The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 5 February 1914, Page 55

The Catholic World

r- • ..r::; ENGLAND • : '• THE OBSERVANCE OF CHRISTMAS. In • the course of an . interview Father " Bernard Vaughan, S.J., gave his opinion on; the modern observance of Christmas and the New Year. He said: y: I think of the modern Christmas as I do of the modern Sunday. * We : have forgotten the very ! meaning 'of Yuletide. Instead of •r going to Bethlehem we go to Babylon, and our Christmas time means being clothed in purple and fine \ linen, and feasting sumptuously every day. If we cannot do this we try to, .and thenwe are surprised that we do nott enter into the New Year laden with blessings from the Holy Child on Mary’s knee. My idea of Christmas is the overflow of our joy at the birth of;/ our Divine Saviour. That is the only meaning of Christmas.’ Father Vaughan suggested the following New Year resolution for England: * A resolution to realise that the very least religion you can do with to police your soul is the recognition of a personal God and an immortal soul. Once you realise that you can say, with the publican, throughout the year: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” And that will see you right through.’ ■ . S' .'.‘i’-S FRANCE ‘T,:’ THE SPIRITUAL WELFARE OF CHILDREN. Cardinal Lucon, Archbishop of Rheims, has been condemned by the Orleans Appeal Court to pay £2O damages to the Friendly Associations of State Schoolmasters of his diocese for the loss entailed on its. members by the interdiction of some score school ~ books issued by the French prelates in the month; of September, 1909. The case was first tried before - the civil tribunal of Rheims, where the venerable . Cardinal who was guilty of no more heinous offence than that of seeking, with all the other Archbishops and Bishops "of France, to preserve the minds and souls of the children frequenting the Government schools from the contamination ■of materialism—was ordered to pay £2O damages to the Schoolmasters’ Association. Later on the Court of Cassation, annulled that judgment and ordered the rehearing of the case before the Orleans Appeal Court, which has now confirmed the decision of the Rheims tribunal. The Cardinal does' not, however, consider the matter as finally settled. He will appeal to the Council of State, and feels confident that the highest authority will support the view taken by the Court of Cassation, to the effect that an association has no legal right to claim compensation - unless it has [itself as a body suffered injury, and that consequently it cannot claim damages when only one or more of its members allege they have suffered pecuniary or moral injury. At the same time the venerable but still most [active Archbishop of Rheims has addressed a pastoral letter to his clergy and- the faithful of his diocese on the occasion of the distribution to lay establishments of the Church property confiscated by the iniquitous. law for the separation of Church and State. Cardinal Lucon raises his voice once more protest most energetically against the spoliation and the violation of sacred rights. At the present time the ; Republican Government is pursuing actively what it calls ‘ the winding up ? of the Church affairs. It ’is needless to go into particulars of these acts of brigandage. It will suffice to say [that recently,- by the decisions of what is styled i justice, the Archbishopric of Chambery was robbed of an annual revenue of £400,’ and oh the very same day the Bishoprics of Tarenaise and Annecy were in the same way despoiled, respectively, of annual in-: comes of £222 5s and ft £543 12s. v - -[■

ITALY REPUDIATION OjT ANTI-CLERICALISM. •> While dissociating the 1 Socialists from the anticlerical - proposals' made by the Radical deputy, Rai-

mondo, in the Chamber, the official organ of the Socialist party in Italy makes an important ' pronouncement. Anti-clericalism,’ says L’Avonti, 1 furnishes ah excellent side-track -7 for v the middle :classesS^Tliis is what happened in France. ' The anti-clericalism s of the Republic has been an able and audacious move to deceive the proletariat which is still- poor and preyed upon as beforewhile the millions of the Congregations have been squandered by Duez and _ men like him. Anticlericalism would bring ’ us back to that Bloc v policy which- has been the origin of our misfortunes. J The electoral policy of the Socialist party does not by any means contemplate .‘a revival of anti-clericalism on a great or small scale.’ ; f PORTUGAL V V'Vtf ; .. LETTING IN THE LIGHT. - i The British papers have given some little attention from time to time to the condition of affairs in Portugal, but it is apparent they depend on the Government organs for whatever knowledge they possess on the subject. At last there is something like a complete disclosure to the public’ of the-condition of Portugal. In the columns of the London Daily Chronicle there appears a series of articles from the pen of Mr. Philip Gibbs, who has made a tour of the Republic, interviewed the leaders of the political parties;-and visited most of the prisons. The picture he presents! bears the title ,of the Tragedy of Portugal,’ and' its- cplors are truly, tragic; This is how he describes the results of the terror 5 inspired ■by ; Affonsq Costa" and : his Carbonarios: ‘Lisbon is a city of whisperers. -: Men and women in public places speak about the political situation with their hands before their mouths. . At dinner tables in private houses I have seen the hostess suddenly put a finger to her lips with a swift glance towards the servants. Over the telephone people speak mysteriously to each other, using; initials Instead of names. “Don’t write,” I was told. “It is dangerous. All letters are read.” Certainly some of my letters were opened before they reached me.’ The marvel is that the multitudes of Portuguese' groaning under Costa’s , tyranny do not rise up and put an end to it:' ? [.i'jZ SCOTLAND % THE ARCHDIOCESE OE GLASGOW. - The Glasgow Catholic Calendar for 1914 contains a very interesting record of the position of Catholicism in the district covered by' the Glasgow archdiocese. Steady numerical progress continues to be made, the total Catholic population being estimated at 400,000, as against 380,000 for last year. This increased' population is reflected in the growing demands on the Catholic schools and institutions within the archdiocese, asgd the zeal of the diocesan authorities to provide satisfactorily for the educational requirements of their charge is evidenced by the, erection of new, and the extension of existing, Catholic schools. Magnificent school buildings on the most modern principles were erected at St. Mary’s, Glasgow, during the year, and various other schools have been enlarged or are undergoing the process of enlargement. There are now within the archdiocese 120 schools, including ten centres excellently equipped for higher education. The total school accommodation is 88,794 ; there are on the rolls 76,053, an increase of 3085 on last year’s figures, and the average attendance was 66,874. The number of children presented for religious 5 examination during f the year 191213 was 68,061, being an increase of : 1300 on the figures for the previous,- year. The number of..teachers employed in ; . the mission - schools !is ; as .follows —43 head masters, ;96 head mistresses, 58 trained male , assistants, 521 - trained female assistants, 16 untrained male assistants, and 584 untrained female assistants. r ln the higher graded schools and ? institutions - there are 100, teachers engaged, making the ? total .number of the teaching staff of " the 5 archdiocese 1418. 1 The religious work of the : archdiocese -is - administered ; by 292 priests, of whom 1 246-are secular* and 46 regular .^, & There are „03jm issions : with 133 churches, ‘ chapels, and stations and 16 charitable institutions., . 1 ’