Page 174 - Transcriptions d'actes notariés - Tome 20 - 1682-1686

He wafi received into ihe Catholic Churcli iin January 24, 1M. His
la~er inlerest iii the Cathnlic Triith Society, hoth in Englaiid and in
Canada, was born of the experieiice that a man niay read himself intu
the Chiirch.
In 1904 Windle accepted the pre~idencv of Queen's CoUege, Cork.
To appreciate why he did so is to peiietrate the man to the core. There
>vas financial loss in that he hsd to aecept a lower saIary, bnt be .ond
that there was loss of prestige and opportuniky. The man behin d ihe
University of Birmingham was Joseph Chamberlain who was a powerful
pcilitical îigure, able to get eiidowments unlimited from the wealthy
indu~trialisls of the Midlaiid area. Chamberlain had resolved to make
a unirersity that would be respec~ed. He had already secured Sir OIiver
Lorlge, the dietinguished scientisi an its pr esident, and he counted upoii
WindIe to be Dean of &e Medical School. Why did Windle renounce
these prospects and these cungenial surroundings BO beeome president ol
a moribund college in Ireland ? There were quite simply two reasons;
hc was Irish and he was Catholic. Both thesc Ioyalties were geniiine and
brith prompted him io go to Cork. but a dramatic incident was to reveal
which loyalty was the deeper. The boycott was a new aiid eff cctive
weapon at this time in the hands of the rippressed Irish tenants, but tu
the disma)- of many Irish Calholies Pope Leii XIII unexpectedly issued
a reicript in April 1ü88 ruling that it was contrarv to charity and justice.
The news broke when Winrlle, who had made no secret of his views,
was preparing to deIiver another puhlic speech in support (if it. Hc was
aetually oii the point of stepping to the platfom when two of his Catholic
fricnds brnughi him wnrd. They had debaied whether they Bould tell
him or iiot, so embarrassing did the situation seeni tii be. But they felt
he would H-snt to be told. He ~oiidered the u~~ettiiio iiews for a momeiit.
. .
L
and then without revealiiig hi5 plaiifi, he invited ihem to take a seat in
the leclure hall. He hegan his speech by rerninding hi8 audienee ihat
he hed niaiiy times deieiiderl ~he hoyciitt as a legi timate political deïice.
"But", he rveiit on to gay, "there is anokher question which 1 am mueh
more keenl). interested in, about rvhieh yoli probably kiiow niithiiig -
that subject is the teaching of the Catholic Church. 1 have reeeiitly
Iied the hoiior of beiiig reeeived jnto that Chureh. Now bo XTII. her
risible head on earth, has deeidd that bopotting is apaiiist Christian
charity, and therefiire as a loyal soli of khe Catholic Church 1 withdraw
anything 1 ma! have said again5t her teachiiig, and the lecture w.il1 not
Lit: given t~night."[~' You can imagiiie the effect of this annoiincemeiit!
Iiut ?ou will not be surprioed to hear ihat alter a morneiit of stiipefaction
the audience, stirred by khe hunesty and eourage of the man, biirst
in to thundetous applause.
The iiispiriiip scholarship and administrative drive which did so
much IO create the Univeroity uf Birmingham were now transferred to
Cork; aiid with a similnr resu lt. Certaiiily he traiisf ormed Queeii's
College, which ivaa its official name wheii Windle ioiik orer. Hitherto
it had evoked but lilile Iciyalty or eveii interest in the people uI Miiiister,
--
(2) Sir Bertram Windle. a hfrmoir - Monica Taylor, S.N.D., p. 33.
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