The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 14 August 1913, Page 55

The Catholic World

ENGLAND A NEW VERSION OF THE SACRED SCRIP-. TUBES. One of the most important announcements of Catholic interest that have been made for some time is that the first instalment of a new version of the Sacred Scriptures is about to* be published, with the approval of Cardinal Bourne and the English Hierarchy. IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY. On June 11, the Feast of St. Barnabas, the Bishop of Menevia had the consolation of clothing with the Benedictine habit twenty-seven of the nuns of the once Anglican Convent of St. Bride's, Milford Haven. Mother Scholastica Mary Ewart, the former Abbess, had been clothed on the feast of the Sacred Heart by the Bishop at Stanbrook Abbey. She returned to assist at the clothing of her daughters in religion. The Abbess of Stanbrook, with the Mother Superioress of that monastery, went to St. Bride's with her to assist at the interesting ceremony. The* Bishop was assisted by Dom John Chapman, 0.5.8., and Dom Bede Camm, 0.5.8. (who have been placed in charge of the Caldey Community by the Holy See), and Father F. Bell, chaplain of St. Bride's, Father F. Burke, of Milford Haven, and some Brothers from Caldey also took part in the ceremony. The Rev. Aelred Carlyle, of Caldey, carried the Bishop's crozier. The ceremonial in use at Stanbrook and Solesmes was followed, somewhat modified in view of the peculiar circumstances of the case. The nuns of St. Bride's will henceforth wear the usual black Benedictine habit. His Lordship preached at the end of the ceremony, and announced that St. Bride's was now recognised by the Holy See as a canonically established monastery. FRANCE THE PREMIER AND THE STATE SCHOOLS. M. Barthou, the French Premier, was taken to task on June 18, in the French Chamber, for the Government's attitude towards religion in the schools, and being pressed to set forth plainly the Ministerial view on the subject, said: ' Religion is for the church; the door of the school should be closed to religious beliefs. As I said on June 11, to impose on the masters the task of teaching duties towards God would be the surest way of violating neutrality. The young folk would be led to spy on the teachers.' Of the school are the words of our Lord ' He that is not with Me is against Me ' true in a particular sense. This has been proved in the French State schools as conducted under the present regime. They are worse than godless schools (says the Catholic Times). A special correspondent tells in our present issue how children go out from some of those schools without ever having heard the name of God. But in many of the schools the pupils are actually taught hostility to religion and the name of God is mentioned for the purpose of installing irreverence into their young minds. Is it to be wondered at that in France so large a proportion of the young people fall into crime ? The French Catholics have of recent years made progress in various directions. They will, it is to be hoped, settle down to the good work of banishing from the Government the enemies of God who are banishing Him from the schools. ROME THE HOLY FATHER'S RECOVERY. Those whose duties bring them into very frequent contact with the Holy Father are astonished at the completeness with which all traces of his recent illness have disappeared (writes a Rome correspondent under date June 22). He rises about 5 a.m., celebrates Mass at an early hour, and after a drive in the gardens while the morning is still cool and fresh returns quite

vigorous and cheerful. It is only by being constantly reminded of the prescriptions and limitations of ; his medical advisers that his Holiness is restrained from resuming fully those engrossing labors in which he was engaged before his illness. During the week the usual official audiences have been accorded, and many groups of pilgrims and visitors have had the privilege of being received in some of the larger halls. All have expressed themselves as surprised to find the Pope so fully restored. , ■ "' -■■■.' -'"-.■ 1- - ' S:' : ■• .' SCOTLAND THE SEE OF DUNKELD. His Lordship Bishop Fraser, of Dunkeld, was solemnly enthroned in St. Andrew's Pro-Cathedral, Dundee, on June 24. Replying to an address presented to him the Bishop said that if Scotland is to be brought back to Catholic unity they must bring home to their separated brethren the knowledge that the Catholic principle of authority is reasonable in the highest degree. Great work had been done in that direction in past years, and the continuance of it would have his sympathy, encouragement and support. SPAIN SOLDIERS AND THEIR RELIGIOUS DUTY. The soldiers of Spain not only attend their military Mass on Easter Sunday, but also perform their Easter duty. The following (says America) is a description by the chaplain of the 7th Engineers, in Melilla, North Africa, of the manner in which the men received Holy Communion before the close of the Easter season. For some evenings previously he had preached a series of sermons at which not only the soldiers who came of their own accord, but also nearly all the officers, headed by their colonel, were present. The men erected a triumphal arch of branches and flowers in the court of the barracks, and, underneath it erected an altar which was decorated by the wives and daughters of the officers of the post. The families of the officers received Communion with the soldiers, immediately after the corps of officers. The band discoursed military and religious music during the Mass, after which a breakfast was served for all. In his order of the day, the colonel congratulated his men because ' they proved that religious duty is not incompatible with the life of the soldiers.' Many a home in Spain, he said, would rejoice in the news of what they had done, and the chaplain adds, ' If any one says that the Spanish soldier is not a Catholic, but that he is irreligious, he says what is untrue.' , GENERAL CATHOLICISM IN AFRICA. Catholicity is making rapid progress in the German colonies in Africa. The returns for 1912 give the number of native Catholics in the colonies at 144,000, in addition to 56,000 catechumens—a total of 200,000. In 1910 the baptised numbered only 85,000, and the catechumens 44,000—in all 129,000. Last year 22,000 natives were baptised, whilst the Baptisms in 1910 were only 9975. The missionaries in the North" German colonies have to struggle against the inroads of Islamism, which is spreading southward from the Arab tribes. The missions in the north are conducted by the Fathers of the Sacred Heart and the Fathers of the Holy Ghost. In the Cameroons there are 156 schools, under the direction of monks and nuns, and the school children number 20,000. A training school has been started to train native teachers, and 200 native Catholic teachers prepared there have been distributed amongst tho 156 schools.