Charles Walmesley facts for kids
Charles Walmesley (born January 13, 1722 – died November 25, 1797) was an important Roman Catholic leader in England. He was a bishop and served as the Vicar Apostolic of the Western District of England. He was also known by his pen names, Signor Pastorino or Pastorini. Walmesley became famous, especially in Ireland, for his predictions about the future of the Catholic Church. He believed that Protestantism would decline between 1821 and 1825, and that the Catholic Church would become very strong.
Early Life and Studies
Charles Walmesley was born in Lancashire, England. He was the seventh son in his family. He studied at the English Benedictine College of St. Gregory in Douai, which is now Downside School near Bath. In 1739, he became a Benedictine monk in Paris. Later, he earned a degree called DD from the Sorbonne university.
Walmesley was also very good at science, especially astronomy and mathematics. The British Government even asked for his advice when they were changing the calendar between 1750 and 1752. Because of his scientific skills, he became a member of important groups like the Royal Society of London, and similar societies in Paris, Berlin, and Bologna.
Becoming a Church Leader
From 1749 to 1753, Walmesley was in charge of St. Edmund's Priory in Paris. In 1754, he went to Rome to represent the English Benedictine Congregation. Two years later, he was chosen to become a coadjutor bishop for the Western District of England. This meant he would help the current bishop and then take over when that bishop retired or passed away. He was made a bishop on December 21, 1756. He took over the Western District fully in 1770.
Walmesley was a very active and skilled leader. He gained a lot of attention, which was unusual for Catholic bishops in England during the 1700s. In June 1780, during the ""No Popery" riots", a group of rioters traveled from London to Bath, where Walmesley lived. They caused a lot of trouble, and the newly built Catholic chapel in Bath was burned down. Walmesley's home, his private library, and all the church records were also destroyed.
In 1789, a group called the "Catholic Committee" tried to make changes that Walmesley and other bishops disagreed with. Walmesley called a meeting of his fellow bishops. They all agreed to reject a new loyalty oath that was being proposed for Catholics. They said it was wrong to take this oath. This was an important moment for Catholics in England who were trying to gain more rights.
On August 15, 1790, Walmesley performed an important ceremony. He consecrated John Carroll as the very first Catholic bishop in the United States. This happened at Lulworth Castle in England.
Final Resting Place
Towards the end of his life, Walmesley had trouble hearing. He passed away in Bath and was first buried in Bristol. In 1906, his remains were moved to Downside Abbey. This abbey was the very place where he had gone to school almost 200 years before.
Later, people suggested that bishops from America and England, many of whom could trace their spiritual lineage back to Walmesley, should build a special monument for him. Many people supported this idea. A beautiful altar tomb with a statue of him was built at Downside Abbey.
His Writings
Walmesley wrote many books, mostly about astronomy and mathematics.
However, he is most famous for a book he wrote under the name "Signor Pastorini." It was called General History of the Christian Church from her birth to her Final Triumphant States in Heaven chiefly deduced from the Apocalypse of St. John the Apostle. This book was first published in 1771. It became very popular, with many editions printed in Great Britain and America. It was also translated into Latin, French, German, and Italian.
In this book, Walmesley made a prophecy. He predicted that Protestant churches, especially the Anglican Church, would be destroyed by God around 1825. This book was very popular with Irish Catholics in the years leading up to the Catholic Emancipation in 1829, when Catholics gained more rights.
In 1823, another writer, using the name "Pastor Fido," wrote a book that disagreed with Walmesley's predictions.
Some of Walmesley's letters are kept in the archives of the Diocese of Clifton. There are also portraits of him at Downside, Douai Abbey, Clifton, and Lulworth.
See also
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- Catholic Church in England and Wales
- Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
- Roman Catholicism in England and Wales
