Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 31, 31 July 1902, Page 24

Catholic World

CANADA.— Kingston Cathedral. St. Mary's Cathedral, Kingston, Canada, is being rebuilt after a curious plan The inside walls remain while tho other walls aie built outsidu them. When completed tho edifice will present an appearance altogether new . CEYLON.- Catholic Census. The- Colombo con espondent of tho .London ' Times ' writes some interest ing particulars to that paper regardimj thu lecent census of Ceylon The con espondent has been favored with an ad\ance cop> of tho census tables, and fi om an analysis of the document i;nos the number of Chiistuuis in Ceylon as 349,239. 110 sajs 'Of tho 'Christians, 287,414 are Roman Catholics, lea\ ing (51,825 for all "Protestant" denominations (including 1718 " independent Catholics ' who repudiate the Pope). In IH9I the llonum (Catholics numheied 21(>,214 and other Christians ."> ( .) 1 !, s O that the former ha\e m(i eased in a gieater ratio than tho latter ' H\en as they stand (sa\s tho Catholic Messengei ) these ligures are striking testimony to tho progress' of the Church in Ceylon, and to tho o\erwhelming preponderance of Catholics among the Christian inhabitants But we ha\e to mako one important correction in tho statistics we have quoted Tho London ' Tunes' ' coi respondent includes among the Protestant denominations 171H ' independent Catholics ' But since the census was taken, and after the ' Times ' correspondent had written his summary of the lelunns, the ' Independent Catholic ' schism in Mannar has ceased, and these- misguided people; ha\e bom solemnly reconciled to the Chinch hv Ins Lordship the Bishop of .Jaffna on the 25th ultimo This leases only about tune families in Colombo still adhering- to tho schism It is a \ery generous allowance 1o lik the number of ' Independent Catholics ' still lvmaimng in. (V\ lon at .">O. As the census iei in us <;i\c the number hefoi o tho end, <>l the Mannar schism as 1718, and I lie 'Tunes' ' correspondent adds 1 heMj to Ihe li otestant denominations. 1 1 is necessar.y to icadjust tin; figure's to ani\e at a coi reel estunate of the lelatno stnength of Catholicity and Pr.otestant ism here, and to got the correct rate of increa.se. Allowing 50 of the 1718 to the Protestants we ha\o to add 1668 to tho iifiures for the Catholics and! deduct the same number from tho Protestant total. This gives

289,082 Catholics and 60,157 Protestants of all denominations. The increase amongst Catholics since 1891 is therefore 42,868, or 17.4 per cent. The number of Pnotestants has increased by 4244, or only 7.6 per cent. ENGLAND. The Lady Alice Fitzwilliam has presented to Westminster Cathedral a superb Spanish monstrance magnilicentljj jewelled. Another mon-.-.tranco of solid gold, valued atl JLIOOO, has been sent by an unknown donor to the Cardjnal-Archbishop, through Messrs Garrard, Crown jewellers. Those Jesuits Again. The editor of the ' Rock ' (says the ' Catholic Times ') has been ternibly shocked by the verdict in the libel action. He can only explain it by tho supposition that the judge and jury were either Jesuits in disguise, or at any rate, under tho Jes^ uit influence. The situation, he isj convinced, is very grave, and things; have to become worse before they can become better. Never did Mahatma exercise more magical and irresistible skill than those Jepuits. To-day they are, com!r>aratively speaking, but a mere handiul m England, yet they sway judges and juries and have public authority in the hollow of their hands. This is an ancient artifice of theirs. A Bungle. The bungle with regard to the blessing of the colors of the llrish Guards has provoked sharp comment from some of the papers. As wo (1 Catholic Times ') announced somo time ago, the Right Rev. Dr. Brindle, 1) S ()., Bishop of Nottingham, waa invited and consented to perform the ceremony. The King, it appears, expressed a hope that when the Bish,op blessed the colors he -would not wean his episcopal cope and mitre, since these would prelude his wearing his displaying his numerous hard-won decorations and war medals. Hia Majesty's desire was received by Bishop Brindle as a command, and arrangements were in progress for tho function, when it was intima-ted to the Bishop that the Anglican Chaplain-General was to take part, with him in tho service. All Catholics are Well aware that the Church is decidedly averse to joint servicea of Catholics and non-Catholics, inasmuch as they tend to foster tho idea that one religion is as good as another. The Bishop of Nottingham, therefore, found that he could not accept the mwUition that had beetn gi\en to him, and he was entirely in, accord with tho Cardinal- Archbishop of Westminster in coming to this decision. Application was then mado to tho Catholic chaplain, Father Cyril Foster., and after representations on his part, it was agreed that ho should bless the colors and then lea\e the parade gnound. A feeling of strong indignation has, it is staled, been aroused among the membeis of the regiment by tho action of tho War Office. Westminster Cathedral. His Eminence Candinal Vaughan has addressed to the Catholic public an appeal — 'the last that will fbo made — for funds to complete tho new Cathedral. Ho intends that the building shall from tho outset bo free of debt, and, therefore, that he shall be enabled to ( onsecrato it To meet outstanding, liabilities and to complete structural and other works that must precede consecration it is estimated that a further sum of £16,000 will bo required. Upon tho contribution of this amount depends the date of the consecration and of the formal opening. Considering what has already been done, it is a small amount. Tho success that has crowned the Cardinal's efforts in tho erection of tho Cathedral is a marvellous proof of his power, great though wo ('Catholic Times') knew his energies to be,. Without fuss splendid

gifts have poured in and a noble structure has been raised within an almost incredibly short space of time. We believe that we are correct in saying that the sum of £200,000 has been spent upon the building since 1895. Thousands, yea. hundreds of thousands, will bo anxious to help in furnishing a church which will bear enduring witness to the vitality of the Catholic faith in the. English metropolis. Dominican Provincial The English Dominicans have just elected as their Provincial a comparatively young Friar .Fresher, the Very Rev. Father Lawrence Shapcote, who, singular to s»dy, was born a native of the Orange' Tree State, now known as the " Orango River Colony. The son of an Anglican minister, who afterwards become a convert, and who acted for a time as one of the editors of the London ' Tablet,' Father Shaucote was educated at the Benedictine College, Ramsgate, and afterwards at St. Charles', Bayswatcr. He joined the Dominicans in Franco in 1880, tnen being only sixteen years of age. In 1883 he was transv ferred to the English province, and after some study at Woodchester he went on to Louvain, and was ordained in 1887. Returning to England he was engaged in priestly work in Leicester, Woodchester, and Jlinckley. For about 10 years he taught at Woodchester, until in 1890 he was removed to Hawkesyard, and in 1901 to St. Dominic's, Newcastle-on-Tyne, where he acted as Prior until his elevation to the em nent position of English Provincial. Breton Priests in Wales. The ' Rhyl Journal ' gives some particulars of the Catholic mission from Brittany, which has for some time been at work in North Wales. Its object is to put before the Welsh people the Catholic religion in the language of their forefathers, in the hope of resuscitating it throughout! the principality. As a means to this ond tho Bishop of Menovia issued invitations amongst the Fathers of Brittany, in North France, for niissioners to this country to take up tho work of revival. Tho call was responded to by Father Merour and Father Trebaol, who since December last have been privately studying tho Welsh language in tho neighborhood of Llanr.Wbt, their method of acquiring it being by means of intercourse with the people. Llanrwst was selected as a centre of operations, mainly on the ground that at tho time there was no Catholic place of worship whatever in the locality. In the matier of literature, besides tho Welsh prayer-book and hymnal, which are in use, there has been .i plentiful distribution of tracts, published by tho Society of St. Teilo. ITALY. —Disappointed. Tho anti-clericals in Italy (writes a Rome correspondent) seem to have been quite taken aback by the dimensions of the pilgrimages which aro now visiting Rome in honor of tho Pope's uibilee. They fondly

hoped that these pilgrimages would be on a very small scale. But they now see that the enthusiasm displayed by the Catholics of Italy, as well as by those of other countries, is a proof that the Church stands today, as it has ever stood, on tho solid foundation of the people's faith and love. The Italian Cabinet) may well pause when it contemplates 1 the wonderful tribute being paid to the Bishop of Rome by all Christendom. It may, in its own narrow and feeblo way, rule Italy, but in a far higher and more significant scuba Leo XIII. rules the world ROME. — Encyclicals on Labor. The Wonkrnen's Committe? in Rome for the celebration of r.he fitly Father's Jubilee are preparing three large plates in bronze, upon which are to be inscribed the text and Italian translation of the Pope's three Labor Encyclicals. A Grotto. In the Vatican Gandens there is a grotto which is a fac-sinnle of that at Lourdes. It was constructed with offerings collected by tho missionaries of the Immaculate Conception The Holy Father solemnly blessed the grotto the other day. Amongst those present were Cardinals Matthieu and Vives y Tuto, Dr. IMacDonnell, Bishop of Brooklyn, and Dr. Rowley, Bishop of St. -lohn's, Newfoundland. Papal Audiences. On Thursday last (writes n Rome correspondent under date June 10) the Holy Father descended with the usual solemnity into St. Peter's, where he received the honiago of nearly 5000 Italian pilgrims led by their Bishops and Archbishops In the course of the week his Holiness has displayed really marvellous activity, granting a lari^c number of private audiences. Among thoso who had the honor of being received I may mention Cardinal Skrnensky, Archbishop of Prague ; Cardinal Kniaz, Bishop of Cracow ; and Mgr. Valente, Patniarch of the East Indies. The two former came t«i Rome in order to receive the hat from the Pope's hands in the Consistory on Monday, June 9th. On Saturday the threo Cardinals who were elected last year and who, being out of Rome, did not recene the hat at tho time, namely, Mart mi-Hi, Skrbensky, and Knia?. received tho socalled visite di calore or congratulations of their friends. Cardinal, Skrbcnsky is the youngest member of the Sacred College, being only 32 years old. SCOTLAND.— A Bequest. By tho will of the late Mrs Mantica, the Administrator of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, receives £500 fon a special parochial object. UNITED STATES. A leper colony has been established on the island of (luam by Commander Seaton Schroerlcr of the na\y Steps have been taken by Governor Schroeder, with the co-operation of

Rev. Father Palomo, to obtain nurses from some religious Order. The First Catholic. Mrs. Sarah Marshall, of Salt Lake City, is dead. She is said to have been the fust Catholic in that place, and her name has been associated with every Catholic movement there since 1866, when the first Catholic priest waited Salt Lake. A Distinction 'Tho Protostants of this country do not take kindly to the appointment of Archbishop Ryan on the Indian Commission,' says the ' Western Watchman.' ' They are, to a man, or perhaps, better said, to a woman, unalterably opposed to any union of Church and State, when the; church happens to be the Catholic. T.hey saw no danger from such a union all the years when Bishop Whipple was a member of the Commission. In the popular Protestant mind the word Church, without a modifier, always means the Catholiq Church , and sectarianism always; means tho Catholic religion. The people are generally honest logicians.' A New Seminary. The proposed seminary for the training of newly-ordained CatholiO priests for the work of the nonCatholic missions in the United] States and for duty in that country's insular possessions, is to be opened shortly. The new institution will be at the Catholic TJnivensity, Washington, D.C., and it is expected that at least 12 young priesta will be enrolled as students at the opening of the seminary. The early beginning of the work of the college will bo duo to the success which Rev Wai ten Elliott of the Paujist Fathers has had in collecting funds. Father Elliott resigned his office as Superior of tho College of St. Thomas Aquinas, Washington!, to devote his entire time to obtaining money for the endowment of the new institution The late Archbishop CorrifffOn took interest in its plans and Cardinal Gibbons approved them. Father Elliott's appeals have thus far met with ready response. Some weeks ago he received a single giftl of £1000 from an anonymous giver, and later on received £300 as a legacy- Jt is hoped, ultimately to raiso £100.000 for tho endowment of tho seminary. GENERAL. The Martinique Disaster. Tho Fathers of the Holy Ghost' had a college with 19 professors andl ;; j>ooj >00 scholars, at the now ruined city of St. Pier.re, Martinique. Of the 10 professors 1.1 lost their lives ■Sixty nuns and 11 of the diocesan priests were also victims.