The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 37, 14 September 1905, Page 27

The Catholic World

BELGlUM— Bishops and Patriotism s It is now three quarters of a century since Belgium sopa/ratdd from Holland and gained its independence. The Belgians have been celet^ating the jubilee of the evqnt enthusiastically, and not the least enthusiastic of the Belgians have been the Bishops. They issued a joint Pastoral, which took the form of a eulogy of patriotism. This sliming episcopal pronouncement in favior of liberty, independence, and love of country is pleasant to read. A man, says the document, owes overythdngj to his country. He owes it at all times his services, hia money, his strength, the disinterested aid of his -talents, his activity, his influence ; and when the hour of danger comes, whon the frontiers are menacedi hd owes it the tribute of his blood, and even the sacrifice of his life. The Belgian Bishops deserve well of tiheir land. For 21 years Belgium has been under the sway of a Catholic Government. They have been years of enormous pTogress. The Bishops have blessed that progress and never obstructed it. ' Everyone,' observes a Belgian contemporary, ' recognises that Belgium is in the front rank of civilised nations, and that its prosperity is out of proportion to its numbers and the extent) of its soil.' The Belgians can also boast that their Government grants religious liberty to all. ENGLAND— The Diocese of Leeds Tlho Holy Father has complied with the Bisfoop of Leofds' request foir episcopal aid by granting him a coadjutor with Ihe right of succession. The Franciscans At the Triennial Chapter of the Franciscan Order, held recently in London, the Very Rev. Father David Fleming,,. 0.F.M., who was one of the assistants to the Father-General at Rome, was elected Provincial of the English Proivmce. The Passionist Order That 'Triemiiuial Provincial Chapter cf Passionislts in the Ainiglo-llibfcniian Province was held a few weeks ago. Very Roy. Philip Cogfhlan, C.P., was re-elected Piio\ facial. Father Mai achy, Rector of Andoync, Belfast, and Father Plackl, Rector of Haxbiorne, Birmingham,' were elected Consuitors. Father Cyprian Meagher wasl re-elected Rector of St. Mungo's, Glasgiow. GERMANY— The Bishop of Metz In vidw of the IbHtcr att acks made on Bishop Benzler, of Metzj, illy Protestant Ipapers in Germany, the answer of Eimperoir William to the Bisihojp's lelegTam of congratulation on the occasion of the Crown Prince's marriage is not 'without interest. 'To Bishop Bcnzler, Met» :—l have gladly received your friendly con'gtratiulations and £ood wishes on the coming wedding of nis Imperial and Royal Higjhtiess the Crown Prince. Accept my warmest thanks. William, I.R. ROME — Monument to a Scientist A monument is to be eroded to the famous astronomer amd scientist, the late Father Secclu, of the Society of Jesus', in his native town of Reiggio Emilia. Pope Pirn's X., Who knew the pries V when director of the astronomical observatory of the Vatican, has taken much interest) in the plan and has contributed to the monument) fund £100 <of his private purse. Father Secchi was tho inventor of the spectroscope, with which fan the first time the sun's rays were analysed, aftd Ihe chemical constituents of the sun's qphcrc determined ais being the same as those composing the earth amd the other planets. SCOTLAND— A Catholic Centenarian At Barra Island, in the Outer Hebrides, the death of Mrs. McNeil, a well known and much respected Catholic lady, 'took place recently at the age of 105 years. Uip to the very last her faculties of mind and heart wero of the moat vigorous, kind, ami gentle, and earned far her the universal lo\e of all who knew her. Blairs College Thq Rev-. Father N'oo'nan, of Dundee , the Roy. Father Pirie, of St. Alphonsus', Glasgow , and the Rev. Falther Illilghcs, of SprimisJmirn, 'have been appointed as (professors iof the Scottish Ecclesiastical College at Blairs, Aberdeen. SPAlN— Catholic Action Some time ago the Archbishop of Seville published a Pastoral Letter in which he exhorted the people of his dioceses to form Catholic Leagues for the furtherance of Catholic social work. 'El Siglo Futtiro ' criticised tho step 'thus taken by his Grace, declaring that

he bald hot properly interpreted the mind of Pope Pius X. Aggrieved by the remarks of the paper, the Archbishop wrote to the Cardinal Secretary of State requesting that if it were not inconvenient the Holy Father would express his opinion as to the establishment of Catholic Leagues. His Holiness » thereupon ad-dro'-sicd a letter to tftie Archbishop of Seville, from ■nlr.ch it is evident that the Holy Father is anxious to too Catholics in Spain as elsewhere banded together for their mu'tuial boraefrt. Uiranimiiy of view is, he urges, most 'desirable amongst the Spanish Catholics. In combining win with another they should proceed along the lines of least re&istance. They are not therefore to be kept asuttudor biy party politics. His Holiness would ivave them pin hanids in social work. They will thus have ample opportunity of serving the interests of religion and .their country, ana will at the same time raise up a powerful barrier against the enemies of the- FaJith. UNITED STATES-The Philippines Some sighs of progress (writes a Manila Ncorrespon* dent) may be found in the fact that there are now 150 niativo srbudemts preparing for the priesthood for the diocese of Manila. This record equals, if it does not exceed, any diocese in the United States. Many of these young men are bright, and considering the meagre opportJumiitie|s on| 'account of the disturb times, Aery well educated. They arc from the very best families in; the province. Another interesting item is the passage of tiho Bill which will replace in the hands of the GWurch all the property sieized by \ the Aglipay^anos, Catholic Schools in New York In its annual report' the committee of the New 1 York Catholic School Board] says that in that city $10,000,000 are invested' in parish school property and buildings. The annual cost of the maiintervapce of these 'schools is $500,000. The following are the attendance figures for the seven dioceses of the State : New York, 55,629 ; Brooklyn, 35,652 ; Buffalo, 25,112 ; Rochester, 17,231 ; A'bany, 15,370 ; Syracuse, 5100 ; Qdgensburg, 3958 ; total, 15*8,052 pupils ; studem,ts of colleges and academies, 10,380 ; estimated Catholic population of the State, 2,383,705. Cardinal Gibbons and Socialism In Marions parts of the United States there halve* of late boon interchange of views as to the attitude which Catholics should adopt towards Socialists. Some have asked, ' Why provoke needless hostility by attacking them ? Let them put forward their theories. What is unsoumtd will disappear after hieing tested by public opinion , what is sound will remain.' This would seem to bo the policy which appears best in the eyes of Cardinal Gibbons. Asked by an interviewer if he feared any evil from the spread of Socialism, his Eminence replied tfh'at ho feared tiothiing for the American people from Socialism or any other organised power, because tho American people are, before all, practical people arid allow every hoUb-y to go its full length. Instead of crushiing amy enterprise or any new mode of thought the American people allowed it to develop. They gave e\ery thing and everyone a chance. Theirs was a country 'of organisations, of new ideas. Each one, had fair play. All oame amd went, and most of them passed away very rapidly. While the division-of-praperty idea of the extreme Socialist was utterly untenable, tihe Lag 'question of real Socialism, would be met and weighed by tttie practical good sense of the American people. In other words, the Cardinal holds that in dealing with new problems a passive attitude is often wiser than an active 1 one. GENERAL The Sisters of the Good Shepherd A new Mother-General of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd has been elected at Algiers, France, and Mother Mary, of St. Domatilla Larose, has been chosem for -this high and responsible office. The new Superioress is a native of Canada, anS entered the Order at the Provincial I-loufe in Montreal at the age of eighteen. fShe is fluent in at least three lan^uafcjes— French, Spanish, amd English— a desirable qualification in one whose spiritual family is. represented in practically every country in the/ wiorlri. There are about 6000 nuns of the Giriod Shepherd dispersed throughout the world. Among tha countries in which the Order is strong are France, Germany, Spain, Italy, 'England, Ireland, Scotland, the United States, Canad-a, Australia, and New Zealand. There are houses in Malta, Algiers, Egypt, Havaai-a, Syriia, and otlher pafrts of Asffy South Airifoal, arid Oceania.