Report on the Scottish mission, 1674-07-21, [Rome]

Report on the Scottish mission, 1674-07-21, [Rome]

Capuchins

Conversion

Jesuits

Scotland

Visitation

Since it had been decided that everything discussed in the Congregazione Particulare (CP) also has to be reported to the Congregazione Generale, they have made a list of everything that was decided during the meeting of 21 July 1674, on Scotland. a) someone has to visit the four Scottish Colleges, and the first to be visited should be the College in Paris, which is administered by the Carthusians. They received an answer saying that they should speak with the prior general of the Carthusians in order to choose a visitor of this order, and they also wrote the nuncio to France about the matter. For the College in Douai, which is administered by the Jesuits, they should write to the internuncio and discuss the matter with the father general of the Jesuits. For the College in Madrid, they should write the nuncio to Spain, and also to Cardinal Borromeo. For the College in Rome, they should write to the most imminent protector; b) it was decided that students who want to become secular priests had to be selected for the Colleges. They received an answer that the Jesuits should choose students for the College of Rome, which are then approved by the prefect of the mission; c) it was decided that to increase the number of secular priests, it should be made clear that the congregation wants to use their services. Therefore a declaration should be made; d) it was decided that Irish missionaries should be sent into the mountains. They received the reply that this would be done; e) there is a big need for sacred furnishings. The proposal was accepted, and it was decided to discuss with the prior of the mission the amount of furnishings needed; f) there was also a big need for books. They responded that when it was made clear what books were needed, they would provide them; g) it was decided that the provisions should be paid earlier to the missionaries, and this was approved; h) it should be made clear on what day the missionaries begin receiving the provision. This issue was approved; i) they should use the revenues from the College in Madrid for the mission itself, since there are not any Scottish students there anyway. They received an answer stating that the nuncio should be written to about the way in which the goods ought to be sold, and they should wait for his report; j) sometimes it might be necessary to limit the faculties of the missionaries, or to remove them from the mission. The issue about the faculties was approved; k) it was said that the prefect should stay in Edinburgh. They have decided that it should be left to the prefect to decide; l) it was decided that the missionaries should be spread equally over the dioceses. They received the answer that the superiors of the religious orders should be instructed to do this; m) there should be some missionaries present at the Universities to convert talented students. It was decided that the father general of the Jesuits should be written to about this; n) as there is no-one to administer the sacrament of confirmation, an Irish bishop should be sent on certain occasions into Scotland. They received the answer that the internuncio should be written to regarding his matter, in order to know from what diocese this would be the easiest; o) there should be youths deemed suitable, selected for the Colleges. They were instructed to speak with the superiors, and for the College of Rome, it was already decided that they should ask the approval of the prefect; p) the prefects should have the faculty to recall missionaries that are absent. They received the answer, saying that the prefect should have this faculty in order to force the missionaries to keep their oath; q) it was decided that the Colleges should not receive Scottish students without the approval of the prefect of the mission. This was approved; r) it was decided that students should be taught within their own country. They received the answer that they should discuss this with the father general of the Jesuits; s) it should be forbidden for Catholics to attend heretic schools. They received the answer that the missionaries should be instructed to prohibit Catholics from going to the schools of the heretics; t) it was said that the provision of the schoolmasters should be raised. It was decided that the provision should be raised to 50 scudi, and it was prohibited to take money from the students (or their parents), under the penalty of excommunication; u) it was suggested that the schoolmasters should only be secular priests. This was approved; v) it was said that the prefect should have the faculty to consecrate chalices and portable altars. They responded that this had already been approved; w) it was said that they needed a hospital for retired missionaries in either Dieppe, Caen, or in Normandy. It was decided that the funds necessary for such a house should be assigned to the project; x) it was said that the prefect should have the faculties to give dimissorial letters. They received the answer saying that the faculties had been conceded to the prefect by the rectors of the pontifical Colleges, for 12 years. y) It was said that in the college of Rome they should especially host students from the mountain areas. They received an answer saying that they should wait for the report of the most eminent protectors; z) it was said that there should be a visitation to the mission. They received an answer stating that they should ask the nuncio to France for a suitable person; aa) It was suggested that there should be a superior for the whole mission, both secular and regular. They received an answer saying that they wrote the nuncio to France and the internuncio to Belgium, requesting information for a suitable candidate for superior; ab) It was said that they should elect a vice-prefect. They received an answer saying that the current situation should be maintained; ac) it was said that the Prefect should have the authority to give faculties to those who have not been declared missionaries by PF. They received an answer saying that they wanted to maintain the old situation; ad) it was said that the mission should receive some kind of grant, as Pope Urban did when he gave 4,000 scudi for the foundation of a Scottish convent in Avignon, and as Pope Alexander did for the mission of the Cevenne in the Linguadoc; ae) it should be made clear whether the students of the Colleges need to receive absolution for irregularity, as they usually have been heretics, or are the children of heretics; af) there are some books that should be translated, especially the one by 'Spondano' [Henri de Sponde]. This request is accepted; ag) they will also pay for the translation of 'Baronio' in English, which could be done by 'Valcherio' [John Walker]; and ah) other points of doubt were also discussed. They received an answer saying that this should be done by someone else.

Date discussed: 1674-07-21

Additional comments

This is made on a meeting of CP, the Congregazione Particolare on Scotland, made for the General meeting of PF, GP, the Congregazione Generale.

PF

APF CP 23, 222r-225r

1674-07-23

[Adressed to PF]

These points have first been adressed in the a CP report on the mission in Scotland, see: APF CP 23, 176r-196v (database item 809).
CP has taken notes about the issues adressed before, but these seem to be in an earlier stage, see: APF CP 23, 201r-202v (database item 811).

original; unsigned

Latin

Report

812

Origin:[Rome]