The Press of the Propaganda.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 22, 29 May 1902, Page 3

The Press of the Propaganda.

A scarcely less important work than that of educating the missionary clergy is that of providing liturgoal. religious and educational books for the foreign misbion. We live in an age of the Pre->n, and, therefore, thin department of Propaganda (writes the Very R^v. Dr. Casartelli) assumes nowadays an unusual importance. Yes, as a mater of fact, it g< es back to the very earliest days of Propaganda, a clear proof of the far-sighted and enlightened policy ot the Holy See close upon four centuries ago. Urban VIII has the credit of the inception of this good work by his two decrees of June 30 and July It of 1626. One effect of his appeal was the gift of 10 founts of Illyrian type made by tbe Emperor Ferdinand 11 , followed by a niunifioent donation of a collection of Oriental type by the Grand Duke of Tuscany. By toeee and other benefaotioua the Propaganda Pregs soon became one of the moit famous of its kind in the world. Its eclipse, like that of so many other great and good institutions, came about with the French Revolution ; for on the French occupation of Rome, the plunderers, who had devastated museums and picture galleries, carried off to Paris large quantities of the moßt valuable founts of Oriental type. A Buirtll portion of the plunder was ie-overed after the Napoleonio war-, and all during the present century the Congregation has labored hard to replace and even greatly to extend its typographical reHourcfH, especially with the zealous patronage of Pius VII. and Leo XII

In 1842, when Gregory XVI. visited the Press, he was presented with an addrefs printed in 5,"i languages, of which 22 were Asiatic. Under Pius IX strenuous efforts w< re made to improve the Prt-ss by the introduction of the best and most recent machinery, chiefly owing to the exertions of the director, Cardinal di Luca. By 1875 the Press had 180 different kinds of type, and was able to produce books in most of the written languages of the globe. At the time of the Vatican Council the Lord's Prayer was issued by the Propaganda Press in 250 languages and dialects, and in 180 different characters.