ROMAN CATPIOLIC CHURCH. 



699 



Austria-Hungary. The Catholic congress, in 

 January, at Buda-Pesth, the first great gathering 

 in Hungary participated in by ecclesiastics and 

 laymen, was presided over by Cardinal Vasary. 

 Since 1848 both the political and religious con- 

 ditions of the country have been undergoing 

 transformation the Catholic Church suffering 

 in its privileges particularly. The main object 

 of the congress was to secure an equal recogni- 

 tion of rights with the other religions before the 

 law. The resolutions proposed that only candi- 

 dates accepting Catholic principles be elected to 

 the Reichstag and other bodies, and that con- 

 stant agitation be kept going for the reform of 

 the ecclesiastical laws of 1868 ; that no Catholic 

 vote for a law tending to disseminate irreligion, 

 or rendering it easy to renounce the Christian 

 faith ; that the so-called autonomy of the Church 

 be made a thing of reality and not of name ; 

 that the demand be general for the increase in 

 the number of the Catholic schools, and that the 

 purely Catholic character of the Buda-Pesth Uni- 

 versity be restored ; that it be made manifest in 

 every possible manner that Catholics will always 

 fionsider the civil marriage precedence as a 

 usurpation of the jurisdiction of the Church. 

 The Hungarian bishops held conferences early 

 in the year, at which the sole topic of discussion 

 was the improvement of the lower clergy's pe- 

 cuniary position. 



China-Japan. The war between Japan and 

 China materially affected the mission work, es- 

 pecially in China, the French priests of the con- 

 gregation of Lyons sending in harrowing tales 

 of hardship and outrage upon themselves and 

 their flocks. Right Rev. Monsignor Varselon, for 

 twenty-four years a missionary in Japan, was 

 consecrated second Bishop of Osaka early in the 

 year, the diocese containing over 3,000 native 

 Christians. 



Australia. Cardinal Moran received a public 

 welcome on his return from Europe. He de- 

 clared that his recovery was miraculous due to 

 the influence of prayer, for medical aid had 

 failed him. Protestant ministers joined in the 

 welcome home. 



Tasmania. The Holy See refused to receive 

 the declination of Rt. Rev. Dr. Delaney, and 

 ordered him to prepare for consecration as Co- 

 adjutor Bishop of Hobart. 



India. In February the Archbishop of Verap- 

 oli celebrated the twenty-fifth year of his epis- 

 copacy, and priests of the Latin and Syrian rites, 

 with representatives from Cochin and Kottayan 

 bishops, took part in the ceremonies. 



Madagascar. The French Government has 

 bestowed the cross of the Legion of Honor on 

 2 Jesuits, Fathers Roblet and Collins, for their 

 geological researches and discoveries in this 

 island and in Africa. The Madagascar mission 

 was founded in 1861. In 1894 there were re- 

 ported 180,000 Catholic natives, and, besides the 

 cathedral at Antananarivo, there are about 300 

 churches and chapels, and schools accommodat- 

 ing 18,000 children. 



Ceylon. Two new dioceses were created in 

 Ceylon during 1894 Trincomalle, comprising 

 the eastern province and the district of Taman- 

 kaduwa in the north central province, and the 

 diocese of Galle, composed of the southern 

 province and the province of Sabaragamuwa. 



Besides this, the northwestern province is de- 

 tached from the diocese of Jaffna to be added to 

 the archdiocese of Colombo. The diocese of 

 Galle is to be intrusted to the Jesuits. There 

 will be no bishop consecrated for Trincomalle 

 for some years. Until then the Bishop of Galle 

 will administer its affairs. 



United States. Cardinal Gibbons, who cele- 

 brated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his conse- 

 cration as bishop, Oct. 18, in the presence of a vast 

 assemblage of eminent dignitaries and laymen, 

 in reviewing the religious condition of the United 

 States at this time, said that the undoubted tend- 

 ency is " toward Catholicism slowly, but steadi- 

 ly and unmistakably." In the diocese of Baltimore 

 alone, in one year, he received 756 into the 

 Church. " There are everywhere signs of a 

 return to the old Church, not only in the ex- 

 traordinary growth of ritualism, but in the 

 proceedings of sects formerly antagonistic to 

 Catholic institutions and practices; as, for in- 

 stance, the formation of an order of deaconesses 

 in the Methodist Church, and the discussion of 

 the same idea among the Presbyterians. The 

 Low Church of to-day would have been regarded 

 as High Church not many years ago, and the 

 present High Church in 'America is as nearly 

 Roman Catholic as imitation can make it." In 

 the cardinal's opinion there would be more con- 

 versions among Protestant ministers but for the 

 celibacy of the clergy. 



The Papal Legation. Mgr. Satolli's mission 

 of adjustment of ecclesiastical difficulties ap- 

 peared to accord perfectly with the wishes of 

 the Holy See, which on several occasions during 

 the year fortified his authority by instructions 

 to the American hierarchy. Mgr. Pape was re- 

 called as Secretary of Legation in October, and 

 Rev. Dr. Roaker, Vice Rector of the American 

 College at Rome, was sent over as his successor. 

 As a result of Mgr. Satolli's intervention the 

 Rev. Edward McGlynn incident was terminated 

 by the appointment of the priest to a pastorate 

 at Newburg, in the archdiocese of New York. 

 The first mass on his reinstatement was cele- 

 brated by the reverend doctor on Christmas day. 

 Mgr. Satolli appeared on many public occasions 

 and always to advantage. 



Most Rev. John Ireland, D. D., was an active 

 factor in the settlement of 2 great railroad 

 strikes in the Northwest. In that at Chicago, 

 while admonishing the corporations to do jus- 

 tice to the workers, inaugurate arbitration sys- 

 tems, etc., he denounced the resort to force by 

 the strikers. In April, as the guest of the Loyal 

 Legion in New York, he delivered a memorable 

 address on Church and patriotism. In the fall 

 elections he figured largely in the result by de- 

 nouncing the injudicious utterances of certain 

 priests who from the pulpit and otherwise endeav- 

 ored to array their flocks on the side of Tam- 

 many Hall. Archbishop Ireland made it clear, 

 in a public interview, that no true interest of the 

 Church was to be subserved by such a course. 

 On the contrary, he indicated that in his opinion 

 the best interests of the state, the morality, 

 self-respect, and prosperity of the people de- 

 pended upon their co-operation with the influ- 

 ences seeking to overthrow the reign of disaster 

 and corruption. For this utterance the Arch- 

 bishop of St. Paul was made the subject of a per- 



