parish or two, the incumbency of which is retained by the bishop, from marriage licenses, and from the ca- thedraticum, an animal sum, varying from £2 to £W, paid by each incumbent in the diocese. The 2425 civil parishes in Ireland are amalgamated into 1073 ecclesi- astical parishes or unions, being 445 livings less than in the Anglican Church. The incomes of the parish priests arise from fees on marriages, baptisms, and deaths, on Easter and Christmas dues, and from incidental volun- tary contributions either in money or labor. The num- ber of priests in Ireland in 1853 was 2291 (of whom 1222 were educated at Maynooth College); in 18G9 it was about 3200. The curates of the parish priests ibrm more than a half of the whole clerical strength ; and scattered through the cities and towns are 70 or 80 communities of priests of various religions orders or rules, hence call- ed liet/ulars, who minister in their own churches, and, thougli without parochial jurisdiction, greatly aid the secular clergy. All the places of pid)lic worship are built by subscriptions, legacies, and collections. There are numerous monasteries and convents ; the latter are supported partly by sums, usually from £300 to £500, paid by those who take the vows in them, and partly by the fees for the education of the daughters of re- spectable Koman Catholics. Various communities of monks and ninis also devote themselves to the gratui- tous education of the children of the poor.

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