the story of civilization our oriental heritage

Cullen wanted to use his growing influence over successive reactionary popes to begin his assault, from the Eternal City, upon ‘Gallicanism’ within the Irish Church. The Irish seminarians who trained there would become Cullen’s future conservative cadres in dioceses across Ireland. In 1832, he was elevated to the position of Rector of the Irish College, a coveted headship he held until 1850. Cullen succeeded to the Chairs of Hebrew and Sacred Scripture at Propaganda College.ĭuring those three decades in Rome, Cullen never fully left Ireland. The Holy Father subsequently conferred on him the doctor’s cap.

At the age of 25, Cullen was invited to participate in a high-profile theological disputation (tournament) presided over by Pope Leo XII and attended by no less than ten cardinals.

He also became fluent in Latin, Hebrew and Greek, revelling in Divinity and Church Tradition. The young scholar quickly mastered Italian, the networking language of the Holy See. At 17, he left Ireland to begin his undergraduate studies at the Pontifical Urban College in Rome. The son of a strong farmer from County Kildare, his piety and precocious academic ability set him apart. Lazy judgements often follow.įrom the outset, it is important to recognise Cullen’s extraordinary ascent. Cullen’s detractors seize upon four touchstone areas – dons, popes, Brits and Fenians. So why, today, is he so unfamiliar and so unloved? Some historians say he was the most significant Irishman between O’Connell and Parnell but many others do not. Cardinal Paul Cullen was a colossus who towered above Victorian Ireland.

The story of civilization our oriental heritage