Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 28, 19 July 1923, Page 47

Catholic World

* - 4 ~,. NATIONAL CATHOLIC CONGRESS. y Birmingham ' has been chosen (says Catholic News Service, London) as the locale of the National Catholic Congress this year, where the proceedings will open early • in August, lasting for eight days. The Archbishop of .J . Birmingham will preside, and the Cardinal Archbishop and other members of the Hierarchy will be present. The war threw out of gear the holding of the congresses, which up to 1924, were an annual affair. It has now been decided to hold the National Congress'every three years. The congressional city for 1926 is yet to be decided upon; but it is understood that the congress of 1929 will be held in London, possibly at Westminster. Although it is six years ahead, the congress of 1929. promises to be of exceptional interest, for in that year the centenary of Catholic Emancipation will be celebrated. A • great deal will have happened in the hundred years, and* the 1929 congress is likely to mark an important stage in the modern development of Catholicism in Great Britain. DECREE FOR THE VATICAN MISSIONARY EXHIBITION. From Benedict XV. great love for the missionary apostolate has been inherited by Pius XI., hence the Pontifical Decree just issued by. the Holy Father directing a missionary exposition in the Vatican for 1925 (states a Rome message under date .May 5). This means, as his Holiness explains in his communication to Cardinal Van Possum, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Faith, that the Exhibition will illustrate the nature and the activities of the Catholic missions, the places whore the work is done, etc., etc. And to make the occasion more solemn Pope Pius XI. announces that 1925 shall also be observed as 7 - Holy Year, in which Catholics will gather to Rome from all quarters of the world. With a view of carrying out the Pontiff's commands Cardinal Van Possum has constituted a. Committee of the Missionary Exhibition with Archbishop Marchetti as President. IN HONOR OF ST. JOAN OF ARC. The anniversary of the deliverance of Orleans by Jeanne ' d'Arc in 1429, was celebrated in that city on May 8, with the usual ceremonies. From early morning all the church bells rang out merrily and the sound of the cannon brought a warlike note into the religious atmosphere that dominated the celebration. This year the special feature of the "fete ' was the presence of one of the generals who won the war, one whose personality is deservedly popular, General Gouraud. Readers may remember that he lost an arm in the campaign which brought about the Armistice. The preacher at Orleans on this occasion was the eminent rector of the Catholic University of Paris, Mgr. Baudrillart. In his discourse, after extolling the heroine of the day, he addressed himself to the General, whom his religious faith and ardent patriotism link with one whose service of God went hand in hand with her love of France. He tactfully reminded his hearers how General Gouraud and St. Jeanne, at centuries' distance and among widely different circumstances, had, while using all the human means provided by Providence, put their supreme hope in God whose assistance never fails His servants. , . t -A Paris message underrate May 31, says:—The Feast , ;/ of St. Joan of. Arc was universally observed throughout V France. In Paris the celebration was especially notable. All public buildings and many private houses were decorated -» with the national colors. The Place de Rivoli was a riot jJT of beautiful color. At the feet of the statue of the Maid - - ' of Domremy were numerous splendid wreaths from prominent organisations and personages including the President of the Republic, the Government, and the City of Paris. , Exercises were, held about the monument. Bands of music struck up the "Marsellaise" when the Minister of the •< Interior, M. Manoury, appeared and stood uncovered before . ;, the statue of the Saint. The presence of many troops made

the setting more picturesque and impressive.' A procession' of all the organisations participating in the ceremonies later marched to the Place de Rivoli where . wreaths were laid before "the representation of the Maid by 'Fremiet. It took an hour and a half for the procession to pass one point. The Feast was t observed in especial manner at Orleans and Rouen. ... :. - -., i'ly. MUSIC OF CHURCH GREATLY ENRICHED. A Rome message to the Boston Pilot, under date May 30, says: Recent events in various parts of the world have borne witness to he splendid influence on the progress of Church music that has been exercised by the late beloved Pope Pius X. , ■ ' The famous Motu Propria on this subject has borne rich fruit far and wide, and has played a wonderful part in the recent history of music. Though much could be quoted as evidence of Pius X's. influence 'on music during the last 20 years, nothing speaks more convincingly thanthe national societies which have been formed to teach the principles laid down by the Motu Propria (says a writer in the Edinburgh Catholic Herald). ' Before 1903, Germany, Holland, and Italy had their own Cecilian organisations, and now Spain, Belgium, France, and the United States have their organisations. : In connection with these, congresses of much interest have been held on the continent and in America. Among the noteworthy examples of these have been those at Tour, coign in 1919, at Strasburg in 1921, and at Paris in 1922. These congresses have been nearly international, and they have accomplished notable work. ' An average? daily programme of these activities might be given about as follows: Lecture, High Mass, Conference and Discussion, with illustrations;- vocal and instrumental; Vespers or Compline and Solemn Benediction. These have furnished hard days of work, but they have been happily tempered . by the spirit of the occasion. Each rendering is given by a separate choir, with music both representative and serving to assist the lectures. When "alternation" is possible, the whole congregation sings the Plain Chant. Musicians of great experience give of their best in the lecture-room and at the discussions, •solving the many, difficulties met by Cures and choirmasters. These congresses are not primarily exhibitions of what has been done, nor are they competitive. Their chief object is educational. They are intended to show what can be done, what is worth doing, and how to do it. ' BLESSED ROBERT BELLARMINE. As we all expected (writes, the Rome correspondent of the London Catholic Times), a very large concourse of people flocked to the ceremonies of beatification in the Basilica of St. Peter's, when the Pope came down to pray before the "Gloria" of the newly beatified. In these" days there are being published in the various papers here articles dealing with the work and with various aspects of the life of Blessed Robert Bellarmine. He seems to have been cast in the mould of St. Thomas Aquinas, a saint who was one of the busiest workers of his age. Certainly Blessed Robert was also a prodigious worker and student. :■- It, is not generally known that he Was: the first to'write a Catechism for Children; this catechism of his has long been held in renown by those who know the facts of his life. He was also the first Catholic Writer to treat adequately the relations of the Papacy with other sovereign ..powers and to study its social value.- For his many-mystical writings he has often been called the- St. Bernard of the Society. His defence of Holy Religion is one of the .commonplaces of ecclesiastical history, while his exposition of trie principles of democracy, or rather of what we call nowadays the right of the self-determination of nations, was one of the first adumbrations of the new political ideals which were begin- 1 ning to be heard of in his day. With all this, he was the very soul of virtue, serving the Divine Master,in even the - smallest things. So that' he is to be commended especially as the patron of busy priests and of all who are called to * serve God in the dust of the world's arena. •