COMMONWEALTH NOTES

New Zealand Tablet, 13 November 1919, Page 30

COMMONWEALTH NOTES

-kuiipsj'x'%& NEW, SOUTH WALES, itwi %kn<*iU Every Sunday afternoon a Catholic priest may - be found speaking from a platform in the Sydney Domain, explaining to all who have ears to hear "What the Catholic Church is and what she teaches." Catholics and nonCatholics gather around. Amongst them are many earnest seekers after truth, some hungering for the Word of God. It has been a revelation to some who thought that tho Catholic Church was afraid to teach her doctrines openly, believing that her children were kept in ignorance and held by superstition. They are astonished to see a Catholic priest telling to the world the truths which Catholics must believe, and who is ready to defend and to explain the reason why. It is not a rare thing to hear a man say as the speaker finishes, "Well, I never knew that before." Speaking at Rand wick on a recent Sunday afternoon, his Grace the Archbishop of Sydney said : "The newspapers and I are not enemies.. I am an enemy to none. But some are fond of taking a word or two out of what the Archbishop says, and twisting and turning it or hanging something else upon it, so as to suit themselves." Continuing, his Grace referred to the misleading statements made in the daily papers about a Catholic party. "The priest will not interfere in politics," his Grace said. "Do not think you can ever have a Catholic party. People may say that, but they do not know the meaning of words. ' Catholic ' means ' universal ' and '. party ' means a ' section.' You cannot even make a political party of Catholics, for Catholics are free to be members of any party that is not forbidden by the law of God. Be a member of any party you like, but within the law of God, and you are Catholic; you will have all the privileges the Catholic Church can give you. I am not going into politics deeply. I do not go deeply into politics, and I would not bring division between myself and any person who has to come to me for advice or spiritual favor." With the beginning of the general elections, as one might only expect on the North Coast, the sectarian serpent is showing its head. The Daily Examiner, published at Grafton, which has always been conducted on lofty and honorable principles, recently came-out with a trenchant leader, denunciatory of the tactics of the sectarian-monger. Politics, it claims, would know nothing (locally) of sectarianism save the presence in a few scattered centres of a minority who will not be content unless they can spread some of their slime over everything they come in contact with. Dr. Earle Page, of Grafton, is spoken of as an Independent) candidate for Cowper in the forthcoming Federal election, so the Nationalist sectarian coterie has already sent it forth that he is in alliance with the Catholic Church, also with the Labor Party. Whilst the said coterie is thus seeking to win votes for old John Thomson, the present member, it is well to recall that when Thomson sought entry into the State Parliament many years ago, he was opposed by the Liberals and the Orangemen on the pretext that he was in alliance with the Catholic Church, with the result that he was defeated by the late J. H. Young, who in religion was a nothingarian, while Thomson is a staunch Presbyterian of the dour type. VICTORIA. Speaking at Geelong the other day, Bishop Hayden, of Wilcannia-Forbes, said that wherever you went in Australia, even away in the back-blocks or in the shearers' huts, there you would find a photograph of Archbishop Mannix, who had so endeared himself in the hearts of his j people. He was tackling great things, and one of the greatest was the Irish Convention, in which tremendous interest was already being shown. It would be one of the greatest things of its kind Australia had ever known. Its influence would be felt not only in this 'country, but far beyond the seas. Since then, events have proved that the Bishop's forecast was correct in every particular. In a recent address, Archbishop Mannix referred to the large number . in Melbourne who .were returning to the faith of their fathers, and added that one of the causes was the Cathedral Hall lectures on Catholic Truth. On Sunday night, October .12, his Grace administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 70 adults in his private chapel, the majority of whom were converts. - -. :■ :.■ i t: QUEENSLAND.. ; The Rev. Father A. Herring, S.M., returned to Rock<3 hampton from the north recently, after conducting missions in the northern parishes.,. Father Herring left Towns- ; ville on'- Saturday, October 18, for Brisbane, where he is , to conduct a retreat for; the : Children of Mary in St. Pat- ] rick's parish.- The /eloquent missioner is .well known in ]

Brisbane, the missions held in that city last year by himself and brother-priests being wonderfully successful. The Rev. Father Herbert, S.M., is at present conducting a mission in the parish of Ingham, after which he returns to Sydney. ';t-irX'i'iajf!,A- : suit «.<] Mr. Theodore has, as everyone there anticipated, : assumed the mantle of .Mr. Ryan as'Premier of the State, and the ballot for Deputy-Premiership came as the wellinformed and close students of the political world realised long ago to Mr. Fihelly. Both of these gentlemen well deserved the honors and the confidence bestowed on them by their colleagues in the Parliamentary Party, 4 and will fully justify their selections. :.:■'■ bsso*gSOUTH AUSTRALIA. ' ;'° His Excellency the Apostolic Delegate was enthusiastically welcomed in Adelaide on October 11. He was accompanied by his private secretary (the Right Rev. Mgr. Ormond), his Grace the Archbishop of Adelaide (Most. Rev. Dr. Spence, 0.P.), the Archbishop of Perth (Most Rev. Dr. Clune), and the Coadjutor-Archbishop of Hobart (Most Rev. Dr. Barry). The Delegate was received with loud cheers by the crowd on his arrival at the North Terrace railway platform, and the cheers were renewed outside on his leaving for West Terrace by motor with the Archbishop, and acknowledged by his Excellency.: The visiting prelates also proceeded to West Terrace, where they were the guests of the Archbishop. There was a solemn reception at the Cathedral, at which his Grace Archbishop Spence read and presented an address from the Bishops. The Right Rev. Mgr. Ryan read an address from the clergy and Senator O'Loghlin one from the laity, which were gracefully acknowledged by his Excellency. On the Sunday the Delegate presided at High Mass, which was celebrated by the Right Rev. Dr. Norton, Bishop of Port Augusta, and at which a number of prelates and clergy assisted. At the evening devotions his Excellency officiated at Benediction, and the Rev. Father S. M. Hogan, 0.P., preached an eloquent sermon. During the stay of the Delegate in Adelaide he visited the Little Sisters of the Poor Home at Glen Osmond, and was entertained by the pupils of the Convent of Mercy in St. Francis Xavier's Hall. On the Monday he was entertained at a banquet at the Dominican Convent. At the close of the reception his Excellency left with his Lordship Dr. Norton for an official visit to the Port Augusta diocese. '