Monday, March 18, AD 2024 9:52pm

Benjamin Franklin and the First American Bishop

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That you may long continue to be the blessing of your country, is the wish of all its friends: and that you may not only live to enlighten and better mankind, but continue to do so, with freedom from sickness and pain, is the earnest prayer of, Honoured and Dear Sir Your most devoted and obliged servant, John Carroll

Letter from John Carroll to Benjamin Franklin, April 2, 1787

Rome had a problem.  Prior to the American Revolution the Catholic priests in the thirteen colonies, approximately two dozen in number had been under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Bishop Richard Challoner, Apostolic Vicar of London.  Challoner died on January 12, 1781, at the age of 89.  His successor, Bishop James Talbot, interestingly enough the last priest in England to be tried, twice, for saying Mass (each time he was acquitted due to lack of evidence), disclaimed any jurisdiction of the Church in the new United States.  Something had to be done to set up an organizational structure for the Church in America, although knowledge about the situation of the Church there was rare in Rome.   Fortunately in nearby France there resided an American whose advice might be helpful.

Benjamin Franklin, American Minister to France, by 1783 had reached a pinnacle of international fame that no American before him, and few since, have attained.   It was therefore not surprising that when the Vatican was mulling the establishment of an American episcopate, that the idea was hit upon to ask the advice of Dr. Franklin.  Thus is was that the Papal Nuncio to France, Archbishop Giuseppe Doria Pamphili addressed a short note to Franklin:

The 23. July 1783.
Before the revolution which has taken place in N. America, the Catholics and missionaries of those provinces depended in spirituals on the apostolic vicar residing at London. It is well known that this arrangement can no longer take place; but as it is essential that the catholic subjects of the united States should have an ecclesiastic to govern them in what concerns religion. The congregation de propaganda fides, for the establishment and preservation of missions, has come to a determination, to propose to Congress to establish in some city of the und. States of North America, one of their catholic Subjects, with the powers of Apostolic Vicar and with the character of Bishop, or simply in character of Apostolic Prefect. The establishment of a Bishop or apostolic vicar appear’d most convenient, in as much as the catholic subjects of the united States would have it in their power to receive confirmation and orders in their own country, without being obliged for this purpose to betake themselves to a Country under foreign domination and as it might as some times happen, that among the subjects of the united States, there might none be found to take on himself spiritual government, whether as a Bishop or apostolic Prefect, it would be necessary in such a Case that Congress should consent to the person they should chuse to it among the subjects of a foreign nation, most friendly to the und. States.

Giuseppe Doria Pamphili

Franklin advised the Archbishop that the American Congress had no power over any religion in the United States.  While suggesting that perhaps a French bishop might have temporary jurisdiction of the Church in America, he warmly sang the praises of Father John Carroll, SJ.  Carroll’s cousin had signed the Declaration of Independence and his brother would sign the Constitution.  Throughout the War John Carroll had been a firm patriot.  The most prominent American priest now, most of his fellow priests looked upon him as their unofficial leader.

Pope Pius VI on June 9, 1784 created Carroll Superior of the Missions in the United States.

In a nod to the democratic sensibilities of the new Republic, Rome allowed the clergy of the United States in 1789 to nominate their first candidate for Bishop.  Twenty-four out of twenty-five priests chose Carroll, and on November 6, Pope Pius VI named Carroll the first American bishop.  Benjamin Franklin lived just long enough to see this accomplished.

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Penguin Fan
Penguin Fan
Sunday, July 10, AD 2016 7:56am

Fascinating. The few Catholics in the 13 states certainly did not have an easy time of it. Massachusetts was still hostile to anything Catholic, including nearby Quebec ( a rivalry that plays out today with the NHL Bruins and Canadiens). Maryland, founded as a refuge for English Catholics, still had anti Catholic laws on its books. There were undoubtedly more Catholics in the Spanish held territory that became part of the US later.
Not long after these times, a son of a Russian diplomat and a member of the German aristocracy became ordained as a Catholic priest and came to Maryland. From there he was sent to west central Pennsylvania and became known as the Missionary to the Alleghenies….Dimitri Gallitzin. There exists a cause for his canonization.

Michael Paterson-Seymour
Michael Paterson-Seymour
Monday, July 11, AD 2016 12:40pm

“the last priest in England to be tried, twice, for saying Mass (each time he was acquitted due to lack of evidence)”

The last prosecution in Scotland for being a priest was of Bishop Hugh MacDonald, Apostolic Visitor of the Highland District. He was tried before the High Court of Justiciary on the 5th of January 1756.

The indictment bore that “That the pannel was held and repute to be a Jesuit, priest, or trafficking Papist, or had changed his name and surname ; and that these, or part of them, together with his refusing to purge himself of Popery, by taking the formula prescribed by and annexed to the Act, 3 Sess. 8. and 9. Parl. 1, King William III, when it should be tendered to him by any of the Lords of Justiciary, being found proven by the verdict of an assize, he ought to be banished forth of this realm, with certification that if ever he return thereto, being still a Papist, he shall be punished with the pain of death”

His real offence, in the eyes of government was blessing the Jacobite standard, when Prince Charles Edward raised it at Glenfinnan on 19 August 1745.

Duly convicted and banished, he ignored the sentence and continued to discharge his duties until his death on 12 March 1773. Government knew well where he was, but winked at it.

Pinky
Pinky
Monday, July 11, AD 2016 12:49pm

“tried, twice, for saying Mass (each time he was acquitted due to lack of evidence)”

Yeah, I’ve been to Masses like that…

Penguin Fan
Penguin Fan
Monday, July 11, AD 2016 1:40pm

Mr. Paterson-Seymour, my mother is a McLuckie, a Sept family of the grand and noble Clan Lamont, who recognizes as its chief a Catholic priest from Australia.
My great-great grandfather George McLuckie left Scotland for Western Maryland in 1866.
It appears that despite their best efforts the Scots never eradicated the Church.

Michael Paterson-Seymour
Michael Paterson-Seymour
Tuesday, July 12, AD 2016 5:20am

Penguin Fan

Argyll and the Isles, where Clan Lamont had their seat, was one of the great Catholic centres, along with the West Highlands.

The other main centre was the Gordon lands in Aberdeenshire in the North-East.

Until after the ’45, government power north of Stirling was negligible; people were Catholic, Episcopalian or Presbyterian by clans. This explains why there were so few Catholic martyrs in Scotland, in contrast to England and Wales.

The proto martyr was a Father Frank a monk, who was stabbed to death in the sacking of the Trinity Friars monastery in Aberdeen, on 4 December 1559. Next was another monk, a Father Robson about whom there is very little known, who was hanged for saying mass in Glasgow. The third was John Ogilvie, a Jesuit missionary who was badly treated, assaulted and eventually entrapped in an argument about the Pope having power to depose kings. He was convicted of treason and hanged in Glasgow on 28 February 1615. He, too, had been guilty of saying mass. The murder of Cardinal Beaton was purely political.

The British government treated the Highland clergy with great savagery after the failure of the ’45.
Of the priests who had accompanied the Prince, Rev Mr Colin Campbell of Morar was murdered on the field of Culloden; unarmed, he was shot down by Hessian mercenaries, whilst trying to rally the fugitives for one last charge. Rev Mr Allan MacDonald, rector of the seminary at Scalan, near Glenlivet was imprisoned for a year in a military garrison and then ordered to leave the country. Scalan itself was burned on the orders of the Duke of Cumberland, as a “nest of traitors.”
Rev Mr Aeneas McGillis of Glengarry was put to the horn (outlawed) and fled the country.
Of those who had stayed at home, but had “prayed for the Pretender,” Rev Mr Neil McFie of the Rough Bounds, Rev Mr Alexander Forrester of Uist and Rev Mr James Grant of Barra were bundled on board ship and deported to France, without the formality of a trial.
Rev Mr William Harrison of the Rough Bounds was later captured carrying Jacobite dispatches and similarly deported.

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Saturday, July 23, AD 2016 11:02pm

[…] Think You Know Your Marian Titles and Images? Take the Quiz! – Theresa Williams, epicPew Benjamin Franklin and the First American Bishop – Donald R. McClarey J.D., The Am Cthlc Don’t Worship with Liberals: 13 Warning Signs […]

Steve
Steve
Monday, July 25, AD 2016 7:26pm

Pius VI, no?

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