HOME RULE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1744, 8 May 1913, Page 6

HOME RULE.

ARCHBISHOP REDWOOD'S OBSERVATIONS

CHURCH'S AWAKENING IN FRANCE.

His Grace Archbishop Itcdwood returned to Wellington yesterday, after seven months' absence abroad. .During his stay ill Ji'ome, .Archbishop lledwnod had an audience with his Holiness the l'ope. With the exception of a slight illness in Home, tlio Archbishop's general has been excellent. The illness took the form of an attack of bronchitis, which kept him indoors for a fortnight. He proceeded to lj'ngland, via Vancouver, but did not stay in Canada long. His chief objective in America was to see his old iriend Archbishop Ireland, and St. l'anl, •Minnesota, was the only place in the Slates at which Archbishop Kodwood stopped for any lime. On reaciiing Great Britain the Archbishop sunn made his way to Ireland, where he renewed several old acquaintances, and visited spots dear to his memory. He was rejoiced to lind the improved' conditions. of life in 4 tlio country, '[here was n more optimistic outlook on the part of those oil Iho land than he had oven found before. The tenants who, under the new land laws, were purchasing their holdings, were elt'ccting improvements io a considerable extent, and were -to all intents and purposes freeholders, inasmuch as the rents they paid formerly were in excess of tlio interest that they now paid. Though it was a long process, they had the objective of the fee simple of the land always in sight, which relieved tlio former hopelessness of their lot. Bcgret was still being expressed in Ireland at the number of young people who were emigrating every year, chiefly to America, but the emigration figures wero less than for many years past, and there was reason to hope that tile exodus would decrease greatly, or cease altogether, when the country was given Home Rule, which there was every reason to believe would not be long delayed. A good , deal of nonsense was being talked about tlio attitude of Ulster against Homo Rule. Half the population of Ulster was comprised of iCatholics and Homo Kulcrs, and at Home the people laughed at the kind of news that was cabled out to N ! ew Zealand on the question.

Archbishop Uedwood was in the House of Commons when the Home Uulc Bill was passed. The scene was <1 very animated and interesting , one. The next morning iie was entertained at. breakfast in Bellamy's by the leaders of the Irish party, who were loud in their praiso 'of New Zealand, which, on a population basis, had contributed more for the «iuic than any other country. After leaving England his Grace visited Belgium and France, and in the latter country was pleased to lind that the practice of religion had reached a higher stage than at any time during tlio last halt'-ceutury or longer. Under the Concordat tlio Church was practically unhampered, and was able to have its Bishops properly chosen .by the Holy See, independent of the Government, and its clergy 'were quite independent of the Government. The Church in France was now self-supporting as in New Zealand, and was establishing its own schools and seminaries with results that wore surprising. In and around Paris there were not a sufficient number of the clergy to meet the demand, and throughout the country/ n wonderful revival of religious fervour had taken place. The religious orders, which had ocen nominally expelled, were still there and doing good work although not officially recognised. In Brittany the Catholics had built their own schools, and were emptying those of the Government. Books had been introduced by the Government which practically taught atheism, and which had been condemned by the Bishops, and now the Government threatened that the Catholic schools will lie closed if these books are not read. They further proposed to pass a Bill to make it an offence to resist the edict of the Government in the above regard. The Government had been informed pretty plainly that if such a measure was passed every .Catholic would refuse to observe it.

On the journey homewards his Grace made <i fortnight's tour of Egypt, penetrating to the upper reaches and cataracts of the Nile, and inspecting the wonderful old ruins along its banks, including the great ruins at Karnak.