Set of three handwritten drafts (in the hands of Se�n T. � Ceallaigh, Hagan and Curran) entitled 'Drafts of S�an T.O'C[eallaigh] -memorandum to Benedict XV on occasion of his interview 1920'

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Pontifical Irish College

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Curran, Michael J.; Hagan, John; � Ceallaigh, Se�n T.

Hagan, John, 1873-1930

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Set of three handwritten drafts (in the hands of Se�n T.� Ceallaigh, Hagan and Curran) entitled 'Drafts of S�an T.O'C[eallaigh] -memorandum to Benedict XV on occasion of his interview 1920'. (The following based on � Ceallaigh's draft.) He comes in a private capacity, but with his background as 'plenipotentiary of the lawfully elected representatives of Ireland' on mission at the Paris Peace Conference, seeking the right of self-determination for his country, but also as 'a faithful son of [the] Holy Church'. His purpose is to offer considerations that will help avoiding misunderstandings: Ireland has seen 'much water with not a little blood' under the bridges in later years and has not yet benefitted from the principles expressed in the Pope's 'Peace Note'. Expressing his dismay over the bias that can be found in the Catholic press in Paris as well as the Osservatore Romano concerning the outrages in Ireland: 'Ireland is an armed camp occupied by a large army of British troops with all the appliances of modern warfare; � the people are subjected to every sort of provocation� individuals or sections of this community can hardly be restrained if in revenge for savage acts of repression they take the law into their own hands�' Asserting that 'there is not the slightest proof that the Sinn Fein organization has any responsibility for these deeds'. In mentioning the 'immense influence' England's agents can bring to bear against Ireland in Rome, pointing to the regrettable consequences that an act by the Holy See against Ireland would have overseas. While the Pope courageously laid down principles running parallel to the case of Poland, he points out that 'Poland's claims are small indeed in comparison with those of Ireland'. Asking [Pope Benedict] to seek advice from one of the many resident Irishmen before taking any action to the detriment of Ireland, for instance by 'issuing any [�] refutations that could be taken as violating the hard won right of domestic election of our bishops�' Making the point that as despised 'papists' the Irish have endured loss of land, station, and suffered much emigration, but pledging his country's onward faithfulness if their past contributions to the faith were not forgotten. � (Hagan's draft) Adding that � in the face of the reported outrages - Ireland is in fact the most crimeless country in Europe: only the Socialist press in Rome have so far not published evidence of the English army's perpetrations of murder including that of the lord mayor of Cork. The Irish are dismayed that the Holy See, for which they had shed its blood for centuries, could be caused by Protestant England to condemn Ireland; anti-clerical politicians make use of this, too. Admitting that some of the Irish episcopate 'do not see eye to eye with the political aspirations of their people �Such a real revolution has taken place in Irish opinion (and) politics that only the closest touch with Irish sentiment can prevent natural mistakes which may possibly result in grave consequences', in Ireland but also among the twenty million Irish abroad. (Curran's hand) Were they not Catholics, so an ex-prime minister of France, the Irish would have been heard at the Peace Conference. (Second draft by Hagan) Pointing to the general election of December 1918; also to the Irish hierarchy's declaration of last January; Cardinal O'Connell and Archbishop Mannix's pledges of support for the Irish government. [It is assumed that the audience in question is that of 12 April 1920; � Ceallaigh met Benedict XV again later in the year- see � Ceallaigh's account of his papal audiences (1918-1933) in the political papers HAG3.]