SOUTH AFRICA—The Eastern District

New Zealand Tablet, 24 December 1908, Page 39

SOUTH AFRICA—The Eastern District

The other day (Avritcs a Rome correspondent) I had the pleasure of an interview-Vith the Right Rev. Bishop McSherry, Vicar-Apostolic of the Eastern District of the Cape of Good Hope, who is on an ad limind visit to Rome. Dr. McSherry intends to remain here for three or four weeks. His Lordship will then go to Ireland, prior to

returning to Port; Elizabeth. He "desires, he told me, to assist at- the jubilee Mass of Pius ~X (J whom he "met in Venice, while Patriarch of that See, twelve years ago. .'l>0 P° Pius X. is as vigorous and strong looking,' said Dr. -McSherry, <as Cardinal Sarto Was a dozen vears ago, ' - • when I had the pleasure of -meeting him.' Dr '.McSherry intends to renew the acquaintance in a few days, when he will-be received in, private audience hy- his Holiness. I learned from the Bishop; who was present :at'the Eucharistic Congress, that he was much struck by the change which has taken place in the attitude of the bulk of the English people towards the Catholic.^Church. ■- 'It is,' said he, 'a .v-^°sfe.- welcome change, and affords -great promise for the .future. The people are now. respectfjul towards the representatives of the Catholic Church and ready to hear' what they have got to say., That, I need hardly tell you,; is an .advantage by which we should profit immensely.' Bishop McSherry has under his jurisdiction about fifty priests ™reen three and four hundred nuns in twenty convents. His \icanate is very extensive, covering an area of r.o less than one hundred thousand square miles. The climate is the finest in the wolrd. Notwithstanding the/terrible business depression which is. acutely felt in South';Africa, . the outlook for the Church is hright^ hutvgreai/ difficulties are encountepd.by tho clergy,; the/Catlroiies' beih-grisblated and. scattered overmuch a largearea;: and fuiids^from "out- { side will be w;anted tillthe timesJjecorae; betterrr/^/--' y