The Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 18 February 1915, Page 55

The Catholic World

ENGLAND

CHARITABLE BEQUESTS.

•The Church has benefited to a large extent recently under wills. Amongst those proved have been that of Miss Catherine Bradley known to literature as Michael Field, who left a large proportion of her estate of £14,000 to the Bishop of Southwark and several priests of that diocese for various charitable purposes. Another lady recently deceased, Miss Nugent of Bayswater, left an estate of £16,000 in bequests of £3OO and £2OO between several Catholic charities.

OFFICIAL REPRESENTATION AT THE VATICAN.

Our correspondent in Rome (remarks the Catholic Tunes) puts the question of Sir Henry Howard’s appointment in the true light when ho says that the official representation of this country at the Vatican is Great Britain’s gain. Brutal as Germany is in her methods of warfare, the Germans understand the value of moral influence, and they have taken'extraordinary measures to bring it to their support in neutral countries, such as Italy and the United States. Above all, they have been anxious to place their views before the highest ecclesiastics in the Catholic Church, knowing that that Church is the largest and the best religious organisation in the world. In August every Cardinal of the Curia received front the members of the German Centre Party a memorandum designed to prove that Russia, Great Britain, and FrancS provoked the war and denouncing as libels the reports of the outrages committed by the Germans in Belgium. The Prussian Minister at the Vatican has sought to excuse the bombardment of Rheims Cathedral on the ground that the French had used the building for a post of observation. Numberless are the misleading statements circulated by the Germans in Rome. When all this is taken into account it is hard to acquit opponents of the mission of the charge of having allowed bigotry to get the better of patriotism.

HOLLAND

A CATHOLIC PRESIDENT

A Catholic Prime Minister is not unknown in the Dutch Parliament ; but ‘ for the first time in the history of the kingdom ’ (says an American contemporary), Holland’s Upper House of Parliament has a Catholic for its presiding officer. On the death of the former incumbent Queen Wilhelmina recently appointed Baron Von Voorst president of the Senate. Baron Aon Voorst is a descendant of the few noble families in Holland whose Catholicity antedated the sixteenth century. Catholics forming the numerically strongest portion of the Senate’s present conservative majority, the appointment was made regardless of creed or party. Catholics have increased so rapidly in Holland that they now number about one-third of the population, and arc prosperous and progressive in a high degree.

ROME

REVISION OF THE VULGATE.

In the Acta Sanctce Stalls appears a Molu Proprio of his Holiness Benedict XV. on the Commission for the Revision of the Vulgate. He pays a tribute to the memory of his predecessor for the appointment of the Commission and expresses his gratification that the Benedictines were chosen to undertake the great work. His Holiness confirms the powers of the Commission, decides that it shall be called a Pontifical one, and promulgates laws which provide for its autonomy. The President of the Commission is to be chosen by the Pope from a list presented by the Primate of the Benedictines. The Commission will consist of a body of religious similar to the other Benedictine communities.

The President will have the same authority over the members of the Commission as long ; as it is at work as abbots have over the members of their monasteries... The Commission will recruit its members by , co-option, • but the Abbot Primate will have a veto when there grave reasons. All the Abbots of the Benedictine Confederation are exhorted to free the members of, the Commission from every other duty, . The administration of the resources will be in the hands of a President and Council chosen by the Commission. An annual report is to be made to the Holy Father. C

SCOTLAND

SUCCESS OF, A CATHOLIC COLLEGE. For the third time in four years, the Snell Scholarship the highest classical distinction in connection with Glasgow Universityhas been won by a student of St. Aloysius College, Garnethill, Glasgow. This coveted prize falls on the present occasion to Mr. Vincent Lyons, who, as a student of St. ' Aloysius College, had already shown his ability by securing the eleventh place in the open bursaries’/ competition for Glasgow University. His career in the University has been- one of continued distinction, and it is a. remarkable feature of his success, in the Snell Scholarship competition, that he was junior to the other competitors by one year—the others having been in their fourth year, while lie was in the third. The Snell Scholarship, which is tenable in the Balliol College of Oxford University, entitles the holder to an allowance of £IBO per year for four years. The remarkable series oh St. Aloysius’ College successes commenced over three years ago with Mr. A. Mac Alpine ; the prize was secured in the following year by Mr. J. F. Scanlan. Last year the prize could again have been secured by a student of the college, Mr. Patrick McGlynn, but he preferred to remain in Glasgow, where be had won the almost equally valuable Clarke Classical Research Scholarship, which is worth £l7O per year for four years. He also recently secured the gold medal in the Clarke Fellowship Competition, which is open to classical students of all the Scottish Universities and is an eagerly coveted distinction.

UNITED STATES

A VENERABLE RELIGIOUS.

Sister M. Agnes McCaffrey, whose death occurred at St. Xavier Convent, Beatty, Pa., on August 27, 1914, was the oldest Sister of Mercy in the United Slates, and probably in the world. She was known in the world as Elizabeth McCaffrey, and was born in Carlow. Ireland. She went to America with her parents, and was the eldest of four daughters, three of whom became members of the Pittsburgh community of the Sisters of Mercy. Sister M. Agnes entered the community on November 1, 1844, was received in old St. Paul Cathedral on February 4, 1845, and made her holy profession in the convent chapel on March 22, 1847.

GENERAL

A RE-OPENED DOOR

It will come as a welcome item of intelligence to the great Society of Jesus in their celebration of the centenary of their Restoration, that the Parliament of Nicaragua in Central America, has, after 30 years, removed the ban which prevented Jesuits from laboring in that Republic. And so. (writes The Missionary), it happens that while the door in Mexico is being rudely closed to this great Order, the Parliament of Nicaragua, which of late has been seeking to place its higher institutions of learning on a level with the best there is in America, is opening its portals to the entrance of the exiled priests. . One does not need to be much of a prophet to foretell which country will fare the better in religious and educational matters. %•