CATHOLIC NEWS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XV, Issue 25, 14 October 1887, Page 5

CATHOLIC NEWS.

A CHURCH dedicated under the title of the Purification, but better known as the Church of the Four Nations— France, Bourgogne, Lorraine and Savoy — is about to be destroyed to make way for the continuation of the " Corso Vittorio Emmanuele." It dates from 1473, and has had an uninterupted existence from that date until 1798 when the French — the Vandals of tbat period — closed it for a time. Speaking of the Holy Father in review of his biography by Dr. O'Beilly, the Independent (Protestant) says : "We learned to admire him at Benevento and Perugia. One glance at bis living face, and even a careful Btudy of the admirable engraved portrait which forma the frontis piece of this work, will show not only the benevolence and stainless purHy of the man, but will give in addition the key to his character, as at once a churchman to the core, and an Italian diplomat, inflexible, adroit, sagacious, intelligent, and who can be relied on to do the best and wisest thing that can be done with his Church but always on tbe traditional lines. Tbe Belgian Government has authorised fifteen more communes to close their hitherto existing official schools, and " adopt " tbe voluntary or Catholic schools in their place. Cardinal Manning's letter to the Bishop of Liege on temperance has borne good fruit. Total abstinence societies a r e springibg up all over Belgium. The fact that two hundred inmates of St Joseph's Asylum, at Eighty -ninth street and Avenue A, New York City, escaped from the midnight fire which raged in tbe main building recently, shows the admirable discipline of the institution and the Christian heroism of the good Sisters in charge. Tbe Sisters are real heroines, and their devotion to the friendless and suffering makes them fearless in the hour of danger. Leo XIII. is one of the most retiring of Popes. He is rarely Been in his reception robeß, still more difficult is it to observe him in his house dress. He sits constantly before his enormous artistically carved writing-desk bidden behind a heap of books, diplomatic letters, and newspapers ; rarely be allows himself to be interrupted in his work in order to listen'to tbe petitionsjof his Maestro di Camera. The Cardinal-Archbishop of Westminster has just celebrated the seventy-ninth anniversary of his birthday His Eminence was born at Totteridge, in Hertford ehire, July 12,. 1808. The German journals continue to discuss the conciliation question and some of them refer to a pamphlet published in 1860, and written by Peter and Augustus Reichensperger. These prove that the cause of the Pope interests not only the Catholics but all Powers, and Germany in particular. They recall also the words of Napoleon to Montholon : '' If I have the Pope with me I can govern the whole world." Can Europe then allow Italy to absorb the Papacy 1 The New Orleans Mcrning Stzr says : " Apropos of the death of the Very Rev. Father Dicharry and Rev. Father Kouquette, there remains with us but few Creole priests. We have now Rev. Fathers Reynes, Picheret and Jobard." Cardinal Newman, at the recent celebration of the Feast of St. Philip Neri, at the Birmingham oratory, appeared to be more feeble than ever. He had to be supported down the steps by two priests, and when he pronounced tbe benediction his voice was not audible half-way down the church. General Boulanger's daughter is about to become a nun. The Provincial of the German Franciscans of America was summoned by the Father-General of his Order to re' urn to Fulda to negotiate the return to Germany of the religious under his sway. A portion of the German Benedictines will, on the contrary, remain in the United States, where they have already founded flourishing establishments. Abbot Hillary Pfraengle, of St Mary's Abbey, diocese of Newmark, has purchased 750 acres of ground at Greenborough, Maryland, for the erection thereon of a monastery of Benedictine Nuns, to form the Mother House for that branch of the Order

Archbishop Elder of Cincinnati has ordered the Act "of Reparation to the Holy Face, for the sins of the desecration of the Sunday, and blasphemy, to be said in all the churches after Benediction. At the unveiling of the statue of the Dominican martyr, Father Captier . a cantata in memory of Pere Oaptier — the words by Pere Bousseb'n, one of the survivors of the Communist massacre, and the music by the rector, the Veiy Key. Pere Ligonnet — was admirably song by the scholars. Recently, in his native town of Blois, France, Pere Monßabre, 0.P., the eloquent preacher of Notre Dame,delivered a stirring discourse in aid of the Association of Christian Schools. There was a large congregation. Bishop Laborde prteided, assisted by Frere Joseph, Superior-General of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. The clergy and faithful of Sondrio will present the Pope with a chime of bells from the renowned foundry Pruuieri of Qrosio. The Jesuits propose to erect a college in Colorado, and Denver people are anxious that their city be chosen as the site for the seat of learning. Thirty acres of ground have been donated by wealthy gentlemen. Ten more acres are required, but as the party holding them desires to make hay while the sun shines, it is doubtful if suitable arrangements can be made. Colorado Springs is also anxiou9 to have the college erected there, and for that purpose sent a delegation to visit the Jesuit Fathers to offer them 110 acres of land and2s.ooodola. The proposition is being considered. In the course of bis appeal to the people of his Archdiocese in behalf of the new St. Patrick's church in Borne, the eloquent Archbishop Ryan, of Philadelphia, says :" It is to be erected in the new portion of Rome, where a church is much needed. No one can question the fact that the children of St. Patrick have done more for the extension and support of religion than any English -speaking people in the world, and it is appropriate tbat they should build this representative church, and tbat it should bear the name of the great Apostle of the nation and their race. The proposed collection will be taken up in this diocese on one of the Sundays in July, to be designated by tbe rector of each church." His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin recently ordained at the ordinations in Maynooth College a very large number of studentß who were presented for the various orders, 105 received the first tonsure ; 92 the lectorebip ; 95 the order of acolytea ; 35 in all were ordained subdeacons, 57 deacons and 44 priests. Tne workmen are busily employed in arranging as a permanent chapel the spacious Sala Paolina, or Hall of the Benediction, above the atiium of the basilica of St. Peter, wherein were performed tho polemn f unctions of the last canonisations and beatifications by Leo XIII. It is the intention of His Holiness to make use, for the future, of this chapel for the ordinary Papal functions, hitherto carried out in the Sistine chapel, which will henceforth be reserved entirely, as a precious monument of art, for the better preservation of the invaluable frescoes and other mural paintings which form a fitting crown to the inimitable Last Judgment of Michael Angelo Buonarotti, to which the S'stine chapel owes its celebrity. News come 3 from Santa Fe di Bogota of a moat interesting gift for the Pontifical Jubilee, to be forwarded by the Diocesan Committee, who have in preparation for the Vatican Exhibition a collection of articles used by the native tribes peopling those regions prior to the Spanieh Conquest, such as weapons, vestments, utensils, idols, ornaments, etc., constituting a perfect museum, destined to \ convey an exact idea of the early condition and customs of the natives, and of their history. At the close of the Vatican Exhibition this little museum will probably be incorporated in the Borgian Museum of Propaganda. In a communication which appears in recent issues of out (Ape Maria's) English excharges attention is called to the vulgar error that the pieces of the True Cross preserved in various parts of the world suffice to make a cross considerably larger than tbe one on which Our Saviour was crucified. There is absolutely no foundation for this silly statement. As a matter of fact, the relics that are to be found would not give, if taken together, a superficies of more than foar million cubic millimeters — a very small part, indeed, of the materials required to make a cross. " This is a truth," remarks the writer, " the knowledge of which it is of no little importance to diffuse ; for certain laughing philosophers have done considerable mischief to religion by their exaggerations and sneers with regard to the number and character of the sacred relics treasured up iv Europe and Asia." Prince B:smarck, while in Berlin recently, inquired into the complaints made by Catholic Bishops of the vexatious exercise in Posen diocese of the right of the Government to veto,conceded under the agree ment between Prussia and the Vatican. The local ober president had vetoed the nominations of parish priests, including the well-known c'ericalp, I'r. Jazdewski, a deputy of the Reichstag ; Dr. Kubowisa. a director of the seminary, and Father Radziekiski, the former editor of the Katolik, of Silesia. Prince Bismarck has directed the ober president to reconsider his veto in several cases. Another nomination which has proved offensive to Catholics was that of Herr Perkuhn to be ecclesiastical commissioner. Herr Perkuhn acted as administrator at Posen during the exile of Cardinal Ledochowski. His methods of dealing with the clergy were of a high-handed character, and the people acquired a dislike for dim, and will for Bismarck if he allows the appointment to stand, We are happy, says the Weekly Register, to announce that Mr. Henry Christie, who has just taken his degree at Christchrrch, Oxford, has been received into the Church. Mr. Christie, whose reception took place at the Oratory, is the grandson of Professor Bonamy Price, and is a nephew of the editor of the Guardian. At a meeting of the Chapter of Hexham and Newcastle, held at Durham after the funeral of Monsignor Consitt, the Very Rev. Thomas Wm. Canon Wilkinson was appointed Vicar Capitular. Canon Wilkinson is the second son of Mr. George Hutton Wilkin-on. of Harperley Park, Durham, formerly Recorder of Newcastle, jwkl first county court judge of Northumberland. The Canon was educated at Harrow, and subsequently at Durham University, wbern lie took the degree of B.A. in 1844 and M.A. in 1845. In IB4li ho became a Catholic, and studied at Oscott. He was ordained priest iv 1848, andfwM sent on a mission to Walaingham. He was also the £ ouo-

Canon w!iK ?W? W L Tv Cro l okl Willifl gnam. After the election SJSi d Z T l il tll F: ned u thankß fo ' bis appoinument, and said he wsocct Jbowf h T? that , the^ r gy "ere moat gwteful for the kind 3IK I *eTolt tZt ° f DUrham " m&ny Wayß t0 the mem °^ ite * lu c Dub i in corre ßPondent of the Weekly Rsgieter:JLpropo* of the good works of .the Sisters lof Mercy in Ireland I tor wrS bt W deal ° f 'W^A** been excited by a IS2 wntte \ to a , Dub 'm Paper by a Fellow of the College of of GaW 1 7?° relat6d Z h&t !? e ,had Been, had Been at O^rard, * *be county sltri n7'w g . 6 ST b ? r °^ almost Irving children attending the Sisters of Mercy's School. He had learned that during May, June, £v£h&. tht ha PPy Bum^er months which bring fiowars and holi' thJ old nntiJS PP - C n ChildreD ' theße poor mites g° Btarvin g because h n e m °J d P° tato f ß are all eat «B «P. and the new odls are not ready to come out of the ground. Only for tbe bread doled out every day at ?he; PP l e \t e rr» 1V H^ CoCkby tbe charitab l« Sisters who tefchthem S«nM f d their P ra y erß » tbe pangs of these hungry creatures to b« Th VC v^T lnßn PP° rtabl e than their pale faces declare them !°J' ™ kmdly visitor was shocked to hear of half-fainting girls for g theLS cir f TK ak f lmb f ° Ver mileß of to school, more lelrninVont rff T t " c ? dly CiUßt awaitiD S them tha n for love of learning out of booka. In consequence of the good Fellow's letter SiKX^^^^^^ haVe fOUQd to tteeh c c