1 St. Mary's
Sligo 5th June, 1918 Dear Fr. O'Flanagan I have been informed, on unquestionable
authority, that you attended a public meeting at Cootehill on the
19th May, a public meeting at Ballyjamesduff on the 26th May, and
a public meeting at Bailieboro' on the 2nd June, without having
obtained in any instance the permission of the parish priest of
the place. This, as you know, was a direct violation of the
Maynooth Statute (page 121, No. 397), and meant in your case an
ipso facto suspension, as you have already been informed in my
letters of 25th January 1917 abd 24th October 1917. Lest,
however, there should be any further doubt about the matter, I hereby
withdraw from you the ordinary facilities of the diocese, including
the permission to say Mass. This grave, deliberate, and public violation of
ecclesiastical discipline is serious enough in itself. But it
becomes much more serious when considered in connection with what
appears to be your studied contempt and disregard of my repeated
warnings and repremands. As you seem to have assumed throughout
an attitude of defiance and conumacity, I have no hope that you
will show any signs or give any proofs of amandement which would
justify the restoration of any diocesan facilities in the future. I am,
Yours faithfully,