Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 10, 20 August 1897, Page 1

Current Topics

AT HOME AXD ABROAD

As was to be expected the general Jubilee procession in London proved to be a magnificent and altogether unique pageant, and from Home papers now to hand it would appear that the ecclesiastical celebrations in honour of the occasion were equally elaborate and imposing. The various Protestant denominations had their own special form of thanksgiving service, but the Catholic service at the Brompton Oratory appears to have eclipsed them all in the splendour of its ceremonial and in it g elaborate and impressive display. The splendid edifice attached to the Oratorian Monastery was thronged with a vast and brilliant assemblage, which included a large number of Princes and Ambassadors, and a representative attendance of English and foreign Catholic nobility. Solemn Pontifical High Mass was celebrated by the Papal Envoy in England, M»r. Sambucetti after which Cardinal Vaughan's Pastoral on the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen was read. A full and enthusiastic account of the proceedings, from the pen of Mr. Clement Scott, appears in another column. It is gratifying to note that all along the route of the great procession on Tuesday the Papal Envoy was received with marked cordiality by the crowds that lined the streets, and both the Pall Mall Gazette and the Daily Tcleqrapli mention the reception given to the representative of the Pope as among the features of the dny. It must be admitted in connection with these celebrations that English Catholics have good reason for gratitude and thanksgiving. They have shared in the prosperity, progress and widened freedom that have marked the reign in England, and they have seen, besides, a ivery striking and happy change in the position of the Catholic Church. When the Queen amended the throne prejudice was very strong and the spirit of persecution still Hung in dcivk shadow across the land. Since then the whole stati;- 01 the < hui\ li hj-. been raised, and a marvellous advance; has hi on made both in her numbeis and her organisation. The two ew:it- which arc mainly responsible for this revolution in the position of English Catholicism are the Irish immigration and the 0.vf0.-d Movement and their influence will cont.nueito be felt for many a year. In ] >.J7 there vv as no hierarchy in Ensrland , now there aie sixteen bishi.ps. Then there were in all U-reat Britain only "»i,7 jnu-t^ . now th* ir number lias increased to 311."). At her Majesty s acci- ion there was not a single convent of nuns belonging to an active Older 111 thecountiy . there were altogether, in fact, only twentj-thiee religious houses. To-day thcte are 777. At the beginning ol the reign tin re wen- Us, than ten thousand childieu attending Catholic schools ; now there ;ue nearly a quarter of a million. Of the corie«-ponding change in public opinion which has taken place daring the p Ist HX.T3' years no better evidence could be afforded than the iact that during Jubilee week the Envoy Eva\ioidinary <-l the Holy See was, in the words of Mr. Clement Scott. •• the accepted and honouivd guest of the Protestant Queen of England."

THE AMERICAN ANNKA VI'IOX OF HAWAII.

Tin: AluLrica.ll Executive has decided to annex Hawaii, the unrap oil islands in the Pacific formeily known as the Sandwich IhlantK which lie two thousand, miles off the United States coast. The measure murks an entirely new deparuture iv the foreign policy of the United States, the old traditional policy having been to make the Republic a kind of self-contained woild, having as larjre commercial associations with fo>eurn nations as was possible, but at the same time as few direct political relations. The inner history of the annexation project shows that the step has been brought about largely by thcinfluenceof a^rreat money power, though American action was doubtless precipitated by supposed Japanese designs on the Islands. The pre pobal is said to have been brought about in this way. The most influential of the great Trusts which play bo important a part in the commercial world of America, is the

ENGLISH CATHOLICS AND THE JUBILEE.

ENGLISH CATHOLICS AND THE JUBILEE.

Sugar Trust, which has lar-e interests in the sugar-producing 1 industry of Hawaii, several millions of dollars passing every year between the Trust in New York and the growers in Hawaii. The high tariff men in America need the support in Congress of the Sugar Trust, and the Sugnr Trust fears that the American sugar growers who rule Hawaii under the form of a Republic are likely to prove dangerous competitors. The members of the Trust, therefore, put pressure on the high tariff men, the high tariff men put pressure on the high tariff President, and Mr. McKinley has accordingly oddi^sed a message to the Senate announcing that he has made a Treaty with " the Government of Hawaii," i.e. the American sugar growers referred to, annexing the islands to the United States. It is a grave step to take, for once the precedent is established, it is hardly likely the annexation policy will stop at Hawaii. If Hawaii which is two thousand miles away h to be annexed why not Cuba and the West Indies which lie close at hand. And if all of these are annexed it will involve, amongst other important consequences an enormous increase in the military expenditure of the United States. The terms of the annexation of Hawaii are as follow* : " Hawaii surrenders ail territory, including seaports and Crown lands, to the United States Government, and becomes part of the States under the name of the Territory of Hawaii. The States Government not only extends to Hawaii the protection demanded, but assumes the debt of Hawaii up to a total of 4.01.10,000 dollars. All the citizens of the present Republic of Hawaii become citizens of the United States except those Asiatics who are already excluded from the privilege of State citizenship ; and the Chinese now in Hawaii are forbidden to migrate thence to the Stated proper, except as may be permitted under American statutes. The present Go\ eminent and laws of Hawaii are to continue in force there, except so far as they directly conflict with the laws of the United State-", until Congress shall have had time to form new laws for the government of the annexed territory." The supporters of the proposal declare themselves confident of a two. thirds majority in the Senate and there is every likelihood that the annexation will be speedily accomplished.

jor'tx vuvric L\ri:i(!.\ii..\'ih.

Puxiul but frequent experience seems to showthat one oi the very surest ways of losing- money i-i to lay it out in starting- a newspaper. The histoiy of the Catholic (JuztUc, which was published in London, furnishes the Litest case in point. A few months ago the Duke of Norfolk, seeing that there usu only one Conservative Catholic weekly m London — the 'la hht — started the Catholia <,<t.ttt< as a penny Coiwn.itive Catholic weekly to compete with the (alholiv 'J nn, s the Caf/whr 11, raid, the ( /un isc , and. other Liberal Catholic weeklies. After an uxislcrue of a few months tlie (,'i'z, tU . which was a well edited and readable paper, has ceased publication, and the Duke is said to ha\e lost £ jOUU over the venture. It is understood that precisely the same amount was lost o\u- the starting of the />//■, sv,a Catholic paper which was started in Sulney a number of years ago apparently on much the same tf rounds as tho-e which led to the starting of the Catkuhr Uazette. The Duke of Norfolk's objection to the popular Catholic T<nu\i was that '• it was too Irish and supported Home Rule." The late Archbishop Yauyhan , it n r pears, at the ht.ir tin »• of the ILvpn »*, incautiously made the same remark in stating his objection to the I'm man. A contributor to the Fee, wan ynes the following account of the incident — " This U how it came out. I had the btory from the late Ri^ht Hon. W. \\. Dallcy'.s own lips at the time. Dalh-y %\as dining 1 with the Archbishop at bt. John s College, and his Grace frankly j^ave his reason for supporting the opposition paper. Not boiiitf under any bend of secrecy, and indignant at the attempt to undermine the journal that for forty years had done all the fiphtiny for Catholics and Iri-hmen in New South Wales, Dalley lost no time in communicating what Dr. Vaughan had Baid to the Freeman office. Oddly enough, the Very Rev. Dr. Gillet (the Archbishop's private secretary) called at the Fniman office a day or two after with a message from Dr. Vaughan. ' Ihs Grace,' said Dr. Gillet, ' asked me to call in a friendly way to assure you that he has

the kindliest feeling towards the Freeman, and that he will not allow anyone over whom he has control to injure you in any way.' Dr. Gillet added that ' his Grace had nothing to do with the Krprexs beyond holding a few shares.' " The li.rjire.is never thrived, and before long it died a natural death. Messrs. Archibald and Haynes were its first editors — two out-and-out unbelievers, who regarded their connection with a religious paper as a huge joke. A fortnight after the launching of the Krj>rv<* this amiable pair started the Jiulltttn, the fu>t number of which was actually written and set up in the office of the Catholic JLvprcst. Haynes and Archibald were, of course, promptly dismissed, and the Jiullrtin, of which Archibald is still editor, was printed and published elsewhere. D.8., in the Fnrman, gives a list of failures in Catholic journalistic experiments, which feupplies mournful proof of the ease and certainty with which money may be lo.st in such ventures. "In a dim little corner," he says, "of the graveyard of genius may also be seen tablets erected to the memory of the Catholic 77/Mr.s, the Record, the Nation, the Soutluni Cross, and the Jii.sh- \ii\tralian. The Freeman, which has been the melancholy witness to all these funerals within the brief space of seventeen y^ar*, will, in four years' time, celebrate its golden jubilee.''

CATHOLIC PILGRIMAGES 1 CEYLOX.

Briet reference was made in our column 1 - some time ago to the great dissatisfaction felt by the : Catholics of Ceylon, and especially by the native Catholic*, with regard to the threatened ordinance against pil^rimap-es in the island. The proposed ordinance conferred practically unlimited powers on the government in the way of prohibiting pilgrimages, audit was urged in its defence that such a measure was necessary on sanitary grounds. The CatholicH of the island were quite prepared to accept any restrictive measures that were really necessary in the interests of the public health, but they contended that the powers invest* d in the government were altogether too sweeping and arbitrary. They accordingly made strong representations first, to the Governor, Sir West Ridgeway, and finally, by way of memorial to Mr. Chamberlain, as Colonial Secretary. The Archbishop of Colombo has now received, through the Governor, the reply of the Secretary of State to the memorial of the Bishops concerning the pilgrimages ordinance. The Governor writes as follows: — " lam desired to inform you that the memorial has been considered, and that 11 r. Chamberlain is satisfied that in the public interest and for the protection of the public health it is desirable that the Government should be invested with the powers conferred by the Ordinance to be used only in case of neces-ity. and th.it there is no reason to fear that those pro\isions will ever bu u-cd in such a manner as to interfere unnecessarily with the exercise of the religious practices of the Roman Catholics, but that, with the object of allaying the apprehension-, which the enactment of the Ordinance appears to have can ed and of making iU scope and objects nnd limitations more apparent, ho has suggest* d the introduction of amendment-, showing unmistakably that it i-, enacted for sanitary purposes, and will only be en Forced on occasions in which restrictive regulations arc found to be nocos iry." Thi> u'ply has naturally been received with extreme satisfaction bj the Ctyloncso Catholics and they are highly gratified at the result of their appeal to the Home Go\ermunt. The Ceylon Citlmhr M, w ii'/i r thus voices Catholic feeling on the matter — • Thi-, wu consider a nop\ eoneiderate and favourable answer. The Onlmanu. is to be so drat i rd aa to show unmistakably that it 1- an i \eeptional m a-utv, to Inmade use of in exceptional ea-e^ only and \s hen no oiliei m .ins oi securing sanitation exist. The bishops, no more than Hi > clemy and laity, never objected to s.unLiry measures being lakm to preVent the spread of disease. What they object id to was the sweeping character of the measure introduced by thu (iimramnt and the threatened infringement on the religious liberty oi Oat hobo. The Ordinance, such as it has been pas-ed by the Lcgi-daiuio, was a most dangerous weapon to place m the hands oi a colonial Gournment. Mr. Chambeilain has understood tin"-, pcrfioily well, and the amendments he sugge-ts, if carried out in their iiitignty will take away the sting from the much hated Ordinance. Had any regard for the opinions and the feelings of Catholic^ bo-n entertained by the local authorities, this roult could bave been obtained much sooner and without recourse ha\ ing been had to asupu-iiK authoiity. But although our much i-steemod (unu'n ir is ab >\( all suspicion ol being led by an animu-. against tho C.vtholic-. under lu^ rule. \\icannot say as much of some of his a 1 vigors. ' It i, gr.itilxing to note that the Catholics have ru-cm-d tin* liie.isurc of jn^tin- tluy desired, audit is cijually «r.itihnig to iiud ih.it tin- Gcvimor lexonerated from all blame for llk- obno\i iv-- oidm met-, l'liough mistaken in his policy he appear^ to ha\e acted tlnuughoat m perfect sincerity and good faith.

THE KLOKDYKH GOLDFIELD.

So many warnings h.iu' appeared m the d.uly papers with reference to Lho Klomlyke iu^)i tli.it it in perhaps h.mlly neco^siry lor us losuy nmeh about it, Foi the bciulit oi up-country rc;uler.~. however, who may not have seen the accountb of the dangers and

difficulties to be with met at Klondyke we make the following extracts from a San Francisco paper just to hand : — " The niinera are willing to answer all inquiries as to the cost of Retting to the fields and of subsisting after reaching there, but will advise no one directly to go into the country. While there is undoubtedly plenty of gold— and there may be just as rich strikes made in other places as have been made in the Klondyke diggings— there are any number of miners already in the country who have made no mon.y. ' The winters,' says one experienced man who has made his stake there, ' are very cold, the mercury going down as low as 7.">deg. below zero. The coldest weather last winter was in January and February. Miners have to use the greatest care not to work themselves into a perspiration, as the moisture would freeze and result in frostbite. . . The scarcity of food is the worst feature of the life at the mines. Supplies are received but once a year, and there is very little in the country in the way of food. Caribou and moose are killed sometimes, and give a little fresh meat to relieve the monotony of bacon. Canned fruit is the principal diet. The reluctance of the miners to encourage emigration to the Klondyke is not from the fact that they want the gold for themselves and fear to have the country overrun with people, bui comes from the fear that the sudden influx of population without an adequate supply of food will cause a famine, and a great deal of suffering will ensue. 1 ' The fear as to famine has unhappily been already more than once realised, with fatal consequences, in one instance, to as many as two hundred men. When it is remembered, in addition to all this, that the country is all gloomy forest land, and that in case of accident or illness there are no institutions in which the necessary skill and attention can be obtained, our readers will have some idea of the dangers and hardships to be endured before the much-coveted treasure can be secured.

TUG I'HUITS Or C'OXTROVEHSY.

We have always hold that the Catholic Church has nothing- to lose and everything to gain by full and free religious discussion, and that wellconducted controversy is calculated to play a most important part in the propagation of the faith. Confirmation of this view is furnished by the fact, which is announced by the Melbourne correspondent of the Otar/o Daily Time*, that the recent conversion of Canon Grigson to the Catholic Church was the outcome of the controversy which has been carried on by the Archbishop of Melbourne with such ability and success. The correspondent writes .— •• There is much joy in Roman Catholic circles over the capture of an Anglican canon. He is Canon Grigson, of Townsvillc, who has come to Melbourne, and after a few days with Arch-l>i-vhop Carr and a week • in retreat' at a monastery at Ballarat, has been formally admitted into the Roman Catholic Church. One convert, more or less, doe* not perhaps make so much matter ; but the Catholics are particularly gleeful over Canon Grigson, because he is m a measure a tribute to the argumentative superiority of theArch-bi-hop oi Melbourne. Tito Canon confesses that he 'verted principally on the question of • continuity.' ' I cannot but feel,' he said, •that at the Reformation an absolutely nev church was established, and 1 could not but doubt the validity of the orders of that church. -My thoughts, had been turned previously, but because of my feelings I iollowed the Melbourne controversy on the subject with very great interest.' " We are sincerely pleased, though hardly surprised at this iumouncunent. As the correspondent says one convert, more or It's-, does not make \ery much nutter, and though special attention has been directed towards Canon Gri-son, because of his position, we know of ninnj others in humbler spheres who have been led tow aids the Church by the Archbishop's able lectures. Indeed, hia Grace's writings are so scholarly and yet *o clear, so forcible and yet so moderate, that we do not see how they e;ni fail to carry conviction to any candid or unbiassed mind. Lung may he be spared to carry on the good \\oik -

OJ)t)S \ND

It is disheartening- to think how long- it takes the truth to overtake a lie, when the lie is written in books of history and taught in the schools ; but the shock i-, all the greater when the truth does catch up. The most eminent of English, historians, Mr. James (Jairdner, has just concluded a deeply instructive series of articles m the /Jiu/lis/i //^tonml It, a, //>, entitled "New Lights on the Divorce of Henry VIII. ' Xotrs and tym-rn*, a non-Catholic publication which circulates largely among scholars, thus refers to Mr. (iairdner"s work : "With the new information now obtained, all existing text-books upon the subject are rendered useless to the student. One thiny stands out dearly enough — Henry was a worse man than even his enemies have hitherto deemed him ; for there was always a feeling that lie mi^ht have, to some extent, persuaded himself that his first marriajre was not good. That theory cannot now be held. It is also shown that he was not only willing, but even anxiou«, to do anything whatever (to please the Pope, would ho only (icvLut; Iho marriage not good. Had tJus been done, the Reformation would probably never have taken place." Thus the traditional Catholic view of the infamous Henry is vindicated

finally and forever. And it ought to occur even to the truest bluest anti-Catholic that a Church with a head who did not hesitate to preserve Christian morality at the price of the apostasy of a great nation stood in no need of violent "reform.'

The Roman correspondent of the f'nita Cat Mica gives some interesting particulars of the course of the negotiations between Russia and the Holy See which have just resulted in the nomination of seven bishops to seven long vacant seen. The credit of this concassion belongs primarily, according to the writer, to M. Isvolski, the Russian representative at the Vatican, who had the courage and candour to recommend it even during the reign of the unflinchingly orthodox Alexander 111. The Note in this sense addressed by him to the Tsar was in direct antagonism to the current of opinion then prevailing, and the Envoy declared to a friend, " I am staking my position," at the time he despatched it. It was, however, well received, and Alexander had sufficient openness of mind to recognise the honesty of the young diplomatist. The accession of his" son, with his larger views and sympathies, facilitated the progress of the business then begun, and M. Isvolski, whose nomination to Btlgrade raached him while it was still pending, obtained permission to remain in Rome until it was completed. Nor will his departure from Rome, despite the personal regret felt for him, lead to any change of policy. Not only is his successor, M. Tcharikoff, already favourably known by reputation, but his path is traced out for him by his predecessor, who has left in the archives of the Russian Legation what he calls his " Roman testament," the complete report of ■what he has done and programme of what he intended. Very reassuring to Russian Catholics, too, as evidence of the tolerant spirit of the reigning Tsar, are said to be the appointments to governorships and official positions in the Catholic provinces of the Empire. In Poland the new rrgimr gives promise of equitable treatment of the inhabitants, and the old spirit of persecution seems exorcised by wiser and more humane counsels. The correspondent declares that the preparations for the forthcoming visit of the Tsar to Warsaw are for the first time unanimous and spontaneous, and that he will be able to recognise himself the sincerity of Jiis welcome.

Br. Goe, the Anglican Bishop of Melbourne, delivered a lecture on the Apostolic Succession before the Church Society in the Chapter House, St. Paul's Cathedral, recently. We much regretsays the Advocate of August 7, that we cannot make room for°the deliverance, as we should dearly like to publish it without curtailment. There are. however, one or two passages which we should not keep from our readers. As reported in the Age his Lordship said — " But I do not find any one of tho ancient fathers that makes local, personal, visible and continued succession a necessary sign or mark of the true Church in any one place." The apo-tolio succession was sometimes compared to a chain. The disadvantage of this comparison was its suggesting the idea that it one lmk h" mining the chain was worthier. He saw no reason for thinking that a missing link here and there rendered ordination invalid. The following letter in reply by the Archbishop of Melbourne appeared in both of the morning papers on Wednesday —Sir,— ln reading the report of a recent lecture on "The Apostolic Suece-Mun " many of your readers must have been reminded ot the parlous position of the man who had to pass, late at night, on a narrow plank, over a rapid river, alter partaking freely of a cmc banquet. Not feeling quite satisfied about his &p.rituul condition, he determined to call to his aid the powers of good and evil. Hence, as he tried to balance himself, he kept repeating— •• Co 1 is good, but hisbable majesty is not bad." His vacillation in a double sense did not, however save him. He fell into thu flood, and was carried away by the angry waters. The lecturer has unconsciously imitated this disingenuous and dangerous example. During his lecture he kept repeating in substance or suggesting such phrases as—" Episcopacy is good, but Presbyterianusrn is not bad ; •• An unbroken chain is good, but a broken chain, with a nii-sing link here and there, is not bad;" " Lingard admitting the consecration of Barlow is good, but Lingard denying the validity oi Anglican orders (as he did) and the Apostolic succession to the Anglican! Church is not bad " ; •• The preface to the ordinal in the Book of Common Prayer, clearly laying down the necessity of episcopal consecration or ordination for those who would minister in her communion is good, but her marked .silence with leuard toother bodies less perfectly organised is not bad." '■ The divine organisation of the Church by Him who said, ' Lo I am with you'alway. even to the end of the world,' would bo oood. but the presidential rather than the supernatural process of organisation was not bad. In conclusion, I have only to express my sincere regret that, as the lecturer has hitherto maintained a judicious silence on this "thorny subject," ho did not adopt the classic poet's ad\iee and subject his views to nine or ten years' reflection rather than ex-pre^s then> in the vague and vacillating manner which characterised his recent address.— l am, etc., f Tjio\l \s J. Caiik Archbishop ol Melbourne, St. Patrick's Cathedral, :>rd August.

An English publisher has issued special editions of the Bible and of the Book of Common Prayer in honour of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The books are elegant and luxurious in the highest degree, but there are two remarkable features about them : "The prayer book has a portrait of the Queen, about 1837, from a portrait by Aglaio, showiDg her in her crown and robes of state ; and a eecond from a recent photograph, also depicting her in her royal attire. Sufficiently striking is, of course, the contrast between the two. Besides these portraits are six pictures not hitherto used as prayer book illustrations, one of them being of Christ bearing the Cross, from the altar-piece in Magdalen College, Oxford ; and a second of Christ in the garden, from the altar-piece of All Souls'. The portraits in the Bible are similarly contrasted ; one showing the Queen attending, about 1837, Divine service in St. George's Chapel; the second being a portrait of to-day, presenting her Majesty seated on a chair and holding her walking-stick." The idea of a Bible embellished with portraits of any unbiblical personage is shocking to Christian instincts. There have been great saints and popes since the beginning of the Church, but none so great or so good as to be thought worthy of a place in the Holy Bible or even in a book of ritual. Victoria is no doubt a venerable woman, a worthy Christian Queen, and the head of the Established Church ; but the action of these publishers— which has not yet called forth a single protest that we know of— is a sign that Protestant respect for the Scriptures is on the wane. The Bible was once a fetich ; it is now becoming a football.

A number of the Anglican Bishops from the United Statea have come to this country (says the London Tablet) to assist at the Lambeth Conference. Their oratory is excusably characteristic and their utterances sometimes require to be taken together in a way which allows the words of one to throw light upon the statements of another. Thus the Anglican Bishop of Albany, preaching on Sunday last, gravely assured his hearers that "in a bxolntc onenas of religion. . the United States and England are inseparably one. . . ."' Naturally those who listened to this statement must have been somewhat perplexed. By religion the Bishop could not mean Anglicanism. To begin with it is not the religion of the United States. It is in reality one of the smallest denominations in that country, and does not equal even one-sixth of the Catholic population. And even then, Anglicanism is not '• absolutely one " here, nor is it in the United States, and consequently Anglicanism in the one country cannot be •' absolutely one " with Anglicanism in the other. But, at this point, another Anglican prelate, the Bishop of Missouri, opportunely presents himself to provide the solution, and to inform us what precisely is meant by the religion "of the United States." Speaking at the Church House, he said :

-Eight leading denominations provide the most of the religious teaching of our people. I name them in the order of the number of their respective communicants The Roman Catholics, the Methodists, the Baptists, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, the Disciples of Christ, our own Church, and the Congregationalism. Of the :i, 7(i(i.U(iO Baptists, I.iXio.wo are negroes ; and of the 4,<;no.no<> Methodists. 1,000 000 are negroes. It it, observed that we are next to the foot of the liVt." He continues • '• In the United State-, there are 1 1.5 distinct religious denominations. There are 17 kinds of Methodists (laughter) and 1/i kinds of Lutherans, 13 kinds of Baptists and 12 kinds of Presbyterians (laughter). Alas, for tho schism te\cr and the sect habit when they run riot ! In my diocese, as a friend lately recounted to me. the 10 is a congregation of every one of these 1 l.i denominations. One tenet is the washing of tho disciples' feet. A subjectnc rational i.-,t amonu the members submitted that the Scriptural practice would be adequately followed if one foot only were wa«hed (laughter). The orthodox traditionists insisted that the two must be washed (laughter). The objector and his admirers withdrew. The se\ered congregations became known to the profane as the ' one-foot Church ' and the -two-foot Church"" (laughter). So this is the " absolute onewas oi religion" in which ••England and the United States are inseparably one." After all. it was worth while to cross the Atlantic to carry such a wondrous conception of religious unity and •• absolute oneness ' to the counsels of the Lambeth Conference.