EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19834, 3 January 1928, Page 6

EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

GREAT BEHGIOUS EVENT. PREPARATIONS IN SYDNEY, SOME OF THE VISITORS. MANY eminent personages. Th«i World Eucbaristie Congress, to b« held by tlbe Roman Catholic: Church in gvdney ne:tt September, will be cue of the most important religious events of the present year. Some particulars of the arrangements are published iin the Sunday Times. Cardirtal.'i constitute the Senate of the Homan Catholic Church, and, because of that fact, the prolonged absence of caracals resident in Borne 13 impracticable. Bat. the cardinak of America, Europe, end England will find it E?ore convenient in make tie journey to Australia assuming their jurisdiction is adequately provided for in their respective dieses. In 'that event it iai hoped that the following cardinal® will attend tho congress Cardinals Hayes (IS'ew Yor*), o'Conr.dl (Boston), Mundelein (Chicago), Cbarost jßennes), Faulhaber (Germany), Merry del Val (an English cardinal resident at Boms, and who was papal secretary of State to the late- Pope Pins X), Bourne (London), PifFl (Austria), and Dubois {Paris). Each of them will travel with ■customary j>ontincal ceremony a.nd full Staff. The Congress Committee has sent invitations to the whole Roman Catholic world, *nd these havo extend©:? to the leading members of that. Chui'ch in England, commencing with the Duke of Norfolk ana ten or « dojven earls prominent in the Roman Catholic life of England and in the House of Lords, It is also anticipated that the Brit ish Government will officially appoint an envoy to the congress to tr.ivel with the shiploads of English pilgrims who will accompany Cardinal Bourne on one or two liners to be utilised for the trip. It is passible that this envoy will be Sir Odo Russell, British 2uinii:ter to the Vatican.. Ini"itation?i have also been issued and tentatively accepted by Sir Phillip Gibbs, Ct. K- Chesterton, and HiJaire Belloc, of whom is a Roman Catholic. Mr. Chesterton embraced that faith only a few years ago. Visitors* of Noble Blood. France will be represented by several personages of noble blood, including Count do Yanville, permanent i-ecretary of the Eueharistu: Congress for the whole world. A prince, and two viscounts will cosne with the Belgian pilgrims. From Spain will come several jnarqoiwjs and a number of grandee 3. Prince Chik-t will lead the Rumanian pilgrimage. Prince Paul Sapeha will accompany th«i Polish representative*, and not the least picturesque of the visitors will be Mr. Lo Pa Hong, a multi-mil-lionaire, and one of the most powerful wen of the East. The Right R<sv. Momsignor the Prince de Croy, who is a prince of royal blood, will be among the Belgians. An interesting personality to arrive •with the Italians will tw the Rev. Professor Maurice de la Ta.ille, S.J., of the Gregorian University, Rome, This university is the leading Roman Catholic ecclesiastical institution in the world, and is under the direct con'trol of the Pope. Constituting one of the most spectacular incidentals of the congress will be the representative of all the Pa.ciSc missions of the Church. From China will come six Chinese bishops who were consecrated a.t Rome last yes,r by the Pcpe. '£iom Japan there will be one or two Japanese bishops. The congress will last only tliyee days, JjuL a number of functions will' follow itOrators of Many Tongues. The Palais Royal, the Town Hall,, St. Haiy's Cathedral, the Australian Hall and the Show Ground have all been booked and .eserved for the various iiassions of the congress. There will be two sessions daily in each of the halls, and at the completed cathedral, and at each one a celebra ted ecclesiantical orator will deliver a discourse -on the Blessed Eucharwt and it s various aspects, according f.-o Roman Catholic doctrine. A huge high altar and choir at a cost of thousands will be erected in the Show Ground, and at this altar the Pontifical High Masses will be celebrated each morning. Only the correctly liturgical music of the Church will be rendered by the choir—works by the masters of Gregorian harmony and similar to those rendered at P?pal functions at St. Peter's, Rome. The sessional discourses will be delivered in the language peculis.r to th*a nation concerned. For instance, the discourse to be de?ivered to the Poles, Germans, French, Belgian, or English will be spoken in that language. The main religions ceremonies of the congress will be the celebration of Pontifical High Masses at the mammoth high altar to be erected in the cettre of the Show Ground ring. At the first of these open-air Masses, the F'apal Legate will officiate in full pontifical ceremonial, and those present will witness the celebration of Maiss with all the impressive solemnity of a High Mass celebrated in iSt. Peter's Rome. Other cardinals and archbishops will celebrate the other Masaes of trie congress The expenses of the Papal Legate smd the other cardinals, as well a:> those of the distinguished English nsitors, will ho paid by Australians. And to pravide the necessary money all the members of the Church tons being asked to do is to purchase a congress badge for a guinea, and this admits them to ail the privileges of the congress. Not the least important event of the concluding functions of the congress will be a dinner to be held at the Palais Royal. To this the Governor-General, all the State Governors and membsra of the Federal and State Governments will be invited. The Papal* Legate, Cardinal Cerretti, will be the guest of honour. Transport and Housing. Tha transport and housing cf the great influx of people which is expectod to temporarily swell Sydney's population, and tax its accommodation to the utmost, is the biggest task the congress executive to face. Bui, arrangements have practically been completed, although the event is more than eight months off. One oatiznate of the number of vioitors places if; as high as 200,000. Brokings have been made in all the hotels, large and small, in big residential aisas, and in home circles. Tha railway and shipping authorities have requested the committee to ariTis« as many of tha visiting delegates as possible to reach Sydney some weeks before the congress opens, so that the arrangement of the traffic may be facilitated. The Roman Catholics of Australia will defray all the expenses of the congress at Sydney. It is anticipated that these will amount to over £50,000. Visitors from other countries will pay their own fares, but all their accommodation will be provided free. At the head of the congress executive the Right Rev. Monsignor O'Gormnn, of Parramatta, and tlitt Rev. Father James Meaney, parish priest of Drum■jnoyne. A special building has been erected oo the grounds of St. Mary's Cuthedial, and in this the vast work cl congress organisation is being conducted, ,