FATHER FRANCIS NUGENT, 0. S. F. C

We find Father Francis again in Rome for the General Chapter of 1608 as Custos of the Gallo-Belgian provinces. At his instance during this Chapter permission was given to receive the Irish into the Order in France and the Low Countries. Fribourg was, however, refused as it was too far from the Irish Collèges « the only nurseries and offsprings of (.ur country's reh'gious men (') ».

Meanwhile the Ecclesiastical Princes of Germany were anxious to hâve aid in fighting the battle of the Faith in their diocèses, and requested the Vicar-general of the Capuchins to supply theni with helpers (-). Fr. Jérôme of Castelferretto, the Vicar-general, commissioned Fr. Francis to comply with this request by Letters of Obédience dated 28 August 1610 ('■'). In compliance with thèse Letters he set out for Germany taking with him Fr. George Blackny an Irishman who had been received at Douay ('), Fr. Bonaventure of Wiirzburg {■') and some few priests and iaybrothers of the Belgian Province (''). Fr. Francis himself was by Brief of Pope Paul V, named Vicar-Apostolic and Commissary-General of the Rhine district (■).

Fr. Francis was anxious to hâve as many of the Irish members of the Order as possible near him lest the establishing of a Province in Ireland, his chief idea in becoming a Friar C*), might be too long delayed. So on 11 November of the next year, 1611, at Cologne, he clothed four Irish youths with the habit and on the 30 November two others. At the same time he summoned Fr. Edward of Dublin to be Master of Novices and Fr. Barnaby Barnewall to be Lector of Philosophy ( ')•

At Cologne Fr. Francis founded the Archconfraternity of the Sacred Passion of our Lord Jesus-Christ, for which he himself wrote the Rule of 22 chapters, which was approved by Pope Paul V, 16December 1617. This Pontiff and his successors enriched it with many Indulgences and Privilèges ('"). The Apostolic

(1) Historié, ^2; FMR, /. c.

(2) Bullarium, t. IV, p. 325-327.

(3) Historié, '^ 2, an. 1611 and marginal note.

(4) Historié, l. c. This Fr. George ofter many years labour in Ireland was buried at Charlavilie, 1640. Annali, t. I, p. 399.

(5) Bullarium, t. IV, p. 279.

(6) Historié, l. c.

(7J Annali, t. I, p. 157.

i8) FMR, t. V, p. 76.

(9) Historié, i; 2, an. 1611.

(10) Bullarium, t. IV, p. 293-307; Annali, t. I, p. 158.

Nuncio, too, took a spécial interest in this Archconfraternity ('), as did also Count Eitel Frederici< of Hohenzollern, Dean oî the Chapters of Cologne and Magdeburg (')• The Fr. General (Jérôme oî Castelferretto) showed a specially paternal feeling towards its members and addressed a letter oî filiation to them dated Rome 1 June 1612 granting them a participation in ail the good worksoî the Order (').

In following year a General Chapter of the Order was held at Rome in Saint-Bonaventure's 24 May 1613. Fr. Paul oî Cesena was elected Vicar-General (^). The work oî the Irish Friars in Germany did not please him in the same way as his predecessor. He seems to hâve thought they were driîting away îrom the simplicity and humility that should characterise the Capuchin sons of S. Francis. So strongly did he îeel on the matter that on 25 July 1613 he addressed a letter on the subject to the Papal Nuncio (■). His Excellency's reply is dated Liège 20 August 1613. He protests his spécial love îor the Capuchins and his désire that the Order should in no way suîîer. Moreover his record ought to prove « quod novitatis nunquam fuerim amator, semperque, ut instituta prirnorum îundatorum serventur, curavi ». Thereîore the General should not be disturbed, îor the work at Cologne not only did not deserve criticism but even merited the praise and commendation of His Holiness. That the Fathers sung High Mass with Deacon and Subdeacon clad in Dalmatic and Tunic was due not to their want oî Capuchin simplicity but to the exigencies of the time and place, and to avoid giving strength to the assertion oî the heretics that Minor Orders, Subdeaconship and Deaconship were ail due to mère human invention. Moreover everything was done as simply as possible and in strict accordance with the Roman Missal. As regarded the Conîraternity oî the Passion too, his Paternity must hâve been misinîormed. It in no way hindered the Fathers in their work. And the Holy Father had desired its establishment in the Capuchin Church îor two reasons. First because this Conîraternity is primarily intended îor the conversion oî soûls, especially oî heretics, and « Religio, cui aptius conveniret et securius recommendari posset hujusmodi negotium, Religione capucina reperiri

(1) Bullarium, t. IV, p. 282 sq.

(2) Bullarium, t. IV, p. 281.

(3) Bullarium, \. IV, p. 281-282.

(4) Ordinationes, p. 42

<5) Cfr Opening sentence of Nuncio's reply. Bullarium, t. IV, p. 285.