Catholic Charity

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5, 1 February 1906, Page 30

Catholic Charity

The third part of the ' Civilta Cattolica ' collection on behalf of Calabria (writes the Rome correspondent of the 'Catholic Times') amounted to 88,831 francs, which, like Ihc preceding two, has been handed over to the Pope. Taken altogether, the three sums total 206,717 francs. As, this subscription is but one output of Catholic charily, ihc efforts of the Church on behalf of Calabria can be estimated. The large total, which will be carried still higher by the fourth collection,, ending on November 11, speaks well for the importance and standing of this Catholic fortnightly. I may be permitted to illustrate the matter by comparisons, which would be inadmissible except for the example given by Liberals. The total collected by the principal Italian daily, which is also flic semi-oilicial organ, 'La Tribuna,' ot Rome, amounted on November '1 to 221,537 francs. The daily paper of the capital nexb in importance, ' 11 Giornale d'ltalia,' had collected 121,519 francs by the same date. '11 Messagero,' a democratic anticlerical organ, had totalled 13,238 francs by October 24i. ' La Vita,' a {Liberal lanti-Calholic daily, posing as in-

tellectual, has contributed and collected nothing. 'La Patria,' the officially Masonic daily, if it did either, had no totals to publish at, the end of October ; at the same date, the fire-eating Atheistic and Socialist daily, ' Avanti,' after railing at the Pope and the Church for their supineness, had jelosed a wretchedly small collection and opened one for its own benefit instead ! But there arc comparisons more significant still between the value of ranting patriots and the religious public, all which we forego. One term of comparison, however, cannot be overlooked. As the national army contributed about 120,000 francs, the Jesuits doubled this sum, and afforded a subject for piquant paragraphs— which have'never been penned, for pretty obvious reasons. The payments made into the Home Oflice reached 151,000 francs ; those paid in to the Roman Municipality 111,000 ; an Italian newspaper of Buenos Ayies collected 50,000 ; the local committees all over Italy 7'2,7()7 , the first contributions after the earthqual-e totalled 2,8X2,762, so the total amount paid into the Banca d'ltalia and representing every effort not made by (he Church (though Catholics contributed to the local committees and newspaper subscriptions represented in all this, much as did Liberals) is 3,301,020 francs.