THE CATHOLIC WORLD

New Zealand Tablet, 23 October 1919, Page 39

THE CATHOLIC WORLD

GENERAL. I Addressing the Ladies-.- of J Charity of St. Vincent de Paul recently, the Archbishop of New York informed them that during autumn he would federate all the organisations of the archdiocese of New York, and conduct a ; "drive" for 3,000,000 dollars with which to enlarge Catholic charities. ... v nVi '_. . _, „. ._, Y The Sacred Congregation recently .proposed to > the Holy Father the introduction of the cause of "beatification and martyrdom of Blaise Mormoiton, professed lay Brother in the Society of Mary, originally from Yssac la Tourette, iii the diocese of Clermont, France. He was a victim of the persecutors of the Faith, after a very pious life in New Caledonia, in June, 1847. The Sovereign .Pontiff agreed to this proposition. ■>■ : The Catholic University of Lille has again taken up its regular life. The library, which comprised nearly 250,000 volumes, has suffered little from the occupation, and generous gifts have more than compensated tor' 7 the small losses. The University, knowing what war is, has offered 2000 of her choicest medical works to her martyred : sister,-the University of Louvain, and is also reconstituting the Library of the Diocesan Missionaries,"destroyed during tho evacuation of Cambrai. . The King of the Belgians has been conferring decorations as a reward or recognition for the kindness shown to the Belgian refugees. Cardinal Logue has received the diploma and insignia of Grand Officer of the Ordro de la Coronne, in recognition of the kindness shown by Ireland 'to the Belgians. Tho well-known Dominican, Prior Yincent McN abb, who is a prominent writer on social topics, has been made Chevalier of the Order of the Crown, and Canon Lee, of Clifton Cathedral, has been made a Knight of the Order in recognition of his services as chairman of the Belgian Refugees Committee of Bristol. Plans are now being made for the erection of a chapel in memory of "those who fell in the battle of the Marne, and as a thanksgiving for victory. The chapel will stand on the banks of the river at Dormans, on a height overlooking the fields where the decisive battle of the war was fought. The site was chosen by Marshal Foch, who stated that it was on this exact spot that the German offensive was broken and the tide of invasion turned. SOLEMN REQUIEM FOR FRENCH SOLDIERS. At Westminster Cathedral recently a Solemn Mass of Requiem, for the repose of the souls of the French soldiers and sailors who have fallen in the war, was celebrated in tho presence of the Cardinal Archbishop. The French -Ambassador with his suite attended in state, and the Ambassadors of alb the Allied Powers, with their naval and military attaches and staffs, were present, as well as the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of London, who drove to the Cathedral in their state carriages with outriders. The, King, the Prince of Wales, and Queen Alexandra were ■ represented by high officials of their households, and many members of the Government were present in their official capacity. The function was rendered with great solemnity. The band of the Grenadier Guards played selections of French music before the Mass, and at the conclusion, after the Cardinal had pronounced the Absolution at the catafalque, which was draped with the French flag and guarded by soldiers with fixed bayonets standing at attention, the : ; buglers sounded the "Last Post" (Taps), which was followed by the French and British National Anthems. The most striking feature of the whole ceremony was at the moment • of consecration, when, as the Sacred Host was elevated, the silence was strangely and startlingly broken by a sudden fanfare of trumpets saluting this sacred action, and the quick motion of the troops as, following the cry of the officer in command, they presented arms. BELGIUM'S THANKSGIVING FOR PEACE. An imposing ceremony took place recently on the - plateau of Kockelberg, in the Pare Elizabeth, just outside | Brussels, which is to be the site of a votive Basilica to the Sacred Heart. The ceremony, organised by the Belgian ~ Episcopate, rendered thanks to God for the delivery of the country from the invader by its public consecration I to the Sacred Heart. Over 300,000 persons were present I at the ceremony. A monumental altar had been erected on -~- a large platform, over which towered a statue of the Sacred V Heart, with the national banner for a background.* Thrones ■| were erected on either side for the King and Queen* and 1 for Cardinal Mercier. The people began to ' arrive v as I early as 6 a.m. Gendarmes and soldiers kept the lines | until the imposing procession of clergy, prelates, and re-

ligious arrived at 10 a.m. Priests, monks, canons, "chaplains, all in their appropriate vestments; were follpwed by the Bishops of Belgium in cope and { mitre, with the Apostolic Nuncio, Mgr. Nicotra. At the end of this imposing cortege came Cardinal Mercier, wearing the Pallium and blessing the people, who gave him'ah ovation. A thunder of cheers greeted the King and Queen. The music of the Mass was rendered in plain chant by the School of the Seminarists of Malines. At the-elevation the J trumpets sounded "To the Field," and the troops presented arms, i ; After the Mass the Cardinal preached -••'a "moving discourse from the words "Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax hominibus," saluting all the ; heroes) of his country The King, typical in himself of the virtues' of Belgium; the Queen, the troops, the clergy, the faithful. He pointed out that Belgium, the first to feel the horror of war; was the first to throw herself at the foot of God in thanksgiving after the day the oppressor had signed the admission of his defeat. The Cardinal then read, in French first, and afterwards in Flemish, the Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart. The King of the Belgians has given to the Committee for the National Basilica a gift of 50,000 francs toward its construction. • BISHOP COUTURIER'S MISSION. ,W { f Tho Right Rev. Felix Couturier, OP. (Apostolic Visitor to Egypt), left England in July for the East, having been entrusted. by the Holy Father with a mission of.high importance. Bishop Couturier, on the occasion of his recent episcopal consecration, was the recipient of congratulations from French as' well as English ecclesiastics and laymen. His Lordship has a wide experience of English Governmental affairs, and is an acknowledged authority on Egyptian matters, lie is. thus eminently qualified for the mission, which will promote the interests of the Church in the -East. On the eve of his departure, Bishop Couturier gave a special interview to a London representative of the Catholic Times, to whom his Lordship extended a cordial reception. Asked as to the nature of his mission, his Lordship said: "My mission is of a purely ecclesiastical and apostolic character, and of course," his Lordship added with a smile, "has nothing to do with politics. I am not being sent out by the British Government, but by the Holy See. The Holy Father has chosen me himself for that duty, because I combine two nationalities English and French. I was born of an English mother and my father was French. In my early youth I was educated in France, and since the age of 15 in England. In his appointment, the Pope has shown how very anxious he is that all interests in Egypt should be developed, inasmuch as all nationalities have their being in the Church. The interests, therefore, of the French, Italian, and British Catholic missionaries in Egypt must be safeguarded, encouraged, and promoted in every way. In his anxiety for the welfare of his spiritual children there, the Holy Father could not possibly get a representative embodying the three nationalities already referred to, so his Holiness did the very best thing next to that by appointing a Visitor with two nationalities. Tills appointment is intended by the Holy Father to unite and combine the various national interests in the larger interest of Holy Church, and with the view of breaking down national prejudices. From that point of, view it is really a peace mission, and it indicates the Holy Father's desire for the peace of nations. The Holy Father will thus learn from one of his own bishops how much good has been done in Eyvtpt, and what is to be done in the future so that the Church might prosper and that ; greater good accrue." .... ,»7 '.~~' ..„" '.'"""' ■•■■---■-- The Bishop referred to the way"iii which the spiritual welfare of the British troops in Egypt has been, and;" is being, attended to by devoted priests and laymen. In this connection his Lordship expressed himself pleased with the opportunity of paying a warm tribute to the work |on behalf of the troops done by Mr. Harrington, the Post-master-General of Alexandria. "He is a fine Irish Catholic," continued Bishop Couturier, "whose efforts on behalf of Catholic and other soldiers in Egypt should never be forgotten by the boys or their parents." From March, 1915, until June of the present year, Mr. Harrington devoted himself to the Soldiers' —founded by Bishop Couturierand made himself responsible for the services for soldiers at the Cathedral. Thanks to'-his work, the club membership was veryvhigh; and thus many soldiers were safeguarded from the dangers and temptations so prevalent in the East. |]