Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, 17 April 1924, Page 47

Catholic World

THE PALESTINE PILGRIMAGE - Cardinal Bourne (says Cahoiic News Service for February 11) has left for Rome, in advance of the English Catholic Pilgrimage to Palestine, which leaves Loudon on February 19. His Eminence joins the pilgrims at Marseilles, where the vessel hoists the Papal Flag at the masthead on his arrival.' According to the information received in London, it appears that Cardinal Bourne was received in audience by the Pope, when he spoke to his Holiness about the pilgrimage. The Holy Father is understood to have communicated to Cardinal Bourne the point of view of the Vatican regarding Palestine, or, more specifically, the ownership and protection of the holy places. ■ The main difficulty, so it is learned from a diplomatic source, is that of adjusting the respective claims of Spain, France, and Italy. The immediate interests of British Catholics in Palestine are more or less restricted to the new settlement, which the Catholic Women’s League recently opened at Bethlehem. But Cardinal Bourne has mad( very plain, and it is understood that he has the support of the English hierarchy, that he is opposed to any domination in the matter of the Holy Places by any one nation. The Cardinal’s argument is that those Holy Places belong of right to all Catholics, quite irrespective of race ;and that political prestige does not come into the question. The Holy See will instruct its representative at Berne, Mgr. Magli oni, when the question conics up for. discussion; but as the interested Powers will be represented by diplomats and not by churchmen, it is thought that the Papal representative will have but one vote amongst many. On the eve of the English pilgrimage' the Bishop of Brentwood, who is going together with the Bishop of Galloway and the Auxiliary of Middleshorough, will bless and distribute in Westminster Cathedral the Cross of Jerusalem, to which special privilges were attached by Leo XIII. There is a possibility that Cardinal Bourne and Cardinal O’Connell may meet in Palestinethe Cardinal Archbishop of Boston having left for the Holy Land in January.

A SCOTS CONVERT. The faithful of the West Lothian parish of Ecclcsmachan, in Scotland, were very considerably surprised the other Sunday when their pastor, the Rev. Dr. .Tulloch, announced from the pulpit that he intended to sever his connection with the Kirk and embrace the Catholic religion. Dr. Tulloch has Presbyterianism in his blood: his father was a minister of the Established Kirk, and his grandfather the well-known Principal Tulloch. But he informed his people that the Presbyterian Church made a bad mistake in the 16th century when it came out from the Catholic Church; and that after seriously studying this coming out for many years, he had decided to go back to where lie rightfully belongs. This is a bad set-back for the “Scotland for the Scots” devotees, who are actively pushing a propaganda that Catholicism is more a matter for the Irish in the back streets of Glasgow than for the native Scot ! > DEATH OF BISHOP COLLINS. Catholics and • non-Catholics alike along the Tyneside are mourning the loss of Mgr. Collins, Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, who has just died after a second though brief illness. / Last year the condition of the Bishop gave rise to serious apprehensions; but he recovered, and it was hoped the recovery would be permanent. Mgr, Richard Collins was a southern Englishman by birth, being born at Newbury in Berkshire in 1857. Actually he belonged to the North, where he spent the whole of his ecclesiastical career, after making his studies in the famous northern college of Ushaw. In 1905 he was consecrated to the episcopate by Cardinal Bourne as titular Bishop of Selinus and Auxiliary of Hexham and Newcastle, Succeeding Bishop Wilkinson as Ordinary in 1909.

The late • Bishop was an ardent social reformer, and found much scope for his enthusiasm in the many industrial towns of his great diqcese which, created by Pius IX., in 1850, comprised the pre-Reforraation Palatine bishopric” of Durham, the .ancient diocese of Carlisle, and part of tho primatial archdiocese of York, THE COMING OF THE FRIARS. During the present year there is being celebrated the anniversary of one of the most epochal events in English history—this is the seventh centenary of the coming of the Friars, or, more accurately, the, coining of the Franciscans. Ip commemoration, of this event which, whatever the propagators of the Protestant theory of English history may say, still retains its marks deep down in the fibre of the national life, a special concession has been made by the Holy See to the three branches of the Franciscan family in England, who receive the privilege of celebrating a solemn triduum any time between September 1 and December 1. On each day of this triduum a solemn votive -Mass may be celebrated in honor of St. Francis and of Blessed Agnellus, who was the first Provincial of the Franciscan friars in England. It was in 1524 that the first Franciscans landed in England, just four years’ after the first Dominicans had arrived. Like the Dominicans, they landed on the south and made their way to Canterbury. Front the primatial city they spread to London and to some of tho other towns, and in the foulest slums they ministered to the poor and outcast who did not come within the charitable survey of the townsmen proper. The observance of the seventh centenary will be nationwide; lor th» Franciscans have their monasteries in practically every large town, and their tortiarios are numbered by thousands.

THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AND CHURCHMEN. By requesting Parliament to give legal authorisation to several missionary Orders, the French Government has shown that it interprets the Law of Associations _in a quite different spirit to that of the Combe,s regime. The competent commissions of the Chamber of Deputies have already reported favorably on the Government’s proposition. And in the meantime until the vote lias been given, the Government has not failed to acknowledge the high and excellent influence which the French missionaries exercise abroad. The latest promotions in the Legion of Honor conferred the red ribbon on many such apostles, among whom may be mentioned Mgr. Le Roy, the Superior-General of the Holy Ghost Fathers; I‘ere Bergerot, Superior of the Lazarists in Serbia ; and Pere Burtin, Procurator at Rome of the White Fathers. There is, however, one particular promotion of another sort, which is an interesting confirmation of the spirit underlying these national honors. The Superior Council of the Public Instruction has come up for re-election, and a place thereon has been found for Abbe Labourt, who is Director of the Stanislaud College. At first glance, this little incident appears to have no special importance: in reality it is, in its way, almost a revolution. The Superior Council is the highest, body of the Public Instruction, a kind of Cabinet for the- Minister. Most of its members are high ciril servants or prominent professors of the University. Legally it is supposed to include a certain number of representatives of the non-State educational establishments. But for a long time now, the Ministers who were hostile to the religious establishments JdqliJberately overlooked representatives of the Catholic establishments in choosing the non-State representatives. Thus the spirit of the law was circumvented, and the majority of the non-provided establishments wore thus shut out from the Superior Council. But the Minister Berard has put an end to this in tolerant tradition, as well as abolishing the ostracism. He has called to the Superior Council of the Public Instruction an eminent priest, who is doubly qualified to represent • Catholic education thereon : for he is the Director of one of the most important colleges in France, and also the vice-president of the Alliance of Christian Schools. T 7 the new spirit of the Government, thd ChillKh: ffflda agam her ptaott in the councils 1 of the State.