PROPOSED VICARIATE-APOSTOLIC.

51

the Catholicks in those settlements has followed the London district (as they are all reputed by the English as part of the London diocese), I suppose because London is the capital of the British Empire, and from hence are the most frequent opportunities of a proper correspondence with all those settlements. Whether the Holy See has ordered anything in this regard I cannot learn." "

A document in the archives of the Propaganda shows that action was soon after taken.

"The Vicars-Apostolic of London since the time of James II. have always had authority over the English colonies and islands in America; but as it did not appear on what basis this custom was founded, a decree was obtained in the month of January, 1757, from Benedict XIV. of happy memory, in favor of Mgr. Benjamin Petre, Bishop of Prusa, then VicarApostolic of London, giving him ad sexennium jurisdiction. over all the colonies and islands in America subject to the British Empire, and after the death of that prelate it was confirmed March 31, 1759, for six years more to Mgr. Richard Challoner, Bishop of Debra, now Vicar-Apostolic of London." "

3

"The said Vicar-Apostolic is so far from any ambition or desire of increasing his jurisdiction in those parts that it would afford him great pleasure to be relieved of a burthen which exceeds his strength and to which he cannot devote due attention. The great distance does not permit him to visit them in person. He accordingly cannot have the nec

1 A document showing Bishop Giffard's exercise of jurisdiction in this country will be found in "Catholic Church in Colonial Days," p. 374. * J. Fisher (i. e., Richard Challoner) to Rev. Dr. Stonor, Clergy Agent, September 14, 1756. Archives of the Archbishop of Westminster.

3

Letter of the Cardinal Prefect to Bishop Challoner, March 31, 1759. Archives of the Archbishop of Westminster.

essary information to know and correct abuses: he cannot administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to the faithful there, who remain totally deprived of that spiritual aid: he cannot provide ecclesiastical ministers, partly for the same reason of distance, and partly from want of money to meet the expense.

"If the Sacred Congregation, moved by these reasons and by others which may easily occur to the mind, should deem it more suitable to establish a Vicar-Apostolic over the other English colonies and islands, it seems that the city of Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, is the most suitable place for his residence, as being a city of large population, and, what is more, a seaport, and consequently convenient for keeping up free correspondence with the other provinces on the mainland, as well as with the islands. This additional reason may be given, that there is no place in all the English dominions where the Catholic religion is exercised in greater liberty."

1

Bishop Challoner himself thus described the condition of his transatlantic flock in 1756: "As to the state of religion in our American settlements, the best account I can give is, there are no missions in any of our colonies upon the Continent, excepting Mariland and Pensilvania; in which the exercise of the Catholick religion is in some measure tolerated. I have had different accounts as to their numbers in Mariland, where they are the most numerous. By one account they were about 4,000 communicants; another makes them to amount to about 7,000; but perhaps the latter might design to include those in Pensilvania, where I believe there may be about 2,000. There are about twelve missioners in Mariland and four in Pensilvania, all of them of the Society.

Ragguaglio della Religione Cattolica nelle Colonie Inglesi d'America." Manuscript in the Archives of the Propaganda, written after 1763.

(58)

These also assist some few Catholicks in Virginia, upon the borders of Mariland, and in N. Jersey, bordering upon Pensilvania. As to the rest of the provinces upon the Continent, N. England, N. York, etc., if there be any straggling Catholicks, they can have no exercise of their religion, as no priests ever come near them: nor to judge by what appears to be the present disposition of the inhabitants, are ever like to be admitted amongst them." 1

The question of providing these Catholics with a Bishop or Vicar-Apostolic had already been discussed at this early day. "Some have wished," wrote Bishop Challoner in 1756, "considering the number of the faithful, especially in those two provinces, destitute of the Sacrament of Confirmation and lying at so great a distance from us, that a Bishop or Vicar-Apostolic should be appointed for them. But how far this may be judged practicable by our Superiors, I know not; especially as it may not be relished by those who have engrossed that best part of the mission to themselves, and who may, not without show of probability, object that a novelty of this kind might give offence to the governing part there, who have been a little hard upon them of late years." *

2

In a report to the Propaganda the same year Bishop Challoner said of the British Colonies in America: "In these very flourishing colonies, if you except Pennsylvania and Maryland, there is no exercise of the Catholic religion, and therefore no missionaries, the laws and civil authorities pro

1 J. Fisher (i. e., Richard Challoner) to Rev. Dr. Stonor, Clergy Agent at Rome, September 14, 1756. Archives of the See of Westminster.

Ib. Bishop Challoner, writing to his agent in Rome, September 6, 1763, again speaks of the impossibility of his taking due care of Catholics at so great a distance as those in America, and mentions his belief that for the American Continent a Bishop or Vicar-Apostolic in Canada or Florida would be the most proper. Archives of Archbishopric of Westminster.

BISHOP CHALLONER.

55

hibiting it. In Pennsylvania and Maryland the exercise of religion is free, and Jesuits holding faculties from us very laudably conduct the missions there. There are about twelve missionaries in Maryland, and, as they say, about sixteen thousand Catholics, including children; and in Pennsylvania about six or seven thousand under five missionaries. Some of these also make excursions in one direction into the neighboring province of Jersey, and on the other into that of Virginia, and secretly administer the sacraments to the Catholics residing there. It is to be desired that provision should be made for the administration of the Sacrament of Confirmation to so many Catholics as are found in Maryland and Pennsylvania, of the benefit of which they are totally deprived. Now that Canada and Florida are reduced to the British sway, the Holy Apostolic See may more easily effect this, namely, by establishing with the consent of our court a Bishop or Vicar-Apostolic at Quebec or elsewhere and investing him with jurisdiction over all the other English colonies and islands in America. This would be far from displeasing to us, and would redound greatly to the advantage of said colonies."

1

There was a source of danger to the Catholics in this country in the appointment of a Bishop which Doctor Challoner does not openly allude to, and this was the influence of the Stuarts at Rome. The Holy See recognized Charles Edward as King of England, and the nomination of Catholic bishops in the British dominions was virtually in the hands of his brother Henry, who was a member of the Sacred College and generally known as the Cardinal of York. The Catholics in Maryland from the beginning had never been

1 Bishop Challoner to the Prefect of the Propaganda, London, August 2, 1763. He again urged the extension of the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Quebec in a letter March 15, 1764.