The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-02-20 00:00:00

- : •,
THE STOURBRIDGE: OBSERVER.

THE FRIENDLY SOCIETIES BILL. by pious pplicat i o no to merit the Divine clemency. I
To this etili wei have, With Aaeoetolic liberelity, §eve r al i
Tn London, on Monday evening, at the rooms o Opened to t
•f the ' s Ai. trite he faithficil of spiritual
~.„ Chrit the
Social Science Association, a paper upon this Bill was 41#°2"qes of Indulgences, in order that, animated
-
read by Mr. E. W. Brabrook, assistant-registrar of • • thereby to tell° penance and cleansed by the
.• ' .
Friendly Societies.. -.-.- - crarcent of _reconciliation from the stains of. -em,
Lord Lyttlelton presided, and in introducin -_, Grace, an
aproaah more confidently to the Throne
g the
reader of the paper said that he spoke with some di ''' fil- ' an be worthy that God should gra
dence, as he had scarcely time to look into the men-
-
ciously receive their prayers. And this, as at other
sure proposed by the Government, particularly as
he had little more acquaintance with the subject times, so especially on the occasion of the sacred
: (Ecumenical Vatican Council we thought it our duty
of friendly societies than most of those who lived etc; do, . order that the work which had
in country districts. There was a society of this .en undertaken or e ene tof the
uif
the bveryfi grave
Universal Church
kind in his own immediate district called the Beecher' might by the prayers likewise of the whole Church ,
Club, the members of which were the very flower of be helped- before God; and although through the
the mechanics and artisans of South Staffordehiie calamities of the, times, the celebration of the Council
and North Worcestershire, and which was very was suspended, we nevertheless, for the good of the
favourably reported upon by the Commissioners. The
impression he gained by reading the report, and faithful, declared and decreed that the Indulgence to
be ?btaified-iie.form cif-Jubileef which had been pro-
from his experience in these affairs, was that the f-
muiß,teet. opthat occasion, ' should remain DA it still
whole subject was one of difficulty, intricacy, and
remains, in itsforce, and firmness, and. vigour: Bat
delicacy, and he might particularly point out the course of these sorrowful times stall continuing,
7enarreenoaw edntgering.uPon the year one thousand eight
the doubt that might arise as to the proper
i which
d ii
tileavelity- seventy-five—the of interference which the Government of the u f the ' that is t b
year,
which I>' stale' country ought to exercise in the affairs of these socie- marks t sacred space o time w y
ties. The Bill proposed hardly came up to what the holy custom of our forefathers, and by the decrees of
report of the Commission recommended, and he was our predecessors the Roman Pontiffs has been con-
very tivtihtisli solemn celebration of the 'Universal
very much inclined to agree with the minority, the
chief of whom was Sir Michael H. Beach, in an addi- J.O veneration and religious devotion
tion of their own, suggesting a measure beyond what the year. of the Jubileew wf.s b-ervee. when the tranquil.
the majority of the Commission thought themselves times of the Church permitted its due celebration, both
justified in recommending as to the degree of certifi- ancient and more recent monuments f Y bear
cate to be given by Government to one central witness;. . for it was regarded d
Christian
as a yeaar oyfeesarraluetf salutary
authority, not only as to the bare legality, but as to
the soundness and trustworthiness of the society. So expiation for the whole
ff. people,
far as he was then advised, the report was very good a emptionand o.f grace, o forgiveness and of Indulgence
—a year in which. people
.came together from all parts of
so far as it went, but it barely came up to what the
Peter—
members of the society looked for with respect to the the world to this our city, and the See of Peter—
certificate to be given to a central authority as to the u piety, '
in which the faithful Were' "aroused to the duties
f and had every help of reconciliation
character of the society to which they belonged. to and of grace f
their souoffered -them all, in great abundance
• Mr. Brabrook, in his paper, stated in detail such of for the salvation o
,
Is. What a pious and
the provisions of the Bill as are new, comparing them holy solemnity was seen even in this our century,
when, XII. of memory, our predecessor,
happy
with the present law, and drawing attention spec % .Ily • L '
to points on which difference of opinion might exist, such having proclaimed the Jubilee of 1825, this benefit
was received by the Christian people with so much
as the requirement for quinquennial valuations; the
alteration of the laws with respect to branches, the fervour that the Pontiff could rejoice at an uninter-
provisions as to societies having collectors, as to the in. rupted concourse of pilgrims to this city during the
sura.nce of children's lives, and as to the enforcement of whol.e. yeaT,c.a..nd
la.t.the
.splendour here wonderfully
returns. Upon a general view of the measure he con- Ir!a!ulesteu I aiugierbn;vreirieetyt.o,-dfaaiyth, charity, and all
our condition, alai'
sidered it to be one in harmony with the course of legis- virtues.
.0. tharte
commeneed by the lamented Mr. Tidd Pratt, and em-
lation since 1793, calculated to carry on the good work
US,
condition of, civil
.and sacred things, as to permit
Ei now at least happily to celebrate, according to the
He thought there was no clause in it which need induce bodying the sound principle of absence of compulaion. Jubilee, which, •in
solemnity of the Great occurring
ancient. rite and custom of our forefathers, that
an honest society to refrain from registration rather
than accept the provisions of the bill, and that, in Sir But the
mtheeuryneafuir 10fr8tomfatthainseceeanerstbe, wtiemhesadtobyemreitarn of the
Stafford Northcote's words, "it was one that should grave
.difficulties which at that time prevented us from
carry the people with it." proclaming the Jubilee, so far from being removed,
A discussion followed, in which Mr. Joseph Brown,
have rather, God so permitting, daily increased. Never.
Q. C. Mr. Coldwells (Croydon), Mr. Cornelius theless, pondering in our heart the many evils which
afflict the Church, the mane, efforts of her enemies to
Walford, Mr. Hill, the Hon. E. Stanhope, M.P., took
luck out the faith of Christ from souls, to corrupt
part, and the adjournment of the meeting was moved pluck
doctrine, and to propagate the poison of im-
by Mr. Ludlow until Monday next.
piety; and pondering also the many scandals which
are everywhere put before believers in Christ, the wide-
spread corruption of morals, and the shameful over;
throw of rights, both Divine and human, which is so
extensive and so ruinous, and which tends to destroy
all sense of recititude in the minds of men—we feel that,
in so great an accumulation of evils, we are bound
by the duty of our Apostolic office more than ever
to take care that faith, religion, and piety, may be
protected and may flourish, that the spirit of prayer
mmaayy
be
ee
mchiseeridsuhpedtoarnd eperantaany
ciencerfebaseare,tthanatdthefailen•
reforma-
tion of life and that the sins which have deserved the
anger of God may be redeemed by, holy works. And,
as these are the objects to which the celebration of the
great Jubilee is principally directed, we have thought
it our duty not to suffer the Christian people to be de-
prived of this salutary benefit, in such form as the cir-
cumstances of the times permit, so that strenkthened
in spirit, may they walk daily with more alacrity in the
ways of righteousness, and, having expiated their sins,
may more easily and more abundantly merit the
Divine propitiation and forgiveness. May, there-
fore, the whole Church Militant of Christ receive
our words, by which, for his exaltation, for the sanc-
tification of the Christian people, and for the glory of
God, we proclaim, announce, and promulgate a
universal and great Jubilee, to last for the whole of
the coming year 1875. And by reason and in conside-
ration of tliis Jubilee, suspendhig and declaring now
suspended, during our pleasure, and that of this
ApostolidSee, the Indulgence above mentioned, which
na nt e d
Council,in
nowof J
luabyi 1
(:)e
pe
eonn
in th ea l ol ci ct
sa sai
rao np
loift
uthee
Vtwhaaasttieghareavenly treasure which, acquired by. the merits,
and sufferings, and virtues of Christ our Lord, and of
to
eVuirrgdiina
dispensation
oat htieern abnydt
ba he Saints, w
ell
author
er
e fthe
e es intrusted
salvation
of
mankind.'
The following are the conditions for gaining the In- •
dulgence of Jubilee :
"1. To visit, four times in the day for fifteen days,
the church of their mission or parish, for the purpose
of praying earnestly to God for the prosperity and
exaltation of the Church and of the Holy See, for the
extirpation of heresies and the conversion of all who
are in error, for the peace and union of ph l Christian
people, and according to' the intention of his Holiness
the sovereign Pontiff. The fifteen days may be either
consecutive days or days•with intervals between them,
for example, fifteen Sundays ; and they may be either
natural days, reckoned from morning till night, or
ecclesiastical days, that is, from the evening on one
day till the evening of the next. Persons living in the
convents of nuns may make the required visits to the.
chapel of their convent. The prayers to be offered at
the•above-named visits must be offered, by all who are
able, explicitly for the intentions above expressed; but,
for those who, from want of memory or from other
natural causes, are unable so to do, it will be enough
to pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.
2. To confess their sins with Sincere repentance, and
worthily receive the Holy Communion. Persons who
have not made their first communion, may, instead of
tahree prerqevueirneted
dvibsiy y real i
visits atnothechTrpchedeism, and from makingchildrenwho
the said visits and Holy Communion, perform other
works of piety, charity, and religion, to be prescribed
by their confessors." . . .