CANTERBURY CATHOLIC LITERARY SOCIETY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 9, 16 December 1892, Page 29

CANTERBURY CATHOLIC LITERARY SOCIETY.

Thb usual weekly meeting of the above Society was held on Tuesday last, 6th inst. Present— Mr' R. Dobbin (chairman) and a good attendance of members. The president mentioned that next Tuesday being quarterly meeting night, Ixe expected to nave an exceptionally large attendance, as there was very important bannegs to transact. He also mentioned that bis Lordship Bishop Grimes would deliver bis lecture on the 29th inst. in St PatrlckVHall under the auspices of the Literary Society, the subject being •' Picturesque Italy, with a week in Venice." The lecture will be illustrated with sixty beautiful limelight views, manipulated by Mr Seager and ioterspersed with music. The programme for the evening being « original papers," the Rev Father Pell read a paper " 21 Arguments Proving the Immortality of the Bool." The arguments were very forcible, the writer pointing out that belief in the immortality of the soul waß firmly believed in by the Egyptians, Persians, followers of Mahomet, ancient Greeks and Bomans, the Hebrews (on the word of no leas an authority than the mighty Solomon). That Christ proved it by rising f rom the dead and the universal belief in it by ail the seats professing Christianity,' and numbering 388 millions. The religious followers of Confucius Buddha and others in the East, who nnmber 480 million souls, aU believe in this doctrine. In fact of nearly the 1,400 million souls who at present inhibit the earth, the rev writer stated that no mention whatever was made of any sect or body that disbelieved in thw doctrine, which showed that the belief was universal. He stated that the renowned philosophers, Plato and Socrates, were firm believers in the " immortality of the soul," and concluded his paper amidst loud applause. Mr F. Cooper aleo read a paper •• Berniniacences of an Excursion to the West Coast Sounds," which was exceedingly interesting. It was very humorons, and abounded in little, anecdotes of the •• Tarawera excursion to the Sounds in January 1890." The description of the Sounds sc'entry was very vivid, and

Mr Cooper thoroughly deserved the applause he received on finishing his paper. Votes of thanks were* passed to the Bey Father Bell and Mr Cooper, after which the meeting closed. The programme for next .Tuesday is quaxterlyi meeting lectures by members.