The Catholic World.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 29, 13 November 1896, Page 21

The Catholic World.

(From contemporaries.) AMERICA.— Irish Patriotism in the Land of the Free.— The twenty-fifth Irish National Demonstration was held on the 15th of August at Ogden's Grove, near Chicago. This was the 298 th anniversary of the victory of the Yellow Ford, and the 297 th of that of the Curlew Mountains. The Irish exiles keep up these dates of the renowned struggles of O'Neill in the fifteenth century with greater fidelity to tradition than their kinsmen at Home. The cry of " Lamb Dearg Abuahd " when Bagnal's mail-clad legions were swept back dismayed by the Irishrie, is jealously treasured by the Nationalists, Attorney-Generals, priests, and eloquent journalists in the land of the free. FRANCE.— Priests as Soldiers— Although the law of 1889 renders every priest liable, after the conclusion of one year's military service, to an annual service of twenty-eight days, it has not been rigorously carried out until the present year. France now presents the scandalous spectacle of priests being drawn away from their parochial duties without any consideration for the special needs of parishes, and being compelled for twenty-eight days to wear a military uniform and sleep in barracks. At Lyons alone there are no fewer than eleven priests now serving their twentyeight days who have been taken from their parishes. It is satisfactory, however, to learn that the officers of the garrison, from the commander downwards, show them all possible consideration. Even toAvards the seminaristes the conduct of the officers has been invariably the same since the law came into operation. There is the right feeling in the army, although it is so conspicuously absent elsewhere. M. Sarcey and the Index. — There was a time when M. Francisque Sarcey would not have lost an opportunity of turning the Congregation of the Index to ridicule. Consequently some people have been a good deal surprised to find him writing as an apologist of the Index in discussing the condemnation lately passed on M. Zola's •' Rome. It is true that M. Sarcey seizes the occasion for presenting himself to the public as pontiff a- ma.rimus of dramatic criticism, but his vanity under the circumstances may be forgiven. This is how the veteran Freethinker and disciple of Voltaire now writes :—": — " The Pope, custodian of Faith in the world, extends his jurisdiction over all writings that appear in the world. A book that has just been published and is making a great commotion is laid before him, and the question is put to him, may we read it ? " After a long examination he replies, through the Index, " No. my children. You ought not to read it. for by doing so you may compromise your faith and your morals."' In speaking in this manner does not the Pope use a right that 1- incontestable ' Having pointed out that in dramatic criticism his (M. Sarcey s) decision is pontifical to many people he continues :—": — " Why is that which is so natural in a simple critic to appear monstrous when applied to the Pope I I try to protect what 1 hold to be good taste : he tries to protect what he holds to be the true Faith. I as,k tor him the same liberty that I claim for myself."' HOLLAND.— St. Ursula's Convent, Roermond.— At the present day, when the education question is being so freely discussed, the following extract from the Coi/rrin He Lunbourg may prove interesting to many readers • An eventful day has this year passed by unnoticed in Roermond (Holland). It is 250 years since the Ursulines opened their first convent in that town. This Order, instituted in 1.117 by St. Angela of Merici, afterwards spread through the diocese of Lie_;e. Their boarding and day schools were then successfully attended. For Roermond, where the poor Clares devoted all their care to the spiritual welfare of the children, the arrival of the U/rsulines was a memorable event in the annals of its history, and to them all honour is attributed, as they laid the foundation of the high educational standard for which the city of Roermond is so justly renowned. On May 11th, 164(5, they opened their first boarding and day schools which were largely attended. The Mayor of Roermond, in a letter dated July 3 'th, 1802, to the Prefect of the Lower Meuse department, thus expresses himself as regards the education of girls: "Long before the year 1794 the girls here were mostly educated by the Ursulines by reason of their admission into the Municipality on May 1 lth, 164<>, on the conditions stated in the archives of the Province of Guelder, which are : — That the Baid reliirious shall maintain schools for young girls of this town and suburbs, also, that domestic servants shall bo taught and instructed on Sundays in the principles of religion.'" And again, in a letter to the Minibter of Foreign Affairs in Paris : " With the Ursulines the pupils are thoroughly instructed in the sciences ; as also in Dutch. German, French and Latin, needlework and music, and are carefully and religiously educated." Attached to the convent was a day school for poor children, and for the better class, who were also well instructed in the language of the country. There were about thirty boarders and sixty day scholars. Now, after 250 years, the school is still in a most nourishing condition. The buildings are large and spacious, surrounded by beautiful gardens. The young ladies of this establishment at present include natives from all parts of the world— the East Indies, America, England, Belgium, and Germany, who come to study the different languages which are taught by proficient certific ited mistresses, the teaching, according to the inspectors' report, being excellent, not only rivalling, but even surpassing, the demands of the Educational Code. The course of studies comprises all the branches of science and modern languages, besides music, drawing, painting and needlework. The language of the house is French, but German is daily spoken at stated hours. Many are the young ladies who have been educated in that institute ; numberless the gifted intellects that have imbibed at that fountain of knowledge the science which they, in their turn, have in all parts of the world

communicated to others. Countless the Christian mothers, who, in that school, where religion holds the first place, have gained the light and strength to bring up their children in piety and virtue. All honour to the Ursulines, who with heartfelt satisfaction can look back on past years, thanks to the members of the Order who have so disinterestedly devoted their lives and energy, with a firm and undaunted will, to make of youth, with God's help, Christian, learned and useful members of society. May that holy institute long flourish in our city and the good religious plentifully reap the fruits of their zeal. Conversion of a Jewish Senator.— Her Heinrich von Levay, the only Jewish member of the House of Magnates at BudaPesth, the beautiful twin city on the Danube and capital of the Hungarian kingdom, has abjured the tenets of Judaism and been baptised in the Catholic Church. ITALY.— The Congress at Fiesole and Catholic Organisation. — The Catholic Congress just terminated at Fiesole was of exceptional importance. As is known, the Catholics of Italy are prohibited by the Holy See from taking part in Parliamentary elections. This is one of the most natural and efficient ways by which the Pope can protest in a practical manner against the unjust and abnormal position in which he is placed by the presence of the Italian Government in Rome. For the Catholics to join in the administration of the country as a whole would be to implicitly admit the legitimacy of the actual state of affairs, and would have the inevitable result of their being made to bear much of the blame of the disaster* into which the country is constantly being thrown. Therefore very naturally does the Holy Father maintain the famous non exjtidit. But it does not follow that Leo. XIII. wishes to condemn Catholics to apathy and unconcern for the welfare of their country. On the contrary, he wishes them thoroughly wide-awake, prompt and ready for all emergencies. They form the most serious and respectable portion of the community. They alone as a body have not fallen into disgrace or discredit. They are a force, and the Sovereign Pontiff knows it and wishes them to be aware of it themselves. It is therefore with satisfaction he views all movements which tend to the organisation of the Catholic body, to the sitting of the good grain from the chaff, aud to the counting of the forces. This was one of the main objects of the important Congress just held at Fiesole. One of the members was able to make the following communication from the mouth of His Eminence, Cardinal Rampolla : The Pope wishes at the present hour the organisation of the Catholics such as it was determined upon by the Congress Committee : and anyone who opposes this organisation is not a good Catholic or a good Italian. The Congress of Fiesole carried on its meetings with the utmost success. But the civil authorities, knowing its purpose and partly intimidated thereby, had the sacred edifice where the sittings were held filled with their emissaries, and these good agents, overflowing with zeal, determined to distinguish themselves. On several occasions they interrupted when the different speakers dwelt in their discourses on the action of the Government, and when finally at the close of a sitting three cheers were demanded for the Pope, Sovereign and Pontiff, a police inspector mn.de strenuous and extravagant resistance. He was entirely in the wronir for the meeting being a private one he had no right, first of all to be there, and besides on the question of the Pope's sovereignty no umbrage outrht to be taken by anyone. The Pope is recognised as a sovereign by all the people of the civilised world, 111114 of whom h.ive ambd-sidors or ministers accredited to him, and be i- admitted a- such by the Italian Government itself. However, it was obviously the purpose of the authorities to interfere with the work ot the ( Vnigres-.. and, knowing this, its president acted with extreme prudence and in a conciliatory spirit. The entire programme was gone through in the most satisfactory manner, and it is not too much to say that in the gathering of the C itholic forces with a view to action in the interest of the country the Congress of Fiesole will have proved a landmark. MADAGASCAR.— Destruction of Missionary Stations. — Father Cainbone. head of the ini-sion.s in Madauascar. cite- the authority of Mgr. Cazet. the Yicar-Apo-tohe. in support ot the appalling statement that Mo Catholic mi—ionary stations ha\e been destroyed up to the pre-enr. Th< church at Jlojani>a has also been burned down. There is a solidarity between member- of our widespread Church everywhere, and prayer- are offered up in the glens of Ireland as in the cities of Italy on behalf ot these sufferers for the Faith in di-tant Eastern seas. ROME.— Attempted Robbery in the Vatican.— A robbery was attempted recently in the Belvidere portion of the Vatican Museums. Two eleganrlv dre—od young men cleverly got through the hands of the usually exacting custodians, and proceeded to a remote quarter where the booty ■wan rich and temporarily unguarded. Laden with precious objects- they were endeavouring to effect an escape, when a custodian came upon them and dragged them to the sentry guardroom. Their undertaking -was hazardous, and it makes one shudder with apprehension at the b.ire pos-ibility ot object- being carried away from this exceedingly precious store. Little, however, is to be feared, and the lynx-eyed watchers of heretofore are resolved to become doubly vigilant. A Russian Catholic Bishop in the Eternal City.— A notable ecclesiastical dignitary at pre-ent in Rome is Mgr. Francis Symon, Titular-Bishop of Zenopoli* and Suffragan of Mohiluw , in Rus-ia. It is not ea.sy for Russian bishops to approach the Holy See. owing to the exacting pretensions ot the Russian Government, and it was consequently with joy that the Holy Father received Mgr. Symon, who had come from a land the union of which to the See of Rome is one of the Pope"s .supreme desires. Since then Mgr. Symon has been to the Eucharistic Congre-s at Orvieto. and his entrance there during one of the sittings was made the occasion for an outburst of enthusiasm. He will remain in Italy for some time before returning to St. Petersburg.

The Sacred Congregation of Rite3.— The Congregation of Rites has given a new decision with regard to the public recital of the Litanies. It is well known that preceding decrees admit as liturgical three Litanies only— namely, those of the sacred names of Jesus, of Loretto and of the Saints. Mgr. Fiard, Mshop of Montauban, proposed a question as to whether it was intended by the Sacred Congregation to forbid in general the recital of all other Litanies by a body of persons assembled together in a church or public oratory. The answer is that such is the case. SPAIN.— The Barcelona Anarchist Bomb Outrage.— The result of the inquiry as to the throwing of a bomb into a religious procession in the street of Nuevos Campos at a Corpus Christi festival on June S last, resulting in the death of fifteen persons and injuries to fifty other-*, was published in Barcelona recently. All the principals and accomplices are now in prison and have confessed. The actual perpetrator of the outrage was a native of Marseilles named Thomas Ascheri-Jcsatti (or Thomas Esquerri), a man speaking several languages, aged 27. The crime was first decided upon at a meeting of more than sixty anarchists. Ascheri made a collection for the purchase of explosives and obtained 750 pesetas, but Juan Alsina, who manufactured the bombs, only received forty pesetas, the rest being divided among the confederates. Juan Alsina, Jose Molas and Antonio Nogues were selected to throw the bombs into the midst of a religious procession on Thursday, June 4, and actually took up a position for the purpose, but no bombs were thrown, the courage of the three men having failed them at the last moment. Ascheri violently upbraided them, calling them cowards, and declaring he himself would throw a bomb. Ascheri went off alone and took up a position in the Calle Cambiose. having previously wrapped up his bomb in a newspaper to make it resemble a bottle. During the passage of the sacred Host the spectators, as usual, all knelt down, and Ascheri lighted the fuse of his bomb with his cigar and threw it into the air. so that it cleared the heads of those in front of him and fell into the midst of the procession. He immediately tied to the Plaza Palacio, where he heard the explosion, and then went on to his lodgings, where he quietly had supper. The object of the whole conspiracy was to avenge the execution of Salvador Franchi, the anarchist who threw a bomb in the Liceo Theatre here in November, 1893, when twenty persons were killed and many wounded. TURKEY IN ASIA.— An Illustrious Convert. — The first remarkable fruit of the Pope's recent letter on Reunion, strange to say, comes from the East, and not from Anglicanism. The Syrian Archbishop ot Diarbekir. Mgr. Gregorios Abdullah, is an illustrious '• 'vert" who bars his candidature for a patriarchate by submission to Rome. The prelate was formally received by Father Barnier, a Jesuit missionary in Syria. In his case there will, of course, be no dispute about his Orders, sacerdotal or episcopal. Leo XIII. has expressed a wish to see the mitred neophyte.