RELIGIOUS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 914, 6 September 1889, Page 7

RELIGIOUS.

The Young Men’s Christian Association has grown to vast proportions There are 1248 associations in America, 1392 in Germany, and even in Japan there are 200. It is an interesting fact that there is an organisation in Nazareth, where Christ lived, and at Jerusalem, where He was crucified. Apropos of the death of the heroic Damien, the leper priest, we may mention—says the Churchman —-that outside the walls of Jerusalem is a leper’s hospital, tended by deaconesses from the German Religious houses. Year after year these heroic women, without pretentiousness, without trumpeting, almost unknown to the world, have waited upon lepers, while themselves literally dying by inches. Their courage and constancy have only come to light by the chance notice of travellers, but doubtless their names, unknown on earth, are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The Colporteurs in Ceylon have sold nearly twice as many Bibles as last year, more than seven times as many Testaments, and almost twice as many portions of Scriptures. The London Missionary Society at Madagascar, with thirty missionaries, reports 828 native ordained ministers and 4385 preachers, with 31,000 church members and 280,000 adherents. The British Bible Society, of which the Earl of Harrowby is President, reports an expenditure for 188 S of £226,164, and receipts of £212,615,. against £226,653, for 1887. The distribution of Bibles also fell 500,000, from 4,000,000 to 3,500,000. They were in 287 languages. A post and Papal court, which always raises a smile when mentioned, is that called the ‘ The Devil’s Advocate’—the prelate who, at canonisations, raises objections to the many virtues and good actions of the saint, for the sake of discussion. The new Devil’s Advocate is Mgr. Persiani, Canon of S. Lorenzo in Damaso. He searches out all the weak points in a saintly life and brings them before the Congregation of Rites at a canonisation.