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


The 29th day of June has been long set apart
the anniversary of the martyrdom of ST. PETER ant
ST.. PAUL, which is supposed to have taken plac
A. D. 67. To-day, therefore, will be celebrated tn
eighteenth hundredth anniversary Of this festival
and His Holiness, the Pope, has taken the neces
sary measures to have celebration at Rome to
day, worthy of the place and the occasion. Invi
tations have been issued to Catholic Prelates IL
every part of the world to assist in the ceremonies
and this call has been responded to very numer
ously. dispatch from Rome, few days ago
announced the presence in Rome Of 500 Bishops
and about 900 Priests. Bishop LYNCH, Of thii
city, it will be remembered is among the guests
The ceremonies in the Eternal City to-day we fee
sure will be among the most imposing the world
has ever seen, and the demonstration must be
considered as of mixed character-reigious and
political or rather hierarchical.
This is fitting time to look at the Roman Cath.
olic Church, and the place she has held, and now
holds, in the worlds history, and this we cannot
do in briefer space or filter language than in
MAoAU1AY's celebrated passage on this subject
s'There is not, and there never was on this earth
work Of human policy 30 well deserving OF e1.
animation as the Roman Catholic Church. The
history OF that Church joins together the two great
ages Of human civilization. No other institution
is left standing which carries the mind back to the
times when the smoke Of sacrifice rose from the
Pantheon, and when cameleopards and tigers
bounded in the Flavian amphitheatre. Tho proud
est royal houses are but Of yesterday when COM
pared with the line Of Supreme Pontiffs. That
line we trace back, in an unbroken serios, from
the Pope who crowned NAPOLEON, in the nine
teenth century, to the Pope who crowned PEPN,
in the eighth; and far beyond the time OF
PEpN. the august dynasty extends, till it is
lost in the twilight Of fable. The Republic
OF Venice came next in antiquity. But the Repub-
Lie Of Venice was modern when compared with the
Papacy; and the Republic Of Venice is gone, and
the Papacy remains The Papacy remains, not in
decay, not mere antique, but full Of life and USE
full vigor. The Catholic Church is still sending
forth to the rthest ends Of the world missionaries
ausTM, and still confronting hostile Kings with
the same spirit with which she confronted ATTnA.
The number of her children is greater than in any
former age Her acquisitions in the New World
have more than compensated for what she has lost
in the Old he spiritual ascendancy extends over
the vast countries which Lie between the Plains OF
the Missouri and Cape Horn, countries which, o
century hence, may not improbably contain pop
ulation as large as that which now inhabits Eu-
rope. The members Of her communion are GER
tainly not fewer than hundred and fifty millions;
and it will be difficult to show that all other Chris
tian sects united amount to hundred and twenty
millions. ILL
Nor do we see any sign which indicates that the
term other long dominion is approaching. She
saw the commencement Of all the governments
and of oil the ecclesiastical establishments that
now exist in the world; and We feel no assurance
that she is not destined to see the end Of them ALL
She was great and respected before the Saxon had
set foot on Britain; before the Frank had passed
the Rhine, when Grecian eloquence still flourish
ed in Antioch, when idols we're still worshipped in
the temple of Mecca. And she may still exist, in
vigor, when some traveller from New
Zealand shall, in the midst Of vast solitude, take
his stand on broken arch of London Bridge, to
sketch the ruins Of st. Papls.
This hos been often quoted, and may be con-
sidered high praise, but it is strictly true never
theless, and deserved.
DR.. MARLY, in his recent work, Christianity
and it's Conflicts" claims 2OO OO0, 900 Of the worlds
population as Catholics, and only 60,0OO,0O0 as
Protestants The Ciuata Catotica distributes the
Catholic population Of tho world as follows !:
Europe, LAT 1874 900; Asia and oceanica, 1855 900
Africa, 4,O71, 900; America, 46,HO,OOO. DR.. M.
goes on to say cit is q well known and generally
conceded fact, that the Catholic Church at the
pre- sent time is making more rapid progress in
conversions and in influence among nearly all the
nations of the earth than at any previous
period. The numerous and rapid subdivisions OF
the sects, and their alarming tendency toward ra-
tionalsm and indiferentism have induced thought
full men everywhere to reflect seriously upon these
nnumerable variations and conflicts Of opinion,
and to look about them for some reasonable, uni
form and fixed religious faith, etc. ETC."
The progress OF the Romau Catholic Church in
the United States, during the past sixty years. has
been more than one hundred per centum every ten
years. In 1908 there was one diocese, two bishops,
sixty-eight clergymen, eighty churches and
stations, one college, and two female schools. In
1861 there were forty-6ve bishops 1917 clergymen,
3795 churches and stations, over thirty colleges,
and not less than $50 schools for girls.