CATHOLIC CHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 336, 24 October 1908, Page 5

CATHOLIC CHURCH.

ANGLO-SAXONDOM. tHE; POPE AND THE CONGREGATIONS. REORGANISATION. (BI TELZQRAPH —FEESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) ' - Roma, October 22. His Holiness the Pope will preside over the reorganised Consistorial Congregation which will deal with Anglo-Saxon affairs. Cardinal Gaetano de Lai (Italian) will act as secretary. ' . ' The fourteen members of the Congregation include 'Cardinals' Merry Del Val (Papal Secretary of tho State), Moran (of Sydney), Vannutelli (who recently acted as Papal Legate to the Eucharistic Congress, in London), and Rampolla (who was Papal Secretary to tho late Pope Leo. XIII). ' PONTIFICAL OECREE. An!, important Pontifical Deoree for the reform of the organisation and working of the different Congregations was issued by the Vatican early in July. Great Britain, Canada. Holland, Gibraltar, Luxemburg, Newfoundland, and the United States-are removed from the Jurisdictional.Congregation of the Propaganda, and. will,'therefore, be no longer considered as missionary lands. ■ Considerable modifications are made in other Congregations. A new Congregation is created for regulation of the disoipEnti of the Sacraments, including questions of marriage. : . "It must be remembered (says 'The Times') that-the government and the administration of the.. Church ever since the sixteenth century has ; been delegated by tho Pope to Congregations of Cardinals. These correspond more or less', to the..Ministries of modern States, with the;imp6rtaht difference that the Congregations possess also legislative and jndioial faculties. There existed also certain tribunals. In future all: contentious casgs will be removed from the competence ,of the Congregations to be dealt with the tribunals. " While all questions disposed of by the Propaganda are now dealt with gratuitously, as it was at ! first, instituted for the needs of uncon-' verted lands, in which the Church had only missions, after the reform the usual fees will have to be paid. At the Vatican, however, it is remarked that the English-speaking prelates have always ■ given as an offering a larger amount than the fees."