The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 16 September 1909, Page 1471

The Catholic World

CANADA— Catholics in the West In a general way we of the East (says the True Witness) are aware that there are many tongues in the western provinces, but it is with amazement that one discovers that Catholics of the French and English tongues do not amount to 50- per cent, of the population over which his Grace of St^ Boniface rules. Briefly, there are in the ecclesiastical province 219,173 Catholics, of which 61,000 speak the French language and 31,000 confess in the sterner English tongue. There are 70,000 Ruthenians, 25,000 Germans, 15,000 Poles, 13,000 Indians, while there is a group ol" 5000 people who speak various European tongues. The strength of the German and Polish communities may best be understood when it is told that the German Catholics meet in convention in Winnipeg during the £> resent month (July), while their brothers of the Polish tongue will gather in the same city in September. The German Katholikeutag, which is a general assembly of priests and people for the purpose of discussing matters affecting their religious, moral, educational, social, and political welfare, is the second gathering of its kind held in the West. The first took place last year at Muenster, Sask. It is evident that these Polish aiid German Catholics are of a progressive character. They will be the more valuable as Canadian citizens because of the firmness of their faith. ENGLAND— The See of Salford The Right Rev. Dr. John S. Vaughan, Auxiliary Bishop-Elect of Salford, was to be consecrated m Westminster Cathedral, London, on Sunday, August 15, by his Grace the Archbishop of Westminster, provided the Bri'jf from Rome had arrived by that date. Converts to the Church Figures recently compiled (says the New York Catholic News) indicate that in the United States the Catholic Church is receiving about 30,000 converts a year. It is a pleasure to know that the convert movement is thriving in England, too. According to Father Maturin, himself a convert, in the archdiocese of Westminster alone there were about ten conversions every day, or about 3600 in the ycat This suggests a remarkable increase in the number of yearly conversions. Twelve years ago, in 1897, the number for all the dioceses of England and Wales was 8436. But last year in the one diocese of Westminster (London, North of the Thames, and the adjacent country districts) there was nearly half this total. This makes it fairly certain that if the' statistics for the other fifteen dioceses (including London, South of the Thames and the Catholic districts of Lancashire) were available, the total of twelve years ago would be proportionately increased. All for Charity The late Right Rev. Dr. Wilkinson, Bishop of Hexhatn and Newcastle, who died on April 17, aged 84 years, left estate of the gross value of £40,753. The testator leffc £1000 to the Rev. Joseph Broadhead for life, £1000 upon trust for the support of the Walsingham -mission, £1000 upon like trust for the benefit of the mission at Willington, Durham. He gave about six acres of freehold laud to the Crook mission, and the residue of his estate he left upon trust for- the maintenance and education of ecclesiastical students at St. Cuthbert's College. FRANCE— An Abbey for Sale The Abbey of Solesmes was put up to auction on July 23 by the liquidator, but as there was no offer the sale was postponed. An Intolerable Situation The hearing of the charge against Cardinal Andrieu (says the Catholic Times) has resulted as those who are. best acquainted with French legal procedure anticipated. For a pastoral pronouncement on the attitude French Catholics should adopt towards the Separation Law he has been fined the sum of £24. The fine has proved a blessing inasmuch as it has elicited from the Cardinal a declaration which is likely to induce the Catholics <f France to band themselves together in defence of their rights. To his diocesan organ, the Aquitaine, his Eminence contributes what is practically an impeachment i.f M. Briand. Tho Catholics, he affirms, were eager to livo in peace, and were holding out the olive branch, but justice was denied them, and they were harassed by the" agents of the Government. He considered that he would not oe a. faithful shepherd if he looked on unmoved whilst his flock were being persecuted. " The Cardinal felt bound in conscience to do his best for their protection, and he came : orward on their behalf upon the ground of their common rights as citizens. The situation of the Catholics of Trance is intolerable, and in this crisis their conduct should be firm and courageous. They should unite at onco md organise themselves to regain their lost liberty.' Tins s the language called for by the present state of affairs, f the Catholics of France, with stern determination, carefully plan and pursue an electoral campaign, they will soon >ut an end to M. Briands persecuting tactics.

From Bad to Worse Those who desire the restoration of religious peaoe in France (remarks the Catholic Weekly) will derive small comfort from the composition of the new Ministry. M. Briaud, while acquiring more power from, his Premiership for oppressing Catholicism, at the same, time retains his hold of that department from which persecution- of tho ' Separated ' Church has so far mainly proceeded — namely, that of ' Worship.' Moreover, as a powerful ally in his campaign of religious oppression, he takes the Home De- - partment. Thus, the policing of France, and the immediate management of petty civic functionaries in the provinces, Avill fall immediately under M. Briands control. These last form the long arm by means of which the anticlerical Jacobinism at the seat of Government makes itself felt throughout the whole of France. But it is not these | Ministerial departments which have wrought all the mischief from which the French Church is now suffering.., .The appointment of M. Doumergue as Minister of^ Instruction is ominous, for it is he who has framed the iniquitqua-,BUI which is to render practically futile the ' complaints of parents against >schpol teachers who- violate"' neutrality, especially in their oral teaching,..and .who "corrupt the "faith and morals of the children under, their charge. Probably we may not hear much of this unjust measure- until M. Briand has ' made ' the approaching elections.' While these are still pending; it will suit the Masonic policy better to dangle, as it is doing, the promise of an Old-age- Pensions Bill before the eyes of the untutored proletariate, rather than one which is to violate the natural fights of parents, and to demoralise the children of the people. ITALY— The Franciscan Order The seventh centenary of the foundation of tho Franciscan Order was to be celebrated on August 16. On that day in the yoar 1209 St. Francis gave his habit to Bernard of Qnintaval, a rich merchant, and to Peter of Catana, a Canon of the Cathedral of Assisi. The great work of St. Francis was to protest, by word and example, against the luxury and indifference of the society of his time. His example, in embracing a life of severest poverty, was all the more striking in that he was the son of a rich family, and had been reared in an atmosphere of luxury and trained in mercantile pursuits. The saint's first disciple was likewise a rich merchant of Assisi. So powerfully did St. Francis preach the gospel of poverty that at the first general Chapter of his Order, held but ten years after its foundation, more than 5000 friars were present. RUSSIA— The Largest Diocese in the World The largest diocese in the world is the archdiocese of Mohilew, which comprises all Russia outside of Poland and the vast territory of Siberia. It has about a million Catholics, fifty thousand of whom are scattered over the thirty-five million square miles of Siberia. The Archbishop resides in St. Petersburg. Until recently Siberia has never had the benefit of a canonical visitation. It was, therefore, an important event when on April 30 the Auxiliary Bishop of Mohilew set out to visit the Catholics of Siberia. It means a journey across the continent of Asia. To invoke the protection of the Almighty for the perilous undertaking a pontifical High Mass was celebrated, attended by the clergy and all the prominent Catholics of the city. A large crowd assembled at the railroad station when the Bishop, with his companions, boarded the train. The Government put a parlor car at his disposal for the whole trip. UNITED STATES— A. Missionary Cengress .One- of the admirable proposals thrown out at the recent Missionary Conference „in Washington . (says the Catholic Times) was that a world's.- Qqngress- of Catholic Missionaries should be planned for next year.- Two /priests, well acquainted .with missionary . requirements — the Y ei T Rev. Father Doyle, rector of the Apostolic JMission -House, and the Rev. Dr. Kelly, president of the Extension Society — were_,chosen to lay -down • the lines- upon "which the proceedings of the assemblage might be conducted, and now a definite scheme has been' drafted for the convention. - The Congress is. to be-hekT.on September -1, 1910, just before the opening of .the Eucharistic Corigress_ in Montreal. With the stimulus .which will be afforded by the presence <-f the Papal delegate and other prelates and priests from Europe, as Well as from the United States, it is confidently expected that the most complete success will crown the efforts of the delegates to organise the - Catholic forces for a great missionary campaign. The benefits to be derived from these international gatherings are self-evident. Catholics learn from one another how" best .to promote progress. Unsatisfactory methods of working are perceived in their true light, and backward regions are brought to the level of the advanced. Tho Pan-Missionary Congress should prove fruitful for the Church in good results.

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