Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, 4 June 1914, Page 21

Current Topics

Chesterton’s Compliment G. K. Chesterton, in giving his opinion of Americans, pays the following neat compliment to Ireland ; A -vast proportion of the real Americans are among the most courteous, intelligent, self-respecting people in the world. Some attribute this to the fact that a vast propprtiou of the real Americans are Irishmen.’ An Evil Day To the politicians who are being urged by an unscrupulous League to allow Parliament tq set up—with the people’s money —a State, department of religion, together with a Test Act for State teachers, we commend reflection upon the words of that really great statesman, the late Mr. Gladstone, who said, ,! Foul fall the day when the persons of this world shall, on whatever pretext, take into their uncommissioned hands the manipulation of the religion of our 'Lord and Saviour.’ A Bad Advertisement It is small wonder that the president of the W.C.T.U. failed to be impressed with the example of New South Wales as an illustration of the social and moral regeneration which the Bible-in-Schools League system of education is able to effect. New South Wales is the home of the system which the League wishes the Dominion to adopt, and it is the boast of the League publications that the scheme has been in continuous operation for half a century in the mother State. And yet, after all those fifty years, New South Wales is authoritatively described as ‘ the most drunken State in the Commonwealth.’ The authority for the statement is the New South Wales Alliance a body whose testimony neither the W.C.T.U. nor'the Bible in State Schools League is likely to question. According to a Press Association cable, dated Sydney, May 19, which appeared in all our dailies, ‘The annual report of the New ; South Wales Alliance says that New South Wales is the most drunken State in the Commonwealth. During 1913 convictions for drunkenness . totalled 28,274. Other convictions in which drunkenness formed part of the charge numbered 4185, giving a total of 32,459. In 1912 there were 32,977 convictions, but in 1913 2000 pledges were taken, and in these no conviction was recorded by the court.’ The addition of these 2000 cases would bring the grand total for 1913 to 34,459. So far as the social and moral regeneration of the community is concerned, failure is written large over the history of the League system in New South Wales. ' BibU-iri-Schools Inconsistency The path of the protagonists of the Bible-in-schools agitation is strewn with inconsistencies; and the regretful part 6f the business is • that the changes in attitude and utterance that have taken place have been generally and steadily for the worse. We have already referred to the one-time heroics of the Rev. Dr. Gibb against the right of entry and to his valorous declarations as to what he would do if ever such a proposal wap made in this country— he who is now in the van the very party which is making such a proposal. And there are others. It is the practice of League advocates to profess that under the present proposals for introducing the Protestant Bible—in the form of Scripture lessonsand Protestant prayers and hymns into the public schools, Catholics are not, entitled to any claim for .-.special consideration. Yet a very different view formerly found- expression amongst Bible-in-schools advocates. In the Otago Daily Times of February 26, 1903, the late Mr. A. M. Barnett, for example,, one of the .-staunchest and most prominent supporters of the Bible-in-schools movement, made the following candid and straightforward avowal: The Roman Catholics around -us prove the sincerity of their faith by tpeir works. . . Tell these good people (‘ the Protestants’)

that . the Roman Catholic position , must be considered and they , talk of Spanish Inquisitions. v Nevertheless,it is true that before any form of religious or Biblical teaching becomes part of the school syllabus it must bo admitted that the Roman Catholics have a conscience, and that conscience must be- respected. Had Pitt's advice for “effectual and adequate provision for the Catholic clergy’’ been taken at the time of the Union a century's bitter strife and hatred might have been prevented. So when Protestants are willing to concede to the Roman Catholics what they would like for themselves will they obtain that which they profess to desire. The Roman Catholics of this colony pay between £40,000 and £60,000 a year' for the training of their young in accordance with their conscience. Let those who cry so loud against persecution go and do likewise.’ Had these wise principles been acted upon, the education question would ere now have been settled to the satisfaction of all parties.' The Third Reading As we went to press last week the cables flashed the welcome news that the Home Rule Rill had passed its third reading. Several days have elapsed, and still the expected cataclysm has not come. There is no sign of ‘ civil war ’-—no ‘ bucketfuls of blood,’ to use Mr. Bonar Law’s ridiculous phrase—apparently not even a window broken. ‘ The fears of disorder in Ulster yes-’ terday,’ says a London cable dated May 27, ‘as the result of Nationalist jubilations were not realised. Londonderry never passed a more peaceful evening. There was a good deal of light-hearted promenading on the main streets, but everywhere else was as quiet as a village graveyard.’ The Carsqnites, with a prudence which will doubtless characterise their proceedings to the end, have decided to postpone the setting Up of a Provisional Government until a more convenient season. It is understood,’ says the cable, ‘that no . attempt will be made to establish a Provisional Government in Ulster until the Home Rule Bill has received the Royal assent.’ * We do not, of course, anticipate that the condition of absolute quietude described in the cables will continue unbroken; but still less do we anticipate that ‘ blood will be shed in bucketfuls,’ as the scare-mongers declare. The truth is that even in Unionist circles there is a strong disposition to try and arrive at a peaceable solution of the ‘Ulster’ question —a condition of things to which the firm- and dignified utterances of certain members of the Cabinet —and particularly of Sir Edward Greyhave largely contributed., ‘ It was said,’ said Sir Edward, in a recent speech in the House of Commons, ‘ that a Provisional Government was to be formed to take over the government of Ulster immediately the Bill passed into law. If so, and it took possession/ of post-offices or Custom-houses, it is going to defy not a Dublin, but the Imperial Parliament. Then, Sir, of course, force must be used.’ On the issue of the Army versus the Peoplethe gravest issue raised for 300 years Sir Edward Grey, in the course of the same debate, used these weighty words ‘ If it ever became a question as to who is to govern in this country-r-whether it is to be Parliament alone that it to govern and decide policy or whether it is to be interfered with— I take my stand as strongly as anyone. in supporting what was said last week, even from the Labor benches, with regard to what the opinion of the country and what- my own feelings would be.’ According to the London Times, Sir Edward Grey’s declaration ‘ deeply impressed members, and it was followed by a really sincere movement from the back benches to come to an . accommodation with a view to a peaceable settlement of the Ulster problem.’ Our Apostolic Delegate A Wanganui correspondent who had read with, much interest , the references in these columns to our Apostolic Delegate writes to ask if we could give a little further information regarding certain matters

connected with the appointment; and we gladly comply with the request. -The questions asked by our correspondent are: (1) What are the reasons for an appointment? (2) What gre the duties of the Delegate? and (3) What benefit is likely to accrue to Australasia from such an appointment ? * ' - (1) Both the special and the general reasons for the appointment have been stated with some fullness by the Rome correspondent of the London 2ablet; and it is, we may presume, the general reasons that will be of most interest to the great body of our readers. We quote the Tablet correspondent’s account of the matter: ‘ The appointment has for a considerable time been contemplated by the Holy See, it has been generally expected in Australia, and it.,was almost accomplished quite a year ago when Mgr. Cerretti was in Rome. Among the many reasons that have made it urgent now, it is safe to say that the application of the Maxima enra holds an important place. It will be remembered that this Decree of the Cousistorial, which is an anticipation of the legislation contained in the forthcoming Code of Canon Law, gave stability (fixity of tenure) to all rectors of churches with the care of souls throughout the world. Some at least of the Australian Bishops were of opinion that it did not apply to Australia, but a specific answer of a question put to the Consistprial Congregation elicited a clear reply in tho affirmative. But whether by reason of a special permission from the Holy See or for some other reason, in none of the Australasian dioceses has the famous Decree been put into force. The Decree prescribes that Diocesan Consultors and Diocesan Examiners (where these do not already exist) are to be chosen for the purposes of the new legislation. This apparently has not been doiffe so far in any of the dioceses. There are, no doubt, excellent reasons for the omission, but at the same time there exists considerable uncertainty in the minds of the clergy as to whether a general law of the Church which concerns them very directly is or is not applicable to their cases. Another reason which made the appointment of an Apostolic Delegate advisable is the immense distance of Australia from Rome, and the consequent difficulty and delay of appeals to tiieT Holy See. In a Romo correspondence printed in The Tablet over ten years ago the late Cardinal Moran explained his plan for obviating such difficulties. Ho would Have reconstituted the old functions of the different grades of the hierarchy: Bishop, Archbishop, and Primate. When cases had passed through each of these curias, there would have been very little to submit to the arbitrament of Rome. At present there is practically no appeal from an episcopal decision except one to Propaganda or to the Tribunal of the Rota, and as every communication between the Centre and the-extremest part of the Catholic world takes quite six weeks, it is easy to see that the decision in. such cases will require about a year. Finally, Australia is a new country, with new ideas, ideals, and conditions, and it is of the greatest importance that the Holy See should be kept constantly in touch with the Catholic life prevailing there, not only in the several dioceses, hut in the country as a whole.’ This usually well-in-formed writer is in error in stating that the Maxima cura was given effect to in none of the Australasian dioceses. As a matter of fact it was, to our knowledge, carried out in more than one New Zealand diocese; hut presumably owing to a doubt as to whether the Decree applied to Australasia there was not uniformity of action on the part of all the Australasian dioceses. For the rest, the Tablet correspondent’s account of the matter may doubtless be taken as substantially correct. * (2) The duties of the Delegate are briefly, to consider all questions and to try ail cases submitted to him, and to deliver judgment thereupon. The cases will include questions of ecclesiastical law, difficult marriage cases, questions as to dispensations, etc. In the case of all difficulties which may arise the parties are free to appeal from a sentence of a diocesan or metropolitan authority direct to Rome, op they cap appeal to the

delegation; but when appeal has once been made to the delegation the sentence pronounced by the delegate- is binding on the parties. The delegation is, in fact, a local court of appeal, with the necessary authority and jurisdiction. (3) The benefits likely to accrue to the Church in a distant country from tho setting up of an apostolic delegation may be sufficiently gathered from what has been already said. (a) The appointment of a.delegate is, in the first place, a high compliment and mark of affection from the Holy See Leo XIII., writing regarding the first appointment of the Apostolic Delegate for the United States, expressed the motive for such appointments thus: ‘By this action as we have elsewhere intimated, we wished, first of all, to -certify that in our judgment and affection America occupied the same place and rights as other States however powerful and imperial.’ (b) Such an appointment secures the effective and expeditious settlement of all questions of difficulty that arise. And (c), most important of all, it is a direct link with Rome which brings us into closer and more intimate union with the Holy See. In connection with the particular, appointment for Australasia, the Tablet correspondent repeats what we have already said in those columns a fortnight ago ‘ Both bishops and priests in Australia owe a debt of gratitude to the Holy See for having selected Mgr. Cerrctti, who began his diplomatic life as an official of the Secretariate of State, became the first secretary of the first Apostolic Delegate to Mexico, and has had for ten years a rich experience as Auditor of the Apostolic Delegation at Washington. Ho speaks English like an American, and ho has made himself deservedly popular with bishops and priests in the United States.’