Storia do Mogor 363

363

Copy of the Letter of the Lord Bishop of San Thomé written to the supreme council of pondicherry against the reverend father esprit of tours, Capuchin and Apostolic Missionary in the East Indies.
Most Noble Lord Councillors,
The Reverend Father Esprit came out with a resolution, most unexpected and scandalous, upon no other basis than that of his many letters — that is, his great learning. He ought to have awaited the decision from France, where this affair had been sent; but he took it upon himself to act as judge about the decrees of the Sacred Congregation, which he declares have reference to the division of the parishes made by us, confiding the cure of the Malabar natives to the reverend Jesuit fathers. If your lordships will glance at the decrees, you will see they say nothing about the parishes of Pondicherry. I have sent forth a Pastoral through which I declare once more that the reverend fathers of the society are the parish priests of the Malabāris. Furthermore, the said Malabārís appertain in no way to the reverend Capuchin fathers, neither by order of his Holiness nor by mine, as they falsely allege. It is your duty, my lords, and it belongs to you to maintain peace and uphold my jurisdiction, according to the manner in which I have exercised it, by forcing the reverend Capuchin fathers by every severity to cease disturbance, and not to introduce any innovation until a decision comes from Rome or France. Thus I call upon your lordships with the greatest insistence to see to the quiet of this Christian community.
If by any chance the Reverend Father Fra Esprit comes out with some new resolve, your lordships will know that the whole is null and of no effect, because he has neither authority nor power. Although he is a vicar with judicial powers, he has not thereby any such jurisdiction, nor do I mean to concede to him any such. To satisfy your lordships I will write to the Reverend Father Fra Esprit, but there was another letter I wrote to him exhorting him to peace and quiet. This he took and threw on the ground with contempt, and declined to receive it. Thus your lordships ought not to desire that I should expose myself to his anger and rudeness. God have you in His keeping.
San Thomé, November 10, 1706, Your lordships' most faithful servant and friend, The Bishop of Meliapur.
Truly, gentlemen, does not the gentleness seem very great that was displayed to us on the part of the Lord Bishop of San Thomé? Nor has his Lordship better foundation for saying in his declaration that he has dealt with the Reverend Father Esprit with all the gentleness [284] imaginable. It would not be possible to treat a friar more basely, particularly when acting on a calumny so manifest. You will know from the second letter, which is a reply to the petition of the Reverend Father Guardian of the Capuchins, handed in after the receipt of the preceding letter — you will know, I say, with what gentleness the Lord Bishop treats us, at the very time when he claims to be indemnifying us for a calumny uttered against us. When he is confessing he was mistaken, he writes the above letter to the Pondicherry Council, and cannot avoid using the most degrading language in so doing. Here it is, gentlemen ; read it with care and diligence.