Fifty Years in the Church of Rome

by Charles Paschal Telesphore Chiniquy

How many fervent Christians, how many venerable ministers of Christ everywhere, are, just now, prostrated at the dear Saviour’s feet, telling Him with tears: “Didst thou not sow the good Gospel seed all over our dear country, through the hands of our heroic and martyred fathers? From whence, then, hath it these Popish and idolatrous tares?” And the “Good Master” answers, to-day, what he answered eighteen hundred years ago. “While men slept, the enemy came during the night; he has sowed those tares among the wheat, and he went away.”—(Matthew xiii: 25.)

And if you want to know the name of the enemy who has sowed tares, in the night, amongst the wheat, and went away, you have only to read this “Apologia pro vita sua.” You will find this confession of Dr. Newman at page 174:—

“I cannot disguise from myself that my preaching is not calculated to defend that system of religion which has been received for three hundred years, and of which the Heads of Houses are the legitimate maintainers in this place.... I must allow that I was disposing the minds of young men towards Rome!”

Now, having obtained from the very enemy’s lips how he has sowed tares during the night (secretly), read page 262, and you will see how he went away and prostrated himself at the feet of the most implacable enemy of all the rights and liberties of men, to call him “Most Holy Father.” Read how he fell at the knees of the very power which prepared and blessed the Armada destined to cover his native land, England, with desolation, ruins, tears and blood, and enchain those of her people who would not have been slaughtered on the battle-field! See how the enemy, after having sown the tares, went away to the feet of a Sergius III., the public lover of Maroria—and to the feet of his bastard, John XI., who was still more debauched than his father—and to the feet of Leo VI., killed by an outraged citizen of Rome, in the act of such an infamous crime that I cannot name it here—to the feet of an Alexander, who seduced his own daughter, and surpassed in cruelty and debauchery Nero and Caligula. Let us see Dr. Newman falling at the feet of all those monsters of depravity, to call them, “Most Holy Fathers,” “Most Holy Heads of the Church.” “Most Holy and Infallible Vicars of Jesus Christ!”

At the sight of such a fall, what can we do, but say with Isaiah:

“The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, and the scepter of the ruler.... How art thou fallen, O Lucifer, Son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground?” Is. xiv.

Chapter XLII.

NOVICIATE IN THE MONASTERY OF THE OBLATES OF MARY IMMACULATE OF LONGUEUIL—SOME OF THE THOUSAND ACTS OF FOLLY AND IDOLATRY WHICH FORM THE LIFE OF A MONK—THE DEPLORABLE FALL OF ONE OF THE FATHERS—FALL OF THE GRAND VICAR QUIBLIER—SICK IN THE HOTEL DIEU OF MONTREAL—SISTER URTUBISE, WHAT SHE SAYS OF MARIA MONK—THE TWO MISSIONARIES TO THE LUMBER MEN—FALL AND PUNISHMENT OF A FATHER OBLATE—WHAT ONE OF THE BEST FATHER OBLATES THINKS OF THE MONKS AND THE MONASTERY.

On the first Sabbath of November, 1846, after a retreat of eight days, I fell on my knees, and asked as a favor, to be received as a novice of the religious order of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate of Longueuil, whose object is to preach retreats (revivals) among the people. No child of the Church of Rome ever enrolled himself with more earnestness and sincerity under the mysterious banners of her monastic armies, than I did, that day. It is impossible to entertain more exalted views of the beauty and holiness of the monastic life, than I had. To live among the holy men who had made the solemn vows of poverty, obedience and charity, seemed to me the greatest and the most blessed privilege which my God could grant on earth.

Within the walls of the peaceful monastery of Longueuil, among those holy men who had, long since, put an impassable barrier between themselves and that corrupted world, from the snares of which I was just escaping, my conviction was that I should see nothing but actions of the most exalted piety; and that the deadly weapons of the enemy could not pierce those walls protected by the Immaculate Mother of God!