THE CATHOLIC CONGRESS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 45, 10 November 1904, Page 3

THE CATHOLIC CONGRESS

(From our own correspondent.) Melbourne, October 28. The Collection of Bibles, got together for exhibition by his Grace Archbishop Carr is oi very special interest and of a kind quite unexpected To find the antique so well represented is a matter for surprise There, is, for example, a copy of an v edi.tion ot the Vujgate published' a t Venice in <Lhe year 1511. It is in great part ornamentally printed, the characters being in red ink as well as in black, and contains a number of exquisite woodcuts, the work of Montegna, a master-hand. A note attached to the volume says, ' This is a rare and valuable edition of Ihe Vulgate published before Luther revolted against the Catholic Church.' Another, described as very rare, was printed iby Chailes Stephen, Royal typographer, at /Paris, in the year 1553. Neatness is a distinctive feature of this volume, which in size seems intended for pocket use. A peculiarity of the book is that the text is not divided into verses. The title-page of an English copy printed for the English College at Rheims in 1633, and belonging to a fourth edition, bears some curious, significent inscriptions, the spelling being characteristically archaic, as is also the type : ' The New Testament of Jesus Christ translated into English out of the authentical Latin, diligently conferred with the Greek and other editions in divers languages ; with arguments of books and chapters, annotations and other helps for the better understanding of the text, and especially for the discovery of corruptions m divers late translations ; and lor clearing controversies of heretical corruptions. The fourth edition enriched with pictures.' The quotation ' Search the Scriptures,' John 5, is given 'beneath. Psalm 118 v. 34, is also quoted, as is likewise a passage from St Augustine enjoining particular attention to the things that are read in Holy Writ, and especially those that make against heretics, whose deceits cease not to circumvent or beguile all the weaker sort and the more negligent persons. A copy of the fifth .edition of this English translation, with wood-cuts, published in 1733,

is also on view. There is a Bible in French',- published at Amsterdam in 1712 ; an Arabic version issued from Propaganda, a copy o f the Vulgate, published at the Vatican under Pope Sixtus V. in 1593, a Greek Testament, with a Latin translation printed at Antwerp in Jjßl, a copy of the Septuagmt dating from Leipzig in lhJl, and various other Bibles including the Old Testament in Hebrew. A more modern but not less suggestive volume is an English translation of the Vulgate edited by the Rev. Ignatius Horstmann, D.D. a pro-fi-ssui in the semiudiy of St. Charles, at Philadelphiaand prepared under the special sanction of Archbishop Wood .v particularly interesting exhibit Is a scroll mounted on a roller, attached to which is the following explanatory notes in the handwriting of his Eminence 1 J his parchment scroll contains the Book of Estjher in J ebievv. It IS an interesting manuscript and was mn> cnascd in Palestine by the Most Rev. Dr Murphy Archbishop of Hobart, during his visit to the Holy Land It was given to me by his Grace in May 1889 and has been presented by me to the library of St' r.MH^'iVl C ? Ile S e > at Manl 7, Sydney, 28th February,'! IMM). Patrick Francis Cardinal Moran.' I have by no means exhausted the list of Bibles* on exhibition, but those mentioned seem sufficient to serve as samoles. The exhibition might be visited with special micros v in connection with a very fine paper on Bible-reading contributed by his Lordship Dr Delany The rondjnlor Bishop of Tlofoart is in every respect a brilliant and able writer, and his paper will not be found the least interesting or valuable in the published volume. But here I must hold my hand. It is impossible within the limits at my disposal to enter into details. All will be contained in the volume alluded to. j Papers of Special Interest to readers of the ' Tablet ' have been contributed during the sessions by Mr. J. J. Wilson, of Christchurch on the progress of the Society ol St. Vincent de (Paul m New Zealand ; by the Rev. H. W. Cleary on ' Secular and Catholic Journalism,' a plea for the Catholic press, and on the Maori warrior, setting forth the differences brought about in Maori warfare by the introduction of gunpowder. Father Cleary is also making an ctlort to promote the establishment of a Catholic press association. New Zealand representatives present at tho Congress are -—Auckland, Right Rev. Dr. Lenihan • Chnstchurch, Right Rev. Dr Grimes ; Wellington, Rev Father O'Shea, S.M. ; Dunedin, Very Rev. Dean' Burko (Invorcargill), Rev. Fathers Coney and Cleary. Lay representatives are Messrs. E. T. O'Connell and A. Shiel (Dunedin), E. Prendergast (Otautau). At tho session on Thursday forenoon the members of the hierarchy received a very important reinforcement in the person of the Most Rev. Dr. O'Reily,. Aichbishop of Adelaide, of whose intellectual standing it is unnecessary for me to speak. His Grace's reputation as a writer and scholar of varied parts is world-wide. The higher intellect and scholarship of the Congress, also on that day received another addition by the arrival of your own Dean Burke, who, in my rather extensive experience of Australasian dignitaries, ranks second to very few. At the session especially alluded to a resolution of sympathy with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in their recent affliction in New Guinea, proposed by Mr. O'Loughkn (S.A.) and seconded by Mr. John Meagher (N.S.W.), was carried by acclamation, as was alsoi a resolution of sympathy with the persecuted Church in France. Dr. Boismenu, on the part of the missionanes, spoke on the motion referring to them, expressing himself fluently and clearly in tho vernacular. Archbishop Navarre, whose Coadjutor Dr. Boismenu is, and for whom some years ago in Sydney I had the honor of translating into English a letter, written hurriedly by his Grace during a voyage from the islands, has not acquired our rougher tongue. The letter in question, written for the information of some high British official, impressed me deeply with the obstacles and dangers against which the missionaries must contend. The Principal Session, which took place on Thursday, was held in the afternoon at the Convent of the Good Shepherd at Abbotsford. But how to convey anything approaching an adequate idea of it is the puzzle. Dr. Kenny had warned us that a problem to be, or not to be, solved was how to pack at least 1200 people, at which he calculated the attendance, into a hall capable of accommodating 500 only. The secretary, moreover, had not exaggerated in his anticipations. There must have been many more than 1200 present. Ihe membership of the Congress had by that time amounted to 1992 and was still increasing. But the Sisters are endless in their resources. For those of their guests, as the members then were, who could not obtain admission into their hall — a very fine one nevertheless — they provided an overflow entertainment in a schoolroom. The grounds and gar-

dens and splendid pile of buildings, including a truly beautiful chinch, afloided, moreover, ample mea'is ol occupation, not only entertaining but instructive and edifying as well. The pupils oi the Sisteis' schools— St. Euphrasia's, St 'Mary's, and St. Joseph's — bad nicpared a cnaiming piogiatnme. Charmingiv also was it carried out. Kecitation, music, darning, and everyHiins; weic perfect. It, howe\ei, one Hung, was, ol could be, belter it was the laoleau\ tluil ue;e >l.ov n They were indeed magnificent. The print lpal papei lead at the session was one by Dean PheLin on the vwnk of the Sisters in Australasia. High testimony was borne to their heroic sei\iees, but it was well supported, by tacts and. liguies, and all who heaid it wete unanimous in their agreement that, if anything, the praise bestowed was lesis than that deserved. The paper was spoken to by his Eminence the Cardinal, who eloquently and teehngly supported and added to what had been said. The Bishop ot Chnstchuich in also spcaMng made special allusion tio the institution near his Lordship's own city, Mt. Magdala, Father Gm'atv's great and perpetual monument Dr Gnmes quoted the testimony ot a local inspector of police who had expressed to his Lordship his astonishment at Hie work done by the Sisters, addmg that so nun h could not be accomplished by the foice uudcr his command Within the walls at Abbotsfoid there are at present 1066 souls— 366 inmates ot the Magdalen Asjhun, 310 inmates of the Industnal and Presei\ation Schools, 2 ( »0 children attending the day school, and 110 members ot the community ot religious Sisteis. A brochuie, prettily bound in gieen and gold and containing a short sketch ot the origin and progress of the Order, was presented to each \ isito'- as a souvenir of tins session held at the coment Not, m iact, is it lilcly to be iorgotten by any ot those who weie present at it Ihe visitors were also entertained h) the Sisteis at afternoon tea. Pievious to the opening of tne session at Abbot .- ford his Eminence the Caidmal, the other visiting members of the hierarchy, the Monsmnois O'llaian. Beechinor, Treacy. Fowler, the Very Rev. Ai Caiey, the Rev Fathers Fleming andMcCarthy, Dr. A. L Kenny (hem sec), K.SG., and other laymen on whom had lieen conle'rred Papal decoiations, were received at Government House, where they were presented to the Governor and Lady Northcote by his Giacc the Archbishop of Melbourne.