The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-09-19
GENERAL MISCELLANY.

~S~@S~@A~A~~AAsA
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The Origin Of he Word Bishop.-It is o re-
| markable fact, the full Significance of which
has only lately been appreciated, that neither
Bosio. Fabretti, Boldetti nor any other of the
ancient explorers of subterranean Rome ever
found an inscription bearing the title of bish-
| OPP. 1t is true, indeed, that in the first age
this title had not acquired that determinate
ecclesiastical sense which it subsequently re-
| ceived. The word had been in use among the
! Pagans in wider and more general significa-
| ton. Among the Greeks, for example, it was
used for the president of the athletic sports
and public games, and this may have been a
sufficient reason, perhaps, for emitting the
| title on the gravestones of the first bishops.
! BY the middle of the third century, however,
| Its ecclesiastical sense was well defined, and
accordingly we find it here on three out of
the fonr gravestones of the Popes. The tomb
stones of st. Cornelius, 'nfso, and of st. Fuse
bus, popes and martyrs, which we shall pre-
sently see in this cemetery, are similarly
marked and in the cemetery of st. Alexander,
discovered fifteen twenty years ago, on the
Via Nomentana, at least three epitaphs display
the same title The fact that many have
been found inl the same place, whereas they
have not been found elsewhere, might suggest
to an Intelligent student of archaeology that
perhaps it the practice of the ancient
Church to reserve some special place OF burial
for those who had filled she highest rank in
her hierarchy And this conjecture receives
strong confirmation from the fact, which
learn from various sources, that the earliest
successors of st. Peter with very few eXcep-
tions, which can generally be accounted for,)
lay buried each in his own sepulchre, ''near the
body of blessed Peter in the Vatican" just as
bishops of Alexandria were buried near the
body of ST. Mark Moreover, it was an object
of great jealousy to the several churches that
their bishops should be buried in the midst of
them, their tombs were appealed to testi-
mony to the apostolic tradition and doctrine
having come to them through a Legitimate
succession of bishops. Thus Polycrates, Bish-
enumerates the burial places, in different cities
of Asia, of the several bishops, great pillars of
the Church" as he calls them, whom he alleges
as witnesses in his behalf. Caius, in Like man
ner, disputing against the Cataphfy gians at
the end of the second centurY,>appeals to the
tombs of SIS. Peter and Paul; SO, also, Optatus
in his controversy with the Donatists. Hence,
If bishop happenefto die at a distance from
his own see, his body was ordinarily brought
home, even at considerable Inconvenience G.
g., the body of-St- Eusebins from Sicily; of st.
Cornelius from Civita Vecchia and of st. Pom
tiahus from the Island of Sardinia. The bodies
of all these Popes were brought back to Rome,
though two of them at least had died in exile
for the law distinctly allowed the bodies of
exiles to be brought home for interment, pro-
vided the Emperor's leave had first been OBJ
tanned, and in the instances here alleged the
translation was not made until change in the
impetial policy towards the Church made it
possible to obtain such leave. Nor was this
translation an honor peculiar to the bodies
of deceased Roman Pontffs. On the contrary,
the relics of st. 1gnatius were recovered to
Antioch; the body of Dionysius, Bishop of Mi
LAM was recovered by ST. Ambrose, and that of
st. Felix, Bishop of Tiburtium, martyred at
Venosa, was returned to Africa. Perhaps, Also
this practice furnishes the best explanation
which can be given of the attempt made by 4
the Christians of the East to recover the bodies
of SIS. Peter and Paul.-R0ma S0ttetSdReaI
- Where are Al the Pins.-Numbers of people
have entirely bewildered and stupefied them
selves in endeavors to arrive at some rational
conclusion on the subject of pins. The statis-
teal accounts of the numbers of pins turned
out annually at Birmingham and Sheffield
alone, would lead one to expect that the earth
itself would present the appearance of a vast
pincushon. Where are those pins of which
the yearly fabrication is on vast o scale 7
Pins not consumed article of diet. |
Pins do not evaporate. Pins must be some
-Mhere.-All-t he-pins which haze been-made !
since civilization set i'll must DO in existence |
in some shape other; ought to see moth |
ing else, look in what direction we might, but
pins. This island, not to meddle with other |
countries, ought to be knee deep in pins. |
Reader, how many pins imported into your
own house in the course of the yearf Do you
know what becomes of those pins There are
n few in your wifes pincushiOn, and one may |
maids waistband; but where are the rest 1t |
is perfectly astounding how seldom one en-
counters pin ION the loose" Now and then,
by rare chance, as when carpet is taken up,
you may catch glimpse of pin lying in u |
Crevice; but even this is an uncommon occur |
renee, and not to be counted upon. You often
want pin, and take trouble to get pin |
Where are all the pins that ought to be always
in Attendance everywhere ?-D)ickeR8's Al the !
Year Round.
Position Of the Heart.-The heart is said to be |
on the left7side. This, strictly speaking, is not
true. 1t is as nenrly as possible, in the middle
of the chest; and if a line We're drawn down |
the centre of the brcast-bone, to divide the |
heart into two portions, we should find rather |
the largest on the right side. The point is di-
rected toward the left side, close to the fifth !
rib and the reason attribute its position !
TO the left side rather than the right is this /:
that we can more readily feel the puIsation on |
this side than we can on the other, because the |
last of the four great cavities of the heart
the left ventricle-is placed on the |
left side. From this the blood is forced over
tho whole system, and we readily feel it's
pumping action through the ribs. = |