Catholics in the British Empire.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 28, 10 July 1902, Page 20

Catholics in the British Empire.

We speak and write of the Briti-h Empire as a Protestant Power (says an American Catholic exchange;, and iii.cc the days of Lliz.ibeth it has been so, indeed ; but we irust not forget that this world-embracing Eaijire upon v\ > o°e dc mil ion-- the tun never sets. has at work within it a Uaven of C thohuty whu h incieast s as the years go by and whoee influence is bound to affect Great Btitain's imperial destiny The present King of Great Britain rule« over a territory 11,043,692 miles in area, ami his name is the symbol of civil authority to more than 380,000,000 of people — something like onefourth the estimated present population of the globe. Of this number millions and millions are heathens and pagans, Buddhists, Mahommedans, Confucians, Pctrse.es, etc. These far outnumber the Protestants of this Protestant empiie. But it is the Catholics of whom we wish to speak p:utici.laily. The Catholic subjects of King Edward VII. number, it is estimated, about 10,300.000 — p:etty nearly the same figures as those given by some auth irities as representing the number uf Catholics in the United States. These Catholics are d'^iribut-ii throighoit the Buti-h Empire as follows . In the V ited Kingi'om (Lngianj, V\*nl»s Scotland and Ireland) there are about 5,'J50 000— l.ameiy, in E^lind and Wales 1,500,000, in Scotland 433 OUO, and in Ireland 3,310 ('2B. British America contains 2,000,000 Catholics and Aufatialia. lud a, and the other widespread posse-eions of Britain contain the remainder. The number of Catholic peers in Great Britain is 11 ; of Catholic baronets 51 ; of Catholic lords who are iot peers, but bear country titles, 16 ; of Catholic membtrs e;f the King's Privy Council 9 (including those of lieland 12) ; of Catholic members of the Houi-e of Lords 33 ; of Catholic members of the House of Commons 4 (including those of Ireland 77). The ancient hierarchy of England ended with Thomas G< Idwell, Bishop of St. Aspah'ts. who died in Rome in 1585, soon after the death in prison ot Thomas Watson. Bishop of Lincoln. In 1598 the Catholics of England were plautd under arch-priests, of whom there were several, uutil, in 1623, Pope Gregory XV appointed a Vicar-Apodtolic From that dati: English Catholics were governed, in spiritual matters, by Vicars-Apostolic until 1850, when the hierarchy was restored by Pius IX, Many Catholics ye: living c u n remember the storm of opposition which this step evoked from Protestants not only in England, but throughout the world. Happily this storm did not la«t long, and Catholics, though they may be called idolaters by the King-, in his declaration, enjoy in England at present freedom and peace, and their mcreate h viewed with alarm only in extreme Protestant quarters. The hierarchy of Euglaud now consists of one archbishop and 16 bishops ; of Scotland, two archbishops and five bishops. The number of priests in Great Britain is 3500 (3018 in England and Wales, and 482 in Scotland). Churche j , cii ipels, and stations in Great Britain numbor I ( J2G — 1572 m England an 1 Wales, and 35 i in Scotland.