Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 10, 6 March 1924, Page 47

Catholic World

THE EUCHARISTTC CONGRESS: AMERICA PREPARING TO SEND 1000 DELEGATES. At least one thousand Americans are expected to attend the twenty-seventh International Eucharistic Congress at Amsterdam, July 22 to 27 next (writes the Edinburgh Catholic Herald's ' Washington correspondent), Several pilgrimages probably will be formed with the Congress as their destination. | It is planned to give the various 'section meetings an international scope, but at the same time preserve their nationality in regard to the language in which reports will be read. In the English section, for instance, information on any subject under discussion will be reported by representatives of other nationalities, but all will make their reports in English: The Congress will bo brought to a close probably by an open air Mass and a solemn procession to the Stadium near the city. MISSIONARY EXHIBITION IN LONDON. The Missionary Exhibition which Lord KitzAlan, the former Irish Viceroy, opened at the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial Schools at Kensington, is an evident sign that the Catholic body in Englandby no means so small and insignificant as some .people thinkis taking a much wider interest in the work of the foreign missions (says Catholic News -Service, London, lor January 19). The 'Bishop of Caiubysopolis, Cardinal Bourne's auxiliary, presided at the opening, and excellent speeches were made by Lord Fit/Alan and Mr. AY. A. S. 11.-wins, who was Under-Secretary for the Colonies'in the first Coalition Government. "' '"''...* The activities of the Church within, the British-Empire were very well represented; though the Exhibition itself was representative of something much more universal in its activities than the Empire. A good many missionaries, both secular and regular, were present from India, Ceylon, Burma, Central and South Africa, North-West Canada, as well as Palestine. In a happily worded speech Lord KilzAlan made the suggestion to all the Catholics of the British Empire that it was their duty to do-all in their .power to assist and help iu every way the foreign missions of the Church. i A SOUTH AMERICAN SYNOD. The Bishops of Venezuela have met in a Conference at Caraccas, the capital of the Republic, presided over by tho Papal Nuncio and the Archbishop of the city. Resolutions were adopted, for the formation of a Catholic association for providing the means of education for more candidates for the priesthood. It was directed that the societies of the Holy Childhood and the Propagation of the Faith should be established in every parish. Other resolutions dealt with the development of the Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul; the support of the Catholic press; the extension of the missions among the Indian tribes; the teaching of catechism in the schools and the observance of the Papal directions as to music in the churches. An address was adopted thanking the President of the Republic for aid already provided by the State for the evangelisation of the Indian tribes of the interior and urging the importance of the further development of this missionary work. A VENERABLE BISHOP. Monsignor Richard Lacy, the venerable Bishop of Middlesborough, who has just passed his 83rd birthday, occupies the proud position of being a connecting link, in a traditional line that goes back to the mists of antiquity, of closest co-operation between the Catholics of England and Ireland. The popular idea is that this connection goes no farther back than the days of the Famine. But whatever may have been the political or other relations

between the two countries, at no time since Christianity was first established in these islands has there lacked the closest religious intercourse and co-operation between the Catholics of both countries. Bishop Lacy, who was born at Navan, is the oldest member of the English Hierarchy. Ordained after finishing his studies at the English College in Rome, he was appointed to Middlesborough in 1872, where he built the present cathedral, in which he was consecrated first Bishop of the newly-founded diocese of Middlesborough by Cardinal Manning in 1879. The Irish connection with England is well grounded at Middlesborough, for the Coadjutor, Bishop Shine, is a native of the same Irish town as his Ordinary. . :, THE SACRED COLLEGE. With the elevation of the two new Cardinals, the membership of the Sacred College reaches sixty-four, thirtythree being Italian and thirty-one being foreign. Of the foreign Cardinals, seven are French, four are German, two are English, four are Spanish, two are Poles* two are Austrian, and two are American. The following nationalities are represented by one each : Belgian, C';Dcoslovac, Canadian, Irish, Portuguese, Brazilian, Hungarian, and Dutch. The vast majority of the Cardinals belong to the secular clergy, nine, however, belonging to the various religious Orders. Thus Cardinals Fruhwirth and Boggiaui are Dominicans. Cardinals Billot and Ehrle are Jesuts Cardinal Cagliero belongs to the Salesiatis, Cardinal van Kossum is a Redemptorist, Cardinal Piffl. of Vienna, is a Canon of the Lateran, Cardinal Mistrangelo belongs to the religious congregation known as Ihe Scuole Pie, and Cardinal Oasquot belongs to the English Benedictines. The head of the Sacred College is the venerable Cardinal Vannuteili, hale and hearty, despite his eighty-seven years, lie was created Cardinal /'// petto as far hack as the December Consistory of 1881), arid was formally elevated in the .lune Consistory of the subsequent year, He is a tall, active man, with that charming courtesy of the Romans, and with all the suavity and gentleness that nearly forty years of curial life here has given him. When one talks to him one can scarcely believe that he is an octogenarian; he has all the quickness and activity of a man in the early fifties, lie is Bishop of Osiia and Palestrina, the latter being his native place.