The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-06-29
81. PETERS AND ST. pAUL's DAY.

L
tho anniversary of tho martyfdom Of ST. PErEn an,
81. PAUL, which is supposed to havo takon plac
A. D. G7. To-day, therefore, will DO celebrated thu
eighteenth hundrodth anniversary OF this festival
nnd His Holiness, tho Pope, hns taken tho neces
| sary measures to hnvo celebration at Romo to
| day, worthy Of tho place and tho occasion. Invi
! tations have bccn issued TO Catholic preates IL
every part of tho world TO assist in tho ceremonies
| and this coll has boon responded to worry numor,
ously. A dispatch from Romo, o few days ago
| announced tho presence in Romo OF 600 Bishops
and about 10000 Priests. Bishop LYNCH, OF this
city, 1t will be remembered is among tho guests
Tho ceremonies in tho Etornal City to-day wo fool
suro will DO among tho most imposing tho world
has over scon, and tho demonstration must DO
considered as oil mixed Observation-Disclosures and
political, or rather hiorarclical.
This is fitting timo to look at tho Roman Cath
Ole Church, and tho plnco sho has held, and now
holds, in tho worlds history, and this wo cannot
do in briofer spaoe or filter language than I'm
MAoAuLAY's celebrated passage on this subject:
''Thoro is not aud thero mover was OH this earth,
work OF human policy 30 woll deserving Of OK
animation as tho Roman Catholic Church. Tho
history OF that Church joins together tho two great
ages OF human civilization. No other institution
lis loft standing which oarros tho mind back to tho
times whom the smoke Of sacrifice rose from the
Pantheon, and when camcloopsrds and tigors
bounded in tho Flayinn amphithoatro The proud
est royal houses arc but OF yesterday when CON-
pared with the Limo Of Supreme Pontifs. Tint
limo ,wo trace back, in an linbruken aorics, from
tho Pope Tho crowned NAPOLEON, in tho niuo-
teonth cen.ury, to tho Popo who crowned PEp1H
IN tio vtBntn; anu 1ar beyond tho timo Of
PEpIN tho august dynasty oxtonds, till 1t is
lost in tho twilight Of fable. Tho Republic
of Yonico camo neIt in antiquity. But tho Rcpub-
lie ofYenico wus modern when compared with tho
Papacy; and tho Ropublio OF ycnico is gone, and
tho Papacy remains. Tho Papacy remaius, not in
decay, not more antique, but full Of ifo and use-
ful vigor. Tho Catholic Church is still sondiuR
forth to tho nrthest cnds Of tho world missionaries
as jealous Us those who landed in Kent with Au-
ousTR, md still confronting hostile Kings with
tho same spirit with which sho confronted ATTILA
Tho number of her children is creator thnn In any
former age. Her acquisitions In tho Now World
have moro than compensated for what sho Inns lost
in tho Old. Ho spiritual aBcendanoy extends over
the ynst countries which lio between tho plainB Of
tho Missouri aud Capo Horn, countries which, q
century honco, muy. not improbnbly contain pop
ulation as largo as that which now inhabits Eu-
rope. Tho members OF her communion are cor
tainly not fowcr than hundred and fifty millions;
Nllu pS 10 btiOW tulC Otl0r Clr1H-
tian sects united amount to hundred and twenty
millions.
Nor lo We SEQ any sign which indicates that tho
term Of her long dominion is approaching. Sho
saw tho commencement Of oil tho governments
and Of oil tho ecclesissticsl establishments that
now exist in tho world; and We feel no assurance
that sho iH not destined to the end OF thcm all.
She was great and respected boforo tho Saxon Ind
set foot on Britain; before tho Frank had passed
tho Rhine, whom Grocian cloquonco still flourish
cd in Antioch when idols wore still worshipped in
tho tomplo OF Mecca. And Hhe may atill exist, in
undiminished vigor, when some traveller from New
Zealand shall, in tho midst OF vast solitude, tako
his stand on broken arch Of London Bridge, to
sketch tho ruins Of ST, Panl's.
This has beon often quoted, and may bo con-
sidored high praise but it is strictly true mover
theless, md deserved.
DR.. Manly, in his recent work, "Christianity
and it's Conflicts claims 200 600 900 OF tho worlds
population as Catholics, and only GO, ,OO0, 600 IS
Protostants. Tho Ciulta Cdaol;ca distributes the
Catholic population Of the world as follows :
Europe lat 194 900 Asia and Oceanica, o. G65 900
Africa, 4,071 900; America, 46,070,000. DIR. Ii.
goes on TO say "It ia we'll known and generally
conceded fhct, that the Catholic Church at tho
present tmo ia making moro rapid progress in
conversions and in influence among nearly all tho
nations OF tho earth than at any previous
period. Tho humorous aud rapid subdivisions OF
the scots, and their alarming tendency toward ra-
donaliam nnd indiffercntism havo induced thought
full men everywhere to reflect seriously upon these
innun,ernblc variations and conflicts OF opinion,
and to look nbout them for some reasonable, uni
form and fixed religious faith, etc. etc."
Tho progress Of tho Roman Catholic Church In
tho United States, during the past sixty years, has
been moro than one hundred per centum every ton
years. In 1903 there was one diocese two bishops,
sxty-eight clergymen, eighty churches and
stations, one college, and two female schools. In
1861 thoro were forty-ive bishops, 2sl7 clergymen
S7s5 churches and stations, over thirty colleges,
and not loss than $50 schools for girls.