The Catholic World.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVI, Issue 8, 24 June 1898, Page 9

The Catholic World.

BAVARlA.— Honouring the Pope.— Protestants of the extreme type usually have very strong objections to allowing Catholics to do fitting honour to the Pope at festive or social gatherings and in these colonies they have more than once attempted to make trouble when Cathohcs have followed their usual practice in the matter It is pleasant to note that more intelligent Protestants can ' rise superior to such petty narrowness. At a banquet recently given by the newly-appointed Archbishop of Munich, Mgr. von Stein the Prime Minister of Bavaria (Baron von Crailsheim), who is a Protestant hin.^lf proposed the health of the Pope. Referring to his own visit to the Vatican two years ago, he spoke of the powerful impression make upon him by the personality of Leo XIII extolled the Pontiff's love of peace, which had been consistently evinced during the twenty years of his pontificate, and specially mentioned with eulogy the Holy Father's efforts to avert the unfortunate conflict between Spain and the United States.

FRANCE.— Verdi's Latest Works.— Our music-loving readers will be interested to learn that three of Verdi's latest works allot a highly religious and devotional character, were produced for the first time in the Opera of Paris. These compositions are a btabat Mater, a canticle in honour of our Lady— consists ot the W * el r4"knoWnr 4 " knoWn lin6S which form the opening stanzas of the last canto of Dante's ' Paradiso '— and a 'Te Deuin.' All three. whi« h were splendidly rendered by some of the fir.st artistes, made a profound impression. The ' Stabat Mater 1 departs from the customary classical forms ; the verses follow one another without interruption, until the beautiful liturgical chant commences, re-echoed by the female voices. The colouring is said to be biilhant. and th^ chorus has some magnificent and even dramatic pas-ages. The ' Paradisi Gloria' begins with a pianissimo, rising by a grand crescendo to an imposing finale and amen. The sweet melody from Dante is written for four female voice*, and reoeivt d quite an ovation. The 'Te Deum ' is spoken of as a really glorious composition, one of the finest pages of music ever written by the »reat master. Verdi is now eighty-four years of age.

ROME.— St. Christopher Columbus.- With this name according to the Jtoinun Krhor.s, the great discoverer of America will ere long be invoked by millions of Catholics both in the Old U orld ard the New. It appears that the Sacred Congregation of Rites was on the point of abandjning the cause tor beaotirkationol Christopher Columbus, as his marriage certificate could not be found, and it was suspected that the union, of which his son Die-'o was born, was not legitimate. This important document having now been discovered in the archives: of Seville, the cause will be continued, and i*. is- hoped, will be brought to a successful termination. This delay, however, has once more proved the earnestness and scrupulous impartiality of the prelates appointed to investigate into similar cases.

UNITED STATES -The Missions to Non-Catholics.-VVe gave last week the names of a number of recent converts to the Church in America, many of whom owe their conversion under God to the labours of the devoted Paulist Fathers. A report has just been issued regarding the ■ Missions to non-Catholics.' which shows what remarkable progress the movement has made during the past two years. The Society is one legally incorporated body, under the chief direction of Archbishops Corngan and Ryan, the object being to -support missionaries who are engaged in giving missions m sections of the countiy where the people are almost entirely nonCatholic' These missions are now bi inir vigorously earned on throughout Arizona Texas, Kansas, Kentucky, the two Carolina*, the two Virginia-, Maryland, and Delaware . and alsu in pans of Oregon, California. Illinois, Mich gati, Ohio, and New York. Five missionary priests are entirely supported by the Union t\nd devote themselves exclusively to the work. The results achieved are certainly most rernarkabli . A' -cor iinu r t<> the report. Father M- a.nara received 22 com crts du;ing the f.-w months lie has been at work. Forty were received in the year at the Holy Rosary Uhun.h. New York ; and 12 at that of St. Joseph , at the Paulist Church i»i names were given in to the • Inquiring CLiss ' at the close of' a mission in the year the Paultsts b..ptis. d a total ot 7 ft, m Uioir church. Over aid above convci sion*. great jjood ir ust necessarily be done by the removal of prejudice an j misconception from the minds of the many hundreds of nnn-Catholic« who crowd the-e missions. The literature ot the EnsdMi Catholic Truth Society, which we have so often commended in these columns-, is kept on sale and extensively used by the organisation.

The Chaplain Of the Maine.— The Key. John Patrick Chidwick, chaplain of the ill-fated battleship Maine, whose coolness and courage during the disaster were described in our columns- a few weeks ago, has since his arrival iv New York been a guest at the rectory of St. Stephen's parish, where he was warmly welcomed by priests and people and where he served as assistant to Father Colton in the days before President Cleveland appointed him to the Navy In an order issued by Secretary Long. Chaplain Chid wick h,i» been commissioned with the relative rank of lieutenant in the Unite*! States Navy. In speaking of the commission Father Chic wick said that it was only in the regular line of promotion. The Secretary has also gratified Father Chidwicks desire for active duty by placing him to do duty on the cruiser Cincinnati The war correspondent's of Havana and Key West have sent Father Chidwick a complete set of vestments. A letter acuonip mying the present, si»ne<l by all the war correspondents, stat. d . • We. ihe. w;ir correspondent-, hereby join in offering you a token of our best wishes in the fortn of vestments as an Easter present, to replace those \vhiL.h you lust ou the Maine.'

PRUSSIA- — Mixed Marriages in Prussia. — Some statistics regarding mixed marmges in Prussia, based upon the last

census, have lately been published, and we hope our young- men and young women readers will note, howeloquently they speak as to the disastrous consequences of such unions. On Decem ber 2 last. there S2SL" 1 ZTt 27 \ 4M r Case9 of mixed carriages betvveen Cathohcs and Protestants. In 160,363 cases the husband was a Catholic men than women contract such unions, thongh surely for men there 18 less excuse than for women. The following figures show the consequences :-Out of 597,921 children, the offspring of these marriages, no less than 332,947 were brought up Protestants rtsXTo tS W C£tholiC £ tholi - C8 ' a Clear eviden « e <>' dfaSus Sn?£ V ?M ° r her YDV D Spiteof the lar 8 e majority of some 2*ooo Catholic fathers, we find a majority of about «8,00(» Protestant children! Again, look at the following figures' Of the children ot Protestant fathers 59 per cent, of the boys and "J £? o? th?f* tt^ irls -^, each /^« a clear majority-follow the reli^on ot the father; whilst ot those of Catholic fathers, only 48-« per cent oi the boys and 42-4 per cent, of the girls are brought up as n P .H tTi; •*T , both , Catholi « others and Catholic mothers neglect their duty towar Is the souls of their children SCOTLAND. -St. Andrew's Cathedral, Glasgow. Endangered by Tire— We learn from the Glasgow correspondent of the London Tablet that the Catholic cathedral of that Stin* V * had a very narrow and providential escape from destruction by fire. The most extensive and disastrous fire (writes the correspondent) which has occurred in Glasgow for many years m-n" Si)!" 111 1 « PrU 25 ' ab ° Ut ten °' clock > and continued to burn with unabated fierceness until late on Tuesday morning reciting m the destruction of a large amount of valuable property, but happily unattended by any accident to lite or limb lhe area involved is the square included within East Howard street on the north, Ropework lane on the east, Dunlop street on the west and Clyde street, facing the river, on the south and extends about 100 feet broad by 200 feet deep, though narro'win* a little towards the south end. The fire is said to have broken out in the third or fourth storey of the corner building ana it appeared to spread with lightening rapidity. In the course of hve minutes troin the time it was first observed the root fell in and the flames leapt high into the air, burning fiercely The alarm reached the Central Fire Station shortly after ten, and in the course ot a few minutes Captain Paterson, with a couple of engine*, was on the scene. Seeing the character of the conflagration he summoned assistance from the Western, Northern and bouth.rn stations, and m less than half an hour he hill six steamers on the ground, with a staff of sixty men. The anxiety ot the crowd was chiefly centred in St. Andrew's Cathedral Great Clyde street which was only divided oy a narrow lane from the blazing block. The Uev. Fathers Mackintosh O'Connel, Forbes, lU id Towie, who reside in the presbytery beside the church, worked assiduously in removing the sacrel vessels, vestments, statua.y and other valuable materials from the sacred edifice to the hou-e ot the Rev. lather Mackintosh. When it was reported that the church was in danger crowds flocked to the building. Insuk- the church and outside men and women were to be seen on their knees praying earnestly. Happily, the firemen succeeded m averting the dreaded danger, and the sacred edifice, in which so much interest was displayed, escaped almost unscathed. The rouf ot the sacristy caught fire abuu: twelve o'clock, but the outbreak was of a Might nature, and was soon extinguished. It may be mentioned that when the fire first broke out the seventy-first annual festival of the jjongn g.ition of Sc. Andrew's Church was proceed m < m the Grand National Halls. News of the fire reached the halh before trie gathering broke up, and the congregation dispersal immediately. It w .is feared that the Catholic scho >ls adjoinm- the church ii,i«ht catih fire, bjt this happily was averted. T.ic~bl,jek in the west a.ruer ot Dunlop stivU and Great Clydu -tnvt was totally destroyed The damage to the surroundino pi „p lt) w \anously e-tmiated at o\er £1.")0.00()