Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/780

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WOUNDS


714


WOUNDS


result of which new constitutions were drawn up in Rome. It was enacted that not more than sixty per- sons be supported on the foundation, that no student be admitted unless fitted to begin rhetoric, and that all students be required to take oath to receive sacred orders in due season. The protector also agreed to Dr. Worthington's proposal that a Jesuit be ap- pointed ordinary confessor to the students. This was greatly resented by the secular clergy. Worth- iiigton had made a vow to follow Cardinal Allen's guidance, and, after Allen's death, he subjected him- self to Father Persons by a hke vow (29 Dec, 1596). The clergy saw the influence of the Jesuits in every action of the president, and feared a design to hand over the college to the Society. Confidence was fur- ther shaken by Worthington's dismissal of the exist- ing professors, and their replacement by young men who explained their author instead of lecturing. Moreover, priests were hurried to the Mission without adequate preparation or training. The cUmax was reached after the death of Father Persons (April, 1610) when Worthington became reconciled to the archpriest, to whom he offered his resignation. This was declined, but a conference between three rep- resentatives of each met at Douai (May, 1612). It petitioned the protector to appoint two of its mem- bers to assist the president in reforming the college, but this was met by the protector's "nihil innovan- dura". This change of policy brought upon Worth- ington the hostihty of the vice-president, Dr. Knatch- buU {al. Norton), and of Dr. Singleton, the prefect of studies, and they sent reports derogatory to his con- duct and administration to Rome. There followed another pontifical visitation (Oct.-Nov., 1612), which discovered a truly deplorable condition of affairs. Disunion among the superiors, studies disorganized, discipline relaxed, the buildings out of repair, the ap- pointments deficient, and the finances crippled by a heavy debt. Complaints were raised by the students about the inefficiency of their professors, the influence of the Jesuit confessor, and the interference of the Society in the government, of the college. As a result Worthington was summoned to Rome (May, 1613) by the cardinal protector, and Dr. Kellison, for whose assistance in reforming the college he had petitioned, was appointed to succeed him (11 Nov.) Worthing- ton was granted an annual pension of 200 crowns, and appointed an Apostolic notary with a place on the Congregation of the Index. While in Rome he be- came a member of the Oratory. In 1616 he returned to the English Mission and worked in London and in Staffordshire. He was made titular Archdeacon of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Six months be- fore his death he obtained admission into the Society of Jesus, with permission to make his noviceship upon the mission.

Dr. Worthington was the author of: "TheRosarie of our Ladie, with other Godlie exercises" (Antwerp, 1(500), a Latin translation of which was also publislied at Antwerp in 1613; "Annotations to the Old Testa- ment" (Douai, 1609-10); "A Catalogue of Martyrs in Englande for the profession of the Cathohque faith (1.53.5-1608)" (Douai, 1608) ; "Catalogus martyrum in Anglia (1.570-1612) cum narratione de origine scm- inariorum, et de missione sacerdotum in Anglia" (Douai, 1614); "Wliytedycd Black" (161.5), against the Calvinist Francis White; "An Anker of Christian Doctrine" (Douai vere London, 1622),

The staunclmcss of Dr. Worlliingfon's four nephews, who were captured at Great Saiikcy, 12 Feb., 1,584 (Thomas aged 16, Robert aged I'l, Ricliard aged 13, and John aged 11), is worthy of perpetual remem- brance. Their conflict is recorded in Bridgewater's "Concertatio" (1.594), translated in Foley, "Hecord.< S.J.", II. BlaiKlishmenIs, promises, thn-als, stripes, brutahty, and ciuiuing were in turn applic<l in order to obtain information from them of the whereabouts of


their uncle, and the names and practices of their Catholic friends, and to induce them to be present at the heretical worship. After some months all ef- fected their escape. Thomas was retaken with his uncle at Islington, and remained a prisoner in the Gatehouse for upwards of two and a half 3'ears. He afterwards went abroad, married a niece of Cardinal Allen, and died at Louvain in 1619. Robert reached Reims, 22 Sept., 1.584, and was joined there by Richard and John on 13 Oct. What they had under- gone resulted in the death of Robert, IS Feb., 1586, and of Richard, 8 June, 1586. John became a Jesuit, was the first missioner of the Society who settled in Lancashire, and the founder of the extensive Lan- cashire district; he died on 25 Jan., 1652.

DoDD, Church Hist, of England, II (Brussels, 1739), cf. also ed. TiEHNEY, III. V (London, 1S43) ; Kirk, Douay Diaries (Lon- don, 1878)-, BnsTON, Douay Diaries in Catholic Record Society (London, 1911); ¥cnjf^\. Records of the English Province S.J.,l, II. VII (London, 1883-4); Gillow, Biog. Did. of Eng. Cath. (Lon- don), s. v.; Wood, Athence Oxonienses.

J, L, Whitfield.

Wounds, TuE Five S.\cred. Devotion. — The revival of religious life and the zealous activity of St. Bernard and St. Francis in the twelfth and thir- teenth centuries, together with the enthusiasm of the Crusaders returning from the Holy Land, gave a wonderful impulse to devotion to the Passion of Jesus Christ and particularly to practices in honour of the Wounds in His Sacred Hands, Feet, and Side. The reason for this devotion was well expressed at a later period in the memorial of the Polish bishops to Clement XIII: "Moreover, the Five Wounds of Christ are honoured by a Mass and an Ofhce, and on account of these wounds we venerate also the feet, hands, and side of the most loving Redeemer, these parts of Our Lord's most holy body being held more worthy of a special cult than the others, precisely because they suffered special pains for our salvation, and because they are decorated with these wounds as with an illustrious mark of love. Therefore, with living faith they cannot be looked upon without a special feeling of religion and devotion" (Nilles, "De rat. fest. SS. Cord. Jesu et Maria;", I, 126).

Many beautiful medieval prayers in honour of the Sacred Wounds, including some attributed to St. Clare of Assisi (indulgenced on 21 November, 1885), have been preserved. St. Mechtilde and St. Ger- trude of Helfta were devoted to the Holy Wounds, the latter saint reciting daily a prayer in honour of the 5466 wounds, which, according to a medieval tradi- tion, were inflicted on Jesus during His Passion. In the fourteenth century it was customary in southern Germany to recite fifteen Pater Nosters each day (which thus amounted to 5475 in the course of a year) in memory of the Sacred Wounds. Cor- responding to the Mass "Humiliavit" in the Roman Missal, there was in the medieval Missals a special Mass in honour of Christ's Wounds, believed to have been composed by St. John the Evangelist and re- vealed to Boniface II (532). It was known as the Golden Mass, and was indulgenced by Innocent VI (1362) or John XXII (1334); during its celebration five candles were always lighted. It was popularly held that if anyone should say or hear it on five con- secutive davs he should ne\-er suffer the pains of hell fire (Franz, "Messe ini Mittelalter", 1.59), The Dominican Rosary al.so helped to promote devotion to the Sacred Wounds, for wliile the fifty .small beads refer to Mary, the five large beads and the corre- sponding Pater Nosters are intended to honour the Five Wounds of Christ (Beissel, "Verehrung Mar- ias", I, .525). Again, in .some places it was cus- tomary to ring a bell at noon on Fridays, to remind the faithful to recite five Paters and Aves in honour of tlie Holy Wounds. A corona, or rosary, of the Five Woun<ls was approved by the Holy See on 11 August, 1823, and again in 1851. It consists of five