THE P RTAL
August 2014
Australia Pages - page 8
Archbishop Daniel Mannix:
A Man of His Times
Adrian Lanagan continues his account of
a giant of Australian Church and State
Australia
Pages
O
n 19th
May 1917, the Melbourne Catholic newspaper of the time,
The Advocate, dedicated its front page to The Most Reverend Daniel
Mannix D.D.,LL.D, the new Archbishop of Melbourne. The sub-heading read,
“A Distinguished Scholar and Educationalist - Ireland Lost a Gifted Son, and
Australia Gained a Useful Citizen”.
a year after ordination,
he succeeded Dr Esser
in the junior chair of philosophy
scant or scarce for a well
rounded
appreciation
of his character and standing in Ireland. He burned
documents, wrote letters sparingly and kept no diaries
so that posterity could not ‘analyse my soul’’”.
At the age of twenty six Archbishop Mannix was
ordained a priest, on 8th June, 1890, at St Patrick’s
College, Maynooth, Ireland. His career at college was
rapid and brilliant. In 1891, a year after ordination, he a conspicuous leader of the
succeeded Dr Esser in the junior chair of philosophy Pioneer temperance movement
It goes on to tell us further, “Mannix travelled
and three years later he became the professor of
abroad on vacations, belonged to the exclusive Papal
theology.
Household Club in London, rode with other professors
He next became vice-president and in 1903 president to hounds, but although tolerant of conviviality, was
of Maynooth College. During his Presidency he a conspicuous leader of the Pioneer temperance
received the Papal Delegate, Cardinal Vannutelli, in movement.
1904 and King George and Queen Mary in 1911. As
His probity, care for rubrics, discipline and deference
the Advocate article stated, “This was what ‘may be
termed the first stage of a brilliant career, leading as to the hierarchy led to his appointment as viceit did to the presidency of one of the most famous president and then rapidly, president (as mentioned
colleges in Europe, the nursery of priests in Ireland’. above) of Maynooth in 1903 by unanimous election.
Henceforth he rode only in a brougham. Rome
His career as president was also distinguished”.
appointed him monsignor in 1906.
nominated by the Government as
Senator of the National
University
The article went on to further state,
“Under Pious X he became a Domestic
Prelate of the first rank, with the title
of Monsignor and also Canon of the
Cloyne Chapter. He was elected Senator
when Maynooth joined with the Royal
University and with several others of the
heads of the affiliated colleges he was
made a Doctor of Laws. When the Royal
University was dissolved, Dr Mannix was
nominated by the Government as Senator
of the National University, Dublin”.
The Australian Dictionary of Biography,
(Volume 10, (MUP) 1986, writing on Dr.
Daniel Mannix, tells us, “Sources are too
contents page
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne