The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 25 January 1912, Page 47

The Catholic World

CANADA

CHURCH STATISTICS. Canada had in 1800 but a single diocese, with 160,000 Catholics; now it contains 2,250,000, 20 Bishops, 9 Archbishops,. 3 Catholic universities, and 32 seminaries. There are 28 religious Congregations of men and 60 of women.

ENGLAND

REPLANTING THE FAITH. ; The Bishop of Northampton in his Advent Pastoral says’:—Now during the period [thirty years] the number of Catholics [in the diocese] has almost doubled, having risen from 7462 in 1880 to 14,725 in 1910, Small as our numbers still are, this increase of cent, per cent in thirty years is remarkable, and I believe unique, in one important feature. It is almost entirely accounted for by conversions, which total no less than 5818 souls out of the 7263 added to the Catholic population of the diocese during the period under review. It is extremely doubtful whether any other diocese can show anything approaching such a proportion. Moreover, the work of conversions has not been intermittent. It has been steady and progressive, i ising fre ra' an average of about 160 a year in the eighties and nineties; passing the 200 in 1896; and reaching a maximum of 306 in the year 1910.’

INDIA

PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. The details kindly supplied by the 41 Catholic missions of these countries for the Catholic Dii ret or y of India now in the press enable us {Catholic Herald of India) to submit the following statistics for 1911, the, increase per cent, for ten years being in parentheses; —Catholicslndia, 2,103,636. (13.5); .Burma, 88,447 (58.6); Ceylon, 322,163 (13.0). Priests—--2554 (8.3); Burma, 105 (20.45) Ceylon, 229 (37.9). Churches and chapels— 4914 (16.5);. Burma, 478 (118.3) Ceylon, 712 (17.3). Colleges and schools —lndia, 3230 (17.35); Burma, 144; Ceylon, 725 \37.5). These figures are cheeking and encouraging, and the reader will forgive their apparent dryness for the sake of definiteness. The increase of 13.5 per cent, of the Catholics of India compares favorably with that of 7 per cent, of the whole population in the same decade ; while that of Burma is remarkable. In Ceylon both Catholics and all others have increased 13 per cent.

FRANCE

STATE AND CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. The statistics just published by the Ministry of Public Instruction should constitute a great encouragement to French Catholics, and, stimulate them to yet more strenuous efforts to combat the anti-religious propaganda, of masters and mistresses employed in the State primary educational establishments (says the Paris correspondent of an Irish paper). The statistics which for the most part do not go beyond the end of 1910 —demonstrate clearly that the interdiction of a number of anti-religious and anti-patriotic text-books used in many Government primary schools had had even at the end of 1910 most salutary effects, and that during 1911 the religious revival, and consequently the opposition to Materialist theories, has gone on rapidly 'C gaining strength. The figures show that if the population of the State primary schools has increased, that of the free Catholic establishments has augmented more considerably. At the end of 1910 the number of x public schools in France and Algeria had within, twelve months risen from 71,269 to 71,491, and ±he number of pupils attending them from 4,064,559 to 4,135,886, making a gain of 222 schools and 71,327 ( pupils. It is , necessary ■to point out* that, this increase' in the number of pupils was, to at least some extent, swollen

by the law which raised by one year, the age at which the, pupils of State educational establishments collide present themselves at „ the examinations for the certificate of primary education, •#■ However, - as that" law applies also to the pupils attending private schools it is permissible to compare the augmentation with that of the Catholic establishments. During, the : ,same , period the number of private (Catholic) establishments of primary education in France 1 and Algeria rose from 14,298 to 14,428, and that of the pupils attending them from 933,749 to 960,712. The gain was consequently 130 schools and 26,963 pupils. Therefore in one year the number of public,; schools increased 3,10 per 1000, and that' of the pupils attending them 17.26 per 1000, while the private schools augmented 9 per 1000 and the number of pupils attending them 28 per 1000. That result is undeniably very satisfactory, especially when it is ; remembered the State' schools are supported by the public treasury, and that the Catholic schools can depend on nothing but voluntary contributions. ' " ■

ROME

CARDINAL LOGUE RECEIVED BY THE HOLY FATHER. ' Though the great public functions connected with the creation of new Cardinals at the centre of Christendom have concluded (writes a Rome correspondent),< his Eminence. Cardinal Logue (attended by his chaplain, Rev. Michael Quinn, Adm., Armagh) still remains in Rome for the transaction of various important matters connected with the Church... Amongst the subjects discussed ,by his Holiness Pope Pius X. when granting an audience to Cardinal Logue recently the subject on which his Holiness made, perhaps, most interested inquiry was the working of the new regulations relating to the ; First Communion of children in Ireland. Pius X. was extremely pleased to hear of the immense numbers of little children who now in organised sodalities were receiving Holy Communion devoutly at regular periods. Cardinal Logue presented his Holiness with the Armagh Archdiocesan Peter’s Pence collection, amounting to over £7OO. Rev. Michael Quinn, Adm., Armagh, was also received by his Holiness in audience immediately after . the Cardinal. In view of recent unauthorised rumors regarding the Pope’s health, it is interesting to know that on ' the occasion of Cardinal Logue’s audience' his Holiness, despite the fatigue incidental to such v an occasion as the great public Consistory through which he had just passed, looked extremely well and quite strong.

SPAIN

THE PREMIER GAINS EXPERIENCE. Experience of : power has taught Senor Canalejas useful lessons. . There, has been an orientation in his policy. He ’no longer believes that there is wisdom in conciliating extremists such as; Senor Lerroux. At a banquet in Madrid on November. 23 ihe . proclaimed his determination to resist them to the last. Whilst he professed. Liberal principles, he is,, he declared with emphasis, a lover of law and order, and is resolved to defend at any cost the rights of the monarch who gave him his confidence, and of the State. A revolution had been organised By plotters beyond the Pyrenees in union with Spanish Republicans and Socialists, and to suppress it he had to suspend the Constitutional Guarantees. He would do the same thing again if the necessity.. arose. The Premier . (remarks the Catholic Times) is well aware how much of the success of the monarchists at the municipal, elections was due to the Conservatives who joined in the coalition against the Republicans, and he was careful to let them know that the Liberals will preserve the necessary ties’ with them. He disclaimed, too, the wish to persecute the religious Orders. He promised that when the Cortes are reopened in the early days of the New Year he will put forward an extensive programme of social reforms. If he keeps this promise he may retain his position at the head " of- the Government for a considerable • period longer. -