The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 36, 8 September 1904, Page 27

The Catholic World

BELGIUM.— Worth Imitating

Father Edward Gtoethal's letter to the press refuting the charge of bigotry made against the Belgian Catholics by Pastor Anet, of Brussels, at the Pan-Presby-terian Synod in Liverpool and pointing out that in Belgium, an overwhelmingly Catholic country, Protestant clergymen are paid by the State, that Belgium did not require its King to abjure Protestantism, and that its first King Leopold I. was a Protestant, has been reproduced by the Brussels ' Patriotc ' under the heading * Bigotry in which England may envy us.' CANADA.— Twelfth of July Resolutions

... The ' Daily Chronicle's ' Toronto correspondent j>ays that the Orange celq'birations throughout Ontario on the Twelfth of July were remarkable for their unanimous condemnation, of what was called ' French and Catholic ascendency 'in Canadian polities'. In more than one speech an attempt wasunade to preiu'dice voters against the Dominion Government because Sir Wilfrid Laurier ia French and Catholic. ENGLAND.— A South African Visitor

Tfhe Hon. Mr. Wilmot was one of the most effective speakers at tJho Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul SociCfty' in Liverpool. lie has a good deal of practice in tyhe art, for he is a legislator in South Africa, and in 'that capacity has often spoken on behalf of Catholic institutions, his service in this respect carping from the HJoty See the recognition of K.S.G. CathoHc Procession in London

Thousands of spectators witnessed the annual procession in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which took place Jrom the Italian Church in llatton Garden, and, as compared with previous years, tfie numbers taking part were greatly augmented. The procession, which was witnessed by the wife of the Italian Ambassador and several mpnTbers of the Italian Consulate, passed thrpueb , the principal thoroughfares of the district, sevo^^j6 < f .the houses 'in which were brightly decorated. Bann'&fr^and statues were carried by the processionists, and, the-weaiher being' gloriously fine, the whole made a briliiaint-aind impressive spectacle. Religious airs were played by several bands which took part in the procession,* 'and at intervals the Rosary was recited.

St. Vincent de Paul Society The annual general meeting and conference of the Sor ciety of St. Vincent de Paul was held in Liverpool this year. Those attending the meeting included the HroUher President, Lord Ripon, Count de Torre Diaz (vicepresidqnt), the Aichbisliop of Westminster (Dr. Bourne), the Bishops of Leeds, Liverpool, Shrewsbury, Menevia, and Salford, and the Hon. A. YVilmot, M.L.C. (South Africa). Archbishop Bourne alluded to tihe excellent work done by t*he conferences wherever they existed. The great desire was to see them strengthened not only in 'tme more populous centres like London and Liverpool, but in every parfc- o f the Catholic Church in England. Lorid R-ipon saW the fundamental principle of the ,' .Society was that they could work under the direction and wi,th tihe most cordial co-operation of the clergy. The essential work of the Society was visiting the poor in their, own homes, givmg them such pecuniary aid as lay in theix poweir, and also instructing them in the matter of sianitiation. The Hon. H. A. Wilmot spoke of tho good w«rk that was being accomplished by the Society in Soutfa Africa. .] -

FRANCE.— A Compliant President One wonders whether M. Loubet signed th,e proscription list of M. Combes with a good grace. Fojr. it contained the name of a school which must be dear- to his Catholic daughter. Mademoiselle Loubet, now' Madame de Saint Prix, w,as educate*! at the Convent of t^wsitation,< Montelimar She must have kjaowfi'%f;M. Combes' intended prosicription ; yet her own "school, where many happy years of her life were slpent, flgttyes amjo,ng the institutions proscribed ! Did she maTce^any attempt to save it ? Or was her father powerless against his own Minister ? No doubt, as M. Leon Chaine says in his brilliant book, the French President is m tyhe position of a constitutional king ; he reigns through his Ministers, on whom, and. not on him, falls the responsibility of tihe Government's acts. ' And n 0 doubt, too, M. Combes would object to any exception on grounds of mere sentiment. His work is urgent. He has suppressed this year about 2400 schools belong. ing to the Congregations, leaving for next year or years only 2000 more. With so active a Prime Minister and so oomiphant a President, France must soon be stripped of all facilities fox religious education. A third Uss, numbering about 38 schools, may be followed by yet others oven this year. The Organic Articles Men often say that tihe power of the Church in Rrajice (remarks the ' Catholic Times ') is crippled by the Comcorfiat. It is not, however, of tihe Concordat so much as of the Organic Articles that the Church has to complain. These Organic Articles, seventy-six in number, were presented for acceptance to the French Legislature at the same time as the Concordat, and were promulgated with it as a ' law of the Republic' Against them the Holy Father decidqdly protested, for it was clearly Napoleons intention to use them for the purpose v of reducing the Church to a state of servitude. They prescribed that no Bull, Brief, or other communication from the Holy See, even if it concerned only individuals, should be received, published, printed, or pni into execution without the authorisation of the Government. The bishops were bountt to reside in their dioceses, nor could tjhey leave them without ttie First Consul's permission. The present rulers of the Republic are endeavoring to give effect to the Napoleonic ideas with regard, to the Church in their most offensive and most hurtful forms, and it is pretty certain that the abolition of the Concordat is close at hand. Such a measure may, however, really prove beneficial to religion ih France. ,That it would do so appears to be the opinion of this Holiness Pius X. ROME.— A Significant Visit Tho Roman correspondent of the ' Catholic Weekly, 1 who is a hie:h-placed Roman ecclesiastical, referring.; ,4)6 the visitation of the Military Hospital on Monte Coelio by tihe Cardinal-Vicar of Rome, says : * I make special mention of this particular visit because it was >an O offirial visit of tjhc ecclesiastical authorities to a Government building— no such visit, has taken place in Rome since ,1(870. I venture to look upon it as a further sign of some coming understanding between the Vaticato'and the Quirrnal, iw whicih the Vatican will lay 'down clearly its claims and its rights, and which th# Quirinal accept. How and when' this 4 'mddu's Vivendi* wHi^'oft arriived at only the omniscient Lord and Master- of all things can tell. The many indications of its com,lng which we have seen during the last few months would make many anvongst Us feel that the date cannot i) 6 far off.' Coming Events , _ It has been definitely decided (says the ' Tablet ' Rome cortrespohdent) that the first canonisation ©I the

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reig^n of Pius X. is to take place in St. Peter's on the first Sunday of next December, when the Blessed Sauh, of the Congregation of Bairnabites, will be solemnly enrolled in the list of SainLs It is njt unlikely that another ' Beato,' to whom there is a gieat devotion in England and Ireland, will also be canonised at the same time. On the loU'owmg Sunday h>.s Holiness will beatify a number of \cuciablc sor\ants of God, among them the ' C,u,rc of Ars,' in -whoso piotess Pius X ha^ taken a very special interest Between me canonisation and the beatification will come t)he great ceremony in St. Peter's for the close of the Jubilee of the Immaculate Conception, when his llolmesvs will pontificate and crown the picture of Mary Immaculate. The number of Bisihops present in Rome at the time promises to be exceptionally large. The majority of the French Hierarchy will come for the beatification of the Cure of Ars ; all who live within a radius of a hundred leagues from Rome arc obliged to be present at the canonisation, and it is expected that the Jubilee function also will attract a great many others. It is stated on good authority that the Holy Fat/her will avail himself of the occasion for holding a great gathering of Bishops in the Vatican to submit certain important matters to them. The rumors about the re-opening of the Vatican Council continue, but they continue to be rumors. A Matter of Surprise

The question put in the House of Commons by Mr. Sloan on July 11 (writes a Rome correspondent) came as a surprise to Rome, because not a wotd of protest, consiure, or criticism had been uttered here about the visits which the British sailors paid to the Pope. Incidents in connection with pilgrimages had in the past been manufactured or exaggerated, bu,t heire was an event which passed -without unpleasantness anywhere. It will be best to prick Mr. Sloan's balloon with the aid of a leading Liberal news-paper of Rome. ' Evidently,' it says, ' the question of Deputy Sloan alludes t o the a isit which the English sailors paid to the Pontiff Now, it is true that such a vi-.it took place, but it is by no means true that a " parade,'" as the ITon. Mr Sloan .calls) it, took place through the streets 1 of Rome Hence the Italian G'O\ eminent was not called on to give any permission, because it is a rule of Italian legislation and politics to ensure that pious \isits to the Basilica of St. Peter and pilgrimages to the throne of the Pontiff may take place with all liberty There was, in eojnsecfuence no " parade " ; it is, however, natural that -wheto it was a question of hundreds of seamen, trpse were put in militaiv fide, and led in militaiy order to the Vatican Bui this does not ma'-e a " parade " , f/nl, on the other hand, the visit paid by the Rngls?h -Vdnnral to the King and the Government, and his participating in one of our military festivals — that of the launching of the Retrma E 1 cn ar— remove fiom the visits to the Pope of the English Catholic seamen whatever moaning might not ho perfectly loyal.' SCOTLAND. — A Presentation

The members of St Machan's congregation, Lennoxtown, recently presented a handsome silver chalire to Father James M'Donald, a newly-ordained priest, and soin of an old and much-esteemed member of the congiegatiom Yerv Rev. Canon Tinner picsided, and made the presentation in the name of the congregation. UNITED STATES. -A Remarkable Compliment

The' reception at the World's Fair, St Louis, of Cardinal Satolh was a remarkable compliment to this distinguished Prince of the Chun to He was met at the railway station by ten thousand people, and during his stay in the city .he was the recipient of many receptions and dinners in his honor. 'M. Jules Boevtoe, the French Commissioner (says the correspondent of the ' Boston Pi'ot '), pa\e him a grand dinner, which had some significance, owing to the strained relations between France and th<-> Vatican. The German and Austrian Commissions followed with great banquets, which were attended by the leading personages in St Louis. PrasMent Franicis also entertained his Eminence with lavish hospitality, and the Cardinal has declared that ihe can never forget the warm welcome he received from his old friends in St Louis.' St. Lauis, of course, is a great centre of Irish and German Catholicity to-day, as well as hems: a city whose historical traditions and memories are nearly all Catholic.