DISTINGUISHED PRELATE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16806, 20 November 1928, Page 12

DISTINGUISHED PRELATE

CARDINAL CERETTI SHORT VISIT TO AUCKLAND One of the most distinguished prelates of the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Bonaventure Ceretti, who was Papal Legate to the Etachanstic Congress in Sydney in September last, arrived at Auckland yesterday by the Aorangi. While in Auckland the visitor will bo tho guest of Bishop Geary, with whom he was a fellow student at the Apollinare College, Rome. The cardinal will continue his voyage by the Aorangi today, en route to Ins headquarters in Borne.

Cardinal Ceretti has visited New Zealand on two occasions previously. That was while he hold the post some years ago of Apostolic Delegate to Australia and New Zealand. In a message to the Dominion .on the occasion of the recent Eucharistic Congress the cardinal indicated that he retains happy memories of this young country. "Truly," he said, "Kew Zealand is a wonderful land; wonderful in what it has been, wonderful in what it is. And as Nature seems to have showered her choicest blessings on it so may the good God send His abun : dant blessings to its generous ami hospitable people." Early in his career Cardinal Ceretti was appointed to the foreign office at the Vatican, and the ability which he displayed in that office marked him for further diplomatic service. Willi distinction be i filled a diplomatic post in the Argentine, and later was a member of the Apostolic Delegation in the United States. For three years Cardinal Ceretti was Apqstolic Delegate Jo" 1 Australia and New Zealand, and at the conelusion of the war he was 'appointed Nuncio for France. So highly respected was he in Paris that ho became dean of the diplomatic corps. He was recalled to Homo in 1926 to be.made a cardinal, and among the, honors which came to him was that of becoming an associate of the French Legion of Honor.