The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 52, 26 December 1907, Page 31

The Catholic World

ENGLAND— Death of a Religious . ' ■ Sister Mary Gonzaga O'Dwyer, whose death took place in "the Convent of St. John's Priory, Banbufy, on November 2,Jn the 66 th year of. her age and 49th - of her religious profession, was a sister of the Bishop of Limerick, with whom much sympathy was felt "by Catholics in -England as well, as in. Ireland. ' " . FRANCE— Socialist Tactics -In a - recent discussion in the French Chamber of Deputies a Socialist deputy mxa-de a declaration which made Ministers alarmed at their own work. M. Paul r Cpnstans told them that he would vote for t-heir. Bill because it attacked private property ! He would vote* for it, he said, no I simply to follow the majority in their , fentd-cleocal campaign,- but because .Socialists would be able"- to use the law later on as a precedent !. 'We 'shall vote for the Bill,' he continued, ' because we hope that no one in this House "afterwards 'will say' that collectivism is a Utopia, a dream " lor fools. We shall ask you to. extend your expropriating principles until they cover, not a- mere part of the ground of private ownership, but' the whole ground, " and sweep it away at last in the interest of the nation.' A declaration of this kind alarmed the/ Ministers, but -not sufficiently to make them withdraw their project for confiscating the Church's goods. It should suffice to convince supporters of anti-clericalism in France that it is a dangerous game, this tampering with the rights of private ownership. . • ITALY— The Ownership of Property There- are plenty of Socialists in l&alyj as- elsewhere nowadays (says the 'Catholic Times'), and the rights of property are- constantly b-eing attacked . Deal-, ing with that question, Cardinal Capecelatro, Archbishop of Oapua, points out that it is a Christian idea, ,and one natural to man, that private ownership, of property is just. But tbds Christian idea is quite apart from the pagan one, that a man can do what he likes with his private property. To a Christian, ownership of property must be conditioned by three things— firstly, by justice jn the acquisition and increase of it; secondty, by orderliness" and goodness in the em^ ployment of it ; and thirdly, by a recognition of the claims of charity, which regards the human lace as one family, all- men as brothers, and God as giving temporal goods for the benefit not merely of the possessor but of his needy brethren. The Cardinal laments that so many Catholics in these later times fail to recogjrise this Christian concept of private ownership of property, and act as though ' they held the pagan idea that ' they were entitled to do what tihey like with their own. His -words "are being widely quoted in Italy, where, we ho-pe, they may help to allay" that ferment among the laboring classes which is recruiting the ranks of Socialism. Evidently his Eminence believes that the best way to meet the Socialistic attack on private property is to persuade wealthy owners that they will be working for their real interests ; by 'regarding their duties as well as their rights, 'and- acting up to that conception of ownership which follows from jbheir acceptation of Christian principles of moral' conduct. Earthquake in Calabria The pity of all who feel for rufierin; will fee aroused by the awful disaster which has befallen the peasants cf Calabria (writes a correspondent of an Englsh newspaper). The news of the earthquake at first came in a form indicating merely a 'slight visitation, but each successive report following added to the gravity of the situation until it was recognised that the inhabitants of the southern part of the Peninsula had been the vdctims of a terrible calamity, the death-roll bein<r not less "than several -hundred. Quick to express practical symuavhy, his Holiness Pope Pius X has sent a contribution of £2000 for the relief of the sufferers, and the Kin;; of Italy has given £4000. The descriptions of the scenes in. connection with the disaster are harrowing. Houses shook and rocked and tottered, falling about in fragments from summit to foundation-stone. In cne village (Ferruzano) as many as two hundred were unable to escape when the .buildings began to crumble, and were buried' under the ruins. The people who succeeded in getting away into the open' country left their houses screaming., and ventured not to return. The incidents were hoar t-r ending, -but sometimes- revealed noble affection amidst despairing grief. Mothers clutched at their children and protected them with their bodies^ whilst stone and brickwork and timber tumbled and deprived themselves of life. Husbands shielded their wives in similar fashion, and brothers gallantly sought to rescue

sisters from danger. . The whole country between Catanzaro and' Regio has been converted into a waste.' Where houses have remained^ standing, nothing is left but bare walls -cracked and broken . in .every direction. There is a vast army of men, women, .and children who have been deprived ,of relatives Jbhat are dear to them and are striving to bear ,up under wounds and privations. "* All that they possessed has been "destroyed. They- have lost their homes and their, property. A' number of their churches, including the Cathedral of Geraee, have fallen, and their municipal and^ philanthropic' institutions have -been severely damaged or absolutely ruined. It ( is only two years since an- earthquake wrought havoc 'in 1 the same region.- Now, as then, the Italian people and thsir authorities, clerical 'and lay, have displayed, their humanity in a prompt and large-hearted way. RUSSIA — Banishment *of a Catholic Bishop To a> representative of a Polish journal,- Monsignpr Eoop, the Catholic Bishop of Vilna, gave an account of the proceedings taken against him by the Russian . au-, thorities. We- (' Catholic Times ') cannot but marvel'ltiit they should deem it- right, expedient, or of advantage to the Government^ to expel' from -the 'country a prelate whose conduct was so constitutional and' whose influence was so -great amongst the people. Mgr. Red was an active politician, but he pursued a course midway between ■ extreme Conservatism and Socialism, "Taking *the German Centre more or less as a model, two. years ago -when the Russian Government was tottering -and " anarchy prevailed throughout ,the;- FJmpiire, he established the Catholic constitutional narty tp resist* the Socialisfs and to unite the, members of. the ~_ different nationalities in his diocese upon the ground of popular rights and Christian principles. Soon the suspicions of the Governor-General '" of Vilna were aroused, and a ukase .was-, about to " be issued against the Bishop when, this official had to resign. Elected to "the first Duma, the. prelate continued to exert, his energy, for the • introduction. t of moderate, reforms. Reforms, however, were not. to tne taste, of the burpaucrats,-- and he . was summoned to an interview with M. Stolypin. . The alterrativewas then Proposed to him 1 of .going to another province or leaving the country. He refused to do either, and" after the.larse of some time he received an order banishing him- from Russia. He coiild^ scarcely have been treated in a more high-han-fipd fashion. ._' - UNITED STATES— Catholic Young: Men's Union The thirty-third annual" convention of the 'American Catholic Young Men's National Union was held in Elizabeth, N.J., about the middle of October, . with over 200 delegates in attendance. The reports of societies showed their .condition to" be very encouraging. : Eucharistic Congress ( Ovfcr 200 delegates attended the Eucharistic Congress Sit Pittsiburg, U.S.A., which opened- on October 15, with Pontifical Mass sung by his Grace Archbishop Ryan. A luurniber of papers were read bearing ,upon different phases' of. the Eucharistic dogma and. liturgy. , Holy Name Societies , ,/ Fourteen thousand members of Holy Name societies in Hudson and Bergen counties, New Jersey, U.S.A., took part on Sunday, October 13, in a parade and open air meeting^ at Hoboken as a "protest against profanity. Priest as 'Arbitrator A strike which for several months has affected -. the silk industry in Wyoming Valley, U.S.A., where about 7000 girls are. given employment in the mills, has been, stopped and the girls axe returning to work, pending the. decision of an arbitrator, to whose judgment 1 otih the striking girls and the mill owners have submitted their grievances. The arbitrator in this preat struggle is a . Catholic priest, Right Rev. Mgr. Coffey, Vicar-General cf the Scranton Diocese. -. - GENERAL The Mission Field : Mgr. Couppe," Missionary of c the Sacred Heart and Vicar-Apostolic of New Pomerania, has had a private audience with the Holy Father. He informed his Holiness, that the number of Catholics in his mission has grown from) a few hundred in 188S, the year in - whir-h it was founded, to over ..fourteen thousand. The Vi-ar-Apostolic grave details of the" cimim i 'tan>*o.s under wMeh, on Aujrust 13, 1904, five of the missionaries lost their lives. The Little Sisters of the Poor Like so many" other modern institutes (says 'Rome.'), that of the Little Sisters had its oriptfn in France, in the pious old burg of Saint-Servan, in Brittany, .and like nearly all the great, works of charity organised in the Church, its beginnings were humble and unpretending to a degree. The founder of the Little Sisters was a ptobr servant, guided and encouraged in her

first unaided, eftorts by the curate of the parish. That was in 1842— in 1845 the Little Sisters were not onlyspread over a great part of France, hut had made their appearance in the neighboring countries, and had already received their first encouragement from the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars."* When the Holy Father pronounced his decision in favor of .their congregation the other day the news came as" a joyful answer to the prayers of between six and seven thousand of these devoted women., scattered throughout the whole Catholic world, and especially numerous in Eng-lish-speaking countries. Who does not know and admire the work of the Little Sisters of the Poor? How they work, and beg, and watch, and pray, and devote themselves heart and soul, in order to brighten the last years of the aged poor? ' All the friends of the poor,' says! the anti-clerical ' Italic,' ' will rejoice to> learn that the good Little Sisters are definitely approved by the Holy See, and -that henceforth the Congregation, enjoying its privileges and well-regulated and governed, may be permitted to" display its activity, we do not say with more zeal, Jor the good Sisters are zealous by spirit and by vocation, but with fewer obstacles, under the yoke of a rule which they have themselves chosen for the good of the aged poor whose little sisters and humble servants they have made themselves.'