Impressions of Australia and New Zealand

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 20, 16 May 1907, Page 33

Impressions of Australia and New Zealand

On his arrival in Dublin Mr. J. Devlin, M.P., our late visitor, was interviewed by a representative of the ' Freeman's Journal.' Speaking of the characteristics of the people of -Australia, Mr. Devlin said : ' They are generally very spirited and independent. They are m a nly and generous and broadly tolerant. There is a great sp.irit of 'democracy -there. The democratic idea had taken a great hold there.' *" Asked as to the status of the Iriyh in Australia, Mr. Devlin replied : ' The Irish there have their proportional share in the professions, in commerce, anti in politics, as well as to/ting land holders.' ' I saw there,' added Mr. Devlin, ' evidence to refute the calumny thiat the Irish were not capable of succeeding in commerce. Some of the most successful commercial men in Australia are Irish. There is a -great future before the country.' Speaking of The Position of Catholicity in Australia, Mr. Devlin said :— ' I believe there is no country in the world where Catholicity is so strong amd so powerful. Churches have sprung up everywhere, and this, to a large extent, is due to the influence of Cardinal Moran, and to the fact that nearly all the priests are Irish, to ttfieir splendid organisation, and the good the nuns have done in carrying on the work of Christian education. As a matter of fact, so perfect is the educational system carried on by the nuns in Australia that fully one-fourth of their pupils are non-Catholics, and those sohools are maintained by voluntary contributions, and by the pupils' fees, secured by the nuns of . th"c various Orders for teaching in various subjects. All the singers who have come fiom_Australia to-Europe are mainly trained by the nuns. Ninety per cent, of the nufls are Irish, or of Irish extraction. To those nuns and the Irish Christian Brothers are mainly due the devotion of Australian youth to Ireland, an-ii the perpetuation and development of Irish sentiment.' ' 1 The Catholic Church, ' Mr. Devlin- proceeded to say, ' is the marvel and wonder and admiration of the people of all other religious persuasions. Cardinal Moran is not only a great ecclesiastic, surrounded by a body of priests and Catholic ., people who are bound to him by the warmest devotion and affection, but he is regarded as A Great Democratic Leader. The influence of Archbishop Ca-rr, of Melbourne— a man ' of infinite charm and sweetness of disposition,- as well as a great -prelate— has also been exercised in' Victoria in thie same direction,. The growth of the Catholic Ohuroh isi concurrent with the gptrowth of democra/tic ideas, and even the most bigoted have to tear tribtute to- <N - how splendidly Catholicity, has been instrumental in - making Australia the great country that it is for the' ' working classes. In all the .relations with each other of the Archbishops, the Bishops, the priests, a nld the people there m a close com;munication and a spirit of mutual understanding that prevents any divisions .arising,- -and if misiundersitandinss should arise it is the simplest thimgi in the world to clear them away.' ' „ \ A . ra £her remarkable circumstance,' added Mr. Devlin, is that every Archbishop and Bishop of Australia was present at one or other of our meetings in that country, with the exception of two, who were a way in Ireland, andi that at the last meeting I spokie at— that (at Auckland, New Zealand— these two Bishops were present being, on- their way back to Australia. They wer e Dr' BathurT' Bishopof Armi ' dal e, and Dr. Dunne, Bishop of 4-, ■A sk !? 1 ho T Msh-Australia regarded the Irish Nati'o/hal dem&jnd,. Mr. Devlin .replied : 'No one in Australia contests the right of the claim put forward 'by the Irish people to control their own affairs. The vnly oblectiQn comes f-onv a, little section of bigots suoh as exist in the Norths of Ireland, representative of class and privnege. r