The Growth of the Church

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 15, 9 April 1903, Page 5

The Growth of the Church

Phenomenal indeed has been the growth of the Church in English-speaking countries during the last century— from a mustard seed to a mighty tree. One hundred years ago the Catholics of Great Britain were ruled by four Vicars-Apostolic : now there are 24 archbishops and bishops, besides four retired prelates. The number of priests has increased from a handful to 3565. In 1801 the number of conventual institutions in England did not exceed a dozen : in 1902 there were more than 300. Tho surmised Catholic population of the United Kingdom is now about five millions and a quarter ; that of the British Empire, ten millions and a half. The number of bishops under the protection of the British flag throughout the world is about 170.

The comparative statistics of the Church in our own country (says the ' Avc Maria '), which were set forth by Cardinal Gibbons in his sermon on the first Sunday of the new year are even more striking. At the time of the consecration of Bishop Carroll, whose see embraced the whole of the United States, the Catholic clergy numbered 25 ; and the Catholic population, residing chiefly in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York, was thought to be about 25,000. At the present time the Church in the United States comprises a hierarchy of nearly 100 members, 12,500 priests, and a Catholic population variously estimated at fron 12 to 15 millions. Including our Philippine and Porto Rican possessions the number of Catholics under the aegis of the American flag will amount to upward of 20,000,000. In several States and Territories Catholics are now more numerous than nonCatholics ; and the number of converts to the Church in a single year exceeds the entire Catholic population a century ago. With figures like these in mind one finds it easy to subscribe to the statement regarding the growth and growing power of the Church lately made by one of tho leading Protestant scholars of Germany : ' Humanly speaking, the Catholic Church is destined to achieve still more notable conquests in the 20th century.' Dr. Kolbe, the historian of the Protestant Church in Germany, has published in the ' Neve Kirchliche Zeitschrift,' of Leipsic, his opinion concerning the present strength of the Catholic Church in the Empire, in the course of which he says : — ' Few people, and only those who study modern facts in the light of church history, have any appreciation of the phenomenal advance made by the Catholic Church during the last decades, especially as a power in the political world and in the conquests of new spheres of thought and life. . . .In other respects, the Church has grown phenomenally. Each year the number of those who swell the ranks of the religious Orders grows by the thousands, and in the German Empire alone there are now 40,000 of these. Not since the days of the Reformation have these Orders, especially tho Jesuits, developed the strength they evince in our days.'

The" Tasmanian elections held last week resulted in the complete overthrow of the Government, the Opposition sweeping the polls. For the first time in tho history of the State the whole of the Ministers were defeated. Eighteen new members will take their seats in the Assembly. Out of the whole 35, the Oppositionists and Reformists total 21, the Ministerialists 6, the Independents 4. and the Labor party 4. The defeat of the Government is attributed to their income tax proposals carried last session, and their non-compliance with the public demand for political reform. The new Parliament contains an overwhelming majority in favor of reduction in the number of members and the repeal of the personal exemption contained in the Income Tax Bill passed last session. St. Patrick's Day (says tho ' Freeman's Journal ') was celebrated in every part of Australia with unbounded success. Some towns went so far in their enthusiasm—which was right— as to observe the day as a close holiday. Never in the history of Australia was St. Patrick's Day observed with greater eclat. The lack of a holiday, instead of militating against it, gave a fillip to popular determination to lift tho day into unexampled magnificeace. All classes, too, united in good fellowship with their Irish citizens in doing honor to St. Patrick. This is a pleasing feature to record, as showing that the efforts of those who would set at enmity fellow-citizens who have a common aim in their country's destiny, have fortunately failed, and the Commonwealth is going to go on uninterrupted by old-world strife in tho paths of peace and prosperity. Australians are not wanting in sound common sense, nor in that touch of nature which inspires to nobler ideals than the piling! tip of bricks and mortar, and no doubt when the accounts of St. Patrick's celebrations in other countries come to hand we shall find that we have not been eclipsed in our national celebration of the great festival.