Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 24, 1 July 1925, Page 55

Catholic World

■, CATHOLICITY IN DENMARK. . Two conventions of great importance for Catholic Church in Denmark were held : l*3t year. In its opening months all Nordic - bishops convened at ’Copenhagen. Sweden 1 was ' represented by Mgr. Erik Mueller; Nor- . way by Mgr. Olaf Smit. Other ‘guests of the Vicar Apostolic of Denmark were the first ;. Bishop of Finland and the Prefect Apostolic of Iceland, who received in 1923 the notice .: of . his appointment from Cardinal Van Rossum. Among other things it was resolved to consecrate the North to the Sacred Heart. : - But the importance of the convention perhaps lies not so much in its resolutions, as . rather in , the spectacle of progressing - organisation in the North, which encouraged the Catholics and /also called the attention of Protestants to the Church. This is the • more i necessary because the difficulties for r Catholics in Sweden and Norway are . great ;in spite of all progress. The Danish clergy also met in a great convention which the Bishop called "together at Ordrup/ near Copenhagen, in the beginning 1 of last September. Among other sub jects discussed was the -second edition of the Danish-Latin • Missal. ’ The announcement was made that the whole Bible would be translated ii?to Danish. It will be of interest for Catholics to note that .in this year for "the first time since the '.“Reformation” a great train of .pilgrims from the North will go to Rome. '!/. ’:■ ‘ : : THE HOLY YEAR: . PILGRIMAGES FOLLOW PILGRIMAGES. Pilgrimage follows pilgrimage in Rome just now (says the Irish Catholic for May 16, in a special article), and the great Basilicas are filled with pilgrims from all parts of the . world. Some days ago thirty : pilgrimages arrived • during the same week. . The Sovereign Pontiff celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s for these 15,000 pilgrimsltalic ians, French, Germans. His Holiness also .addressed them in eloquent words, and said ; that the pilgrims would realise more clearly ... the beauty of the supernatural family in which £ God had /placed namely, the / Catholic' Church, • this living body of ; Jesus ; Christ, which through centuries and in all parts, of the world, has lived, worked, fought y! and suffered for. the salvation of men and the glory of God, confident in the promise ; of; indefectible assistance on which this immense 1 family relies, in which family we are all brothers and children of God. >' - The Sovereign Pontiff said that this fam- . ; ily is ,the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Churchthe /Church the unity of which is made visible ■■ by the presence of so many pil- ‘ grims; the Church the holiness of which is shown forth by the holy ;outpouring of the 1 . treasures of the Holy Year, by the inscription of so many , blessed and saints in the /golden book of the . solemn honors , of saint!Wl; the Church the apostolicity of which I shown forth by the mystic silence ;of the | Catacombs in- which the marvellous basilicas I have their deep, roots, close to the tomb of I the i Chief of the Apostles, who transported

the ; Church from the Cenacle in Jerusalem ; to Rome itselfi the tomb from which so much light is reflected on the Chair of the successors of St. Peter. ' ' &&&&& M> ' STATUE OF CHRIST ON ITALIAN PEAK ,; Papal approval has been .given to the project of the Catholic - youths of Rome to restore the famous statue of the Redeemer on . Mount Guadagnolo which was struck by ■ lightning and partially demonished last winter. The statue owes its origin to the piety of Italian Catholics in the. last Holy Year of 1900. In response to a letter from the Catholic Youths, outlining their proposal to restore the statue, Cardinal Gasparri, acting for the Pope, has sent them the following letter:— ■ / i “The proposal of the Catholic Youths of Rome to restore the statue of the Divine Redeemer on Mount Guadagnolo to its former state is both noble and worthy. In this ' way, on the highest summit in the ’ Lazio, v will rise again more beautiful and resplendent the image of Him Who, through His Vicar, diffuses on this blessed Roman land the perennial and unwavering light of the eternal truths which are the sole guides along the sure, paths of justice, truth, and , virile well-being. . v' “This beautiful undertaking cannot lack : the enthusiastic praise and encouragement ' of the August Pontiff. The Holy Father is ; delighted at the generous proposal of the ; ; Catholic Youths and is confident that the ardor of those who are invited to respond 1 ; will not be less than the ; youthful ' fervor which inspired the proposal. v . ; In this way might, come to pass the wish ; of all people, together with the most ardent ■ ’ desire of their common Father, and", the divine image, of the Redeemer will return to bless the Eternal City and the country and suburbs surrounding it, from the highest Laziol summit.”; r -UIn 1900 the Catholics of Italy, as a de- ; monstration of faith, consecrated the Italian mountains to God and initiated a practice of erecting statues of : the Redeemer on some of the more prominent peaks.; One - peak selected was that of Mount Guadagnolo. in ; ' . the Lazio, ; on the estate of the Duke Leopold * Torlonia. . The Duke ' donated the site 5 and , the statue, . the work of a noted sculptor, i< Professor Zacoagnini, was formally • unveiled ; September 13 1903. The figure of the Redeemer was of heroic size, ~ five and a half metres in height. On the base was an inscription reading, in translation, “To Jesus Christ, - God,in the year 1900 , of . the Re- , demption brought about! by Him— . Romani, Sabini, Equi, Ernici, and' Volsei” (Latin names; or - une : ancient peoples inhabit1' ing the region where the monument was erected.) / Many prominent personages atttendedfethe unveiling ceremonies. Those present ' included: Cardinal VannuteUi, the Duke and Duchess Torlonia, Prince D. Francesco Mas- , . - .-I \ , - ' ‘ * simo, the Marquis : Theodoli. and many pro-

lates, - representatives of : Catholic organisa- . tions and pilgrims. , ■ . • \ ■ *’ ' • ; • THE EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS: • . 1 CHICAGO, 1926. \ Cardinal Mundelein, the ■ Archbishop ' of; ■ Chicago, who has lately arrived in Rome, for the purpose of making the necessary arran- ■ gements for the Eucharistic Congress to be ■ - held in Chicago next June, has granted an interview in which- he gave some idea.' of the ‘} • scope of next year’s ceremony, and the ex- ■;■ tent of the preparations that are in pro- i' gress for it. • ' ; ' On the Sunday after June 15, 1926, the [ first Eucharistic Congress ever to be held in America will be inaugurated at Chicago. v •Chicago is a great Catholic centre’ in Am- - erica, and having four niillion inhabitants . 'and' Heaven knows how many million dollars, ;■ is determined that the glory % of its Eucharis- ; • tic Conference Congress shall be second to > none. Consequently preparations-are being made upon a large scale. - . . 1 ; ’ Though the Congress will occupy only five * days, such is its magnificence that over a ' year’s preliminary organisation is required, f Cardinal Mundelein spent over an hour i and a half in audience with the - Pope recently , and explained his plans for next year’s ceremony. ■' ’ * ' r * A great park, three- miles long, about twenty miles outside Chicago, has been se- - cured as the central headquarters of the ' Congress. Special photographs of this park > taken from an aeroplane and pieced to- • gether were brought over ; from Chicago to show to the Holy Father. The music that is. to be provided; will exceed ’ anything ini the : way of church music that has ever before been produced. . • ■ Cardinal Mundelein said ; that he expected to have a total of no fewer ; than 50,000 boys singing in the various choirs that would perform. ’■ The time,” he said, ' “has come r to stop talking about Palestrina • and sing it.” , '