THE CORONATION

New Zealand Tablet, 29 June 1911, Page 1192

THE CORONATION

AN IMPRESSIVE AND MAGNIFICENT SPECTACLE THE CELEBRATIONS IN NEW ZEALAND No language can exaggerate the splendour and the effect of the great spectacle which London witnessed on Thursday. Besides its own population, half as many millions gathered in the great metropolis to see the pageant -of the Coronation or to take part in the ceremonial at■;' Westminster, as generations have done before for 800 years. The people of England had been joined in their reverence and rejoicings by. Royal Princes and envoys from every part of the world, by representatives of venerable empires like China and Japan, by delegates from the East by the actual presence of Indian Princes with pedigrees reaching further back than the Guelphs or the Stuarts, and by representatives of the.youngest and most advanced democracies, besides ail those of alien blood who came to honor the Empire's King. ; • The decorations were on a lavish scale. For five miles of the Royal route every yard has been subjected to special adornment. There was one exception—the Mall from the Palace to the new Coronation Arch, which gives access to Charing Cross. , The north side of this long section had been lined with stands, including one of large. dimensions opposite Stafford House, which is mainly devoted to the colonials. ■; : "■ In the centre of Whitehall New Zealand's triumphal arch, designed by Mr. Prank Brangwvn, was gay with the Dominion's new coat-of-arms, capped by an Imperial crown decorated with pilasters bearing medallions of King George, Queen Mary, King Edward, Queen Victoria, Captain Cook, and Sir Joseph Ward. It was a handsome design. ; Those of the. Royal Princes and distinguished representatives who were not lodged at the Palace were accommodated in many hotels and some at private mansions, which were lent to the Crown. All these assembled at the Palace after an early. breakfast, and precisely at 9.30 a.m. the procession started for the Abbey. There were twenty-four carriages in all—fourteen in the first group, conveying the Royal representatives and their guests, ranking in precedence from front to rear. The procession consisted of five State landaus, containing members of the British Royal Family, the Schleswig Hoisteins, the Prince of Teek, Prince Henry of Battenburothe Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, the Duchess of Albany, the Duke of Connaught, the Duke of Argyll Princess Patricia, Prince Christian of Schleswig-H'olstein' and the Princess Royal. ■';..: .;;;.: :..';.!, :-.,.-

Sir J. G. Ward, who was in one of the choir stalls, was accompanied by Lady Ward, and, like Sir George Reid, wore a Privy Councillor's uniform. Mr. Fisher and : the Agents-general wore levee dress. ' ' ' ■ Imperial significance was given to the day's event by the standards of the overseas dominions, India, arid Wales, in addition to those of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The Standard of Australia was borne by Lord Northcote, New Zealand's new standard by Lord Plunket, that of South Africa by Lord Selborne, that of Canada by the Earl of Aberdeen, that of India by Lord Curzon, that of Wales by Lord Mostyn, and that of Ireland by Mr. T. P. O'Connor. : , . \', [ ';,',.. SYDNEY. Sydney was favored with fine weather for the ; Coronation festivities. At St. Mary's Cathedral Cardinal Moran addressed a great gathering. During the day the St. Mary's bell-ringers rang peals, each concluding with a Royal salute of twenty-one bells. • Cardinal Moran's Coronation sermon made special reference to the beneficence of King Edward's reign. He said the late King fully deserved the title of Peacemaker, and he hoped that King George's reign would be blessed by peace and happiness, and that he would follow in the steps of his illustrious father. DUNEDIN. The weather in Dunedin on Thursday was most inclement, and consequently the Coronation celebrations were marred to a considerable extent. ST. JOSEPH'S CATHEDRAL. High Mass was celebrated at St. Joseph's Cathedral at 9.15 a.m., and included in the large congregation were the Hibernian Defence Cadets, the (Jatholic members of the Territorial forces, and the members of the Hibernian Society. His Lordship presided at the High Mass, which was celebrated by Rev. Father Liston (Rector of Holy Cross College), Rev. Father Morkane being deacon, Rev. Father Scanlan subdeacon, and Rev. Father Coffey, Adm. master of ceremonies. The deacons at the throne were the Rev. Father Lynch (Wrey's Bush), and the Rev. lather Delany (South Dunedin). There were also present Rev. Father P. J. O'Neill, Rev. Father D. O'Neill (South Dunedin), Rev. Father Corcoran, the students of Holy Cross College, Mosgiel. His Lordship the Bishop preached the following impressive sermon:—'l desire, therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers intercessions, and thanksgivings be made tor all men; for kings, and for all that aro in high station; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all piety and chastity (1 Timothy ii, 1-2). To-day, my brethren, are joyous celebrations in every part of the British Empire and it is right and proper that all loyal and faithful subjects of His Majesty Kmjj George V. should heartily join together in duly celebrating his Coronation Day. St. Paul desired ■;. that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for kings, and for all that are in high station, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable nfe. And Tertullian tells us how the Christians of his day prayed unceasingly for all emperors, that they might have long life, undisputed empire, security at home, brave armies peace everywhere, and whatever else man may desire for his sovereign. On a day like this it is especially our duty to pray tor our Sovereign. And at the invitation of the bishops of i\ew Zealand our faithful flocks are assembling in our various churches this morning to assist at the holy sacrifice of the Map and to pray that the Almighty mav send down copious blessings on the new reign and - all the Empire. Ihe destinies of nations and their sovereigns are closely linked together. The prosperity and the happiness of the people will largely depend on the prudence and the virtue of their rulers. Hence everything relating to a sovereign should be a matter of deep interest to his subjects. And surely the Coronation of our Kinji is an event of special importance, which concerns us all most intimately. When the great and good King Edward \ 11. died a little more than a year ago, there was universal mourning throughout the whole Empire, and we felt that we had sustained an almost irreparable loss. But we have anxiously watched the : course of events since the%, and reports which have reached us lead us to hope that our King will walk in the footsteps of his illustrious father, and' merit, like him the love and reverence of all his subjects. We have heard of his liberality and generosity, of his respect for the religious convictions of his subjects. We have heard of his kindness to the little • children and the poor, and of his manifest desire that peace and goodwill should reign throughout his vast dominions. Full of hone then, regarding the future, we join most cheerfully with all our fellow-subjects spread over the Empire in giving expresocoo^inn OUr raltyand res P e ? «l homage on this auspicious occasion. We raise our voices in earnest prayer to God «k Universal; Lord and Sovereign King, and we humbly ask Him to give our King length of years and a glorious and prosperous reign Our King rules over many lands" the sun never sets on his * dominions, and many millions ,of _ people acknowledge his sway. But great as .is his-; dignity, ~" and ' magnificent as is .the position which he holds, vested with authority which we are all bound to 'reverence and reject he is yet a mortal man, depending on Him "by Whom C reign and lawgivers decree;just things." May §64 oroS him,: then, and grant him an "understanding KV jwdgl

steadfast in our loyalty to the,Empire ofs which we form a part.." We are living in a favoured land, and we enjoy an amount of liberty and prosperity which few nations can claim. We have great natural resources,; arid we are able to develop them on account of the security which we enjoy under the British flag. \, The British fleet protects our commerce, and relieves from every fear of a foreign invasion. We have, indeed, good reason to rejoice because we form a part of the great British Empire. And as the Empire is made up of parts, . we shall show our loyalty in the most practical way by true devotion to the bright land in which we live: Love New Zealand, my brethren ; it is the land of your birth, it is your home. Obey its laws; give good example and endeavour to the best of your ability to forward its truest interests. Exercise your rights as citizens, and use your influence in all social and political movements to keep them clean and right and straight. This is true: patriotism, and. it is practical loyalty. It gives me pleasure to.see here to-day so many of our your cadets and members of the defence force. We love peace, we desire and pray for universal peace, and we look upon war as one of the direst calamities which can befall a nation.J But it is by preparing and equipping our Defence Force that we shall secure a more lasting peace. I must say that I heartily approve of the steps which are being taken to drill our youth, and I trust that all our young men will join most cheerfully in this movement, and every other movement destined to promote the peace, prosperity, and well-being of your native land. "Render therefore to Ceesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Love your country, be faithful to the teachings of your Holy Church, and if you do this you will be loyal to your King and useful Members of the great Empire to which you belong.' The choir, under the baton of Mr. A. Vallis, gave an impressive rendering of Turton's Mass. " At the entrance of the Bishop, Elgar's 'Ecce Sacerdos Magnus ' was sung. The Proper of the Votive Mass of the Holy Ghost was rendered, in the liturgical chant, by two male cantors. After Mass the choir sang the ' Domine, salvum fac regem nostrum,' by Gounod, and the National Anthem was played as a concluding voluntary. Miss Mary Callan presided at the organ. The Hibernian Society, which led the friendly societies in the procession, made a very creditable display, their fine banner being a conspicuous feature of that section. The Hibernian Cadets, under Captain Hussey and Lieutenant Callan, had a fair muster, despite the., inclement weather, and looked very smart and soldier-like in their neat uniforms. CHRISTCHURCH. (From our own correspondent.). The memorial decided upon in this city by the celebration committee, of which his Lordship Bishop Grimes, and the Very Rev. Father Price, Adm., are members, to commemorate the Coronation of King George V. is the erection of a Home for Consumptives, intended for chronic cases, a fine sanitorium for curable cases being already in existence on Cashmere Hills. On Wednesday last his Lordship the Bishop, accompanied by the Very Rev. Father Price, Adm., visited the Catholic schools of the Cathedral parish, and presented the medals commemorative of the Coronation to the pupils. In the course of a brief address on the occasion, his Lordship spoke to the children on their duties to the Sovereign, and to qualify as worthy members of the citizenship of the Empire, that they, in a few years, will form an important part. After the distribution of medals the boys of the Marist Brothers' School sang ' Rule, Britannia.' National flags-were flown from the school buildings during the Coronation celebration period. There was Solemn High Mass at 10 a.m. in the Cathe-! dral on Thursday in the presence of a large congregation. The Very Rev. Father Price, Adm., was celebrant, the Rev. Father Hanrahan deacon, Rev. Father McDonnell subdeacon, arid Rev. Dr. Kennedy master of ceremonies. His Lordship the Bishop was - present in the sanctuary, and delivered the occasional discourse, which was based on Proverbs, viii., 15 and 16: 'By me kings reign and princes decreo justice. By me princes rule and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.' They were gathered together at the foot of the altar to take part in the celebrations that had such a far-reaching effect, the Coronation of their King. They were gathered together to implore God's blessing, the blessing of the, King of Kings upon the prince who was to be crowned as their Sovereign, and to pray that he should bo enabled to rule wisely and justly. In the Middle Ages the Catholic Church had played a more prominent part in the; coronations, but now with all the celebrations they must feel in a certain degree as strangers. The service and the ritual of the Coronation used at the present time in the crowning of British kings was substantially the same as that framed by the Catholic Church; It.was translated into English, and all reference to Rome and allegiance to his people and discern between good and evil" (3 Kings iii). . We are all loyal subjects,: my brethren, of his Majesty King George V. Indeed,! may say without hesitation that his Majesty has no more loyal subjects than the Catholics of this Dominion. And I may say, too, that there are not/any schools in this Dominion in which patriotism and loyalty, are more wisely inculcated than in our own Catholic

schools. ,i, From your earliest years, my brethren, you •■ have been taught loyalty to your rulers, , respect for » legitimate authority, and faithful observance of the laws. :■•" = You know your duty, and ; you obey for, conscience, sake. ■ Love for this bright and prosperous land of ours should: make us the Pope was removed, but it was practically the same. According to the Marquis of Bute, the earliest record of the service of the Coronation occurred in: 574, and of the Unction in 752, when' it was performed ,by the Archbishop Boniface,; the Apostle of Germany. ; His Lordship;. then quoted passages from the Royal Book containing the order of service, and explained the similarities and slight modifications made in the ancient service and the •present-day

ceremonies. The Investiture, he said, was of Catholic origin. There were some Continental kings who n still claimed the right to, read the Epistle as subdeacons, and the Catholic Church recognised that: right on account of the Investiture, which was held in a , way to give them priestly privileges. They should thank -.God that they lived in an Empire where the ruler was prepared to acknowledge his allegiance to God. King George-had asked the people of the Empire to pray for him in order that he should be guided to rule wisely, and it was the duty of all Catholics to pray for that blessing. One of the most prominent figures in the present Coronation would be the Duke of Norfolk, , a true and devoted Catholic, .who, had openly avowed that he was a Catholic first and an Englishman afterwards; They should follow that example and be Catholics first, letting their nationality come next. . Their first allegiance was to God, and after that to their King. Mozart's No. 2 Mass was very capably sung by the choir, Mr. Bunz presiding at the organ, and at the Offertory the ■ Veni Creator Spiritus.' The Cathedral 'bells were chimed for half an hour from 2 p.m., as being the approximate time of the Coronation. About midday the weather, which up to then was beautifully fine, became very inclement. The lengthy procession, which, however, formed up, proceeded on its way to Hagley Park, witnessed by thousands of drenched but eager spectators .along the line of route. In the procession accompanying his Lordship in his carriage were the Very Rev. Father Price, Adm., and Rev. Dr. Kennedy. In the children's procession, preceding the, main one, were included the Marist Brothers' School Cadets, the children of the Catholic '• schools, and children of Nazareth House. One of the finest sections in the procession was that provided by the Hibernian Society in regalia. 'Owing to the wet weather, the speeches at Hagley Park, which were to be given on arrival of the procession, and of which his Lordship the Bishop was one of the selected speakers, were abandoned.. At a special Imperial concert and exhibition of Empire moving pictures at his Majesty's Theatre in "the" evening, his Lordship Bishop Grimes was the selected speaker on the subject of ' Patriotism.' His Lordship defined patriotism as love of king and country; and loyalty J to the life and weli'aro of both. What patriotism exactly was was far easier to feel than to express, and he thought that the people of Christchurch gave a noble example of their, patriotism that day, when thousands and tens of thousands stood for hours in the pelting rain in order to see the Coronation procession. They realised that patriotism should be looked on as one of the noblest virtues in the human breast. Patriotism should be generous and loyal to the highest degree, and should shrink from no sacrifice. The pagans of. old actually deified their illustrious patriots, and though they made a gross error therein, yet the idea was correct— that heaven seemed to unite with earth in esteeming patriotism. All history recorded the deeds of illustrious heroes, and every nation always bowed down in homage to patriotism, because they looked on it as more valuable than gold, precious stone's, commerce, citadels, and warships. Absence of patriotism betrayed perversity of human nature. It was a virtue that ranked next to. religion, and was nobler arid more excellent when based on religious principle. They had an example, of this in King George, who, when ' his father died, declared he lost not only a devoted father, but the affectionate relations of a dear" friend and adviser, and he said it would be the earnest endeavor of his! life to follow in his father's footsteps, and he appealed to all his subjects, not only in England but in the Dominions oversea, to help him in his endeavour, and prayed that God might grant him wisdom and guidance. V\ :Vi The children of the Catholic schools ' and those cf Nazareth House were present by invitation in large numbers at His Majesty's Theatre on Friday afternoon, when a suitable selection of moving pictures, depicting the power and greatness of the Empire, were shown. ,7. .'. '}:;•"■'" .WELLINGTON.- ',.''".'. (From our own correspondent.) Masses were celebrated in all the Catholic churches in the city on Coronation Day. At, the •'■-Sacred-. Heart Basilica Rev. Father Hickson, Adm., was celebrant St. Anne's, Ven. Archdeacon Devoy; St. Mary of the Angels', Rev. Father Goggan; St. Joseph's, Rev. . Father Hurley ; St. : Gerard's, Very Rev. Father Murray . C.SS.R. ;. St. Patrick's College,' Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy.' />r ' ••••■•''" .•■■ ■.■< :>.:-; In f connection with the Coronation celebrations here the Catholic community was well represented in the pro-

cession. In the military portion St. Patrick's College, St. Anne's (Wellington South), and St. Vincent's (Te Aro) Cadets,.together with Marist Brothers' boys (Tasman street and . Boulcott". street), mustered in full force, their smart appearance and movements being favorably commented upon, whilst in the civic portion the Wellington, Newtown, Thorndon,; Hutt, and Petone branches; of the H.A.C.B. Society mustered 200 members, the largest number of any friendly society on parade. ' ; '".. ,tv ;.'' /■;'■" AUCKLAND. ~/', "'"/., y,yv .: (From our own correspondent.) <•. At St. Patrick's Cathedral last Thursday morning an immense congregation assembled to assist at High Mass a; 9.30 o'clock. The wing on the nothern side was filled : with Territorials. His Lordship the Bishop presided, Very Rev. Dean Hackett (Paeroa) and Rev. Father -Tormey (Ellerslie) being deacons at the throne. Rev. Father Wright was celebrant of the Mass, Rev. Fathers Brennan and Finn being deacon and subdeacon respectively, and Rev. Father Holbrook, Adm., master of ceremonies. Rev. Father Wientjes was also present in the sanctuary. The choir, under Mr. P. F. Hiscocks, mustered in good force, and gave an excellent rendering of Mercadante's Mass, while at the Offertory ' Domine Salvum Fac Regem,' composed by Mr. Harry Hiscocks (organist), was sung. At the conclusion of Mass Dean Hackett preached the occasional sermon. He said that there were two mighty Empires to which the Catholics in New Zealand belonged and. owed allegiance. By birth or adoption they were subjects of the British Empire, and by the. grace of God the children of a yet mightier Empire—the spiritual Empire of the Catholic Church. They were there that day at the invitation of their spiritual leaders in New Zealand to perform two things—(l) to offer sacrifice and prayer to God that the new King's reign might be marked by peace and goodwill within his gates and abroad among the nations; and that international disputes would soon be settled with pen, ink, and paper, and not by the sword and the Dreadnoughts; and (2) to pay to his Majesty the homage of their new-born Catholic loyalty. In dealing with the second duty the preacher said that it remained for them to express their new-born Catholic loyalty. He used the term 'newborn'' advisedly. Therefore, for centuries, their Catholic loyalty to the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland was such as the law required, and their Church commanded, but it ever lacked one element which no human law could enforce. It did not bear the hall-mark of the heart with which they could fortunately stamp it that day. An infamous Act of Parliament had denounced their Holy faith, and had then tested their loyalty to straining point, when it compelled every new British sovereign, on his accession to the Throne, to make a declaration under oath, whereby, his Majesty's Catholic subjects were branded as idolaters, perjurers, and equivocators. Now, after centuries'of calumny, they could offer sincerely, willingly, and lovingly to the new King their new-born loyalty. George V. was the first monarch since the Act of Settlement, of 1701, who had not to pollute his lips with the anti-Catholic phraseology of the late Coronation Oath. Another reason for their newborn loyalty was that their new King ascended the Throne when, after centuries of intrigue and political catastrophe, the beacon of a new hope appeared in Ireland's sky. In the British Empire there were fifteen millions of Catholics, a large proportion of whom were Irish Catholics. Let their final prayer that day be that the same Parliament that enabled King George to set aside the abominable antiCatholic clauses of the Accession Oath might also bring about the realisation of Ireland's hopes and ideals now in,,sight, and which forecasted the outburst of brighter and happier - days, and that Ireland would soon welcome his Majesty to her hospitable shores to preside over the opening ceremonies of her Home Rule Parliament. The service closed with the solemn ' Te Deum J and with 'God save the King as a recessional.