Angus MacDonald (18 September 1844 – 29 April 1900) was a Scottish

Roman Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' re ...

, who later served as the first Bishop of Argyll and the Isles from 1878 to 1892 and as the third Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh from 1892 to 1900. In addition to his role in building new church buildings,

parochial school A parochial school is a private school, private Primary school, primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathem ...

s, and other institutions after almost three centuries of

religious persecution Religious persecution is the systematic oppression of an individual or a group of individuals as a response to their religion, religious beliefs or affiliations or their irreligion, lack thereof. The tendency of societies or groups within socie ...

of the

Catholic Church in Scotland The Catholic Church in Scotland, overseen by the Scottish Bishops' Conference, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church headed by the Pope. Christianity first arrived in Roman Britain and was strengthened by the conversion of the Picts thr ...

, Archbishop MacDonald is most notable for his leadership role in the

Highland Land League The first Highland Land League () emerged as a distinct political force in Scotland during the 1880s, with its power base in the country's Highlands and Islands. It was known also as the Highland Land Law Reform Association and the Crofters' Par ...

agitation as Bishop of Argyll and the Isles. The Bishop embraced this role in order to end the absolute power of the Anglo-Scottish landlord class to profit through

rackrenting Rack-rent denotes two different concepts: # an excessive rent. # the full rent of a property, including both land and improvements as if it were subject to an immediate open-market rental review. The second definition is equivalent to the economi ...

and the

Highland Clearances The Highland Clearances ( , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860. The first phase resulted from Scottish Agricultural R ...

on their estates, and to improve the living standards of the laity during a time when he led "the most impoverished Diocese in Britain."

Early life

Born in Borrodale on the

Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some of ...

on 18 September 1844, he was the third son of Angus MacDonald and Mary MacDonald (née Watson). His elder brother was Hugh MacDonald, Bishop of Aberdeen. Angus MacDonald was educated at St Cuthbert's College, Ushaw. Afterwards, he graduated from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

Priestly career

After his

ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

to the priesthood on 7 July 1872, he was first stationed at St Patrick's Church,

Anderston Anderston (, ) is an area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is on the north bank of the River Clyde and forms the south western edge of the city centre. Established as a village of handloom weavers in the early 18th century, Anderston was an independent ...

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, then sent to Arisaig,

Inverness-shire Inverness-shire () or the County of Inverness, is a Counties of Scotland, historic county in Scotland. It is named after Inverness, its largest settlement, which was also the county town. Covering much of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands and s ...

to help the aged Father William Mackintosh, at whose death he took charge of that parish. There he laboured among the people he had known from childhood, his knowledge of

Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...

enabling him to instruct and help those and there were a great many of them who neither understood nor spoke English.

Episcopal career

Just after the Scottish Hierarchy was restored on 15 March 1878, he was appointed the first

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles by the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

on 22 March 1878. He was

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

to the

episcopate A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

by Archbishop

Charles Petre Eyre Charles Petre Eyre (1817–1902) was a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic clergyman who was appointed the first Roman Catholic archbishop of Glasgow since the Scottish Reformation. He served as archbishop from 1878 to 1902. Family Born at Askham B ...

of Glasgow on 23 May 1878, with Bishop

James Chadwick Sir James Chadwick (20 October 1891 – 24 July 1974) was an English nuclear physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1935 for his discovery of the neutron. In 1941, he wrote the final draft of the MAUD Report, which inspired t ...

of Hexham & Newcastle and Bishop John MacDonald of Aberdeen serving as co-

consecrator A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches ...

s. He took up his residence at St Columba's Cathedral in

Oban Oban ( ; meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William, Highland, Fort William. During the tourist seaso ...

, where he devoted himself to rebuilding the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

after centuries of

throughout his new and scattered diocese, which he regularly visited in all seasons and in all kinds of weather. At the time, Oban was overwhelmingly Gaelic-speaking, but religiously Presbyterian and

Episcopalian Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protes ...

. Catholics were a tiny minority and

anti-Catholicism Anti-Catholicism is hostility towards Catholics and opposition to the Catholic Church, its clergy, and its adherents. Scholars have identified four categories of anti-Catholicism: constitutional-national, theological, popular and socio-cul ...

was so intense that Bishop MacDonald is said to have needed an armed bodyguard to safely stroll around Oban during his first years there. The Diocesan See, however, had been placed in Oban anyway, because Oban was, according to the 1882 '' Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland'', "the capital of the West Highlands and the

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Since the early 19th century, Charing Cross has been the notional "centre of London" and became the point from which distances from London are measured. ...

of the

Hebrides The Hebrides ( ; , ; ) are the largest archipelago in the United Kingdom, off the west coast of the Scotland, Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Ou ...

." He became a familiar sight on the

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

s, often clad in

oilskin Oilskin is a waterproof cloth used for making garments typically worn by sailors and by others in wet areas. The modern oilskin garment was developed by a New Zealander, Edward Le Roy, in 1898. Le Roy used worn-out sailcloth painted with a mixtu ...

and sou'wester. He built churches and schools, and, with his priests, worked incessantly for the glory of God and the increase of the religion to which he and his

ancestor An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder, or a forebear, is a parent or ( recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from ...

s had always adhered. While rebuilding churches where excessive rents,

religious discrimination Religious discrimination is treating a person or group differently because of the particular religion they align with or were born into. This includes instances when adherents of different religions, denominations or non-religions are treate ...

political boss In the politics of the United States of America, a boss is a person who controls a faction or local branch of a political party. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves; most historical bosses did not, at least during the times of th ...

ism, and the

by the Anglo-Scottish landowning gentry had already made the See of Argyll and the Isles, "the most impoverished Diocese in Britain", Bishop MacDonald also cared very deeply, as he once wrote, about working, "to obtain redress for the people", during the same era as the

agitation. In May 1883, Bishop MacDonald wrote a letter to the Crofter's Commission from the Oban Rectory he shared with the famous Scottish Gaelic poet Fr. Allan MacDonald, "I refer to the way in which the Catholics (i.e. the great bulk of the population) of

South Uist South Uist (, ; ) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. At the 2011 census, it had a usually resident population of 1,754: a decrease of 64 since 2001. The island, in common with the rest of the Hebrides, is one of the ...

and

Barra Barra (; or ; ) is an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and the second southernmost inhabited island there, after the adjacent island of Vatersay to which it is connected by the Vatersay Causeway. In 2011, the population was 1,174. ...

have been dealt with in educational matters, in being refused Catholic teachers in schools attended almost exclusively by Catholic children... I believe that a statement of this case will show the existence of a widespread evil, in the dependent and downgrading position in which such tenants are apt to be placed - with no security of tenure, no guarantee against removal at will, and with the fear constantly hanging over them, that if they assert their rights they may be made to suffer for it, without having power to obtain redress... In other Catholic districts on the mainland, Catholics had their feeling invariably respected by choolboards composed mainly of non-Catholic members. Here n the Islands where they could have by their votes secured a majority of seats and then looked after their own interests, they were deterred by fear from exercising that right." According to Roger Hutchinson, the Bishop's choice to assign Gaelic-speaking priests from the Scottish mainland to parishes in the

was accordingly no accident. About that time, when the Bishop and his priests, similarly to Irish priests during the Repeal Campaign, the

Tithe War The Tithe War () was a campaign of mainly nonviolent civil disobedience, punctuated by sporadic violent episodes, in Ireland between 1830 and 1836 in reaction to the enforcement of tithes on the Roman Catholic majority for the upkeep of the est ...

and the

Land War The Land War () was a period of agrarian agitation in rural History of Ireland (1801–1923), Ireland (then wholly part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom) that began in 1879. It may refer specifically to the firs ...

, were the leaders of

direct action Direct action is a term for economic and political behavior in which participants use agency—for example economic or physical power—to achieve their goals. The aim of direct action is to either obstruct a certain practice (such as a governm ...

rent strike A rent strike, sometimes known as a tenants strike or a renters strike, is a method of protest commonly employed against large landlords. In a rent strike, a group of tenants agree to collectively withhold paying some or all of their rent to the ...

s, and other acts of resistance to the Anglo-Scottish landlords, Fr. Michael MacDonald has since commented, "I think that one of the things that may have influenced the boldness of the priests at that time was simply that they had no relations on the islands who could have been got at by the estate

Factor Factor (Latin, ) may refer to: Commerce * Factor (agent), a person who acts for, notably a mercantile and colonial agent * Factor (Scotland), a person or firm managing a Scottish estate * Factors of production, such a factor is a resource used ...

or others." Roger Hutchinson further writes that the hostility of Bishop MacDonald and his priests to the absolute power granted to the landlords under

Scots property law Scots property law governs the rules relating to property found in the legal jurisdiction of Scotland. In Scots law, the term 'property' does not solely describe land. Instead the term 'a person's property' is used when describing objects or 'thi ...

at the time, which Hutchinson inaccurately labels as Liberation Theology rather than

Distributism Distributism is an economic theory asserting that the world's productive assets should be widely owned rather than concentrated. Developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, distributism was based upon Catholic social teaching princi ...

, was fueled by a deep sense of outrage over the decimation of the Catholic population of the Scottish Gaeldom by the

. A further influence was the knowledge that the roots of the Clearances lay in the

Classical Liberalism Classical liberalism is a political tradition and a branch of liberalism that advocates free market and laissez-faire economics and civil liberties under the rule of law, with special emphasis on individual autonomy, limited governmen ...

preached in

Adam Smith Adam Smith (baptised 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the field of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by some as the "father of economics"——— or ...

's ''

The Wealth of Nations ''An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations'', usually referred to by its shortened title ''The Wealth of Nations'', is a book by the Scottish people, Scottish economist and moral philosophy, moral philosopher Adam Smith; ...

'' during the

Scottish Enlightenment The Scottish Enlightenment (, ) was the period in 18th- and early-19th-century Scotland characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. By the eighteenth century, Scotland had a network of parish schools in the Sco ...

and in that ideology's

hostility Hostility is seen as a form of emotionally charged aggressive behavior. In everyday speech, it is more commonly used as a synonym for anger and aggression. It appears in several psychological theories. For instance it is a Facet (psychology), f ...

to, "bigotry and superstition"; which were, in 18th- and 19th-century Scotland, routinely used as shorthand for

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. After 14 years as Bishop of Argyll and the Isles, he was

translated Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

to the Metropolitan see of St Andrews and Edinburgh on 15 July 1892. His replacement as Bishop of Argyle and the Isles was George Smith.

John Lorne Campbell John Lorne Campbell FRSE LLD OBE () (1 October 1906 – 25 April 1996) was a Scotland, Scottish historian, farmer, environmentalist and folklorist, and recognized literary scholar, scholar of both Celtic studies and Scottish Gaelic literature. Al ...

, however, has subtly criticized the Vatican's decision to appoint Bishop Smith to an overwhelmingly Gaelic-speaking Diocese. This is because Bishop Smith, a native of

Banffshire Banffshire (; ; ) is a historic county in Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. The historic county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975. Since 1996 the area has been spli ...

, was "a successor who, although a man of holy personality, knew no Gaelic."John Lorne Campbell's Biography of Fr. Allan MacDonald
/ref> As Archbishop and Primate of Scotland, MacDonald continued with the same zeal, humility, gentleness, tact, and firm attention to everything in his new duties as he had had under his old charge. He died in office on 29 April 1900, aged 55.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonald, Angus 1844 births 1900 deaths 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Scotland 19th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Scotland 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Scotland Alumni of the University of London Catholic Church and minority language rights Distributism History of human rights History of the Scottish Highlands Land reform in Scotland Resistance to the Highland Clearances Roman Catholic archbishops of St Andrews and Edinburgh Roman Catholic bishops of Argyll and the Isles Scottish human rights activists