3i 4 ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 



meetings. He takes precedence of the other archbishops, and is entitled to the use 

 of the pallium and the throne, and to have the archiepiscopal cross carried before 

 him in all parts of England and Wales. Finally to the archbishop of Westminster is 

 entrusted the duty of representing the wishes of the whole hierarchy whenever it is 

 necessary to approach the civil authority. To the archbishops of Birmingham and 

 Liverpool were given all the rights and privileges ordinarily belonging to metropolitans. 



By a decree of April 20, 1911 the Portuguese Government declared the separation 

 of the Church from the State. After confiscating ecclesiastical property to an estimated 

 value of several millions, the Republican Government handed over the 

 fa*Poiriugai. cont rl of public worship to associations of laymen. Priests were declared 

 ineligible. It was made illegal to read a bishop's pastoral in church, or to 

 publish it in any way without the previous permission of the Government. Processions 

 were interdicted, and the clergy forbidden to wear their cassocks in the streets. Young 

 ecclesiastics before they begin to study theology are required by the new law to attend 

 the public lycees, in which the text books and the professors are selected by the 

 Government. Finally no priest is allowed to exercise his functions if he holds a degree 

 in any sacred science conferred by a university founded by the Holy See. In an Ency- 

 clical Letter addressed to all the bishops throughout the world in communion with the 

 Holy See, and dated the 24th of May, Pius X protested against this violation of the 

 Concordat, and at the same time congratulated the Portuguese bishops on their faith- 

 fulness under trial and their constancy under persecution. 



In the United States the Golden Jubilee of Cardinal Gibbons' priesthood, and the 

 Silver Jubilee of his episcopate, were celebrated in Baltimore in June 1911, with al- 

 most national rejoicings. Among those present to do honour to the 

 Cardinal^ occasion were President Taft, Vice President Sherman, Mr. Roosevelt, 

 jubilee.* tne Governor of Maryland, the Chief Justice of the United States, the 

 British Ambassador, the Speaker, a score of Senators and three times that 

 number of Congressmen. 



The Sacred Consistorial Congregation at Rome, at a general meeting held on 

 February 23, 1911, considered the doubt whether the decree " Maxima Cura" issued in 

 August of the previous year, applied to Great Britain and North America. 

 Maxima ^he answer in both cases was in the affirmative. The effect of the decree 

 decree. is to abolish the distinction between permanent and removable rectors. 



No rector of a parish or mission is any longer liable to be removed from his 

 post ad nutum episcopi. The hands of the bishops however are strengthened in the 

 case of those who were formerly known as permanent or missionary rectors. The decree 

 sets out nine causes which may justify administrative removal. Each case is to be 

 considered by the bishop and two examiners who are to be chosen jointly by the bishop 

 and the chapter. An appeal from this disciplinary council lies to a court consisting 

 of the ordinary, and two parish priest consultors, who must be different from the two 

 examiners previously engaged in the case. 



In July 1911 a Motu Proprio was issued in Rome limiting the number of the week- 

 day holidays of obligation throughout the church to eight Christmas Day, the Cir- 

 . cumcision, Epiphany, Ascension, Immaculate Conception, Assumption, 

 holidays. SS. Peter and Paul, and All Saints. The result, as far as England is con- 

 cerned, is to reduce the number of holidays of obligation by one. The 

 feast of the Immaculate Conception was never a holiday of obligation in England, 

 and the feast of Corpus Christi ceases to be one. In the same way the feast of St. 

 Patrick ceases to be a holiday of obligation in Ireland. 



1912. In view of the fact that, at both the general elections in January 1910 and 

 December 1910, the members returned to the British House of Commons represented a 

 majority in favour of denominational education (the Irish members and the Unionists 

 being in agreement in this respect), the Catholic body had some reason to expect a 

 cessation of Liberal Nonconformist hostility in regard ta their schools. The old attacks, 

 however, were renewed this year under cover of a bill introduced by Sir George Marks, 



