The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 15 December 1910, Page 2075

The Catholic World

BELGIUM—No Workhouses In Belgium, which is about the most Catholic country in the world, there are no workhouses, the convents taking care of the sick, the aged, and the orphans So lather Cobb informed the Manchester branch of the Catholic J ruth Society, and he further stated that Belgium was the most prosperous country in the world. Its people were probably the most industrious, and certainly the most happy and contented. CHINA—The Catholic Church The latest statistics of the Church in the Chinese Empire, including Mongolia and Thibet, announce 1,210,000 Chinese Catholics and 390,000 catechumens. These are under the care of 45 Bishops, 1424 European and 631 native priests. In Korea there are 68,000 Catholics, under the care of a Bishop, 47 European and 10 native priests. PORTUGAL—An Authoritative Denial The statement that Sister Tipping, one of the English nuns expelled from her convent in Lisbon during the Revolution, committed suicide by jumping out of a window, has now been authoritatively denied. She died in hospital, as a result of the maltreatment inflicted on her by the revolutionaries. A Lucky Escape Father Lourenco de Mattos, the eminent director of the Lisbon journal, Portugal, whose assassination was announced, managed to escape from the wreck of his paces. As the chiefs of the revolution had issued an order tor his arrest, the good news of his safety was held back by Ins friends until he had reached , Spain. Cowardly Action of the Government Wild and fierce as were the deeds of the French Communists, we (Catholic Times) begin to feel respect for them when we receive accounts of the proceedings of the present cowardly and cruel Portuguese Government. The French Communists gave way without restraint to passion, but, after all, they were men. They did not delight m petty brutalities like the wretched creature Alfonso Costa, to whom Fate in a spirit of derision has for the moment given the post of Minister of Justice in Portugal. In 0 Seevlo we read how on the previous morning at six clock, by Costa's order, a number of Jesuit Fathers were subjected to the process of anthropometric measurements. Four of them had been set at liberty twenty-four hours previously and ordered to leave Portuguese territory. They had taken their tickets by the South Express. _ but Costa did not wish to lose the opportunity of treating them ignominiously once more, and they were re-arrested. ''With other Jesuit* Fathers they were compelled, like rotrups and vagabonds, to go through this base form of humiliation in order that they might be recognised by the police if they returned to the country. Their measurements and digital imprints were taken by one of Costa's tools, a Dr. Valladares. The representative of 0 Seculo, a disgrace to journalism, exhausts his vocabulary in sneering and mocking at their personal appearance, and then proceeds to write in the same style of nuns whom he Ins -""'sited ; n company with Costa's minions. The thought these vile outrages suggest is that there is no manliness amongst the Portuguese, for if there was any they would not tolerate them. From the first there has been amongst the Portuguese Republicans a fierce determination to inflict the greatest possible damage on the Church. The outrages on the nuns and the clergv have been so brutal and shameful that even these bitter anti-clericals were ashamed of them. They arranged that false reports should -be circulated attributing the cause of the harsh treatment of the clergy to bomb-throwing by the priests or their agents. _ Telegrams of correspondents of foreign journals asserting this falsehood were despatched; those intended to make outsiders acquainted with the conduct of the revolutionists towards the nuns and monks were suppressed. But the truth is out at last, and the world knows how barbarous has been the action of the Republicans. The correspondent of the Westminster Gazette has told in plain terms how the campaign was carried on, and how it made.his blood boil to think of the hardships inflicted on the innocent and defenceless nuns, and even on the children who were their pupils. Last week a correspondent, writing from Portugal, stated that the conspirator Borges, in whose rooms some hundreds of bombs were lately found, has been appointed chief of the police. Does this large simply of bombs reveal the secret of the bomb-throwingif there was bomb-throwing—-from presbyteries and monasteries? ROME—Mayor Nathan's Attacks Condemned

Among the many meetings held these days in Germany to condemn the conduct of the Jewish Mayor of Rome, that of his co-religionists in Berlin is, by reason of the resolution passed there, the most remarkable. At this meeting, which was composed exclusively of Jews, persons of all other religions being rigorously excluded, a number

of rabbis attended. The following resolution was adopted:—' The assembly has learned with disdain of the attack and the insults which the Syndic of Rome, called Nathan, whounfortunately for us — of Hebrew origin, has made upon the Catholic Church and the Papacy, and it unanimously refuses to ally itself with those individuals of Hebrew origin who, under the mask of scientists, political orators, or journalists, attempt to combat religious faith.' This resolution has been published only in the Catholic Gcrmania. ■. The Chicago Israelite says of the matter: • While it is not advisable to pass judgment on any newspaper report before the details are known, this much may be taken as certain: Signor Nathan went out of his way when he criticised certain enunciations of the Pope on internal Church matters, for which there would be no justification, even if Nathan were a Catholic. A municipal officer, like any other public man, must refrain from meddling with internal ecclesiastical affairs, unless they directly affect general political questions. In this case, nothing of the kind is evident. As a Liberal, he ought to know the futility of public officers meddling with internal Church affairs, as Bismarck did in his Kuiturkampf; and as a Jew he ought to know how indelicate it was on his part to make himself the spokesman of anti-clerical sentiments. It would be 1 a very advisable step if the whole Jewish press should protest against the tactless utterances of the Mayor of Rome.' Still more significant are the utterances of the Deutche Ismelitische Zcitvng, which said: ' Even if his name is all that is left of his Judaism, he should know, nevertheless, that it is more than lack of tact for one born a Jew to meddle in the affairs of another religion, to wound deeply the religious sentiments of millions. . . When Mr. Nathan, though a non-Cath-olic, goes the length of interfering with the decrees of the Pope against Modernists, Sillonists, etc., and dares to tax the Pope with jumbling dogma and ritual and in the same breath styles himself the "modest" Mayor of Rome, he is, in all likelihood, the only man in the whole world to believe in the appropriateness of the epithet.' SPAINThe Premier's Policy Has the Spanish Premier learned the lesson taught by the Catholic demonstrations in Spain ? His tone, at least, is _ improved (says the Catholic Times). Replying to criticism of the Government's anti-religious policy', he denied that any hostility is displayed towards the Catholics. The Government's desire, he stated, was to arrive at liberty of thought step by step in agreement with Rome. If by 'liberty of thought' Senor Canalejas does not mean licence for the anti-clericals to persecute' the Church, it ought not to be impossible for him to bring the negotiations with the Holy See to a successful issue. We feel sure that the Holy Father will be ready to make every reasonable allowance for the difficulties by which the Premier is surrounded. The Pontiff recognises that Senor Canalejas has a great number of bitter opponents, that many of his own followers have little sympathy with his monarchical principles, and that Senor* Lerroux and his friends would fain bring throne and Church alike to ruin. if or all this Pius X. is prepared to make allowance, and if the Premier really desires to go forward step by step in agreement with Rome, there is no reason why he may not hope to discover a satisfactory solution of all the problems affecting the relations between Church and State. But the question whether Senor Canalejas is reallv anxious for an understanding with Rome still remains doubtful

UNITED STATES—Cardinal Logue's Impressions

Replying to an address of welcome on his return to Armagh from America, Cardinal Logue said that in New York they had had a most important ceremony, the consecration of St. Patrick's Cathedral, the great work which had been commenced by Irishmen and finished most beautifully by a child of their own diocese, his great friend Archbishop, Farley. The display at the consecration of that great edifice was such as would gladden the heart of any Catholic who had the good fortune to witness the splen T did ceremony. One fact proved how generously and earnestly the people of St. Patrick took up God's work when it had to be done. Some three months before the Cathedral had been consecrated the building had been one and a halt million dollars in debt; and, of course, it could not be consecrated until it was free of debt. Notwithstanding this, the date was fixed,' and in the course of the short time which followed before the consecration the people had made up the necessary amount, one good Irishman himself subscribing 20,000 dollars, or £SOOO. He had been in a state of exultation and delight from the beginning to the end of his visit to New York. He had been delighted because the Archbishop, who was a very good friend of his had had the satisfaction of seeing that great undertaking started by one Irishman, and continued bv three others' brought to a state of perfection without a single penny of debt, so that no person could have a claim on it in the future. There were other things which he had seen tn bring delight to the heart of a. Catholic. He had noticed that their l people held very high and leading positionsand that almost all the high positions were filled by Cath' ohes, and that those who held them were either Irish born or of Irish descent. He had also noticed that the men of Irish descent were even more enthusiastic Irishmen than those who had been born in Ireland. They were doing a

great work for the Church there, particularly in the education of the young people. They had founded magnificent schools, which were under the management of the Sisters of Charity and of the Christian Brothers. Needless to say, he had been delighted with the grand provision they had made for the education of the youth of the country. The parochial schools were the crown of the Church in America. He had visited many of these schools, and had been delighted to see the magnificent manner in which they were conducted.