CATHOLIC NEWS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXII, Issue 52, 26 April 1895, Page 20

CATHOLIC NEWS.

(From tbe Catholic Timet^ A Christianity Exhiaition, to be held daring tbe International Exhibition at Paris in 1900, has, it is stated, been sanctioned by the Sovereign Pontiff and tbe Archbishop of Paris. The idea Is to represent the whole history of tbe eighteen Christian centuries by foe similes and panoramas, to perform tbe Oberammergau Passioo play, and to held a Sistine Chapel musical service, with all tbe accessories ; but tbe suggestion ha«, at preeenf, received no definite shape. Tbe question of adopting special means for promoting tbe propress of Catholicism in Wales has been nnder consideration at the Vatican. The project of detaching the Welsh portions of the Shrewsbury diocese, uniting them with the Welsh parts of Newport and Menevia, and erecting tbe whole into a Prefecture Apostolic has, it appears, been carefully examined, and the Holy Father ha* it is ■aid, expressed himself in favour of it. Bo far,. however, there has been no official confirmation as to the adoption of the scheme. la his Lenten Pastoral, Mgr Boarrien, Archbishop of Bonen. declares that to replace 32 priests of his diooeie, who died in 1894 the carrent year will only furnieh 6. Much tbe same thing is observed, it is iaid,in several dioceses, and it is attributed to tbe action of the military law. It is not merely a question of ,'cmi. narntes returning to the seminary after leaving the barracks, but of their aptitude after their military experience to persevere in the priestly vocation. It would appear that many of them have been rendered unfit for the sacerdotal life. In his Lenten Pastoral his Eminence Cardinal Vanghan, after referring tc the evil influences in London, says : •• Beyond our own there is a population, to be counted perhaps by millions, (bat has fallen away from Christ, has never been baptised, has never heard of the Woman and her Child, ani of their mission to our race. The work to be undertaken among them is like a mission to the heathen, while the difficulties it presents are more obstinate, and the whole manner of procedure is more embarrassing." The marvellous energy and zeal for the propagation of the Faith which has always been a particoler feature among the sons of 8t ITrancis is eloquently proved at the present time by the following statistics, published by the missionaries' official Bulletino, of tbe number of Franciscans who have recently started for the distant countries where they preach tbe Gospal and scrupulously follow the rule laid down by their founder ; Brflzil, 80 ; the Holy Laod, 22 • Constaotinople, 1 ; Upper Egypt, 6. Be«>d*B those who accompanied the new Apoßtolic Prefect, Mgr Mi- ele da Carbooara, two more have started for the Erjtbrean Colony ; five have gone to Albania, one to Tripoli, nineteen to Bolivia, and twenty to the Pbillipiae Isles. A very curious and touching little scene w.i 8 witnessed in the Vatican on Saturday morning, February 23. The Holy Father waa in his private study, when a poorly-clad Indian of about thirty-three years of age was admitted to bis presence, thanks to the kind intervention of Monsignore Mcry del Val. He prostrated himself before the venerable Pontiff with true Oriental reverence, and when Leo XIII. himself helped bim to rise, Beeme>l almost about to faint with joy and gratitude. Tbe interview lasted some minutes and the poor Indian left the Pope's presence the happy possessor of several medals, relics, and pictures which he kissed again »nd again. It has been proved beyond a doubt that this Indian is a direct descendant of one of the chiefs baptised by St Francis Xavier. He hap, it bppears, for years cherished the idea of one day coming to Borne to see 'he Hofy Father and only allowed himself the strict necessaries of life in order to save sufficient money for the journey. At last be has accomplished the desire of his life, and, after visiting the Sovereign Pontiff, started on his homeward journey on the following day. His Eminence Cardinal Logue writing in his Lenten Paitoral of the National Education System says :— lt is incurably vicious in principle. By excluding every definite idea of religion during the working hours of tbe sobool ; merely permitting God and His interests to appear for a few spare moments, often net permitting Him to appear at all, it tends of its very ua-ure ty impress the child that temporal concerns should hold thj chief place in his estimation, while his spiritual interests are of very secondary importance. It jealously excludes from the school every thing wbich would serve to keep the Divine Presence before the child's mind or permit it to rise, even for a moment, above material things. It even cramps the child's mind and impedes ieal intellectual development ; for to carry out this system it is necessary to employ colourless and insipid books, to teach half truths and to altogether exclude moet important subjects ' of instruction, such as the study of ei'her sacred or profane history. The keeping of this important quesii »n to the front need not interfere with the most energetic <fforts to secure tbe right of st If-govern-ment, or any other right necessary for the wo fare of tbe country On the contrary, tbe training of the young, D ot only in Becnlar knowledge, but in tbe principles of vir ue and religion seems to be an indispei sable preparation for the right of any measure of f re> dom extended to them.