Description

Published 1890: First Edition / Hardcover / Very Good Condition

Original red cloth with gilt titles and gilt band decoration on the cover and spine. 292 very clean and bright pages, decorated endpapers, small neat previous owners name on the title page. Boards slightly rubbed and faded with time and bumped on the corners consistent with age. Overall a well preserved clean and firm original first edition. Scarce! (RB487)

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"Occasional Papers" by His Eminence Cardinal Moran, Archbishop of Sydney, is a collection of insightful and thought-provoking lectures. This meticulously curated work brings together a series of discourses that highlight pivotal moments in history and the influential role of the Catholic Church in shaping society.

The book delves into diverse topics such as "The Church and Social Progress," "The Emperor Julian the Apostate," "The Destiny of Christian Rome," and "The Civilization of Ireland Before the Anglo-Norman Invasion." Each lecture is a testament to Cardinal Moran's profound scholarship and deep understanding of historical and social dynamics.

One of the standout features of this collection is the lecture on "Joan of Arc," which explores the life and legacy of the legendary French heroine. Another notable lecture, "The St. Bartholomew Massacre in France," provides a detailed account of one of the most tumultuous periods in French history. Additionally, "Catholics and Irishmen" offers a compelling narrative on the intertwined identities of faith and nationality.

Cardinal Moran's erudition is evident as he articulates the Church's enduring commitment to social justice and education, particularly in the lecture "Religion in Education." The discourse on "Ireland and Australia" sheds light on the cultural and historical connections between the two nations, while "The Fruits of Self-Culture" emphasises the importance of personal development and lifelong learning. [Google Books]

Patrick Francis Moran (1830–1911), cardinal, was born 16 September 1830 at Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow, youngest of five children of Patrick Moran, businessman, and Alicia Moran (née Cullen). For both parents, it was their second marriage. Orphaned in 1841, Moran was cared for in Rome by his mother's half-brother, Paul Cullen (qv), rector of the Irish College. He spent the next twenty-four years in that city, guided by his uncle and imbibing in considerable measure the quality of Romanità he expressed in a lifelong loyalty to the person of the pope and office of the papacy. During his education at the Roman Seminary and the Urban College of Propaganda Fide he witnessed the Roman revolution of 1848–9. This event – rather unusually – served to temper his reaction to radical change and, later, he was more prepared than many of his contemporaries to accept the need for progressive developments. He acquired considerable skill in nine languages and was awarded a doctorate in divinity at the age of 22 with Archbishop Pecci (later Leo XIII) as an examiner. Moran was ordained priest on 19 March 1853, and was appointed vice-rector of the Irish College and professor of Hebrew at Propaganda. He made contacts in, and worked for, several Vatican Congregations; and became a Roman in all but his origins. While in Rome and later he wrote or edited several works on Irish ecclesiastical history, including Historical sketch of the persecutions suffered by the catholics of Ireland under the rule of Cromwell and the puritans (Dublin, 1862), History of the catholic archbishops of Dublin, vol. 1 (1864) Spicilegium Ossoriense (1874), and The analecta of David Rothe, bishop of Ossory (1884). In 1866 he returned to Ireland to become private secretary to Cullen, by then cardinal-archbishop of Dublin. Moran was successively appointed professor of Hebrew and Scripture at Holy Cross College, Clonliffe, editor of the Irish Ecclesiastical Record, and, by 1872, bishop of Ossory. He was a diligent and exemplary pastor, respected and feared by his priests ‘but little loved’. 6 ft 3 in. tall, he was a striking, aloof figure, though his health was delicate.

https://www.dib.ie/biography/moran-patrick-francis-a5960