The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 52, 24 December 1903, Page 27

The Catholic World

AFRlCA.— Sierra Leone's Bishop Tihe consecration of the Right Rev. John O'Gorman, C.S.Sp., as titular Bishop of Amastri, with jurisdiction as Vicar-Apostolic of Sierra Leone, West Africa, took place on the Feast of SS. Simon and Jude, Octo<bjer 28, in the Philadelphia Cathedral. Archbishop Ryan was the consecrating prelate. A Knighthood After an audience on October 28 the Pope conferred upon Colonel O'Reilly, Deputy Mayor of Cape Town, the honor of a Knighthood of St. Gregory. His Holiness sent his Appstoilic benediction to the whole of South Africa. ENGLAND. — An Appointment The Rev. Father Heditch has been appointed Procurator at Archbishop's House, Westminster. The Nugent Statue It was intimated at the last meeting of the Liverpool City Council that a site in St. John's Gardens had been allocated for the statue of Mo,nsignor Nugent. Mr. Lea said that the position was an important one, and the statue would be worthy of the position. A Pilgrimage l!n connection with the Catholic Association's pilgrimage to Rome, which left London on November 17, and was led by his Grace the Archbishop of Westminster, a pilgrimage service was held at the Itlahan Clhurch, Hatton Garden, E.C., on the previous Sunday evening, November 15. The rector, the Very Rev. J. P. Bannin, P.S.M., who is chairman of the committee of the Association, delivered a discourse upon the subject of the pilgrimage, and pilgrimage crosses were blessed and distributed to the pilgrims present. Mr. Hardman Dead Mr. John Bernard Hardman, the head of the wellknown firm of John Hardman and Co., stained-glass manufacturers and ecclesiastical art metal workers, of Birmingham, died on October 31 at his residence, Hagley road. Two years ago Mr. Hardman received from the late Pope the distinction of a Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great for his services to the Church, and as a tardy recognition of the great work which his father, the founder of the firm, had, in conjunction with Pugin, done in effecting a revival of Gothic ecclesiastical ornamenttire. The deceased gentleman's father and Pugin established a studio of Christian art at Ramsgp,te, where were produced the designs of church windows, which were carried out in Birmingham. In 1874 the late Mr. Hardman acted as a juror of English exhibits in art metal work and jewellery at the International Exhibition at Vienna, and he amongst other jurors was made a Chevalier of the Order of Franz Josef of Austria. FRANCE.— An Infernal Machine Some further particulars are to hand regarding the infernal machine which was exploded a few weeks ago in a Catholic church at Belville, Paris. The damage done wasi slight, and no one was hurt. The machine was six inches long and about two inches high, and was filled with a high explosive. Fortunately there were few persons in the church at the time. This is part of the diabolical crusade against religion* which is going on in Paris now, Tjands of roughs also congregating and

disturbfing the services here and there. When prosecuted they invariably get off. - ITALY.— The Christian Brothers At a special audience granted by his Holiness Pope PiuK X, cm OcHotyea: >2S to the Vexyß^v, J4J 4 M.CoSten, Procuraitor-Generai of the Irish Christian Brothers in Riome, his Holiness bestowed his Apostolic blessing on the Superior-General and the Brothers of the Order and presented him with two signed photos of himself, on which he wrote his special blessing. Father David Fleming It is extremely likely that the distinguished Franciscan, Father David Fleming, who has a brother residing in Christchurch .(N.Z.), will shortly be created Cardinal. His position in the Biblical Commission (says the Rome correspondent of the ' Catholic Times '), the suggestion for the institution of which Leo XIII. received, I believe, from him, will delay this, but J quod differtur non aufertur is a very strong rule in the matter of the Cardinalate. And the delay is likely to be very much shortened by the fact that, in defiance of precedent, his Order, which is qne of the great Mendicant bodies, has been for years unrepresented in the Saored College, where the Capuchin robe is wojrn by Cardinal Vives y Tuto, tfhe Conventual by Cardinal Netto, the Augustinian by Cardinal Martinelli, and the Benedictine by Cardinal Celesia. The Society of Jesus had even two representatives until the death of Cardinal Mazzella, awdjihe Augustinian until the death of Cardinal Ciasca. The Order of Preachers has had of iate years Cardinals Zigliara and Bausia, and now it has Cardinal Pierotti. Father David's place in the Order, which was about to elect him Minister-General When the Delegate- Apostolic at the Chapter interfered, is such as to make certain his selection when the idea of creating a Franciscan Cardinal will be enter taimed. Father David continues to reside at Sant' Antonio until an apartment is ready for him at the Vatican. Preserving the Faith From time to time we have made reference to the ' souperism,' or work of proselytising by the offer of temporal advantages, which the American Methodists and some kindred religious bodies have been carrying on in the Eternal City. We learn from an exchange that the counter-work of preservation of the faith in Rome continues to be very largely an English-speaking one. A morning newspaper publishes a list of the Jpistitu'tSfcras carrying on the work. The list occupies thirty lines, and of these the first ten are given to schools maintained by English-speaking ladies and gentlemen. Thus the Sisters of the Incarnate Word maintain the first three schools of languages for girls aaid young women ; the Irish Christian Brothers have the first two languages and commercial schools for men alnd boys. In this lisfo is. not enumerated, because the institution is almost entirely autonomous, another vast and flourishing school for languages which is supported by a committee of which the Archbishop of Trebizonid, Dr. Sttonor, is president and Mr. W. Osborne Christmas secretary. These male amd female language schools are the advanced posts of Catholic defence against proselytism in Rome ; most of the of her institutions are refuges for girls and young women whose poverty ha& been the occasion of dishonorable temptations to apostacy, SCOTLAND Open-air Sermons The open-air addresses of Father Power, S.J. T to norn-Catholics in the Scottish capital continue to attract general and widespread attention. The ' British Weekly ' recently made the rev. gentleman's Spiritual campaign the subject of a significant paragraph ■^©rein his ability, erudition, and imposing presence, as' Well as his mode of reasoning, were flatteringly commented upon and the candid admission made by this powerful organ of the Nonconformist body that his discourses were bound to make an impression on some minds. A leading Scottish daily qpoted the paraigTaph and gave it in large lettering the truthful title of ' Activity of the Jesuit Fathers in the Scottish Capital.' A Popular Pastor Who (says the ' 'Frisco Monitor ') would have suspected that the spirit of monasticism was so rife among us ? According to reliable statistics, about 40 religious communities are represented in the United States. Out of 12,000 priests 3000 belong 1 to the religjijous Orders. Nor is there any prospect of diminution, for there are 1500 novices pressing forward to take the place of 3000 lay Brothers. And this in America, where the spirit of commercialism is supposed to dominate all from the street arab to the Wall street speculator !