Jealousy of the Irish prelates on account of their proceedings. that our [chief pastors originally] received their ecclesiastical dignity. "Know you however for certain, that the bishops of Ireland entertain towards us the very greatest jealousy, and in particular that bishop who has his residence at Armagh, in consequence of our unwillingness to submit to their ordination, and our preferring to continue always in subjection to your authority. We therefore humbly supplicate your assistance in advancing Gregory to the sacred order of the episcopate, if you be disposed any longer to retain the charge of that parish, which we have now preserved to you for this considerable time past. Fare you well." No. XXXV. IRISH ACCOUNT OF THE SYNOD OF KELLS. Account of the Synod from "The of Kells, Four Masters." Arrival of The account of the Synod of Kells furnished in the Irish Annals of the Four Masters, as published by Dr. O'Conor, although very meagre and unsatisfactory, is not without interest. The original passage will be found in the Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores, tom. iii. pp. 770, 774, 775, ad ann. 1151, 1152, (Buckingham, 1826.) In the translation of it here subjoined we follow Dr. O'Conor's Latin version. "A.D. 1151. A Cardinal belonging to Peter's vicar, C. Paparo by name Jn. Papiro, came into Ireland, to institute reguin Ireland. lations and ordinances, and to reform all matters accord ing to their exigencies. He spent a week in the house of the cowarba of Patrick in Armagh.(1) Synod of "A.D. 1152. A synodal meeting was held in Drogheda of the matof the bishops of Ireland, with the cowarb of Patrick, ters transthe Cardinal John Papiro, and 3000 ecclesiastics, monks, acted at the and canons. They introduced on that occasion several Kells. regulations pertaining to morals, to this effect;-that the men must banish their mistresses and concubines ;-that no allowance must be asked for extreme unction or for baptism; (and yet that it was not well that nothing should be given, seeing that they were instituted for the benefit of men ;)-that nothing should be taken for conferring ecclesiastical orders ;-and that tithes should be punctually paid. (2) On these passages O'Conor has the following Dr. O'Co notes: "(1) The principal cause of Paparo's coming to Ireland was to introduce Roman rites and to confer the four palls on the four archbishops of Ireland His arrival some refer to A.D. 1152. [Wrongly, vid Lan. iv. 141.] nor's notes on the above. land. "(2) This first mention of tithes should be carefully Original of noted. For neither in these nor in the other Irish annals Church pro is there any where mention made of Church property, perty in Iredown to this year 1152, under any other denomination than the episcopal tribute of Armagh, which is called the Riar Patraice, and the episcopal tribute of Derry called the Riar Coluimcille. Other churches as well as these had their lands assigned to them of old by the kings, which went by the name of Termon, i. e. (Terræ immunes) free lands, and nemeadh, as above at A.D. 1148. The word Riar signifies the king's land, or portion, or donation, such as the old churches were endowed with by the kings in ancient times." Neimheadh, what? Moore's ac count of the Synod of Kells re ferred to. Note concerning the the assem bly was held. Neimheadh is explained by O'Brien "glebeland," quasi neamh-iath, holy or consecrated land, (iath, land.) On the subject of this article Mr. Moore observes, that besides the distribution of the palliums, &c., the chief affairs that appear to have occupied the Synod of Kells were some enactments against simony and usury, as well as against the prevalence of marriage and concubinage among the clergy, &c. See Art. LXXVI. inf. An anonymous writer, (quoted by Ware, place where Lan. iv. 141, 2,) in giving the transactions of the Synod of Kells, asserts that it was held at "Mell," (vid. p. 532 sup. not.) which may have been a mistake of the transcriber; but which seems to have been the cause that led some to suppose that the synod was held at Mellifont, as they understood Mell to mean. Kells was however certainly the place. "Yet it may be," says Lanigan, "that after Cardinal Paparo's departure some of the bishops assembled again at Mellifont, under the presidency of Christian, who was then apostolic legate; and thus perhaps we may account for the singular statement of the Annals of Innisfallen at A.D. 1152, that the synod was held at Drogheda, or as some have said, ad monasterium pontanense, inasmuch as Mellifont, being not far from Drogheda, might have been called its monastery." rangements fensive to people of Ireland. The old book of Flan Mac Eogan says that The ar"it was in violation of the rights of the clergy at Kells of Patrick and Columbkille that the pallium was partly ofgiven to the church of Dublin, or even to that the native of Tuam."* This word "even" seems to imply, "although the latter dignity being situated among the Irish, the injury was in this case qualified, at least in appearance, by the honour done to a native see; while in the case of Dublin there was a pure exaltation of foreign, at the expense of 'mere Irish' influence." No. XI. BULL OF POPE ADRIAN IV. TO KING HENRY II. OF ENGLAND, GRANT- "Adrian, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to Pope Adrian our wellbeloved son in Christ the illustrious king of the salutes English, health and apostolical benediction. Henry II. very graciously: "Your Highness is contemplating the laudable and profitable work of gaining a glorious fame on earth, and augmenting the recompense of bliss that awaits you in congratu heaven, by turning your thoughts, in the proper spirit lates him on of a Catholic prince, to the object of widening the boun- his pious agdaries of the Church, explaining the true Christian faith Ireland: • O'Conor, Rer. Hib. Prol. ii. p. 159; Reeves, Ant. of Down, &c. 141. gressions on expresses his interest in the suc cess of the to those ignorant and uncivilized tribes, and exterminating the nurseries of vices from the Lord's inheritance. In which matter, observing as we do, the maturity of deliberation, and soundness of judgment, exhibited in your mode of proceeding, we cannot but hope that proportionate success will, with the divine permission, attend your exertions. 66 Certainly there is no doubt, but that Ireland and all the islands upon which Christ the Sun of Righteousness hath shined, and which have received instruction in the expedition: Christian faith, do belong of right to St. Peter and the Holy Roman Church, as your grace also admits. For which reason we are the more disposed to introduce into them a faithful plantation, and to engraft among them a stock acceptable in the sight of God, in proportion as we are convinced from conscientious motives, that such efforts are made incumbent on us by the urgent claims of duty. recites the conditions on which the bargain of Ireland was to be concluded between them : gives his full sanc tion to the Invasion: "You have signified to us, son well-beloved in Christ, your desire to enter the island of Ireland, in order to bring that people into subjection to laws, and to exterminate the nurseries of vices from the country; and that you are willing to pay to St. Peter an annual tribute of one penny for every house there, and to preserve the ecclesiastical rights of that land uninjured and inviolate. "We therefore, meeting your pious and laudable desire with the favour which it deserves, and graciously acceding to your petition, express our will and pleasure, that in order to widen the bounds of the Church, to check the spread of vice, to reform the state of morals, and promote the inculcation of virtuous dispositions, you shall enter that island, and execute therein what shall be for the honour of God and the welfare of the country. And let the people of that land receive you in honourable style, and respect you as their lord: provided always |