The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 17 August 1911, Page 1599

The Catholic World

ENGLAND

CATHOLIC LOYALTY.

Writing of the Coronation and the.devotion of the British people to the Throne, the Universe says:—Ours has been no passive role from every Catholic altar during the past week have gone up th 3 prayers of the faithful and hymns of thanksgiving for the new reign —a reign, inaugurated, as we can never forget, by the erasure from our constitution of that deplorable declaration which was such a reproach to the English nation. As Father Charles Nicholson, S.J., reminded his hearers in his sermon at Farm Street on Sunday, the principle of obedience which is part of our Catholic heritage, makes our loyalty to an earthly sovereign the sequel to our recognition of that spiritual authority which is our dearest boast, and we can justly glory in the fact that loyalty to the Throne is never wanting among Catholics. Nor can we forget that our fellow Catholics overseas are one with us in the desire to render honor to that Crown under which our liberties have been more firmly assured and our rights more generously recognised.

FRANCE

PRAISE FOR HOSPITAL SISTERS.

Whilst, alas! so many French towns, from hatred to religion, are saddling themselves with greatly increased expenses, and with incompetent and careless nurses, in their hurry to get rid of nursing religious, the country town of Chambery affords a consoling contrast (writes a Paris correspondent). The Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul, appointed to the various hospitals of Chambery, asked authorisation from the Prefet, who, according to the law, referred the request to the Mayor for the opinion of the Town Council. The Mayor, Dr. Veyrat, received the request favorably, and proposed to his colleagues to vote the authorisation. He said: ' Whilst exercising my functions as medical officer in the hospitals, which I have fulfilled now for thirty-one years, I have been able to note the unwearying zeal of the Sisters devoted to the care of the sick. I have always had to congratulate myself on their disinterestedness, amiability, and unlimited devotion. I, therefore, propose that the authorisation be voted. I consider ; t my duty, without party spirit, to make these declarations. It is not possible that we should ever be better served.' Several councillors, of very ' advanced ' views, speaking as administrators of the hospitals, expressed similar opinions, and warmly advocated the claims of the Sisters on grounds of public gratitude. The authorisation was granted by a unanimous vote.

THE LIQUIDATION SCANDALS.

After a long trial M. Duez has been sentenced to twelve years' penal servitude and a fine of a hundred francs for having as Official Receiver embezzled vast sums during the liquidation of the property of the French religious Orders with which he was entrusted. Two other men—a notary named Breton and a clerk named Ledebore assisted Duez in his work were convicted of forgery and ordered to be imprisoned each for two years, but the sentence was suspended. A Paris journal, the Libre Parole, states that the guilt of others who have shared in the plunder taken from the churches and monasteries is likely to be soon exposed, and that it will' be seen from the number of prisoners how extensive the system of fraud has been. These scandals and the numerous other crimes by which disgrace has been brought upon France within recent years supply strong evidence of the truth of the theory that when men turn their backs on religion and fall into infidelity they give way to all sorts of temptations to immorality. The enemies of religion have reduced France to a sad condition, and by destroying belief in the supernatural amongst many sections of the popula-

tion have made it difficult for the reformer to remedy the evils they have brought about. ; ; . - ,

ITALY

PRAISE FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.

Probably one of the highest compliments ever paid to the teachers of Catholic schools is that which comes from the pen of a professor, an ardent champion of the lay school in the Revista Pedagogica, a well-known anti-clerical publication in Italy. ' Note,' he says, ' that the national boarding-school is inferior to the majority of the. "clerical" ones. These have the great advantage of being directed to a definite end ; the question whether this is good or bad need not now be discussed, but there is always in the system a completeness adapted to give order to the action of the educated and the educator. It is undeniable that the Religious in general show in this field a technical ability of which the lay teachers have never given proof. The reason is precisely this—viz., that they know what they aim at, and they can, therefore, ardently seek to attain it; whereas we, with all our shouting about lay education, positive padagogy, and the natural formation of character, have never succeeded in getting beyond vague and indeterminate negotiations.' _ The Salesians, those devoted teachers who were specially singled out in the Masonic campaign of calumny that startled Italy three years ago, are now regarded as model instructors of youth: The Salesians know how to found boarding-schools for the people that are true models of their kind.' And no

one can compare the lay schools ... ~ with those founded by the Jesuits for the upper classes.' Were the writer of the foregoing to visit Rome, he would find a great deal more to praise in schools which are conducted by Religious Orders or by Catholic teachers paid by the Pope. It is not generally known that at this' hour there are about 27,500 boys and girls in Rome attending schools which are maintained by Pope Pius X. at an annual cost of 256,000 lire. Such a great sacrifice as this means is quite necessary in order to oppose the Government schools . in which . irreligion abounds. So excellent is the education imparted in the Catholic schools that some have the children of Freemasons on their rolls.

ROME

INCOMPETENT MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES. When the anti-clericals of whom Mayor Nathan is the leader persuaded the electors of Rome to place them in charge of. their municipal affairs people were informed that the golden age was about to return in the city. Everything was to be improved. The citizens were to have all the necessaries of life at reduced prices, and the cost of living was to become trifling. The voters listened credulously to the brilliant promises. Since then they have paid dearly for their simplicity (remarks the Catholic Times). Under the regime of Mayor Nathan and his friends the price of everything has gone up. Rents and the cost of food have been far higher than they were, and works which were undertaken ostensibly to beautify the city elicited indignant protests as eye-sores. To make matters worse, the anticlerical Corporation got the finances of the city into a complete muddle. The debts became so serious that they had to appeal to the Government to come to their aid and save the Council from bankruptcy. To extenuate their grievous fault of helpless incompetence they put forward the plea that, owing to the fact that Rome had become the capital of Italy, the Corporation found itself compelled to indulge in expenditure beyond its means and to accumulate debts upon which it could no longer pay the interest. Signor Giolitti has done the needful. He has introduced a Bill dealing with the financial situation of the Municipality. Under its provisions money is to be advanced to the Council for the erection of elementary and secondary schools and other purposes. It is scarcely necessary to say that, to a large' extent, it will be squandered.