Australian Catholic Truth Society

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2, 11 January 1906, Page 3

Australian Catholic Truth Society

The latest publications of the Australian Catholic Truth Society are of a varied character, and will be found instructive reading. In his ' Veneration for our Dead ' the Rev. M. Watson, S.J., deals, among other matters, with the religious ceremonies which precede burial, and also gives some good advice regarding the incurring of needless expense, especially by those not in a position to do so. In his second booklet under the title, ' Christian Self-sacrifice and Father Damie-n,' the same writer tells in a sympathetic and appreciative manner of the labors and noble devotion of the heroic pmest of Molok&i. For those who idesire to Tae; prepared to refute the oft-repeated and untruthful statements regarding the prevalence of crime in Catholic countries Mr. Benjamin Hoare's ' Catholics and Crime ' will be found a most useful little pamphlet. In ' Indifference in Religion' Rev. J. J. Malone traces the cause of this evil, and shows that the only effective remedies to arouse the masses from that fatal lethargy of the soul are the essentially dogmatic character of our religion and the jealously conservative character of our progressive but infallible Church. In 'the limited space at his disposal the same writer gives an interesting outline of the life and work of St. Francis Xavier, the Apostle of the Indie's. Under the title of ' Catholicism in Japan,' Mr. R. Stewart tells of the introduction of Christianity in the middle of the sixteenth century by St% Francis Xavier, the success of the missionaries who came after him, the persecution which followed later on, fend the position to-day.' In his, little work on ' Socialism .' the Rev. Br. Kelly treats of the subject from various points of view, and shows how some of its principles are in harmony with, whilst others are antagonistic to the teaching of the Catholic Church. He feels that the future belongs to sotoe sort of Socialism, and in conclusion thinks it is the duty of the clergy to study the movement, and guide it.