The Catholic World.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 29, 19 November 1897, Page 19

The Catholic World.

BELGIUM— The Founder of the Holy Family Confraternity. — Henri l?elk talilc. ;i captain in the Belgian army, was the toundtr of the Confraternity ot the Holy Family, ot which flourishing branches now exist throughout Europe. America, and Australia, with a total nieml)ei>hip ot more than half a null. on. A beautiful niMiument, hiirniounli'd by hi-, bu^t in ■white marble, has been erected to his memory in the cemetery of Huy, his native town, and <<n Sunday, Sentcinber J2. its solemn inauguration took place. From Yen 100, Maastricht. Uuremondo, Amsterdam, and other places in Holland ; from Bru^els, Antweip, Tournai. Liege, and several other Belgian towns, numerous deputations of the Holy Family (Jonir.iteriiity came to pay honour to their founder. At the head ot a large delegation trom Hasnlt was. M. Cox. a venerable old man ot ei^ht y-emht years, who was mainly instrumental in establishing this )>iou-> association in that town. Solemn High Mass was oi'kbrattd iv the parish church, at which the llev. Poie Blerot, C.SS.R.. the Director-General, delivered an imprest-he discourse on the origin of the eoniraternity, its objects, and the means of sanctification with which it furnished itt> members. In the afternoon the procession left the church for the cemetery, and here, at the tomb of Henri B> lletable. the large assembly was. addressed by the Cure of St. Mathieu. at Maeitricht, and the Rev. Peie Lejeune, both of j whom eulogised the virtues of Captain Lelletable, luid showed the importance ot the work which owed its foundation to him. A son of the founder expressed, in the name of the iamily, their thanks for this s-ympathetic manifestation in honour of his father. FRANCE.— President Faure and Religious Observances. — -M- Felix Faure, during his recent visit to the Czar, was presented by the ancient city ot Novgorod with a picture ot the Virgin of Znamenia, the Madonna venerated throughout Russia as the source of untold "races and miracles. The President is reported upon reliable authority to have received the picture with evident marks of satisfaction, and to have said in the course of his reply to the deputation that presented it • "This symbol of prayer will ever have a place of honour in my home, and in moments of supreme emotion my soul will turn towards it for strength and help." M. Faure i» reported also to have taken part in religious ceremonies in Rubt-ia, and to have made the Sijrn of the Cross. It may be remembered that in Paris a year ago, entertaining' the C/ar in the name ot France, he dared not make the Sign of the Cross or pass the threshold ot Notre Dame. From all this we may infer that M. Faure, if allowed to follow his instincts, would be a practical

Catholic, after the manner of his wife and daughter, but that, like M. Carnot before him, he is attacked by that cowardice in matters religious which destroys half the manhood of bo many Frenchmen. Certain it is that in presence of Ministers and Deputies here who flaunt the anti-clerical flag, the President, whatever his religious convictions may be, is afraid to show them by a Sign of the Cross or a genuflexion. ROME.— Rome and the German Catholic Congress — The full report has now been received at the Vatican of the German Catholic Congress just held at Landshut. Prince Lijwenstein and the other leaders of the centre have reason to congratulate themselves on its marked success and on the importarce of the resolutions there passed. Amongst the finest speeches made mi the occasion the most striking are here held to be those of Dr. Porsch, on the sovereignty of the Pope, and Dr. Baehern, who, m an oratorical outburst that would have been worthy of Windthor&t himself, denounced the iniquity of the law that excludes the Jesuits, and proclaimed the necessity of its repeal. In the discussions of a practical nature regarding the bettering of the condition of the working classes and of the agriculturists, it is observed that the doctrines of the present Pontiff in the matter were carefully studied. A resolution that has caused a good deal of satisfaction to the Holy Father is that deciding the foundation in Germany of a work similar to the one organised in England for the maintenance of those Protestant clergymen who. in coining back to the true fold, may have to suffer in a pecuniary way. It is to be noted that the Congress, at its close, called forth the congratulations not only of the Pope, but also of the Emperor William, and that it is considered to be highly beneficial in attaching the Catholics of Bavaria more firmly to the centre party. An Encyclical on the Holy Eucharist.— On Saturday, September 11, in accordance with the annual custom, the rector of the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo (Father Raffaele Colantuoni. of the Auo-ustinian Order) presented to the Holy Father a copy of the ancient picture of Our Lady which is exposed in that historical church. His Holiness took the occasion of putting many questions to the priest regarding the devotion of the faithful in his parish and in Rome in general. He was interested to hear of the remarkable revival that is to be observed in this respect, and he intimated that he was engaged on a document which aims at developing this revival. The document in question, it is asserted, is an encyclical on devotion to the Holy Eucharist, and it is believed in wellinformed circles that it will soon be yhen to the public. UNITED STATES— The Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions.— A- Washington, U.S.A., eorre pond -at states thai the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions there is- about to pn-* away, in consequence of the declaration of Con res-, that npp:opnatmn~ Undenominational schools are to cease, ioihm.d by the steady induction in those appropriations, which went entirely to C.iHiolse -ciroß •ill the Indian schools of other dcnominatioi.h having bid withdrawn from Go\ eminent support. After the Protestant im-w had failed to bring the Indians into their various reli-uous beliefs they abandoned their proselytising efforts and combined to block thd pro" res" which Catholic missionaries had made in civiliMnir the Indians" Miss Catharine Droxel. who ha, contributed one-half of the two millions given by individuals for Catholic Indian schoolsince 1871 and other wealthy Catholi. s. will come forward with contributions to take the place of the Government appropriations. Archbishop Ireland and the G.A.R.-ArJibishop Ireland respond, d to the toast. ''The Ch.ipliiin." »t the brnqnet of ihe Ori-rul Army of the Ut public, to Pro-idenL .MtKinL y. m Uutlalo. >ew\oik. O.i the evening of 2 .th Augu-t. In the course of hi-addnss he sau l "Mavwarbe never auain nece--,ary tor Au.cuca if nVseusions do ari-e. may they be composed of peac ful tiibuiiaK But always and above all else. America's Hie and honour ni'i-t be sate fr>m peril and strain. It to maintain the lno and .honour of America war is neee-iuy. let there be war. and when war isdoc land. miy soldiers be ready, as biiuc. as tine, as, heroic as Uk.so who quickly replied to the calls of Lincoln. • \\ c are coming. Fr. Abraham we are coming, Fr. Abraham, to do and to die r " ArJib shop Ireland was mustered into the G A.R. on the follow ingevemi'g. lie has been a member of the Loyal 1/ gion for many yeais.