The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Issue 17, 25 April 1907, Page 31

The Catholic World

BELGlUM— Reconciled to the Church . The Abbe Da-ens, who for many, years has been leader of the Christian/ Democrat* in Belgium, has renewed obedience to the .Church. He fell ill. His- conscience warned him of the duty he had so long neglected. Sending for . his friend, the Abbe Van den A-beele, • he voluntarily professed his.' sorrow for disobedience to his Bishop's directions, begged to be reconciled, and make •Ms confession in preparation for death. He also sent notice of- his resignation of the presidency of the ChAsti'an Democratic party, and - informed his late colleagues of his reconciliation with the' Church.- They answered by dismissing him- from.' their party— the only punislument'in their power ! ENGLAND— The late Canon Northcote In the person of Canon Northcote (says the ' Catholic Weekly '), one of the last remaining of the cfistingui'shed band of converts who accompanied Cardinal New-. • man into the Church at the time of the great Tractarian movement, has been removed by death; For , many years- the venerable Ua-non had- lived in retirement, and to the present generation, he - was only known by his writings, which remain as a literary heritage to the Catholics of this country and a pe~petual "memorial of the scholarship and industry of their gifted author, To Oscotians of an older generation''the memory of their former president will naturally appeal in a special manner. Both by his_ comprehensive scholarship and his administrate, c powers Canon North- , cote was enabled to fill right worthily the presidential '- cftiair of the famous college - and 3ris- services in thiat „ capacity will not readily be forgotten. English Catholics at large will recognise gratefully the import-ant part played t>v the deceased priest in the develop'menjt of the ancient religion, in this .country ; and those who had the privilege of intimate acquaintance can 'bear testimony to the singular beauty and humility of his character. FRANCE — A Suggestive. Letter '" L'Art~Sacre ' contains an open letter addressed to M. Viviani in the name of 60^000 workmen whom the present anti-religious laws of the French "Government have deprived of their means of subsistence. Here is one of the most suggestive passages : — ' Painters, sculptors, workers in gold and silver, designers, manufacturers of stained glass, _ embroiderers, ..vestment makers, choirch furnishers, and mirrvbers of other artisans belonging to the various trades and handicrafts connected " with ecclesiastical decoration, who have 'hitherto lived in ~ comfort by their labor, now find themselves without employment. ' The Catholic Churches With the disappearance of all hopes of reconciliation between the French Government and the Holy See (says the 'iCalholic Times '), the question arises : Will " the majority of the churches in France be -dive-ted from the purpose for which they were erected — the service of God ? If this comes to pass, who , will be able to measure even in thought the cruel enormity of the con- r fiscation ? The builders of these religious edifices put - their hearts into the work because they felt it was for the honor of God. Some of the structures, such as the Cathedrals in the great cities — Notre Dame in Paris, and so many others— are not only homes of Devotion, but beautiful monuments of art. In all the .churches have been treasured, in sh-rines and "altars, the most precious and most perfect productions that money and human 'hands could supply. Artisans., architects, and artists have lavished their skill up-on them. Jt is painful to consider how all this wealth of beauty in marble, canvas, brass, and other fitting material, which may almost be said to represent the life-blood of former generations, and which certainly represents the sentiments of the sons anddaughteis of ' France for cen^- ■ turies; may. be turned from,!, religious to secular uses, so as to be absolutely dissociated from religion. Death of a famous Preacher The famous Dominican preacher, Pere Monsabre, wMose sermons at Notre Dame, -Paris, some years ago, were heard and read with pleasue and profit, passed , away on February 23 at' the age of 80.' Driven from his convent by tlYe^French Government, he took refuge in 'an orphanage, which owes its existence to his zeal and there awa»ibed the last call of his Master. Born at Blois, in 1827, -he entered the- Dominican Order fo,ur years after his ordination to the priesthood, aad made has profession at the hands of Lacordaire, whom lie was subsequently to succeed in the pulpit of Notre

Dame. He succeeded Pere Hyacinthe, who fell away from the Church. The war of 1870 broke up- the conferences of Notre D,ame for a time, and Monsabre'wenti to Metz, to comfort his countrymen and fire them to heroic deeds by his matchless eloquence. His patriotic harangues gave great offence, to the German Government, and, after the sur'ender of Metz, Monsabfe had to leave tlue ,city. He took possession of Notre Dame again in 1872, and held _ the most cultured audiences in the world enraptured by. his eloquence and learning.for eighteen years. After the completion of the Notre Dame conferences Monsabre was called to Rome by Leo XIII. to preach the Advent in "the Eternal City. A— prolific writer on all religious subjects, he has left 'behind him forty-five volumes as a monument to his zeal ana? learn-, ing. ' • - . r • ROME — The Catholic Union of Great Britian Th» Pope "has received with the " greatest satisfaction the address from ttoe Ua'tholic" Union of Great Britain, signed by the Duke of Norfolk, expressing sympathy with the Hwly .Father in '..the sorrow caused him by the situation in France \ and indignation at the persecution of the Church. Liberty in the United States Mr. White, the AmeAcan Ambassador, - who left? Rome' for Paris on Saturday, March 2, was received in private audience by the Holy Father. His Holiness, in conversing with the Ambassador, expressed his. admiration of the way iii which" liberty is understood in America and of the freedom enjoyed ,by all' the Churches there. The Pontiff is always glad, as-^jvas his predecessor Leo XIII., to acknowledge that the Church is as friendly towards republicanism as towards monarchy. • SCOTLAND—The St Vincent de Paul Society At the annual peeling of the Particular Council of the ►St. Vincent" de Paul Society, Glasgow, it was reported that the income for the past year amounted to £64-60 lls 5-d, the larger items which went to make this up . being church door collections, £3064 8s s£d ; charity sermons, £966 19s U|d ; subscriptions from honorary members, £1021 '8s 10£ d ; collections of active members, £493 -7s 6id ; and the expenditure was £6-371 . 12s, leaving a credit balance of £80 Os sd. UNITED STATES— A Venerable Bishop Archbishop -Williams, of boston, the oldest member _of the Cathotfc Hierarchy in America, will celebrate his eigjhty-iifth birthday on Saturday "next. Already the priests of the Archdiocese have decided to make • the occasion a notable one. * Archbishop Williams was born - in Boston on April 27, 1822. The late Archbishop Montgomery When the will of the late Archbishop -George Montgomery, of San Francis. 'o, was filfd for- probate, -it was shown just how modest was the estate left by the prelate; Instead of a -large fortune, as 'many looked for, the only property left By Archbishop Montgomery was a collection of personal property valued at £509: The main article in. the whole ; modest estate was the late Archbishop's, library. ' >This v ~collection of books, t&e "gathering of which had been the worir of his v lifetime together with what other personal effects he possessed" fche Archbishop left to Archbishop- Riordan. • r -' Church Progress in Chicago During the three years and three months that- the Most Rev. Dr. -Quigley has been Archbishop of- Chicago there have "been established o- built in the archdiocese fifty-two parishes, forty-one churches, seven hospitals, three' colleges,- eight parochial schools, and six new rectories. Of these new parishes eight are Bohemian, one Italian, two Slovak,, one Hungarian, two Croatian', three German,' 'two Lithuanian, and twentyeight English. The Catholic population of the Chicago archdiocese is increasing at a remarkable rate. "For example,, in* ome parish where' there are only" 130 faknilies there are 4.35 children in the parochial schools. In 1 "this j parish eleven children in a family is -by no means '-a rarity. The population is also la-gelv augmented 1 by •immigration.. ■. " - & -•/-.. GENERAL— Extensive Dioceses - The Archdiocese of. Chica&b is the fourth largest Catholic archdiocese in the world. Its church population is -something less than 1,200,001). The archdiocese of Cologne, Germany, is the largest, with a Catholic population of. more than 2,000,000. Vienna, Austria is second, with about .1,5 fc>,-odO. The archdiocese of New fork is third, with 1,200,000. Ten years ago the Catholic population, of the archdiocese of Chicago was 600 000 The increase has been 100 per cent. •