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650 BENEDICT VADA.KKEKARA everyone's relief, later events soon showed that it was only a matter of time for the situation to get mended 52 • 6. A summation of Hartmann 's role Lest the worst should come to the worst, the protagonists of this ex– tremely delicate transaction had to demonstrate the expertise of a tightrope walker. It was as clear as day that the extension and the cementing of the Brit– ish rule in India had called for the formulation of a new pastoral policy. At this transitional stage Mgr Whelan, who was himself a Carmelite and had locally the unqualified backing of a powerful clique, had already blundered badly. Mgr Hartmann was a perfect outsider to Bombay and had no patrons or applauders to fall back on. Perhaps this worked to his advantage inasmuch as it made his actions appear even-handed. In his comportment one sees not only the com– mitted faithfulness of an administrator but also the sensitive concern of a fa- furono gia date dalla Propaganda le convenienti direzioni, rimanendo a di Lei cura percio l'affidare al P.re Lopez all'oggetto l'incarico divisato e porgere al medesimo non che agli altri Missionari gli ordini relativi, ed istruzioni in proposito'. In esecuzione pertanto dei sopradetti ordini di Propaganda con la presente ingiungo a V.R. ed a tutti i Singoli i N.ri Missionari di Bombay, ai quali V.R. trasmettera copia della presente di procedere nelle forme suindicate alla prefata cessione e nello stesso tempo rinnovo a V.R. ed a tutti e singoli il comando e l'istruzione mandata a V.R. in assenza del Pr. Maurizio con altra mia del 21 Marzo p.p. di umilmente cioe piegare il capo alle determinazioni della S. Sede e di astenersi da qualunque intrigo, e invece di suscitare spirito di partito o di opposizione esercitare tutta la Loro in– fluenza sopra codesti fedeli per indurli a venerare anch'Essi gli ordini del S. Padre ed aste– nersi da qualunque rappressaglia". !>t Monumenta Anastasiana, III, 439-440, Mgr Hartmann to Cardinal Fransoni, Bombay 12 September 1855: "Prout [in] ultima epistola scripseram, res cum patribus Carmelitanis omni pace et concordia composita est. Reverendus pater Josephus Lopez prima navi in Quilon, et reverendus pater Thomas proxima navi postali Romam ibit". Monumenta Anastasi– ana, III, 465, Mgr Hartmann to Cardinal Fransoni, Bombay 17 October 1855: "Hodie Rev– erendus pater Thomas a Passione, Carmelita, Romam proficiscitur; hebdomada sequenti reverendus dominus Josephus Lopez in Quilon proficiscetur''. 52 Monumenta Anastasiana, III, Mgr Hartmann to the Propaganda Fide, Rome 20 April 1857: strongly recommends that Fr Joseph Lopez be permitted to return to Europe. After leaving Bombay, Fr Lopez had already rendered meritorious services for more than two years in the Apostolic Vicariate of Quilon. Mgr Hartmann's letter reads: "Praesentibus at– testor, reverendum Josephum Lopez virum revera apostolicum fuisse, cuius laus apud om– nes est. Ipsius porro constitutio iam in Bombay omnino fracta erat, caput vero valde affec– tum, ita ut sola eius pietas et resignatio et a gravioribus curis amotio imbecillitatem im– pedierit. Uncle gratia in Europam redeundi diutius differri haud deberet".