Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 7, 25 February 1925, Page 55

Catholic World

a A VENERABLE SANCTUARY. Imf Most English visitors' to the Eternal City r 'iAiow the very 'beautiful church of St. Ces' cilia, which is one of the most venerable of V the sanctuaries of Rome. It contains the topb of Cardinal Adam of Hertford, Administrator of the Diocese of London, who ‘ died in 1398. It was the titular church of Cardinal Ranjpolla, who a quarter of a century ago spent his private fortune in restoring it. The dead Cardinal was always held in the greatest esteem by the late Pope Benedict XV, who had been his friend and pupil and it was the wish of the late Pontiff to erect a monument to his old chief in the Trastevere basilica which he had loved and beautified. In the last few days of the past year the statues which form part of this great monument have been brought to St. Cecilia’s from the Vatican workshops, where they have been designed and executed under the care of the sculptor Quatrini. This year the work will be finished and the monument will be unveiled in St. Cecilia’s with appropriate ceremonies. \ NEW SEMINARY AT PRAGUE. , The new Seminary'of Prague was recently blessed by the Archbishop, Mgr. Francesco Kordac. The structure will accommodate 250 students and is built and furnished as a model institute of its kind. The achievement is due in large measure ;. to the initiative of the Archbishop, ,;, ho for 3 some time has recognised the need of a " minor seminary in order that ecclesiastical 1 vocations might be cultivated assiduously '■ and carefully in the country. In the new seminary aspirants for the sacred priesthood, before entering on their theology course will be prepared for the highei ' courses. Heretofore it was necessary foi them to enter the institutes of the State in which the teachings are for the most part indifferent to religion or actively hostile to it. Naturally the professors care nothing about priestly formation, therefore the evident need of previous training for those who ’ aspire to the most holy state in life. Now aspirants to the priesthood may carry •n their classical studies in the same seminary where they will later study theology. Their direction has been entrusted to the Fathers of the Society of Jesus. During the exercises, conducted at the opening of the new institute, Mgr. Francesco Marmaggi, Apostolic , Nuncio, read a letter sent by the Holy Father, in which his Holiness bestowed his blessing upon the new institute and reverted to its great importance. ' Mgr. Podlaha, Auxiliary Bishop, pro- • nounced an inspiring discourse on the work of the seminary, “one of the most important monuments of the century for our country.” -.V : • ''- >r OPPOSITION TO BAVARIAN CONf - CORDAT. ; f An unexpected opposition to the Concordat, which the Bavarian Government pro- ; poses to enter into with the Catholics and the Evangelicals, gives every sign of bring-

ing aibout a political crisis, as the obstruction has arisen in the ranks' of the parliamentary opposition (says Catholic News Service, London, for December 29). In the- event of Parliament rejecting the Concordat, it is understood that the Bavarian People’s Party, which is the Catholic . party, v will insist on its Ministers resigning from the Government. As the Government cannot possibly carry on without the cooperation of the People’s Party, a dissolution of Parliament seems inevitable. The proposed Concordat takes in both the Catholics and the Evangelical Churches, With the Protestants the regulations are simple," as they are concerned only with national affairs. But with the Catholics there is not only the internal national regulations, bpt also the wider question of certain relations with the Holy See, with which the Bavarian Government is in full diplomatic relation. The opposition, such as it is, appears to be purely sectarian and political. A disso- . lution would most*[ikely .result- in the return of a Government with a mandate to carry, through the Concordat; so that the opposition- has nothing whatever to gain by its tactics. COMPLETION OF WESTMINSTER, CATHEDRAL, . Sir. j 0 the end of Go war. a great deal has been done hi the direction of completing the interior of Westminster Cathedral, and ’ many thousands of pounds have been spent This is all the more remarkable when it is remembered that the English Catholics, r though far from being wealthy, have also , gone in for a great deal of church building. . One of the first tasks undertaken in the [* metropolitan Cathedral was lining the walls of the apsidal choir, behind the high altar, with slabs of marble. This necessitated the removal of the small choir organ, and to-day the whole sweep of the apse is revealed, its semi-circle of marble providing a fitting background for the majestic baldachino of the high altar. A more ambitious undertaking has been the erection of a great gallery across the width of the nave at the west end of the Cathedral, and just inside the great ceremonial west deors. This beautiful gallery is just nearing completion. Graceful columns of polished marble support it. Above is a wonderful pierced grill of fretted marble, and on the gallery itself is the new organ, costing about £BOOO, and reputed to be the finest cathedral’organ in the whole of Greai Britain. Some of the side chapels of the Cathedra’ have received further beautification, thougl others still wait the gifts of generous bene factors. It is hardly likely, however, thai the present generation will see the complete decoration of the interior.. There are huge walls, mighty pillars of brick, hazy anc misty domes high up in the vaulting of the roof, which await their coverings of rare marbles and glittering mosaics, which wil

convert the brick core of the Cathedral into t the most glorious Byzantine cathedral of ; Europe. „• FRANCE AND THE VATICAN. Everything points te the fact that the Government is not at all clear as to the success of its religious policy, so-called. The idea, at first, seems to have been that the Catholics would meekly submit to whatever plans the Government proposed to carry out: events have shown that the Catholics do not propose to submit, meekly or not, to any interference with their religious rights. The religious issue h#s therefore become a vital one, and it may result in a crisis. On this account there is some talk of a compro-. mise. What direction that compromise would take is more or less, a matter of specu- ■ lation ; but as it would arise over the Vatican Embassy, it is believed that the compromise would be over this matter. ' M. Herriot is said to have had a conversation - with the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris, and more than one messenger has gone back and forth .* between the Prime Minister’s office and the aroheveche. So that it would cause no great surprise were a compromise arrived at on the question of the Vatican Embassy. There 'is, of course, the point of view of the Holy to be considered. But as far as the Government is concerned . the critical moment is expected to arrive when the estimates for the Foreign Office are discussed. The abolition of the Vatican Embassy has been decided bn as a matter of policy, and it has got past the Finance Commission. But the Chamber has next to pass on it, and that is where the difficulty will arise. However, the Vatican Embassy is a matter of foreign policy, and it does not interfere with what is being done in an anti-clerical direction at home. It appears that.a circular has been sent out from headquarters ordering the local prefects not to choose as cantonal delegates any Catholic fathers of * families who send their children to the church schools. M. Francois Albert is un- ’ derstood to be behind this. And the end ; sought appears to be either to keep out of office those Catholic parents who refuse to use the State schools or else to put pressure * on them to withdraw their children from * the church schools. In any case the effect is "■ the sameto penalise Catholic parents on account of their religion, 3 The Confederation of Catholic Intellects uals is taking up the matter of protest, and a a very emphatically worded resolution has ’ been sent along by this organisation against the petty dealings of the officials. The draft t of the protest was forwarded to the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris, and Cardinal I Dubois not only ( approved of the resolution of protest, but wrote a letter which has given considerable encouragement to this ~ Confederation. X -