The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-09-26
New York Catholic Review


dition of Italy, the Catholic Reciew has
concealed or extenuated nothing any more
than it has aught set down in malice.
Always we have had a profound happi-
ness in noting that while the zeal of the
wicked has been almost diabolical in it's
organization of crime against the Lord
and His anointed, this has been the zeal of
an energetic minority, and the true Ital-
ians have been true Catholics even if they
have been lacking in the courage and de-
back to their sorely tried country. We
are happy to lay before our readers two
testimonies from different quarters, con-
corning the fervent piety of our Italian
brethern. The first Of these is taken from
the letters of an italian priest, acquainted
with the English language, who writes
from Naples to a gentleman in New York.
We transcribe his own words:
ave bad here last month, by the in
junction of the Holy Father and his liber-
ality in granting indulgences, very general
and solemn festivity to the Sacred Heart of
our cardinal archbishop, at his pontifcal
mass, distributed the Holy Eucharist By
by his own hand from half past ten to one
O'Clock it has been calculated that all the
morning there were twelve thousand COM
munions in that church alone: the same
more or less may be affirmed of the other
churches of the city. 1t is certain, as the
Holy Father seems to have alluded to it in
his speech, that the present times have oc-
casioned both great good and evil to Italy
and to the world at large, for as many a
wretch has made detection from the faith,
on 1.-THE contrary in great many, hearty
devotion has been aroused by the contrast
and pressing opposition of those WHO
would fetter it we take it as real demon
stratiOn of fact that by the help of God and
by His Holy Mothers intercession the
. enemies Of our Catholic faith will never
lov hold nf nkrI
the fervor in honoring this Sacred Heart
has been evinced in your land as we'll as all
over the world. Who knows but as the
Rosary of the Virgin obtained from
God the destruction of heretics in Italy
and Spain, and likewise the devotion to the
Blessed name of Jesus was the salvation Of
the Church in past ages, as We have it
from history, even now the devotion to the
Holy Heart of Jesus may be the harbor
wherein the world may rest at peace from
the stormy weather that threatensit: The
prayer of this blessed Heart shall be gra
cio1sly listened to by the Father ont of His
reverence. Let US be. e.trustful, let us hope
for ever in his mercy and never give up
our prayers which sooner OF later shall be
successful, as they are strengthened by the
heavenly sighs of the Blessed Heart of
Jesus and their perfume will, no doubt,
in odor of suayity."
The other s the published testimony of
the Catholic Union of ireland
"ThCse who know Italy best assure us
that CathOliCity was never more flourish
ing there than it has been within the last
few years. People who go to Italy from
these counties are not unfrcquently snre
to come back again with some sort of aeon
victio;l that Italians seldom 60 to mass, and
, more seldom still to Holy Communion. As
- rule such people scarcely dream of start
ing on their days round of sight seeing be.
fore nine or ten o'clock-till they have
been fortified with a good substantial
breakfast, and then what is it they see
Churches empty of everybody but them
selves ard slghtseers like them. Occasion
ally, mass is being said at some side chapel,
and there are few people in it-ergo, no.
body goes to mass on week. days in Italy,
and less than nobody to communion. Now,
the truth of the matter is, that from about
ave o'clock in the morning masses are
being continuously celebrated for crowded
congregations at every altar In every
church, and there have been almost from
. break of day patches upon patches of com
municants at every mass. This goes on to
about eight o'clock-just the hour when
our tourists are thinking Of turning out Of
bed, and when the Italians are already
through half the days work. If people,
Catholic or Protestant, want to see italian
life, Italian religion, and Italian devotional
exercises, they must be up as early as the
Italians, and be abroad as early too. The
best and surest test of the practical pety
of a Catholic population is the number OF
those who approach Holy Communion;
Taking this test, we will find on personal
Investigation, or on inquiry, that Italy is
thoroughly practica! in its Catholicity. 1t
has been admitted on all hands that in
Rome the fervor of its people was never
more intense, and even in the brightest
days of the Papal functions Rome never
made a moro glorious display of its gen
uine Catholicity than on the recent Occa.
sion of the conservation to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus. The same is true of other
cities in Italy, and we find that Florence,
Notwithstanding the corrupting influences oi
infidelity, audthe Indifference so prevalent
there, is no exception. The ArmOnid, ar
able journal of that city, has just published
the communion statistics of one church.
that of the AnRuntjdtd for n series of years
and they show a most cOnseling increase
In.IS5S, the number of communions for the
-. -. nr,nr,k q nln for go q nhnnt 60