Patronate

Whose will shall be clothed with the dominancy of the matter; the will of the Home Secretary of the day, and a small body of the landlords, or the will of the recipients of the eucharist in the parish—the patronate or the congregational will?

“L’ imperatore istesso sotto varii pretesti di spogli, di juspatronati, di concessioni apostoliche, di avocarie, di incamerationi e di pienezza di potestà trattiene le chiese gli amii vacanti, et in quel mentre se ne preride per se l’ entrate.”—[The emperor himself, under various pretexts of spolia, patronate rights, apostolical concessions, rights of advocation, of confiscation and of plenary power, keeps the churches in vacant years, and meanwhile takes their revenues to himself.]

The patronate wedge, like that appropriated by Achan, has been disastrous to the people, for it has lost to them the great benefits of a religious Establishment, and very great these are; […]

And since the doings of the Curia are a lesson to the world, such a manner of appointment to the cure of souls on its part, teaches and encourages all who have patronate rights to make pastoral appointments of a like kind, as a return for services rendered to themselves, or to please men in power, and in this way to destroy the sheep of Christ.