Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 14, 12 April 1923, Page 47

Catholic World

i ;;; DOMINICAN SISTERS IN SOUTH AFRICA. By a recent decree of the Cardinal Prefect of Propaganda, the Dominican Sisters of the Third Order in South Africa have been placed immediately under the jurisdiction of Cardinal Van Rossum. Hitherto they have been subject to the Vicars Apostolic. For some time there has been a desire for unification among the many houses of this congregation in South Africa, which was favored by most of the bishops. The new arrangement will facilitate this unity of action. CARDINAL ORDERS PRAYERS FOR PEACE. - The Pope's letter to the Cardinal Vicar of Rome, and the grave world situation to which it refers, are the subpect of a special circular which Cardinal Bourne has issued to all the clergy of the Westminster diocese (says Catholic News Service, London, for February 17). In accordance with the desire of the Holy Father (Cardinal Bourne says) expressed in his recent letter to the Cardinal Vicar of Rome, the faithful should bo earnestly exhorted to constant prayer for the maintenance and consolidation of the peace of the world, which is now again so gravely menaced. The Cardinal suggests special devotions during Lent for this intention. There is every indication that a realisation of the grave international situation is felt throughout all religious circles in the country, and the clergy of all creeds are exhorting their people to have recourse to special prayer. FATHER VAUGHAN MEMORIAL. Plans for the perpetuation of the memory of the late Father Bernard Vaughan, which will be a continuation of his work in the East End, are being pushed ahead. The memorial committee, which has the energetic Canon Timothy Ring at its head, has already decided upon the -site of the central school which will form the memorial. The school will he attached to the great church on the Commercial Road, and the pupils will be drawn from the 11 Catholic parishes which radiate from the Commercial Road church as a centre. Cardinal Bourne, Viscount Fitz Alan, and the Governor-General of the Irish Free State have headed the subscription list with £IOO each, and already a good number of promises have been received. The school, when it is opened, will give promising pupils from the various schools an extra course of instruction in higher subjects than are taught in the elementary schools. ' SWISS CATHOLICS SHOW INCREASE. Switzerland as one of the fountain-heads of Protestantism, particularly that brand associated with the name of Calvin, is falling away from its traditions, according to a recent . census taken in the" canton of Geneva. At one time the canton was overwhelmingly Protestant; but the figures of the present day show that whereas there are still some 85,185 Protestants, the Catholics run them pretty closely with 79,983. t , This, of course, is not due to a revulsion against Protestantism by the native Swiss; rather it,, is due to the v number of immigrants into the canton. But even so, nearly half of the Genevese Catholics are native-born. The leaders of Protestantism in Switzerland profess to be alarmed at the growth of Catholics, nor is their fear allayed by the news that their co-religionists in Holland have, in ten years dwindled from 58 per cent, of the entire Dutch population to less than 55 per cent. Which is to say that Holland has now some 2,444,592 Catholics as against 3,406,892 Protestants. '■•', v . .; / PAPAL BLESSING FOR LANCASHIRE. ; The Mayor and Corporation of Burnley, in Lancashire, is the only official corporate body in Great Britain that has been singled out to receive the special blessing of the Pope—certainly since the ; Reformation It is the exceptional fairness of the Corporation, as the local educational authority, -in its dealings : with the Catholic schools in

Burnley, which has called forth this unique expression of the Pope's approval - - -.;;'' ■".- -''■" ■.-■ T JiV* Mgr. Tynan, the Rector of St. Mary's, Burnley, who is visiting Rome in company with the Bishop of Salford, is the medium for conveying the "Papal blessing to the Mayor and Corporation, which fis not a Catholic body corporately at all events. •' "In a special audience to the Tope," Mgr. Tynan says in a letter to the Mayor of -Burnley, "I was able to speak in a. complimentary manner of the Burnley Corporation as the Local Education Authority in their dealings with the Catholic schools of Burnley. The Pope charged*rhe to convey his blessing and best wishes for all good gifts temporal and spiritual to the Corporation." The Pope's blessing does not come to Burnley quite as that of a. stranger for there are many people in that part of Lancashire who remember the Pope's visit to Manchester and Liverpool when he was plain Dr. Ratti some few years ago. CZECHO-SLOVAK CHARITIES UNITE. The unification of all Catholic charitable works in the Republic under a central federation is the aim of the Czecho-Slovak bishops, and steps are being taken to give effect to this plan. In the whole of the Republic there are many charitable works, hostels, hospitals, orphanages, houses of refuge, many of them under the direction of the religious orders. But besides these there are quite a number of associations amongst the Catholics for the voluntary aid of indigent persons and poor families. And so to make all these different works more effective, it has been decided to bring them under one central organisation, and Father Blaha, of the Premonstratensian Canons, has been appointed the chief director. ■ The different dioceses are falling into line by the appointment of diocesan delegates on the central council. The Prague delegation is in two sections; one for ythe Czechs, the other for the Germans. The general fund for carrying out this scheme a meeting has been held, at which the Archbishop of Olmutz presided, when it was decided to raise a. first sum of 100,000 crowns Czech, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of £IOOO. Each diocese is to lie levied for > certain specified sum, which the diocesan secretaries will make it their business to raise. The scheme is, of course, only in its infancy. But it meets with general approval, and the different nationalities within the Republic are all in support of the plan.

THE POPE'S LETTER. TO CARDINAL POMPILI. Tn his letter to the Cardinal Vicar deploring the present grave condition of international affairs the Pope said: "When, on the eve of the .solemnity of Christmas, as an echo to the angelic message of peace promised to men of good-will, We addressed to human society the paternal recommendation and affectionate wish for the Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ, We manifested feeling's of grief and anxiety, which were inspired by the sorrow of present evil and fear of those to come—both the deplorable heritage of the war. But We were very far from foreseeing that in so short an interval Our words would have been so lamentably confirmed. "You, my Lord Cardinal, experience with Us the sadness and gravity of the present moment. Far he from Us the idea of taking sides in the questions that trouble the peoples. Yet, for all that. We can only reflect: on and see with profound sorrow the spectre that presents itself anew of conflagrations and their consequences—injuries and woes for individuals, families, cities, and provinces. If that deplorable sight seizes every heart' with acute anxiety, how much more so does it seize Us, who feel that We are equally Father of all by the spiritual paternity inherent in Our Apostolic Ministry. "We are without human means to hold hack this accumulation of misfortunes, and We can only repeat the inspired and supplicant invocation: 0 God.; as we' know not what to do we can only turn our, eyes to Thee. •; /::"We entrust, to you, my Lord Cardinal, -the mandate to invite the faithful to unite with Us in prayer so as to secure that God, the Author and Lover of peace, may save afflicted humanity -from.: fresh tribulations and ;bring back the peoples and; the governments to thoughts of fraternity, justice, equity, and love , with which . friendly understanding inspires them: )J. •." ,>:. .I. [£rom