1st. "Have you interdicted Mr. Chiniquy?
2nd. "Why have you interdicted him? Is Mr. Chiniquy guilty of any
crime to deserve to be interdicted? Have those crimes been proved against
him in a canonical way?
3rd. "Why do you take Mr. Chiniquy away from us?
[Our deputies came back from Chicago with the following report and
answers, which they swore to, some time after before the Kankakee court.]
1st. "I have suspended Mr. Chiniquy on the 19th inst., on account of
his stubbornness and want of submission to my orders, when I ordered him
to Kahokia.
2nd. "If Mr. Chiniquy has said mass since as you say, he is irregular
and the pope alone can restore him in his ecclesiastical and sacerdotal
functions.
3rd. "I take him away from St. Anne, despite his prayers and yours,
because he has not been willing to live in peace and friendship with the
Revs. Messrs. Lebel and Cartevel.
[The bishop, being asked if those two priests had not been interdicted
by him for public scandals, was forced to say, "Yes!"]
4th. "My second reason for taking Mr. Chiniquy from St. Anne, and
sending him to his new mission, is to stop the law-suit Mr. Spink has instituted
against him.
[The bishop being asked if he would promise that the suit would be
stopped by the removal of Mr. Chiniquy, answered: "I cannot promise
that."]
5th. "Mr. Chiniquy is one of the best priests in my diocese, and I do
not want to deprive myself of his services. No accusation against his
morality has been proved before me.
6th. "Mr. Chiniquy has demanded an inquest to prove his innocence
against certain accusations made against him; he asked me the names of his
accusers, to confound them, I have refused to grant his request.
[After the bishop had made these declarations, the deputation presented
him the letter of Mr. Chiniquy. It evidently made a deep impression upon
him. As soon as he had read it, he said:]
7th. "Tell Mr. Chiniquy to come and meet me to prepare for his new
mission, and I will give him the letters he wants, to go and labor there.
(Signed) FRANCIS BECHARD,
J. B. LEMOINE,
BASILIQUE ALLAIRE,
