Catholic Progress in Scotland.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 28, 10 July 1902, Page 3

Catholic Progress in Scotland.

LIKE the editor of the Skibbereen I'agle, who had his eye on the Czar of Russia, certain Protestant bodies are keeping a close watch on the Catholic Church in Scotland. The committee instructed by the General Assembly of the U.F. Church, for the purpose of keeping that body well-informed on the subject of ' Romanism and Ritualism,' have to call attention (fays the Catholic Herald) to certain facts which no doubt are very alarming facU from the committee's point of view. The committee recognise that in England and Sootland the progress of the Catholic Ohuroh ' more thau keeps pace with the growth of the people.' There has been a decrease in the number of Catholics in Ireland, but this they perceive is due. not to conversions to Protestantism or leakage, but ' to the falling off in population through emigration.' The ' facts '-referred to are contained in the report which is as follows :—: — In fulfilling the instructions of the General Assembly to keep the Church well-informed on the progress of Romanism and Ritualism, this Committee have to draw attention to certain facts bearing on the striking progress of Romanism in our midst. While in Ireland there is retrocession, owing to the falling off in population through emigration, in England and Scotland the progress of the Roman Catholic Churcb more than keeps pace with tbe growth of the people Thus in England, in 1893, there were 1,357,000 Roman Catholics, there are now 1.500,000 Roman Catholics ; in Scotland, in the Batne year, there were 343,000, there are now 433,000 ; in Ireland, on the other hand, the number in this period has fallen from 3,549,956 to 3,310,028. To thi* last cause U due the fact that the numbers of Roman Catholics in the three kingdoms show a decrease over all of nearly 7000. Of the 760,000 of the city population of Glasgow (over 900,000 including suburbs), 300,000 are returned as Roman Catholic — a proportion, if the figures are correct, which may well startle us, for it implies that two-fifths of the population within the city boundaries are of the Roman faith. More striking than even the growth of the Roman population is the extension of tbe organisation of the Roman Catholic Church. In England, for example, between 1893 and 1902, we have an increase of priests from 2.188 to 3015, and of churches from 1387 to 1572 ; in Scotland, of priests from 362 to 482, and of churches from 338 to 354. Glasgow has increased its priests in this period from 154 to 240, and its churches from 106 to 112. To these figures are added others bearing on the multiplication of conventual institutions. The number of religious houses suppressed in England in 1536 and 1538 is given at 616. The total number now in the United Kingdom is 1453, 484 for men and 969 for women, so that the increase in recent years goos beyond anything previously known in the country, and calls for serious attention. It is extremely difficult to get statistics on the influx of the French Jesuits into this country, but Mr Walsh estimates that there are 250 Jesuits in Great Britain, besides lay brethren, of whom there is said to be a great number. The 'Church Association Almanac' gives the names and addresses of 33 persons who have passed last year from the English Church Union into the Roman Church. Of recent acquiaicions the Vatican correspondent of the Daily Telegraph mentions Mr Charleson, late of Thornliebank. as preparing for the priesthood at the Scots' College in Rome, and says 'he is believed to be the first convert from among the ministers of that (Presbyterian) denomination to the Roman Catholic Church.' This is not strictly correct, but is very nearly so. With regard to the progress of Ritualism in England, it is said that in the Scottish Episcopal Church, they have 360 clergymen, of whom 24 f» adopted Ritualistic practices or joined the Ritualistic societies, 6 are members of the Society of the Holy Cross, 27 are members of the Confraternity of the Blepsed Sacrament, 2T are members of the English Church Union, 14 burn incense, 74 wear Romish vestments, 121 burn altar lights. The Bishops of Argyle, Aberdeen, and the Assistant of the Primus are members of the English Church Union. The last tew yeara have witnessed growing boldness in the publicity of the Corpus Christi processions in Edinburgh, though these are prohibited by law. In view of all the facts, the committee are strongly impressed vtith the need of greater attention being given by the Church to the growth and efforts of Romanism around up, and to the numerous ways in which Ritualistic ideas and practices are finding an entrance even into Protestant communions.'