The Holy Father and the Apostolate of the Press.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 2, 8 January 1903, Page 1

The Holy Father and the Apostolate of the Press.

The Holy Father has always taken a very high view of the value and importance of the Catholic press as a means of promoting fervor and loyalty among the children of the Church and of spreading the just claims of the Church even beyond her own pale. Again and again he has spoken words of appreciation and encouiagement to Catholic journalists ; again and again, by imparting his special blessing, or by bestowing decorations, he has given express recognition, to individual members of the Apostolate, of good wotk done. As our readers know, the N.Z. Tablet has itself on more than one occasion been the recipient of the Holy Father's thoughtful kindness and cordial approbation. A little more than two years ago we received from him the kind and gracious message which finds an honored place as the heading of this page, and our readers will be glad to hear that on the occasion of Father deary's visit to Rome a few months ago he received, in his capacity as Editor, a special blessing from his Holiness on himself and on the Tablet in the good work being done. • And now, as further evidence of the Holy Father's interest in the work of the press, we are glad to note that two of our colonial contemporaries have just received well-merited recognition from his Holiness. The ' Catholic Press ' —our live and active Sydney contemporary, whose push and energy have given a fresh fillip to Catholic journalism in the Mother Colony —has been accorded the Holy Father's blessing, while the Rev. Father O'Mahoney, editor of the Tasmanian ' Monitor,' has been decorated by his Holiness with the Cross * Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice.' This is a highly-prized distinction, and it has been fully earned by Father O'Mahoney by the long and faithful service, often under great difficulties, which he has rendered to Catholic journalism and to the Church. His paper is a credit to himself and to the Catholic body in Tasmania, and is among the most welcome of our exchanges. We heartily congratulate Father O'Mahoney and our friends of the 'Catholic Press' on the recognition their good work has received.