The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 24 September 1908, Page 31

The Catholic World

CANADA-— Tercentenary Celebrations '^' 1c celebrations at Quebec are over, and one comment- oh them by the Daily Telegraph merits' chronicling. ' The province of Quebec, "it says, ' is one of the most intensely -Catholic portions of the -world, and from the beginning of the British occupation the authorities of > that .Church have displayed an - exemplary spirit of loyalty. Their influence over their flocks has played not the least part among the factors which have helped "to maintain the liberty and .security of Canada. All the august ceremonial of the Catholic faith has been invoked to bless and sanctify all the acts of patriotism which have taken place during the Champlain Tercentenary. Last Sunday, for instance, Solemn High Mass was celebrated upon the Plains of Abraham in the presence of a great congregation. These are the main facts which must be grasped if the real meaning of the scenes during the Prince of Wales 's visit is to be realised. Unselfish and wise as was the co-operation of the Other , provinces, the celebration of the founding of Quebec was above all the. festival of French-speaking Canada, >et in no part of the territories of the King could a more lo^al reception have been prepared for the Heir to the Throne.' ENGLAND— Presentation to Father Benson The Rev. Father R. H. Benson, M.A., has been presented with a monstrance and a number of private gifts by the members of the congregation of Our Lady and the English Martyrs, Cambridge, on the occasion of his departure from the city. The Very Rev. Mgr. Barnes, M.A., chaplain to the Catholic undergraduates at the University, was chairman of the presentation committee, and the Right Rev. Mgr. Scott, who made the presentation, expressed his personal regret and that of his flock _ni losing the services of Father Benson. Catholic Trade Union Delegates The following message was sent to Pope Pius, X. by the Conference of Catholic trade union delegates meeting in .Manchester on August I:—': — ' This conference of representative Catholic trade union delegates, under the auspices of Salford Diocesan Catholic Federation asserting Catholic principles on education, send expressions of loyally to Holy See and beg Apostolic Bentdiction. — E. Riley, chairman.' They have received the following acknowledgment :--' Holy Father thanks you your telegram conveying expression loyalty Catholic trade unionists. Willingly imparts members conference Apostolic blessing.— Cardinal Merry ck-1 Val.' * Catholic Young Men's Societies The annual conference of the Catholic Young Men's Society of Great Britain was opened at Coventry on August 2, and attended by 300 delegates. The Rev. W. J. Sparrow (Liverpool) set forth Catholic claims on education, and Mr. Alooney (Preston)- spoke on Socialism. In the evening a public meeting was held, when an inaugural address was given by the Very Rev. John Norris, of Birmingham. He expressed the belief that in the near future the Catholic Church would have a larger field of action in English-speaking countries than she had since the Reformation, for between the Tractarian movement and the modern spirit of Rationalism and Materialism the heart of Protestantism was being eaten out of it, and soon the choice of the English people would lie between the Catholic Church and nothing. A resolution' was • passed demanding denominational teaching in Catholic schools. Catholic Record Society Since it was founded four years ago, the Catholic Record Society has performed a most useful function in transcribing, printing, and indexing many old documents, chiefly personal and genealogical, since the Reformation. Though established and carried on by Catholics, this organisation is interesting to every student of history, since it has been found that all notable families -.which can be traced back six or seven generations have had Catholic members among them; and, therefore, Catholic records Mr. Joseph Gilknv, the society's recorder, had undertaken to annotate the Lancashire part of the Recusavt List of 1667 for the. second volume of the current year, but ill-health— from which he has now- apparently recovered— impeded tlfe progress of this work. Lord Burghley's map of Lancashire, 1590, annotated by Mr. Gillow,- has been reprinted with a special index. ITALY— Significant Statistics " ' Statistics justjjublished (writes a. Rome correspondent) show that scvcnty-fwTper cent, of the pupils in boarding schoois for

girts in -Italy are- in, schools conducted by nuns, some eighteen pcr ;_cent/tin institutions .mJEnaged^y^ivate/idy ieacffef£Vas seven per cent, in -Government- institution;/ . This remSrtobleenqugh, but even this, proportion is , exceeded hi the case '"of extern pupils. . Of these, convent schools have "eighty "percent private schpojs- nip c _.Rcr, cent., and^Govprnnieqtr^hooljt eleven per cent. There is only one explanation for theW figures. They do not. refer to any one ' particular place: ' 'They indicate the firm conviction of an -intelligent people, who. are amongst the nrst ,n the world in affection and sojicitude for the welfare of their children.' and besought, and lectured, and coerced by Liberal Governments and anticlerical Ministers of Education, with a vie.w to have their ch.ldren withdrawn from convent schools, but'italian fathersand mothers prefer the intelligent and conscientious up-bringing of the Sisters to (he upttdsdate methods "of . the < prof essWessc! ' Many of these. latter are of the type that made itself most heard in the recent ' Italian Women's ' Congress.' If is ,- worth .mentioning that the private educational institutions; mentioned ' in the percentages given, exist principally in places not possessing the advantages of a convent school.- A goodly fraction of them is made up of those proselytising institutions;- supported by English and American money, which one finds in so many parts of Italy. These zealous subscribers do not seem "to be al>Up f tp grasp the simple truth, that it is almost impossible for a*"no*nCathohc Italian to believe in any other form of Christianity., , .;- ROME— Cardinal Gibbons :.-K;: .-K; 7~ His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons, of Baltimore," was received m private audience by the Pope on August i. The Pontiff was most cordial and affectionate, and held his guest in conversation for a long time. The audience with the Pope lasted one" hour. Speaking of the changes made recently, in the organisation of thRoman congregations, Cardinal Gibbons expressed his admiral tion for the activity of the Pope. In rC p| y the Holy Father said : Uu and I are of the same age, and we arc still quite young. . Missions to Non-Catholics Rev. Father A. P. Dpylc,>f the, Apostolic Mission House, \\ ashington, having been received -in audience by the Holy Father, had a long interview with Cardinal Merry del Val on the results of his work. When Father Doyle mentioned the recent action of Archbishop Bourne in sending Father Vaughan to the Mission House to prepare for the work in England, the Cardinal said-Y es ; I have read in the English papers of what Archbishop Bourne has done, and the project commends itself to me as a most feasible way of putting new life into- the movement for the conversion of England. The choice of Father \aughan for the work is a most happy one. I know 'him well and- he has all the qualities (hat arc most apt to. secure the best results. This mission work was very close to' the heart of Cardinal Vaughan in' his latter years, but he "had noVsfreVikth to carry out his plans completely. To Father • Vaugnarl, however, has fallen the providential role of carrying to." ultimate success the projects of 'his .uncle, the Cardinal t' .jfi' S'a Vaughan, and he has inherited qualities' of mind and he'aYrthlt will ensure success in the working.' A Touching Audience ' -- -; There was an interesting and touching spectacle in l^e Sala £?50l V2 Cr m?rn '^ (Wr? " tCS "3" 3 - RR ° mC corrcs P^dent), when the Holy Father entered to meet the Rev. Mother Provincial and the community of the Litile' Sisters of the Poor, who, with over 100 of the old men-,and>-of the old. women *f .their institution. had assembled to be received in audience. At the sight of his Holiness, who was accompanied by Monsignor Bisleti, with some of the Chamberlains and Noble Guards, all broke forth in shouts of joy, and clapping of hands, and silence was restored only by a sign from the Holy Father after he had stopped for a few moments, and-.-smilingly gazed at the -old .people The Pontiff then wenf rotfnd the hall, "giving each the" ring to W and addressing them in kirdly words. Afterwards two of theold men approached the throne on which the Holy Father had now sea t ed hi lf ornamented ** the symbol of the Pope's patron, St. Joseph; the other read an' address expressing *tho joy and consolation all. the mnjates felt at that happy moment, . presenting their' homage an^congrafohitions on the sacerdotal jubilee^ his. .Holiness,' and, asking: thePapal Benediction for the Sisters and all the poor sheltered by them m their various institutions throughout thij wortdr -\\ The Holy Father ~ .~ ] ~ *„- T- „ Pope Pius X (says the Catholic IFcefc^completed the fifth year of his pontificate on August 4, and. the occasion brought

him countless teidgirams and letters of -congratulation from all parts of the world. The five years . that have' elapsed since the day .in igo3.,wheri Cardinal Sarto'-set out, -with, a return ticket, from Venice, for the Conclave at -Rome have been full of great things- for the. Church and, of. great surprises for the enemies of the Church. It is now universally felt that the barque of Peter is being steered, through troublous and dangerous waters by as sure; and- steady, a hand as' ever held the helm. Eventhe French Government, has come to- feel, if not-' to acknowledge, as much, and, without doubt, the Modernists will come .-to fed it very soon. " " ' - GENERAL A 'Memorial ' The Maronttes have -placed a gigantic statue of Our Lady on the mountain of Lebanon, to commemorate .the fiftieth anniversary of the publication, ,of the dogma of the Immaculate Con- " ception. A -secondary purpose of the monument is the commemoration of theFope's Jubilee. The idea was originated by* the Patriarch -of " the Maronites and the late Mgr. Duval, Apostolic Delegate in Syria.