ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1479, 29 June 1912, Page 11

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN FRANCE

;& KECOKD. . f;}! :■.. & >pe6iaV , -'st)isesp i bnd : ?ii i '■'Catliqlic! •Times" iCl^adi^y'-Vril^i^TCe^haTla^'i-Ha'd; tivity of the I'rencli Catholic?, I heir gre.il-:;ef.-.'.unioli:-"ondi jtiorc?.-Uiprougli;.'or^ahi£a(ioiiv ; and,'..in consequence, the hiilrcence.' that, ■itbey-public.-iiiVfiirs. On t!w occasion..of, the :lasfcJ;J3iossan* Congressviii'TParisy-it; was realised.!; . of Church and :SU:to, the,; beggared''tbutpn-' ■..strides- forward. iin>'"tlS;ipatK; f of;,pwgresi| One c>C 't£^chi^>ccles|asti^.of'-tliS '/tjio-' ceso confirmed--this impression in a. convetsaiion jnih «..leading French journal; i'st, '•Htt'iojvne'd^'tli , - isVlossV tli ait' .i tSwis vjt'i< ; 'iiit ' 'a jg b jit; there an? snoro-ecclcfiastical vocations »<>»: ; thinli!' IJiferowei'e: : oh t ho eve of. ithd''Sbpa'r ai; tioiu not ,'in; the 'prime of life, wiiq,< to-filter' the Church, .'ghwific'o important and careers. Then also, wilhiritfa..last:. twelve! years, fifty-tour' churches :;iorchapels,. twenty-four .of xvliicli are nrny. parish 1^ or aro.inuf Paris; an. extraordinary andsignificant' fact, if .we. consider .Uio-linavy Vclaiins-'tliatKare' j finaiices'.bf' the. Isiiic© Uie'' confiscation;?®; of: VOii ii reliW pio»erty AVliat is still move strikin.': than •iho. iuero Vo^^tli^sOirVrplisipii^.i'centfGsV^rsi^jrhe' fact th.it,' at the. end. of. dx : months, c<-a. :.year, nil. Uie.ne.iv churches, without .exception, prove too small for !• Uieir'" Voti-' grpptationsV Tet:siii¥th(iJ;pafi sliesitliaFalready exist, the .number . nf. worshippers "ha* no! 'deccnsecV.. Jt has boon'estimated flial, oifi'iif? (o. (iio foundation. of ,'ho<e ■ney> ; ■jCGnftc's'i^th^.iptaotice:'olf ttisit'religioit has. iei'ii made posiible far about -Jso,(iCi:i •Catholics, v:Ko live in suburb* that are • d<vi io pi 112 from., day. io. day widwexl r.iordiuary rapidity. 1 ;The ciontioii;~fof..; pa^i-o fi ehial '' ■Cbiiiniittees." ■■isiVMrpri'sTy ;adyb.cate'd■lj.y .the Cardinal'.. Archbishop,. aiid, ovine in .great' ".ih.>a>nr(\. to - his emxmrajenun't.i, ■ one 'hiiiidi.%l;. xpmhi'i.t lees'np.\v ei-:. ■fsf,' Their. ■'inoinljovH:;aveA!a>'iyieii ; ~.0 p^.cii' : rank ■am!', ;so c ifil:/;-sth iidiii'ff,"■ • '.>vho?o<l ji : t'.v.-,' it- : ■ "i'-i io support thei. action pi' the .'pricsls. .;lattfii-"^ii.i;o\<!ua€iVran,y\--in'>i&h ; / £ibEbi:!tjectc by and it '.falls', to''thcv-'siirir.s of. ihb laymen to create awl 1 organise the sceial associations. i.hi.t have. !);•.• oino;.so'. t)romi'nr!it a fe.itiire-,of ■ eru tpcst'c'shi'T;: It. :is they who'p mission l';,it:"i3\tp'''fo.uiiil: iamj. bauksi'leading'-' 'If-'.

braries, gymnastic. isdciefics, clubs,-guilds an'd -syndicate's, .Another. v;ork 'of ■ import'-: a nee is the creation of "high class schools" for' -the ..training of schcolinaUfMs -piu't (-chc.o!ml«tie.«? 'who,, when (hey have passed. jtfio- 'neceßSai;j;..;cxaihi]wtioiis; bii r|.iialifio'il t» -compeio with .'.lie Ltoveriilnonl M.-hool teaehers. . : WESLEYAN MCIHOD'SM DrCJIMi IN WMJII llCiLl'L's For the sixth ; .loyh'iv Aif-!!iOiiisYiv ;lias i r^pnrte(l;a'"cloc!iiio; ; (wi'itis (hi- spaeial corresponde'iil of/the "Westniiiisfei; ifaV.ette").-• It ia ' the/largeii't ■ i ii.iliS ; i ilii al; Jti hii rc 1 i'V- i ii/ ii sli o.'V-", wnfoimity,, ;nid. I/why its.total liiember--■slii'ji is : 'iieaHj'"2CDp...:'!ei-s: thaVi'iii::loor);ln--11'.Hiiiifj tlifl whole of the thirty-five 'dis- ; tricts under the central el ■■ Hie .Knsii:-1> ■ Wci ieyaii 'Oiiifercnce, the lolnl ineniber-.. shi]i is 4::2.8':!'. As compared, with last j year 'tho.' -dec'rcas<>...is::;26iG. ; v The total:"c!e-,-creases for tho past six years iirc 'ua follow " '.i Decliiie in membership., 1907 ............ .2,034 : - „ ~-, ' „'" 1 IPO3 -i.-ja-j „ „ i, lSfi;l 1,1-li. „ „ „ SfliO 2,'^ „ „ „ 191! „ „ „ 1912 li,OlG. Total decrease -in six years ...... 15,575 Only four .distnets, out of the : . nuiVibcr have ietitnkcl an; ..increaso- ' of. : over one hundred, viz.: Members. ■ Pfi'.ond ;Lomlbh 141 ; Ivxr-tc-r ';v Xottiughaiii siiid Derby ..........191 . Hull 203 Fifteen districts show, .on (he ' iitlicr i.hatid,. decreases, .'of : First London, IKS members;-Bedford and. Xorthaimnon, IST;. Cornwall', .l|il r lirist«i- ---: aiul jßafbv;-I.o2';i;Cai:(Uff h -19;i;' Hduth Wales, 133;.' Birriin;;hnm..'and. Shrewsbury, l-i.l; Bolion; ll'J; Jfalifax and iirailfoj-d, 14!;. I.«i.;s, •'•11; .Liueoln, • 203: ;'Yori:Lil6i : .'Carlisl^;l39|'\lsie i : Kvery type of district'gives'a decroase. It is-' not ('.onfihed to any., p.li.tieulaf area " : 'oij class,. aiui-Hiicludes nninng.; andiindus:' |: trial; eiintres"..'is well as these of .a somewhat hij;her social type'.. Couiitics: like Corr.wflli, which, li'ive boen' i-onsiderod tho -'pS'culiai; : .:.li6ni'ff"qf : ;;jrethddi3nUt defiii- : itc. iishs.of- o-hrii'.knce. lii thr- 'deiropoli.t :.the RrVut Central Missions sueh as.those don, .are nuiiih liehind-.-the latter .'.with a ■ 303. The .l.<i!>don- Mission reports 137 membere fewer than the previor. i vei'.r.tiie Jkncia'ster Mi<.-ioii 133,;at!d the Birmingham Misr-ion 50.' Again Lincoln District, which, has been- considered, .sinuig, - li/is 'ge,ue.. bacl.-: to ' the; extent 'of twelve out of. it» fitkiui- churches, haying eontriiiuteci to these figure?;... . '-^Js Anethfv disrjniutiiitc. symptom-." in . the statistics is tho-sinall'liutnberf of candidates for tlKMi'.iriislry, . which this year only fptiali-J 1 l!f7r-23.V-.shiixllci;',thaj^pari 5 " ■■;a-jid;/ : inueli'/ , '.befqro ■ tlio'uuiiiber-j:.i'oVi- s Wquio; '.'years;" -; i: .'l : -Eyidences- i are;.;;alr% AVesleyii:'. Methcdisls have received Ihe 'figures.];with, a 'fceliri!; of '.dismay.-, 'tho; "Methodist .Recorder,'''.in presenting the:-« ■ : cavefnl : by comnienfs on. the ilokful facts as a humiliat-. cdi-r ;tiie;;:exp!anatipnsithat',ivill. be. forthcoming—that* oilier- churches are nn;;lika.;case;}.'tli^vfig^ : that; : Qur;aciivities ;; , ;v.-erc;; , n frreatei', ■.tliat':oVir':'cnergiesv!'arei ; .lematir-ed beyond all i)rc'eedi.nt, that mcisl unrest is partly.. '.hat we' are ;suffenitgrfroiir.:wec.ri.Mn)c. discussion-of.the. • inemljetship, qiiestioii,'! hat we liave more chapels than.ever, and : morc woikers, (oa -r-and so on,. -But all.these put together: - can no;more;ali.er tl>o' : painful-facts than ; ;,and" all;. of tlir-m are liiisaiisfyiii!!." ; '-• r :Metbodists;;wi 1! liqt,/ it is' believed;- rest .supinely ai'i;r ..six years »i'.. similar- decline.. • 'f!ieir';p«op!e. are'rieh. a'nd numerous, tq;fitul'inqney for' all ■;theirJgreat"enterpiusss;':aud. : ipi'CfUTy.these other : denominations;.pfjtho 1 ; i-ec Church order, .41ie.y:diav'ei.b«n passing..ahrougliVa tra'nsi::iij)if periqd; ; arks'- haye;in ;';cqur»ftf:SHin^:an(liowingi;to. ■ changes "of social custom , become' obliterated, whil-t (he rew ; guides have"in! yet found a snb'stantial..'.'place- in' (hpjjlethodist economy. I' , or:;gond; nr il', ;"\Vesleyan "preachers- have \beoii''■'eKdn^inK'?.tlieif-' , p"ointiof;?httaeli* i on' the human nii lid; ami <xccnt in .what niav "be;ter'm'o(];;old : -t'i;isbioiie.(l ; Vjbapels. and : ---ih6 revival.niissii*:is,'.She love- feast, <he class '(mccting,Vond.,,the-pein'tents/--'form have lost favour with th». mere cultured type of younger otlier ;ageneite;.:poFses3in£f eriualforce and !'pbtericj;,.-lia'TO';b!en-, i /lcviped: to -.talcs (heir nlaee. Still, thesn'=n - mp(oms do not, stand ».by';.their,selvesv.; Knd-."are allied to; t.he materialisiie. spirit vvliich ha-.. crept into all Uh"*chi!rchbs; ; -•

Dr. iSeo11 ; . :Li(!r;ott,' ; : wliq :is one .of ilio tciip'rtf;:'j\.zmilons ex-prci-deni:= of :thyi^yc?leynn'S,ronfcrcric(>,'^ !, h'!is of. '■„■ a\'& Prrf census of :^esleyan; ! .Jretnf^ism^seems/itp.afford' tho ist^plVlrcst./.p^«Wef^ToaFon L .^soVial^.for^■tllc , im'tdiale coniirieneeworit of suclv'. a.'ooin'.mission, ■" ■"■>:■/