The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 28 August 1913, Page 55

The Catholic World

' ENGLAND THE CHURCH AND TRADE UNIONISTS. Cardinal Bourne, addressing Catholic trade unionists at the, Plymouth Catholic Congress and. referring to their disagreement from other, Labor men on the subjects of religious education and divorce, said he had never hesitated, even in Rome, to say that in this country, at any rate, it was necessary, if they were to influence movements, that they should participate in' them. BIGOTRY IN PLYMOUTH. There was a remarkable scene at Plymouth in connection with the National Catholic Congress. As the motor cars containing his Eminence Cardinal Bourne, the Bishop of Plymouth, and other Catholic dignitaries were proceeding from the station. to the Bishop’s house three Kensitites rushed towards the Cardinal’s motor, unrolling banners bearing the words, * Plymouth will not bend to the Pope,’ etc. One man jumped on the step of the motor flourishing the banner in the faces of the Bishops and the Cardinal. Another jumped on the step on the other side and commenced to speak, shouting, ‘ Down with the Pope.’ Some people in the crowd took the banners from the grasp of the Kensitites, and the inscriptions were torn off. The Kensitites also received some blows from the poles to which the banners had been attached. The police soon quelled the disturbance. - THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC CONGRESS. Plymouth was the scene of the Fourth National Catholic Congress which opened on July 4 under the happiest auspices. The various church services, and meetings were largely attended, the latter being characterised by scenes of great enthusiasm. His Eminence Cardinal Bourne received a most enthusiastic reception on arriving in Plymouth, being met at the railway station by his Grace the Archbishop of Birmingham, their Lordships the Bishops of Hexham and Newcastle, Lamus, Portsmouth, Lord Clifford of Chudleigh (chairman of reception committee), Lord Seaton (vice-chair-man), Dr. Keily, Major Kearney, General Lane, Captain Lees, Fleet-Surgeon Corcoran, Dr. Corbet, Major Chichester, Paymaster-in-Chief Moore, R.N., Major Pike, and other members of the reception committee. The members of the Plymouth Diocesan Chapter were also present, as well as many loca l and visiting priests. An adjournment was made to a waiting room where an address of welcome was read to the Cardinal by Lord Clifford of Chudleigh. His Eminence was formally received at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Friday afternoon, when the Congress proper was opened. The first business meeting of the Congress took place on Friday evening in the Guildhall, when his Eminence was welcomed .by the Mayor. The great hall was crowded, in all parts, the gallery being filled by children. His Eminence then delivered his presidential address, the subject being ‘ Religious Indifference.’ On the following day there was another crowded meeting in the Guildhall, at which Cardinal Bourne presided. The question, ‘ A Living Wage,’ was the one under discussion. On Sunday High Mass was sung in all the churches. At the Cathedral, where there was a crowded congregation, Pontifical High Mass was celebrated by the Bishop, in the presence of Cardinal Bourne, the Archbishops of Birmingham and Liverpool, and the Bishops attending the Congress. There was a striking muster of military and naval men at a special service at the Cathedral, some 800 officers and men marching thither to hear a discourse by Cardinal Bourne. In the afternoon nearly two thousand youthful Catholics proceeded through the streets bearing flowers and banners to the Guildhall, where the Cardinal presided over a special gathering of children, bluejackets officiating as stewards, shepherding their charges safely through the streets of

the town. At the Guildhall addresses were given by the Archbishop of Liverpool and the . Bishop of Plymouth. In addition to the' principal meetings in the Guildhall sectional meetings were held at various centres by the Catholic Stage Guild, the Catholic Truth Society ■, and the Catholic ' Young Men's Society. On Monday afternoon the final mass meeting was held in the Guildhall, and in the evening the Mayor of Plymouth gave an \'\ At' home 'to the Congress members, to the number of about 1500. ' - :

PORTUGAL THE GOVERNMENT’S LATEST MOVE. As we (Catholic Times) anticipated, Affonso Costa’s device for further injuring ecclesiastical authority in Portugal, by getting State officials and those Statepaid instruments of his, the carbonafios, to form Cultual Associations is not likely to prove very successful. It is true that since the Patriarch of Lisbon placed the da Graca and San Vincente churches under an interdict they have not been visited by the faithful, but even the violence of the carbonarios will have to give way before the indignation which their latest outrages have excited. Over five hundred Lisbon ladies have, visited Parliament in a body and denounced Costa’s conduct, reminding him at the same time that he is not even keeping up the pretence of legality. The Separation Law decrees that only its own members are to have a voice in the affairs of each denomination, but the members of the Cultual Associations in Lisbon are not Catholics. Costa’s reply was that if the ladies objected to .the Cultual Associations that had been formed they could establish Cultual Associations themselves, or advise all the Catholics to use their influence to induce the Bishops to accept the associations. *To accept institutions condemned by the Holy See! Never!’ was their answer. It is clear, that the Grand Orient is working through Costa for the creation of a schism in Portugal, but happily in vain. ■ The Portuguese, clerical and lay, who frequent public worship are, heartily loyal to the Holy See.

ROME THE GERMAN EMPEROR THANKS THE f PEOPLE. His Excellency Signor von Muhlberg, Minister of Prussia to the Holy See, had a private audience on July 4 with the Holy Father, to whom he delivered an autograph letter from the Emperor of Germany. The letter conveyed in a very cordial manner the expression of the Emperor William’s thanks to his Holiness for the kind greetings sent on the occasion of his jubilee. THE PAPAL MEDAL. According to custom, a special medal. is coined in the Vatican each year to commemorate some important event in connection with the work of the reigning Pontiff. Last year the subject selected was the new Biblical Institute. The medal is issued on the eve of the Feast of the Apostles SS. Peter and Paul, but is presented to the Holy Father a few days ; previously. Accordingly, on June 26 (writes a Rome correspondent), his Eminence Cardinal Merry del Val, Secretary of State of his Holiness, went to the Holy Father accompanied by Chevalier Francesco Bianchi, engraver at the Vatican. The Cardinal presented to the Pope specimens in gold, silver, and bronze of the medals designed and prepared this year to be distributed to the members of the Pontificial Court and ecclesiastical dignitaries for the Feast of the Apostles. This year the subject chosen for the reverse side is a representation of the new seminary built for the region of Calabria through the munificence of the Holy Father, and to be known .as ‘ Collegio Pio Decimo.’ The artistic work is up to the high standard of the previous medals coined under the supervision of Chevalier Bianchi.

■■■ SCOTLAND \ • THE PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. Archbishop . Mackintosh imparted the Papal Blessing to the "faithful of the diocese of Glasgow on Sunday, . June 29, in St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Addressing the congregation his Grace said that when he was recently in Rome the Holy Father was deeply interested to learn of the state of Catholicity in that diocese, and was surprised to learn that in one 5 diocese in Protestant Scotland there was a Catholic population amounting to nearly .400,000; and still more surprised to learn that there were over 72,000 children receiving Catholic education in Catholic schools.