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Show Sweeping Ruling Affecting Catholics. The most sweeping ruling made by an American Ameri-can court concerning a matter of Roman Catholic belief was handed down at Rochester, X. Y., ou Oct. 1(5, by Surrogate George A. Benton.' The case is that of John S. Keenan, as administrator of Rev. James P. Iviernan. Keenan put in a claim for $500 willed to Father Kiernan'for masses bv Daniel Lane. Air. Lane died July 1S!)7; anil Father Ricnian, May 31, 1900. Judge .Benton says: "It is not natural to suppose that the testator making a bequest for such a purpose would so distrust dis-trust his legatee as to insist that the service should be performed before the money was paid." The substance of the decision is that the performance per-formance of the masses by "the priest in' such n ease is a duty laid upon the conscience of the clergyman alone, and that the legacy vests in the priest and passes to his legal representative, who is in a position to claim its payment.' The casf has no exact parallel in the history of United States courts. . |