THE AUSTRALASIAN CATHOLIC CONGRESS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 45, 10 November 1904, Page 17

THE AUSTRALASIAN CATHOLIC CONGRESS

<^TT = v^ rc P orts so iar to nancl of the tioings of t\jf !||{|| the second Australasian Catholic Congress £x 7 ill® * now being held in Melbourne are necessarily "vju^if^^f imperfect and incomplete but the information •^••^vjjL already available is amply sufficient to show $P^iS§^ that from ever y P oinlj of "view the gathering \ 4lb!^ 1S a magnificent success. Broadly speaking, » the moot impoitant essentials to a successful Congress aie numbers, enthusiasm, and judicious guidance and direction, and these characteristics are present in a most, conspicuous degree on the present occasion, 'lhe aims oi the members and the scope and purpose of the Congress were thus admirably stated by the President, the revered and universally beloved Archbishop Carr :— • As the circle of human knowlchge and human needs is ever widening, so the means of acquiring and communicating intomiation, and ol ministoung to the needs of humanity, aie ever increasing with the demand. He-nee aft<^r an interval of iour years, an abundance en maUer, old and new, presents llseu for intelligent and practical consideration. In this consideration of tna various questions which will be submitted for discussion wo shall all aim at the glory of (rod, the good of His Church, the welfare of society, the advance of science, the support ot the weak, the direction of the strong, the preservation of the " unity ot the spirit in the bond of peace." We shall be careful to gne offence to no man While we defend our own beliefs and give a reason tor the lann mat is in us, we shall not use the occasion to insult the belu-ls of those who diflor from us. •me eHect oi a well-ordered Congress is not to separate, but to bring men closer together. The Ccngres, brines the clergy and laity into closer contact lor the discuss.on ol quest.ons of common interest . H bnnfis those who aie not ot the household of the same faith to listen more attentively to what is said ana to consider more dispassionately what is uttered in # * public hail where men ot all shades of religious opinions may be present.' ho far the proceedings give every promise that these laudable objects will be amply fulfilled- The tone and spirit of the deliberations have been all that could bo desired • the papers and addresses have been prepared in an earnest, careful, and in some instances master.y way • the arrangements for the management and organisation ot the nearly 2000 members so as to cover the ground most cuectively have worked smoothly and without hitch ; and in every respect the indications go to show that the net result of the great gathering will indeed he to promote the glory of God, the good of His

Church, and the welfare of the whole Christian commonwealth. \* Of the papers that have so far been published in the press the contribution of most outstanding general interest is the very fine paper on ' The Priests and People of Ireland in the Nineteenth Century,' by his Eminence Cardinal Moran. It is written in the Cardinal's happie&t style ; and in presence of the learning, dignity, and 'consecrated 2oal of this great prince of tiie Church the malevolent sqiibblings of a renegade McCarthy seem poor and petty indeed. We sincerely hope that means will be taken to give the widest possible circulation to this splendid deliverance, for it forms just the sort of comprehensive and crushing reply to recent slanderous publications about Ireland that was badly needed. Other notable papers referred to in the reports an exhaustive research into ' Devotion to the Blessed Virgin in the Early Irish Church ' by his Eminence Cafdinal Moran ; a paper on ' Ma.'y Immaculate and Democracy ' by the Most Rev. Dr. Keane, Archbishop of Dubuque, the publication of which we await with great interest ; an essentially praptical paper on l Bible-reading ' by the Most Rev. Dr. Dclany (Coadjutor-Bishop of Hobart) in which £is Lordship unfolded a scheme for publishing a paraphrase of the Catholuo Bible in lucid up-to-date English which Jound much favor with the Congress ; and a .paper on ' The Roman Catholic Puzzle,' i c , the Education Question, by the Revf Father Fitzgerald. It is pleasant to note that NewZealand was well represented in the active work of the Congress. The Most Rev. Dr. Lenihan was chairman) of the ' Charitable Organisations ' section ; the Most Rev. Dr. Grimes made a number of pithy, breezy, and distinctly helpful speeches on various of the papers) submitted , and the Rev. leather Cieary is reported in the ' Advocate ' as having given ' an interesting account of the proposal' to form an " Australasian Press Association," amongst whose duties would be the appointment of a central secretary in London, who would send cables to the Adelaide " Southern Cross," which would be. forwarded to all the Australian Catholic journals.' The scheme outlined by Father Cieary, though appealing more pcihaps to journalists than to the average layman, is one of great practical importance, and it is much to be hoped that some definite step will be taken in the direction of carrying it into effect.

A marked and editing feature of the Congress is the spirit of mutual charity displayed by members, as a result of which not 'a word has been uttered that could wound or give oftence and not a single jarring 'note has been struck throughout the proceedings. We were specially pleased to note the evidence of a universal desire to make recognition of the part played by his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne, not only in calling together and controlling the Congress, but in building up and defending the Church throughout the archdiocese. Dr. Games evidently voiced the feeling of the • whole assembly when he declared that ' the .refined feeling and kindness of manner of his Grace, even when engaged in controversy, had won all hearts. The Archbishop's name was a household word throughout Australia.' And the glowing and eloquent tribute of a lay delegate, Mr. W. Shcehan, was but a just and fitting expression of the anect innate esteem in which the honored prelate is held by priests and people throughout the Commonw.calth. l 1 may be permitted to remark,' he said, 'as regards our revered Archbishop, that he has done honor to Victoria, has uplifted public tone, has lent a grace and dignity to controversy, and whilst showing himself to be an able controversialist, with ability to strike with crushing force, has always proved himself to be a kind and courteous gentleman, w-'ho has scored as mnch by his kindness and ' benevolence as by his scholarly atinbutes and intellectual prowess. And I know that whilst he is loved and revered by his own people, 'he is respected and admired by every fair-minded, intelligent man in the States.'