Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 2 June 1910, Page 863

Notes

King Edward Reminiscences In a finely written article on ‘ Catholics and Loyalty,’ which we find in the columns of the Melbourne Tribune, Mr. Benjamin Hoare recalls some incidents showing the late King’s kindly feeling towards Catholics which may be new to many of our readers. ‘Contrast again,’ he says, in the course of the article, ‘ another action of the late King with that of Queen Victoria. During her reign the hierarchy was restored to England, and Cardinal Wiseman was appointed first Archbishop of Westminster since the Reformation. When he came to take possession of his See, in 1860, all the fury of Protestant England was up in rebellion. Press and Parliament poured out their vials of wrath on the unfortunate Catholics, who were only asking to receive the ministrations of their religion. In the united protest from the bishops to the Queen this passage occurs: We make our humble petition to your Majesty to discountenance, by all constitutional means, the claims and usurpations of the Church of Rome.” Twelve months last October the great Eucharist Congress was held in London, and, as in 1850, a -band of professional bigots and strife-mongers endeavored to prevent the celebration. A petition was prepared for the King, but the King found some excuse for a cruise on the Mediterranean, escaped the petition, and gave the fullest liberty to the Congress. Hence, for the first time since the Reformation, a Papal Legate set foot on English soil, and for the first time for over three hundred years our Lord in the Blessed Eucharist was honored in the centre of Protestant England. To the kindly feeling of the late King towards Catholic worship we owe the success of the Eucharistic Congress.’

Mr. Hoare sees more than appears on the surface in the incident of the late King's visit to Lourdes. ' There is another fact,' he says, ' even later than the Congress which adds to our debt of gratitude to Edward VII. You will remember within the past three weeks how we were :n----formed by cable of the King's visit to the great shrine of our Blessed Lady at Lourdes, and his attitude there. He was staying at Biarritz, in the south of France, evidently fighting at its incipient stages the disease which conquered him. And while there visited Lourdes, and remained uncovered during a procession which he witnessed. I have had the good fortune of travelling over that very ground from Lourdes to Biarritz, and am in a position to speak with some authority on the subject. It does not look like a mere accident that the King went to Lourdes while a great pilgrimage was there. Nor does it seem a chance that his visit was timed to give him an opportunity of seeing the marvellous display of faith and devotion on such occasions. I may tell you that, on the occasion of a pilgrimage, there are two processions every day— at three in the afternoon, and another at night. The procession in the afternoon, which the late King witnessed, is a procession of the Blessed Sacrament. None but men take part in this, and I saw eight thousand men walk in that procession. The action of the King in remaining uncovered during that procession was an act of reverence to God, which amounted to an act of faith. . . After drawing a parallel between the action of. the late King and that of the centurion in the Gospel, Mr. Hoare remarks: ' And who can tell but that act of reverence, which I would be inclined to call an act of faith, won for the late King that approval which Christ bestowed on the centurion.'

'Just another incident, '* Mr. Hoare continues, 'which is so human, and shows us that Edward VII. not only respected our faith, but was kind to those who represent that faith. Some three years ago, when the religious were being driven out of France, their dowries confiscated, their homes plundered, many fled from Catholic" France to Protestant England for protection. One afternoon the late King was passing a country railway station, and noticed a group of ladies in religious habit. He asked the station-master who were those ladies, and where was their destination Being told they were exiles from:■ France, and that the last train for the day had gone before they

arrived, the King said " Wire at once to the centre for a special train, take these fugitives to their homes, and send the account to my financial secretary.” . Had any of us a sister among those strangers in a strange land would we ever forgot that generous and humane act?’