The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 17, 27 April 1905, Page 27

The Catholic World

FRANCE— The Grotto of Lourdes T)h& Grotto of Lourdes has been the subject of a lawsuit, the French Government being desirous of confiscating the Grotto and its "dependencies as part of the property of a Congregation now dissolved. The Court at Pau has, however, decided that the Grotto anil its appurtenances form part of the revenues of the Archbishopric of Tarbejs. A Prophetic Cardinal His Eminence Cardinal Lecot, Archbishop of Bordeaux, has sent a pastoral to iiis flock which should heap to wake them from their lethargy. Pointing out that .he long ago warned the secular clergy thlat their day of persecution would soon follow the exile of the Orders, he says that day has now come. The Government is preparing to destroy the diocese, the parish, the clergy, religion itself. Freemasonry has decided upon the death of the Church, and will shackle the liberties of the clergy in every possible way. And what should tne clergy do ? They must respect the established form of GoMernment as Pope Leo advised ; take up the cause of the workers' and the poor ; support all just social reforms ; and. by means of societies and patronages prqve to the multitudes of Frenchmen indifferent ih matters of reliigion that the Church is their best friend. Thus may they be won back to the profession of Christianity. This would indeeft appear to be the work which most immediately calls for the attention of Irfie French clergy— to Christianise France afresh. Solution of a Difficulty We (' Catholic Times ') have at last an authoritative statement of the solution of the difficulties created by Monsignor le Norder, in withdrawing the faculties of his two Victors-General. That action resulted in a complete suspension of administration, spiritual and financial, whereby the clergy were left Without rulers and salaries. In the eyes of tfoe Church, the Bishop had resigned ; in the eyes of the State, he still remained Bishop. To avoid further evils and prove his anxidty for peace, the Pope Has permitted the Bishop to suggest to the Government the name of M. TAbbe Poinselin for the post of Vicar-General. This has been done, and now the diocese has a spiritual ruler who can alsjo act as intermediary between the priests ana the State. The situation is not, of course, normal, for no Bisftiop has charge) of the diocese. But a vicar-general has large powers, and lie can at least fulfil the law regarding the payment of the clergy's salaries. The whole incident has been most instructive, and the solution arrive*! «at is evidence how earnestly the Holy Father wishes to make things smooth for the very Government which accuses! him of causing all the trouble. His action proves Where the real blame lies.

INDIA-The Oldest Nun '> H Recently at Lorcto Convent, Darjeling, Sister Gabriel Doyle, the oldest nun in India, quietly pa^cd away. She was* born m Callow, Ireland, in 1818, and was a woman of great piety. PORTUGAL— FuneraI of a British Minister The funeral of Sir Martin Gobelin, late British Minu>itui,| look place in Lisbon on March 2, "iih nil official anfd military honors. Enormous crowds filled the streets to see the mneial procession pu.s-^. A Requiem Mass was celebrated, after which Monsignoc Macchi, the Papal Nuncio, e;a!\e the absolutions. Numerous reoiesontativcis of the official and diplomatic world followed the procession to the Prazeres Cemetery- Count Tarouca represented King Carlos, and Count Ribcira represented Queen Amelie. The procession was composed of more than 300 caniages. The cavalry regiment, of which Kin* Hdwanl is Colionel-in-Chief, furnished the escort, a md Mr. Peel, First Secretary of the British Legation, represented King Edward. The Foreign Office was closet! as a mark of respect to the memory of the late British Minister. ROME— The Holy Father's Advice I|n receh ing sixty Lenten preachers at the Yaticam the Holy Fat hoi stringently enjoined them in abstain from effusive displays of rhetoric, and also from introiucing polemical or political topics in the Roman pulpits. Monte Cassino The Holy Father h\as issued a brief to the members of the committee interested in the restoration of the Ablicy Church of the Benedictine Monastery of Monte Cassmoj authorising them to undertake the work. Among the member* of this committee are the Rev. 11. M. Bannister, an Anglican clergyman, and Mr. Stuart Jones, Director of the British School of Archaeology. The Protectorate in the East The Poj c took a significant step in appointing a successor to the late Apostolic Delegate in Constantinople over the head of France. Hitheito, in Mew of the French Protectorate in the East, the appointment was always mjade after an understanding between the Holy See and the French Government, and the Delegate was be nor ally a French prelate. The new Delegate is an Italian, Mousignor Porcelli, ami no official intimation of Ins appointment was sent to the Fioneh Ambassador in Constantinople, who only heard of A casually from the Pro-Yitar. The Divorce Evil The letter which the Holy Father lias addressed to the Daughters of the Faith is a -document which will be greatly pri/ed by those who value the preservation of the ties of family life iji the United States (says the 'Catholic Times- ') How sad is the condition of aflaiis pio-<l-K-ed by the divorce laws of aiffeient States of the Unibn is pietty veil known all over the woiU. A married man or a mariied woman who has little or no sense of moral responsibility wishes for a new partner A case flur divorce, sometimes of the cry flimsiest character, is manufactuied and the parties arc legally separated. Tnus homes are broken up and the sanctity of marriage is \iolated. To combat this and other evils an association entitled the Daughters of the Faith ay as formed about a year ago in New York. The founder, Miss Eli7a O'Biion Lummis, went to Rome, 'had a n audience with the Holy Father, ana 1 received from him a Brief, a translation of which has just been published. The Pontiff is most cordial in his encouragement of tlho society. Its work, he assures Miss Lummis, has been inaugurated ' not without Divine inspiration and guidance"' His Holiness traces the evil to naturalism, which breathes only the lo\e of pleasure a»nd sensuality, enervates man's minds, and effaces tihe sense of the most sacrod obligations. He expresses the hope that the society will grow in strength and that a similar association wall be founded by men. At a time when even the Protestant clergy of the Spates are uniting for the purpose of discountenancing divorce, the Holy Father's words will bo most welcome in America. SCOTLAND— A Memorial At St. Patrick's Church, Anderston, Glasgow, on St. Patrick's Day, a magnificent memorial altar to the late Cfnon Ciondon, who was for more than twenty-fivo years pastor of this mission, was unveiled by Archbishop Maguire. UNITED STATES -Charitable Bequests The late Monsignor Doane, of Newark, New Jersey, left £2000, all of which, excepting a few bequests to friends, he left to the poor and charitable associations.

A Mother of Five Priests Mrs. Johanna Hickey, mpbher of five Ohio priests,, died the otlfrer day in Cincinnati in her 72nd year. Mrs_ llickey was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1834, and went to< the United Stiates in early childhood, locating in PerryCounty, Ohio. In 1855 she became the wife of Patrick llicKey, who was- for thirty years purchasing agent far the C. 11. ajiid D. Railroad Company. Of the seven; children boi">n to them, the five sons became priests and! one daughter a nun, Sister Annunciata, of Notre Dame Con out, Reading, Ohio. The other daughter, Miss; Martha Mickey, remained with her mother. The five sions are as "follows :— Rev. William D. Irtlckcy, St. Josh's, Dayton ; Rev. Edward P. Hickey, Holy Trinity, Middleton ; Rev. John F. Hickey, St. Patrick's-, Ciimmins\ llle ; Rev. Ciharlos A. Hickey, Sacred Hearty Dayton ; Rev. (ieorge F. Hickey, St. Mary's, Urbana. Archbishop Moeller officiated at the funeral of Mrs. Hickey, which took place from St. Edward's Church,, Cincinnati. A Distinguished Nun Mother ELecmore Lieber, of the Sacred Heart Order, a sister of the late Ernest Lieber, leader of the Centre or Catlholic Party in Germany, who died about a year ago, idied on February 8, at the Convent on West seventeenth street, New York, where she had been stationed for the last twenty years. A Charitable Institution Some ten miles outside New York City there stands on the Huldson River the charitable institution known a s ' The New York Catholic Protectory.' It is under the management of the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of ( harity, and shelters over 1600 boys and 800 girls. When the present able President of the United States of Anieriiea, Mr. Roosevelt, was elected Governor of tihe State of New York some few years ago, the band of the Protectory was invited to be present on the occasion of his taking office. After the ceremony Mr. Roosevelt complimented the members of the band on the excellence of their playing, and said : ' Boys, if ever I become President of the United States I will invite yau to attend my inauguration.' This promise was not'forgotten amidst the busy responsibilities of his high office. Some days before his late inauguration on March 4, his private secretary wrote to the Superior of the Protectory saying that the President would be much pleased if he allowed the band of the institute to attend and play on the important occasion. Jt is unnecessary tc add that this gracious request was gladly complied with. A Venerable Bishop Right Rev. Edward Fit/gerald, Bishop 'of Little Rock, Ark., celebrated the thirty-eighth anniversary of his consecration last month. lie has been a Bishop longei than any other American prelate except Archbishop Williams, of Boston. An Ancient Bib'e In {he Bishop's House at Grand Rapids, Mich., is a rcMiiiarkable Bible in good preservation, which was printed in tie year 1486, or six yeaits before Columbus discovered America, whpn Luther was only three years old. Forty years after the issue of this Bible the first copy of tho Protestant Bible was printed in English, and 178 jO-trs later the King James edition appeared. The President to Attend President Roosevelt has agreed to attend the national convention of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union, in Wilhcsbane, Pa., next August, giving his promise to the Re\ J. J. Ourran, and a committee of mine work-e-s' ofTV'ia's, who are members of t«he C.T.A.U., and whom he received recently, at the White House.