PAPAL LEGATE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 239, 6 September 1928, Page 7

PAPAL LEGATE

OPENS EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS. HUGE ASSEMBLY. REMARKABLE SCENES IN SYDNEY (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). SYDNEY, Sept. 5. In a raging gale of wind, 70,000 people congregated around St. Mary’s Cathedral to witness the official opening of the twenty-ninth Eucharistic Congress. Tli© procession, which marched from tho Presbytery to the Cathedral and composed prelates of all countries, was highly impressive. Cardinal Ceretti, tho Papal Legate, blessed the huge crowd as he entered the Cathedral. ... As cars conveying church dignitaries robed in varied colours arrived, the enormous, long-waiting crowds cheered to tho echo. It was late in the afternoon when the Papal party headed by Prince Decroy, lending a solemn march of fifty bishops, entered the cathedral. A few minutes later Archbishop Kelly entered tho pulpit and welcomed the visitors. The Archbishop stated “Tlio purpose of our undertaking is strictly and simply religious—not social, not political, riot secular, in any sense. Wo meet in order to profess publicity the Catholic doctrine regarding the grgatest of sacraments, the Eucharist, the fountain of supernatural life, and to offer to Jesus Christ, veiled, yet truly present, homage and worrflip in reparation for the affronts for neglect and for sacrileges which Ho, with patience, suffers at our hands.

“To this end the congress employs the solemn functions of public processions, conferences and sermons in various languages, congregational singing, gene Val communions and special devotions for the children of our schools.” HARVEST OF SPIRITUAL JOY.

The Archbishop then extended a welcome to all, which he pronounced “in the name of the brethren of the episcopate here and in New' Zealand,” and concluded by begging all present wholeheartedly to join in praising the mercy of Jesus. “May Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament be everywhere praised.” After the congress had been officially opened by Bishop Heylen, the president,, the Papal brief, which was addressed to Cardinal Ceritti, was read. After stating that Cardinal Ceretti had been appointed legato to represent the person of the Pope, and that His Holiness entertained high hopo for the success of the congress, and confidently expected a great manifestation of piety and a full harvest of spiritual joy and holiness, tho brief continued: “His Holiness loks forward with joy to the remarkable manifestation of reverence and loyalty with which tho faithful people of Australia will receive the Vicar of Christ in tho person of his legate, and anticipates the splendid tribute of divine honour they will pay to the most holy sacrament in the land where it was so humiliated in olden davs, and where priests, the dispensers of His holy mysteries, were prohibited from celebration of His unbloody sacrifice.”

Tho brief concludes by bestowing the Papal blessing on all participating in the congress proceedings. In an impressive address Cardinal Ceretti then declared the _ congress open, invoking God’s blessing on the works and reunions at the congress about to begin. WORSHIP OF EXPOSED HOST.

The worship of the exposed host at St. Patrick’s Cathedral was a remarkable scene. Outside the church thousands of worshippers who were unable to gain admission knelt in the street, following the Mass with the help of amplifiers outside the church. It was a wonderful scene as the wave of devotion spread from the church to tho kneeling crowds outside. Even men driving carts past crossed themselves. It was one of tlie most remarkable scones of devotion ever witnessed in Sydney. Prelates from all countries participated.