The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 35, 1 September 1904, Page 29

The Catholic World

ENGLAND.— Ecclesiastical College for Wales The Bishop of Menevia Was, through the generosity of a benefactor of the diocese, been enabled to open a small college at Holywell, where students for the priesthood can obtain a thorough Knowledge of Welsh in addition to their ordinary .studies. FRANCE.— Expelling the Marks A despatch from Nantes, under date July 1, states : Extensive establishments of the Premonstraiensian and the Capuchin Orders' were closed to-day after violent resistance. The Premonstratensian monks barricaded their doors and windows. A battalion of infantry and a detachment of dragoons assisted the police. Firemen finally deluged the monastery with water, forcing back the monks from t'ne barricades. The occupants were taken out by means of ladders. Similar expedients were used to expel the Capuchin monks. Friction with the Holy See The Paris ' Matin 'of a recent date published an article in Which it stated that fresh friction has aristn between the French Government and the Holy See, that several French bishops had been 'ordered from Rome to send in their resignation, that on their appealing to the Premier, seven prelates had been summoned to the Eternal City within fifteen days, and that the Minister of Public Worship had prohibited them from leaving their dioceses. The Paris correspondent of the ' Daily Chronicle ' says : The seven prelates are Monsignor Fuzet, Archbishop of Rouen ; Monsignor Mignot, Archbishop of Albi ; Monsignor Sueur, Arohbishop of Avignoh ; Monsignor Lacroix, Bishoip of Tarentaise ; Monsignor Bouquet, Bishop of Mende ; Monsignor le \ordez,, Bishop of Dijon ; and Monsignor Geay, Bishop of Laval. According tio the ' Temps ' the friction isi being removed b/ explanations. Petty Spite M. Combes has found a new means of annoying the cleTgy. Every year the University of Paris holds a special examination known as the ' Concours d'Agregation,' which all candidates qualifying for teaching in public schools have to pass before they are allowed to teach. 'I he preparation for this examination is rather hard,, aod implies the previous passing of a number of other examinations, the production of official authorisations, and the payment of somewhat heavy fees. Among the candidates for this year's examination was a priest who had fulfilled all the Conditions. But on the eve of tihe final examination the priest in question received a notice from the University authorities notifying him that by order of the Minister of Public Instruction all the authorisations granted to him were withdrawn, and that he would not be admitted to pass the final examination, the reason givevn being that the Minister did not consider it advisable to have priests qualifying for teaching iin public schools. The Minister is given the right to cancel any authorisation previously given without giving any reason for this step, but it would seem that if he alleges a reason, this reason must be a valid one Further steps will 'be taken to ascertain whether the Minister is entitled to exclude a priest from the examination qua priest members, and ex-members of religious congregations have been excluded from the teaching profession ; but there is nothing against secular priests, and the Minister's decision is a purely arbitrary act wMph violates the- constitutional rights >of all citizens, including priests. The matter will shortly come before the Chamber. GERMANY.-A Rare Event . German Catholics, especially those of "tyhe Rhineland, are rejoicing over the appointment of Professor Schrors as" Rector Magnificus of the University of Boinn for 1904-5. Forty-three years have passed since a Catholic —Professor Hilgersr-h'eld the same position. JAPAN. —The Position of the Church A Paris newspaper publishes some interesting particulars of an interview which Monsignor Mugabure, Coajdjutor of the Bishop of Tokio, has had with, the Pope. Monsignor Mugabure went to Rome to discuss directly •with the Propaganda Fide certain matters connected with his diocese. According to trtie newspaper, Pttis X. confirmed the announcement that a few days before the outbreak of the war he had done all in his power to indjuce the C«ar to maintain peace in the spirit of The Hague Conference, of which he had been the promoter. The C7ar reolied courteously, but in terms showing that war had become inevitable. Monsignor Murrabure told the Pope that since 1891, when Leo XIII. created a Catholic hierarchy in Japan with a bishopric at Tokio, Catholicism had made satisfactory progress. There

were at present over 90,000 Catholics in Japan, 10,000 of whom were in the capital. The Japanese Government showed tJhe greatest tolerance towards the many Catholic priests, and had authorised the foundation of a large native Catholic seminary at Nagasaki. In Monsignor Mugabure's opinion, the Japanese upper classes are more and more inclined to favor the Christianisation of their country. The Pope was deeply moved on learning that many soldiers in the Japanese army had fulfilled their religious duties as good, pious Catholics before starting for the war. His Holiness promised shortly to transform the present Bishopric of Tokio into an Archbishopric, and commissioned Monsignor Mugabure to Dresent to the Mikado his thanks for the great tolerance shown to CatholiGS. ROME.— In the Vatican Gardens

A new dynamo for the production of tine electric light has been installed in the gardens of the Vatican. The Holy Father performed the inaugural ceremony and conversed freely with the operators, taking a keen interest in the explanations they gave him. An Interesting Contrast

In an article which he contributes to the ' Dublin Review ' the Bishop of Salford draws an interesting contrast between the Dutch Pope Adrian VI. and the present Holy Father. Like Adrian VI., Pope Plus X. is, he points out, essentially a man of the people. Of lowly origin, by sheer force of intellectual talelrt, of personal virtue, of high character, he has been raised by, Providence from the humblest rank to the supreme digjnity on earth. The simple, frugal life and homely tasttes, ( the dislike of unnecessary Court ceremonial of the peasant's don ol Riese, recall those of the .weaver's son of Utrecht. And if Adrian VI. during his brief pontificate showed himself a true reformer, what, asks the Bishop, have we not been lad to expect in the way of reforms by the short, period that has elapsed since the elevation of Pius X. to the Papacy ? The election of Adrian appeared to be providential. Ambition and the spirit Of the world had found their way into high places, with the result that the Pope's humility and zeal fior the Faith were in strong contrast with the spirit which animated the Conclave. The morals of the period boxe said witmess to the decline of Faith, a«nd Dr. Casartelli, in dealing with the events of the tiir^e, betrays that outspoken and scrupulous lqve of accuracy fiom which the historian should never swerve. SCOTLAND.— Death of a Convert

The death took place recently at Edinburgh of Mr. Alexander Reginald Forbes, bank/er, youngest son of the late Mr. George Forbes, West Coates, Edinburgh, and grandson of Sir 'William Forbes, sixtfo baronet of Pitsi igo. Mr. Forbes was a member of the Lauriston congregation, and was in the seventieth year of his a^e. All his relatives are Protestants, Mr. Forbes having joined the Catholic Church a considerable time since. The remains were removed to the Sacred Heart Church, wh,ere a Requiem Mass was celebrated by the Rev. Father Bader, S.J., and the funaral took place .to the Dean Cemetery, amongst the mourners being the two brothers of the deceased. Father Bader officiated both at the church and at the grave. UNITED STATES.— The Late Archbishop Guidi

The body ol Most Rev. Archbishop Guidi, the Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines, who died in Manila on June 26 from heart failure, will be conveyed to Rome, where the interment will take place in September. Afrohbishop Guidi was appointed by the late Pope Leo XIII. to go to Manila and settle the differences between the Friars and the 'Government. He was forty-eight years of age. Monsignor Guidi gained a reputation as a diplomat and a peacemaker. The Paulist?

Father Searle, the new Father-General of the Paulists, is an astronomer of distinction, and has been honored several times by commissions from scientific institutions. He was formerly an instructor at Harvard and the United States Naval Academy, and up to a short time ago was one of the faculty of the Catholic University, Washington.