CARDINAL MANNING ON THE RELIGIOUS FUTURE OF ENGLAND.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7611, 23 July 1890, Page 6

CARDINAL MANNING ON THE RELIGIOUS FUTURE OF ENGLAND.

Cardinal Manning celebrated his episcopal "sliver jubilee the other day and wa»inte-view_dbyarep---sntative of the FoU MaUGaze&e. > -

Questioned in regard to the past, present, and future of the Roman Catholic Church in England His Eminence said :— . "_n the last forty years, since the restoration of the perfect organisation of the Catholic Church in England, the progress has been singularly great; out it would be a mistake to test it only by the number gathered into it, for though many, what are they upon the millions of this country? The true progress of the Church iv England is to be measured first by its immense material development In""churches, clerjry, colleges, convents and schools. < Everything is doubled, or trebled, and iv some cases increased six or even ten fold. Next, its relation to public 'opinion aud the feeling of the eonntry is so absolutely chan -<_-d that I leave it rather to yon to estimate than express it myself. Hardly, che immense increase of spiritual action of tbe Church upeh its own people and by its public acts oi worship, by preaching and by admiuistratlon or the Holy Sacraments, warrants my saying that I do not believe that even at the time of the Reformation— jo-called —there were ever so many receiving the Holy-Sacraments of che Cburcli as ac this moment. The whole: population of England in Elizabeth's reign may have been between three and tour millions, rtie number of Catholics now in England is over 1J millions, and of those a very large proportion are in faithful practice of their religion, and if I add hundreds and thou--Ba___fof children in our schools f believe I have understated the troth. I believe I may say that the English have ceased to to fear or to suspect the Catholic Church as S E_kpal aggression or a foreign religion." Next "the journalist, lookiug his Eminence in the face, said with some hesicatioijt--**. And about the Church of England —what do you say, and especially with reference to "Lux _iuudi?'" "Oh," replied the Cardinal, with a smile, "you want n_y ©pinion on Anglicanism. But lam too old to throw stones now. , I must not be a judge of those who are without. And, again, you do not specify which of the many kinds of Anglicanism you mean," fife" nuinoro. sly went on. "And again, Vre Catholics are disciples of a Divine the Anglican Church disclaims infallibility—that is a corporate Divine guidance. As to tbe book of _«____ you speak, 'Lux Mundi,' 1 will ____■ criticise it, but 1 think it is a counter' Start of < 'Essays and Be views' —that is every school in the Church of England, and there are ninny, brings forth its own 'fthit.' As"l repeat,"!' cannot judge it ; .___ it has fallen away." ' ' ■** Do you expect England will ever again be Catholic, your Eminence?" "I know mo example in Christian history in which A whole people having once been robbed Qf_ faith have ever returned to it as a jwhobs. The return of Aiian nations, as Xombardy and Spain, to Catholic unity is __.* example. But 1 have "an uncbangc'ftble hope that both Christianity and the '-Ct_t_K_ic' Faith, which is its perfection, -.rill- continue to spread indefinitely _tjaiong the English; because they never rejected the faith, but were robbed of it, »nd have been born innocently into, a stateof privation." P _~.■ " One more question, your Eminence, and I will liberate you, with a thousand thinks for your kind courtesy. I b_v_P been ~ told that there lis a difference between the old Catholics and the converts.' May I ask is . that Jrbur experience? "Is therenot some lingerng .estjge nf. the. ; old Protestant spirit J" Bis Eminence smiled slowly and thoughtfully aa j he locked : at? mc, and replied, *• Do youJcnow that is a very burj_ing question with mc. I> wilt answer it In matters of is not one jot or tittle of"_l__ftr __<__, for #c are all disciples _jf the same r Divine Master, whose voice has never j varied from the"day of Pentecost until now. In matters of opinion outside the faith the- is perfect liberty Stnong ttSj-which never troubles us. Ihe Old Cathdiies' hsvei Mppiiy, inherited effort and the strain of reasoning! it out. Converts have had to find it in the sweat of their face. Perhaps St. Augustine knew the reasons of his faith and the evils of Pelagianism more sensitively than those about him in Africa who'h__ always l>een Catholic."