The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 18 April 1912, Page 55

The Catholic World

?• .. r BELGIUM . ; ;; . - DEATH : OF A RELIGIOUS.: - The death is . reported of the Rev, Mother. Marie Aloyse (Mdlle. Van Laere), Superior-General of the Sisters ,of Notre Dame, which took place at Namur on February 23. The deceased religious was in the sixty-fifth year of her age and the thirty-ninth of her religious profession. Succeeding the Rev. Mother Aimee of Jesus in 1908, . she worked indefatigably in the interests of her Order during the four years of her Generalship. In the early autumn of 1910 she went to America, where she spent more than nine months making a visitation of numerous houses in the United States: and California,.- . ~ ENGLAND DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP STONOR. ; Our Home exchanges report the death of the Most Rev* Dr. Stonor, Archbishop of Trebizond, who passed away in Rome on February 28 at the age of 82 as the result of a stroke which he had some time ago. The Most Rev. the Hon. Edmund Stonor was the third son of the third Lord Camoys, and great-uncle of the present' peer Mgr. Stonor was born at;Stonor Park, Oxfordshire, in 1831. He was educated at Oscott and at the Noble Academy, Rome, and was ordained in 1856. In the sixties he served as chaplain in the Papal Army, and was once taken prisoner by Garibaldi. He was named Private Chamberlain to Pius IX., and was appointed to the Tribunal of the Signa.ture of Justice in 1873. . Since 1886 he was senior canon of St. John Lateran, and was Dean of the Basilica, the Pope’s Cathedral Church. In 1888 he was consecrated titular Archbishop of Trebizond. He was a Knight of the Sovereign Order of Malta. RELIGIOUS PREJUDICE DISAPPEARING. An Open Letter ’ to the Right Rev. Dr, Casartelli, Bishop of Salford, contributed to the current issue of the Manchester City News by ‘ A Plain Citizen,’ affords one of many indications that prejudice against the Catholic Church is dying away in England. The writer of the letter confesses that he was brought up in an anti-Catholic atmosphere. , His Sunday school teachers instilled into his youthful mind a terror of priests, and the preachers he ‘ sat under ’ talked about the scarlet woman ’ and hurled their thunderbolts at * Rome.’ Though he is still a Protestant,.it is evident from the concluding words of the letter that his mind has emancipated itself from the anti-Catholic bias which the teachers and preachers instilled. -Addressing the Bishop, he says: ‘ I simply wish to pay you my humble .tribute as a man of piety, a man of learning, a leader in our midst who is charged with great responsibilities and is fulfilling them . with ability; I. am glad to know you even a little, and. to—meet you occasionally on non-contentious ground. In the Statistical Society and the Dante Society we can admire the man of culture , and ; forget the ;prelate. : , Devoted son of the Church as you are, you have, I think, a kindly feeling to all your fellow-men, and possess liberal views on public affairs worthy of an Englishman. We can reciprocate your feelings, - and as human kinsmen wish you well.’ \ • GERMANY HONORING FRANCISCAN FRIARS. The German Emperor has recently done honor to two Franciscan Friars, Fathers Ignatius and Gerard, 0.5.F.C., who are working as missionaries in the Caroline Islands. His Majesty has conferred the high Order of the Black Eagle upon Father Ignatius and the Order of the Grown upon Father Gerard, as a recogni-;

tion of their heroism in risking their own lives to save the lives of , others^ during an outbreak of native tribes of the island y of Ponape. Father ? Gerard, several Franciscan missionary Sisters, and a number of other Europeans were besieged for 47 days- by the fierce JokaJ tribe, which : had already, put * several Europeans toga revoltingly cruel death. It was chiefly owing to the presence of mind and 1 resourcefulness of Father Gerard that v. the little band l of Europeans I held out, in spite of terrible privations, • until, their /deliverance was effected mainly through the courage and perseverance of Father 'lgnatius.': _ \ PORTUGAL , 'f HORRORS OF PORTUGUESE PRISONS. 5 -- The . Bishop of Salford, in the March issue- of the official diocesan organ, refers to the 1 horrors perpetrated by the Portuguese Republican Government, horrors which are: only now being unveiled by the press, both Catholic and non-Catholic. The Bishop,, speaks of - the report of the special English Commission sent to investigate the state of . the Portuguese prisons. This report rivals the revolting state |of things ' during the reign of Elizabeth, or the French Terror. Dungeons in which it is impossible to stand upright, sanitary conditions which are unspeakable, food. fit . only for the refuse heap-—these are but a portion of the sufferings now being borne by hundreds of innocent men and women in the prisons of a civilised country. Nor is the state of those who are free an enviable one.; Spoliation and prohibitions render the life of the Church almost an impossibility. Bishop Casartelli says truly (remarks the Catholic Weekly ) that the knowledge of suchthings is sure to stir our hearts to compassion, -perhaps in some cases to actual charity, ■ towards our suffering co-religionists in this dire persecution, of which it need hardly be, said the daily press, with few exceptions, knows nothing. V - -• * r . _ *— ROME BROUGHT TO BOOK. v ~ On August 28, 1910, the foul Asino printed an article entitled How the catechism is taught/ in which it was related that Father Vincenzo Dulcigni, a priest of Calerno, in ; Reggio Emilia, had struck . one of the children whom he was teaching so severely, that she died shortly, afterwards as a result of the brutal treatment. The priest cited the Asino for libel, but in this country (says the Rome correspondent of the Glasgow Observer), where everything moves so fast, it was only towards the end of December, 1911, that there was any possibility .of the case being heard. In the meantime the , Asino published a second article, in which it solemnly and : pompously . announced its intention of proving , the •; facts by medical evidence. Naturally, in this second letter new abuse: and calumny was heaped upon the priest. But lately things looked so black tor the Asino that it lowered its ears and published the foliowmg act of contrition ;—/ The : undersigned ’ declare that i? ather Vincenzo Dulcigni is in no way responsible tor the death of Ercohna Bigliardi, who died of typhoid fever iv^'P a eno on June 6 , 1910, and they are sorry ; that they have written and -published .the two .articles;’ Besides this act of contrition, v the :.4smo, have declared themselves ready to pay all the expenses. Here we have another example of how clerical scandals are manufactured The Asi no .is one of the chief authorities that are often quoted for the- latest scandal against an lan ßS e si. / COU ? e -’ the calumny is spread - broadcast. But- when the Asino has been brought -to ’book and the story proved to be foul . calumny, naturally the retraction or condemnation in the Law Courts As passed over m silence by the secular press of Great Britain.

Ellerslie " ~ (From an occasional correspondent.) ; - "April 6. ' ' This morning after Mass Mr. Geo. Wilkinson presented Rev. Father Tormey with a purse of sovereigns, and in doing so spoke of the high esteem in which the people of the parish of Ellerslie held him, and . they thought it right and proper on the'occasion of his leaving to visit Ireland to make him this little gift and to wish him God-speed and a safe return. In accepting the gift, Father Tormey, in a few well-chosen remarks, .thanked them sincerely for their generosity. Since he took over the parish four years ago he had tried, with God’s help, to do his duty, and this testimonial assured him that he had been success-; ful. He thanked them from his heart also for the help they had given him. Many improvements and much progress had taken place. Now they had the convent established here, he was sure more improvements would be noticed on his return, when he hoped to find them all well, and that they would spend many more happy years together. He expected to be away about twelve'months. He again thanked them for their gift, and would ask them, now that the Sisters of the Mission were in their midst, to give them all the support they could, as they were doing a great work. The Catholics of Panmure, which also forms a part of the Ellerslie parish, presented the Rev. Father Tormey a few Sundays ago with a tangible token of their esteem, consisting of a purse of sovereigns. On Wednesday last the children of the convent entertained the Rev. Father at a concert in the' school, and' also presented him with an umbrella and travelling rug. The Rev. Father Tormey highly appreciated the excellent programme presented. The wonderful effect on the children even in the short time the Sisters have been here is very apparent, and the greatly improved decorations of our church and altars are much appreciated and admired. Father Tormey leaves here on the 10th inst., and the Rev. Father Ormond will take charge.