The Henson Journals

[169]

Tuesday, January 13th, 1925.

I succeeded in finding the passage in Lea's History of Auricular Confession which describes the ecclesiastical rules under which physicians were required to act. Those rules do provide a remarkable example of that co–operation of priests & doctors which is now generally advocated, but the cruelty & degrading hypocrisy which any serious attempt to obey them must have involved were so terrible, that, in point of fact, they could not be held back from becoming rapidly obsolete. The casuists came to the rescue of the authorities, and "saved their face" by explaining away their demands. St Pius V was only tolerable because he was followed in due time by Signore. An "infallible" Church must needs be in the hands of the Casuists, for it can hardly cancel its rules however practically disastrous; it can only explain them so that they are not obeyed!

In the afternoon, I walked in the Park with Ernest, and in the evening there was a dinner party in honour of the newly married Strakers, followed by a reception of some neighbours. For this purpose, the electric light is invaluable. It shows up the large rooms to advantage. It was not a very interesting company, but, in its own rather heavy manner, it appeared to enjoy itself, and had dispersed soon after 11 p.m.

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