The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 6, 6 February 1908, Page 31

The Catholic World

BELGIUM— Death of a Religious The death is announced of Mere Aimee de Jesus, the Key. Superioress General of the Congregation cf the Sisters of Notre Dame. Ihe s.irl even*, occurred on December 9 at the Mother House of the Institute at Namur. Mere Aimee de Jesus (nee Elodie Dullaert) was born at Ypres, West Flanders, of a family remarkable for its truly Catholic spirit, and received her education at the well-known Convent of the Dames Anglaises at Bruges. In obedience to the Divine call she, entered in 1846, the Congregation of Notre Dame, and in. due course was admitted to her religious profession. So impressed were her superiors with Uie -virtues and qualifications of the young religious that they decided on sending her to establish the first of the English convents of the Order, that of Mount Pleasant Liverpool, opened in 1852, which has since become one of the leading educational institutions in the United KingHoptn. Of the years spent in Liverpool Mere Aimee retained to the last a most pleasing recollection and it was perhaps her English experiences that ■made her subsequently so keenly anxious for the extension of her Cvohgregjatdon in the English-speaking! countries. Having been recalled to Belgium, she was appointed, in 1872, Superioress at Tirlemont, where, after the lapse of many years, her memory was fondly cherished. There she remained until 1888, when she went to Namur as Superioress at the Mother-House ; in the same year she was selected Superioress-General of the Congregation— the highest testimony that could be afforded of the great esteem and affection in which she was held throughout the Institute. ENGLAND— The Manning Centenary The Archbishop of Westminster has sanctioned a scheme of penny collections by which the poor will be able to contribute towards the fund which is being raised to erect a monument to 'the people's Cardinal' in Westminster Cathedral. A Generous Benefactor In the nuns' cemetery attached to Nazareth House, Hammersmith, took i.lace on December 14 the interment of Mrs. Annie Charlotte MacDonnell, the mother of Lady MacDonnell, wife of the Under-Secretary for Ireland. The deceased lady, who had reached her 84th year had long been interested in the noble work carried'on by the Sisteacs of Nazareth, and had been a generous benefactress to the Hammersmith Institution. A Valuable Gift Archbisho,p Bourne has accepted from Fatheri Whelan, on behalf of the donor and her ti us tees, a magnificent monstrance for the Westminster Cathedral, the gift of Miss Margaret Stella Nicholls, a Yorkshire lady, now a nun at Amiens, who devoted her silver and jewels to the work. Disease in the Christian Organism *%> At Westminster Cathedral on Sunday, December in, the Rev. Father Bernard Vaughan, as a means of answering many inquiries on the subject of ' Modernisrr., ' read the following letter, which he had sent to a medical student in the North of England who had solicited his views :— ' Dear Friend,— You ask me what is " Modernism," and what 1 -think of it. I will an•swer your question in the Siocra.tic anipthiod W ask ~ ing you another. What is appendicitis, and what do you think of it? You tell me that appendicitis is a disease in the human body of a rudimentary organ which seems to serve no purpose but that of finding work for the surgeon's knife, and 1 you will add that appendicitis is no new disorder, but only a new name for an old one— for typhlitis, perityphlitis, etc. _ Now I will answer your question. Modernism is a disease in the Christian organism of members whose only excuse for being in the body is that they may be expelled from it, and let me add that " Modernism " is not a new malady, but only a new name for scepticism, naturalism, rationalism, etc. As appendicitis, unless got rid of by manual" operation, world cot infrequently prove fatal to human life, so, too, " M<x^ ernism," unless treated surgically, might easily poison the very springs of spiritual life. Be sure of this :■ that the "Modernism" condemned by Pius X. in his Encyclical is a- far worse evil than appendicitis. _ It is a canker that would eat into the life itself of Christianity.' Golden Jubiiees The Right Rev. Dr. Graham, Bishop of Plymouth, and the Right Rev. Dr. Johnson, Bishop of Arindela,

the igolden jubilee of whose priesthood "occurred on December 19, have been the recipients of many cordial congratulations (says the ' Catholic Times '). It. is somewhat singular that the two jubilarians have been associated with the episcopal labors of members of the Vaughan family. They could have had nofiner example of untiring acti 'ity, for the late Bishop of Plymouth and the Cardinal-Archbishop of Westminster were always about their Master's business— always building up the Church. The tradition which Dr. Vaughan established at Plymouth has been faithfully maintained by Dr. "Graham. E\cr since his consecration not only has he displayed high administrative ability, but his energy has won, the admiration of all who have come into contact with him. As for Bishop Johnson, his name is imperishably linked with those cf the Archbishops of Westminster, men of light and "leading, to whom' his help and advice ha-\e been invaluable. We trust the- jubilaxians will long be snared to adorn the Episcopate and ,to continue the useful work they have' performed so well and in such an unselfish spirit. FRANCE— Death of a Cardinal Uhe death is reported of Cardinal Richard, Archbishop of Paris, who passed away at the age of •89 years. Honored by the Holy Father -'•ape Pius X. has honored Francois Copee, who is seriously ill, with a kindly and appreciative message. ' The Holy Father,' telegraphs the Cardinal-Secretary of State, ' much a.ffected and recalling the services rendered to truth by your intelligent apostolate and to virtue by your example, blesses" you with fatherly affection.' — ' A Strange Story A remarkable story has just been told In. a French law court by the Abbe Toiton. It is to the. effect' that the French Premier was not long since- the founder of a Catholic newspaper which the rev. gentleman edited. The Abbe's tale is that ...one day he met an. exSecretary of. the Minister of Education, M. Bri a nd, who entered into conversation with him on .the religious situation in France, and especially on the' Law of Separation. The ex-Secretary rointed out thatM. Clemenceau and the Gouerrment required support, and suggested that the Afolbe should establish a journal to give them assistance. The Abbe had no money, and the ex-Secretary adwsed him to see the Premier upon the question of resources, , recommending at the same time that the proposed new paper should be conducted on strictly orthodox lines, so that it might exercise amongst the Catholics an "influence useful to the Government. M. Clemenceau, when the Abbe waited on him, gave his approval to the proposal, "and promised to furnish the Abbe with ten thousand francs per month to enable him to carry it out. The Abbe on receiving the first month's instalment started 'La .France Catholique, ' a copy of which was sent to every parish priest in France. But when the cultual associations were re.ected by the Holy Father and the Bishops the journal collapsed for want of funds, and M. ' Clemenceau refused to supply further financial aid.- The ' Osservatore Romano ' asserts that the Abbe's statement is in substance undoubtedly correct. * GERMANY — Persecuting the Poles __ The order of the Governor-General of Poland , suppressing the Polish School Society has prc-oked great exasperation. During the eighteen months of its 4 existence, the Society, which has 11 6, (©0 members, has collected- about a million roubles, nnd has established, in various towns in Poland, 624 clul s, 781 Polish t schools, which are attended by 76,000 pupils, and 500 ' libraries containing 221,000 volumes. ROME— A Venerable Prelate One of the most inter esiing. figures in the Eternal City at present (writes a Rome correspondent) is the retired Bishop of Nottingham, who-, now in his 80th year, is enjoying a period of rest with the . title of Archbishop. It is the intention of Dr. Bajrshawe to remain, in the Eternal City uni'il spring, and then return to England. Tlhoupih it is not generally known, the -Archbishop is the real founder of the Little Company of Mary, inasmuch as the want, of such' an institution was recognised by him and its rules were drawn up bj r his pen,. Archbishop Bagshawe is staving in the new house of the Company, the British Nursingi. Hospital, .on the Coelian Hill, where he is visited by the chief English-speaking Catholics in Rome. A Consistory His Holiness Pius X. (says tfie ' Catholic Times') held on, Monday morning (December 16) a Secret Consistory at the Vatican, in which he created new Cardinals and preconized a number of bishops. The twenty

; Cardinals .or. so i living in . Rome, says a Reuter's tele'i gram, arrived at the Vatican about , half an hour be- : fore the time set for the ceremony, 'gathering in the ) great Hall of the Consistory! The Pontiff cane© in ? quietly on foot" dressed all in whise, surrounded by his - v usual ■ attendants and followed by Noble and Swiss . Guards. After greeting those assembled,' his Holiness * seated himself on the throne, and the long ceremony " of kissing his hand each in turn by all present began]. 'I When this was over the Master of Ceremonies cleared ,» the hall of all except the Cardinals. These formali- "' ties over, the business of the moment was proceeded '' with. The Pope in -his Allocution recalled the tena- '* cious persecution of the Redeemer- which now pursued ; His Church, which Avas attacked from all sides by open ** or dissembling assailants. Her rights and laws, said.. 1 his Holiness, were trampled on even by those who • should safeguard, them, while an impious and vulgar ; press waged war upon her, even going to the length of . disturbing public peace, as recently occurred in Italy. •■ To this must bemadded the disastrous propaganda " in ' the bosom of Catholicism 'itself, which was carried on - by Modernists who disdained the Pontifical authority. • If the Modernists frankly enlisted among the enemies - • of the" Church, the evil would be less, while' as it was they proclaimed themselves Catholics and approached • the Sacraments and celebrated Mass. In accomplish- - . ing his apostolic duty the Pope took the necessary • - measures against them, aiming especially at. saving the - * young clergy from perversion. The Episcopacy had greeted the Papal directions with eagerness and was carrying them out with great zeal, but the Modernists persevered in their rebellion, giving manifest proof of it even in the press. Might God enlighten those who were being misled. The new Cardinals appointed were Monsignor Pietro Gasparri, Secretary of the Congregation of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affia'irs ; Monsiginor De L.ai, Secretary of the Congregation of the Council ; Monsignor Ludovic Henry Lucon, Archbishop of Rheims; and. Monsignor Paul Pierre Andrieu, Bishop of Mar-, seilles. GENERAL Fundamental Doctrines : The 'Pall Mall. Gazette,' referring to the Holy Father's recent Allocution, says ' ' Plain men— if they happen to be Christians, whether Caitholic or Protestant—should be grateful to Plus X. for his out-spoken condemnation of views which are incompatible with belief in the historical truth of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith.' A Loss to the West Indies The English Province, of the Dominicans has suffered a severe loss In the West Indies by the death of - the . Very Rev, Father Thomias Greenoufrh, recently VicarGeneral and representative of the English Provincial in Grenada. For over thirty years Father Greenough had done hard and zealous work in Trinidad. After a sojourn of a few years in England, .he was sent as; head of the mission to Grenada when the island was handed over by Propaganda to the spiritual care of the Engrlish Dominican Province. - Irish Saints in Bavaria ; . • A Catholic Congress was recenily held in the city "of, Wurzfaurg, in Bavaria., One characteristic of Wurzburg is the strong faith that prevails in it, and when it is considered that Christianity was preached there by Irish • missionaries that condition of things. is what . would _na- . turally be expected. A few years ago (says a correspondent in the Dublin •' Freeman's Journal '), making a 1 visit to that Bavarian city, on reaching the station, I *. wag ; surprised and delighted " to" see, surrounding a gran- ~ doise fountain in 'the"' great square between the station \ and" the city", a cplossal ' bronze statue of the Irish mis- ; sionary, St. Kilian, arrayed in the robes of a Bishop < with mitre and staff, crowning this splendid fountain. x "Within the city itself a series of, memorials of him "arid ] his companions— Saints Colonan and Tolnan— are freq uently to be seen, and in . one of the great churches ; their bodies 'are shrined in a magnificent tomb. The \ people,, too, have adopted the names of these saints, es-. 4 pecially of St. Kilian, as Christian names, and this i£ ; common enough throughout Bavaria. When, an Irishman > sees s'ueh ' evidences of the work achieved by Irish .; missionaries in foreign lands, and the honor paid to \ them, he is not likely to be affected with pessimism. \ And the thougiht is borne in upon one's mind to-day ', that, in all probability, the warmth of Christian devotion t and the stiengbh! of faith tmay.,bte largely attributed to the . fact that the foundations of the faith were laid in this dist' trict,, around the wide-flowine; Mam, by Irish saints, v They were martyred in the cause of Christianity ; but ", here, as in so many other lands the blood of the r.ar- ' tyr& became the seed_ of the Church.