The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3, 21 January 1909, Page 111

The Catholic World

CHlNA— Praise for Catholic Missionaries Speaking at the annual meeting of the .Homo Missions in the Seymour Street Methodist Church, ' Belf ast, on November 30, Sir Robart Hart said that among' other missionaries he had a great deal to do with • the Catholics. In Ulster it might not be orthodox for him to refer to them in terms of praise, but- they' taught the elements of the knowledge of the true God, and he must say they went about their work with, wonderful self-sacri-fice. The work which the Catholic, missionaries did" amongst: the Chinese poor ,w,as admirable. . It was a pity "in regard^ x . to the Protestant missions that there was so much difference, in their tenets, because when the Chinese saw this difference they became puzzled in finding out where the truth lay. Having, been brought "up in Confucian morals, the Chinaman had his own ideas of duty. — / ENGLAND — A Generous Benefactor At the half-yearly meetings of the Council of St. Joseph's Foreign Missionary Society, the Rev. Father Henry, Superior-General, stated that a most generous benefactor of the Foreign Missions, Major Knight, had placed at the disposal of their society a house, with land, in Devonshire, as a sanatorium for old and sick missionaries. The house is charmingly situated in its own grounds, about a mile from a small market town, and within six miles of the sea ; in fact, it is an ideal spot for a sanatorium. There arc fifteen or sixteen rooms in the house, which is in capital order and repair-, and excellently well furnished. Two Fathers had been in occupation since August last. Catholic Record Society The late Lord Herries was president of the Catholic Rocord Society since its inauguration over four years ago, until his death on October 5. The council at its last meeting, after having passed a vote or' sympathy with Lady Herries, unanimously elected the Duke of Norfolk as thjj second president. An Apt Illustration x In the course of his speech in the House of Cony . mons on the Education Bill, Mr. T. P. O'Connor dealt with the senseless cry of ' Rome on the rates.' He said he was sorry that he was not in a position to argue this point as if he were dealing not with Catholic schools, but with Jewish schools, because the position was jpractically the same. The Jews were separated from every Christian community by an impassable gulf of dogma, but they were no more separated from the Protestants of this country than the Catholics were. In many cases the Jews had built and supported their own schools, and there was a groat analogy in their fidelity to tlioir schools under per-" secution between them and the Catholics. As their suffer? ings and convictions were similar, he contended that they ought to receive the same treatment. He did not wish to be offensive, but what would be_ said of him if he started the cry of ' Jerusalem on the rates.' . He would at oncebe told that he was using the language of bigotry ,- but he • would be quite as much justified in using that phrase as others were in using the cry of ' Rome on the rates.' One of the most high-minded men in this- country, the Chief Rabbi, said the other day he was afraid that the private and voluntary Jewish schools would disappear undor this bill, and would be merged into the national system.. FRANCE— Joan of Arc \ \ ' '*% The Congregation of Rites (states the Rome corrc- • spondent of the Catholic Weekly) has given a unanimous.' vote in favor of the miracles presented for the -Beatification of Joan of Arc. The Holy Father has approved ofthe v6te, and the ceremony of beatification will -take.- place in St. Peter's next April. At the ceremony Joan~of Arc. will bo solemnly proclaimed ' Protectress of France.' ' - ROME — Anstralian Prelates ' The Holy Father (writes a Rome correspondent) extended a cordial welcome to his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne, who presented on the occasion the Very Rev. Canon Stephens, Ballinrobe, Ireland, and Mr. Slattery, ' Mrs. and Miss Slattery, Sydney, who were travelling to Australia after a prolonged" visit to Ireland. On the fol-"-lowing morning the Right Rev. Dr. Higgins, Bishop of/ Ballarat, had a private audience with his Holiness, to/ whom he presented Mr. and Mrs. Synott, of Sydney. A visit was paid later on to the Institute of the Irish Christian Brothers by the Archbishop- of Hobart, the Archbishop ■> of Melbourne, the Bishop of Ballsfcrat, and Canon Stephens;' P.P. On departing the prelates expressed themselves

highly pleased with tho good work done by the Christian Brothers, and warmly congratulated them .on the degree of success which labor and self-sacrifice have attained. Scots College Monsignor Traser, Rector of Scot's College, Rome, gave a dinner on Sfc. Andrew's Day, at which all the English- .- speaking prelates in the Eternal City wore present. A . feature' of the jroceedings on the occasion was music by a band of pipers. The Holy Father's Episcopal Jubilee The twenty-fifth anniversary of the Holy Father's episcopal consecration will fall on November 16, 1909. Measures • sures will be taken to celebrate the event in. a suitable ■manner. With the consent of his Holiness, the Central ".".Committee which has managed the celebration of his Sacerdotal Jübilee is to remain in office for the" celebrations in "-^November next. Exhibition of Jubilee Presents .During the last week in November the gifts offered to the Holy Father as Jubilee presents by the various countries of the world were on exhibition in the Vatican Palace and were viewed by thousands of Romans andforeign visitors. - From every ipart -of • the ' globe sacred vestments, chalices; pyxes, ciboriums, monstrances, missals, and- altar requisites have- come jto- "the -"number of ' many thousands. France, Italy/ Ireland, Austria, England, Germany, Scotland, Holland, Spain, America, -Portugal, - even Africa, Australia, China, and J apan have sent offer- . "ings to the Pather of Christendom for poor churches'. At the inauguration of the exposition,- at wlijch ' -the" .Pope attended personally, after Cardinal rV..' Yannutelli.'Jiad , concluded an address to his. Holiness,'"; Pifincess^M'assimu presented to his Holiness a ■ richly-bound album containing the names of the nations and the individual cities that had contributed to the offerings. Holding the album in his right hand, the Holy Father said : 'To all these I owo special thanks, because they have acted in accordance with my wish that since they desired to make Offerings on tho occasion of my Jubilee they should present, something which would attest their homage to Jesus- in the Blessed Sac?ameiit and which would prove of benefit to poor churches. This is the second jubilee offering which has been made within a few months. The first was splendid; the second surpasses my expectations. I pray the Lord, then, to make a return for all you have done, because you have not wished to honor any person in this world; you are doing honor to Jesus' Himself.' Then Pius-X.^ after blessing the members of the committee, who have been the means of doing so nuieh to help poor churches, entered into cordial conversation with the President and returned to his private apartments. SCOTLAND — An Approaching Centenary 'The priests and people of tlte cathedral parish (writes a GlasgoAV correspondent) will shortly be celebrating the coutenary of the mission. During the passage of the century the Catholic position in the Second City has changed in a remarkable degree. A hundred years ago the Cathedral stood practically ' alone ; to-day there are Catholic churches in every district in Glasgow. A hundred years ago the Catholic population of the commercial capital - of Scotland was comparatively small and Catholics figured not at all in public life; to-day the Catholic population is roughly 200,000, and "Catholics play part in • all branches of public lifq. -The centenary of St. Andrew's >■ will have a groat deal of^ interest for the Catholics of Glas,gow. . "-...... -"- - ' "" " •'-- ".- j UNITED STATES— The. Church in New Orleans According to a press" .report .from; /*Ne\v" -Orleans, the - results of a Catholic consus' taken .theref or ■InsJOrace, Most -Rev, John J* Glennon, D.D.j- ha've -beon-made public. The figures • show > 181,549 j Catholics in "a" total -population of - 350,000. This makes New Orleans," like, St. 1 Louis, over onehalf Catholic. - - • - ' . '- , , - ' " A Talented Religious , . -^ ' Chicago University has" awarded" tho degree of Doctor of Philosophy to a Sister of .St. Elizabeth's College Convent, Morristown, N.J., on the completion of her work there as felloAv in biology in 1906. The award was made for original research in that science. An. Appreciation ' The Roman Catholic- Churcli is a thousand yoars ahead of the Protestant Church in taking care of the child. They bring the children into the Church.' So spoke Rev. S. Travena Jackson, pastor of the Arling (N.J.) Methodist Church, in addressing the Women's Literary Club "of that place at a recent meeting. '