Current Topics. AT HOME AND ABROAD.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVI, Issue 9, 1 July 1898, Page 1

Current Topics. AT HOME AND ABROAD.

Emerson wrote a golden motto which New STRIKE THE Zealand Catholics would do well to paste in their IRON. hats: 'If there is anything great and good in store for you, it will not come at the first or second call.' In connection v, ith the one great and only Catholic question in New Zealand — the education question —Catholics seem to have been losing heart and sinking into a state of flabby carelessness and torpid inactivity. Of late the only sign of life and vitality shown has been in the solitary skirmish which the Very Rev. Father Cumming began and carried out in right plucky style and in the face of great odds with the North Canterbury Board of Education, over the inspection of the Catholic schools in their district. A telegram published in our last issue showed that the cause was won and the rights of the Catholic body recognised. We offer our hearty congratulations to our Canterbury friends, and a friendly hand-grip all round to the five members of the Board who voted straight fey the Catholic claim. • • • This matter was dealt with in the N.Z. Tablet as far back as September 17, 1897. There now remain only three Education Boards opposed to the Catholic demand — those of Wellington, Auckland, and Taranaki. We pointed out that they were acting in opposition to the spirit of Section 98 of the Education Act, and against the intention of its framers. In a speech delivered in 181)4, the Hon. C. C. Bowen, the author of the Education Act, eaid : — ' He would hail with pleasure every kind of good school, public and private, that might be maintained in these islands, and he would like to see them so far publicly encouraged as to be allowed to claim as a right the advantages of State inspection should they see fit to ask for it, for the Education Act contemplated such encouragement.' The great need is legislation which will make it compulsory on the Boards to comply with the requests of the Catholic body for the State inspection of their schools. This should not be lost sight of. We have already recommended petitions to the House on the part of Catholics, after consultation with their natural leaiers. Constant and persevering action is sure to win in the end. It may not, as Emerson said, come 'at the first or second call.' But it will come. The longer Catholics in the non-complying districts lie quietly down under the present state of things, thu harder it will be for them to secure redress.

There is a snap of life and the tingle of vigour growing about the Ritualistic movement in England. fabt. Catholics view the tendency with hopeful interest. It is a feeling after the fullness of truth, akin to that of the imprisoned plant which creeps through chink and slit and cranny in search of the free air and the light of heaven. Thirty three years ago the Church Association was formed for the purpose of assisting the English bishops to suppress illegal practices within their dioceses. The Association has evidently had no appreciable effect on the growth of Ritualistic practices. The Association wti sleepy and respectable and 'proper.' It did little beyond raising a mild ripple on the surface of English religious life. Some of the bishops, in fact, whom they wished to help, distinctly encourage! Ritualistic practices. There was more robustious energy in Mr. Kensit. He raised tornados in sundry very ' High ' churches in London. His performances once more focussed the public eye on the whole question of the rubrics, ornaments, and ceremonies of the i '"^irch of England. In his recent Memorial to the Upper House Or Convocation, Mr. Ken&it has made out the following list which -^eloquent proof of how far our Anglican friends are retracing 3»r steps once more towards Rome. ■& * According to the London Ta blet Mr. Kensit submits the following list of some ornaments and ceremonies which have already been declared by the Queen's Courts to be illegal :

Unlawful ornaments of the minister:

1. The Alb. 5. The Dalmatic. 2. The Biretta. 6. The Tunic of Tunicle. 3. The Chasuble. 7. The Maniple. 4. The Cope.

Unlawful ornaments of the church : 8. A Baldaeehino. 11. A Cross on or over or in 9. Lighted Candle* when not apparent connection with required tor giving light. the Communion Table. 10. A Stone Altar. 12. A Crucifix. 13. Stations of the Cross. Unlawful ceremonies : 14. Bowing down before or addressing worship to the oonsecrated elements. 15. The attendance of Aclytes. 20. The use of Incense. 16. Tolling of b~ll at Conseora 21. Ceremonial mixing of Water tion. with the Wine daring 1 7. Making the Si^n of the Cross Divine Service. over the people. 22. The use of Wafers in lieu of 18. Hiding the Manual Aots. Bread 'usual to be eaten.' ID. Elevation of the Elements. The growth of these illegal practioes is indicated by the folloWr ing table : PARTICULARS. Vestment a ; 1882. 1884. 1886. 1888. 1890. 1802. 1894. 1897. 386 396 509 599 797 1,029 1,370 1,632 Incense : 9 22 66 89 135 177 250 807 Altar Lights : 581 748 963 1,135 1,402 2,408 2,707 3,868 Mixed Chalice : _ _ — _ — — — 2,111 Hiding Manual Acts : 1^62 2,054 2,433 2,690 3,138 3,918 5,037 5,964 Ritualism is undoubtedly in some ways a hindrance to Catholicism, in so far as it affords a final halting-place for many who would otherwise 'go over to Rome.' In other respects it is a decided help. It familiarises Protastants with Catholio doctrines, Catholic ritual, Catholic devotions and modes of thought. It ha* undoubtedly had its share in bringing into the unity of the true fold the 1,311 persons in the archdiocese of Westminster, and the 1,050 in the diocese of Salford who, according to the London Tablet, were received into the Church during the course of last year.

In a recent, issue we dealt with the subject of the A stupid fierce rioting which broke out in the streets of a falsehood, large number of cities in Italy. Barricades were set up in the streets, people murdered, shops and dwellings looted, troops and rioters shot down, king Demos ruled, a party of the reserves were called out, and half the country was in a Btate of siege. We have already dealt with the ruinous system of government which drove the impoverished and maddened people out to face the levelled rifle, the fixed bayonet, and the machine gun. We refer to it now onoe more, as the Otago Daily Time* hat reproduced a correspondence to the Melbourne Argus which insinuates that the Catholic party in Italy are, in 6ome unstated way, at the bottom of these riots. The insinuation is grotesque to a degree. A leading English daily points out that the late outbreak! were received with great disfavour by the Papal authorities, and that the Pope and hia Court have ever set their faces hard against any intrigue against the reigning dynaßly. The London Times of May 16 quotes the following conclusive paragraph in point from the noted anti-Catholic Italian paper, the Gazzetta di Venesia :— » ' Incendaries are of every party, and they exist among the Clericals, but to think that rebellion, massacre, and the dissolution of order are pleasing to priests, Clericals, and Catholics is the idea of madmen or politicians of bad faith. Anti-national Clericalism is certainly a grave evil, but with regard to social matters it ia a lesser evil for our Italy. This is why, in the revolutionary Babel created by the mad reforms of the political and administrative vote, we have always thought that with the " Reds," the destroyers o

social order, an alliance was never possible, whereas with Clericals. who can ouly be blamed for allowing themselves to be dragged by the most heated among them, an understanding is always possible. Who .can be sure that the last word on the safety of the country may not be reserved to the Catholic masses V

Every one who is even moderately acquainted with Italian life is aware that the Radical, Republican, and Socialistic parties, who figured most prominently in the recent and apparently well-planned outbreaks, are the deadliest enemies of the Pope, the clergy, and the Church.