The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-16
BUTTE NEWS.
CAN TAKE YOUR CHOICE
Both Sides of the Century Prob
lem.
SOME FRESH MATERIAL
How the Puzzling Question Is Argued
by the Experts and the Reason
They Give for the Opposed
Positions
SOME FRESH MATERIAL

The discussion over the question of
the beginning of the goth century,
which had been suspended for some
time, has broken out with renewed re-
hemence and fury in Butte. and wher-
ever two men are gathered the Ques-
ton is on for debate. For the pur-
pose Of furnishing the advocates of
both sides of the question a little fresh
material few opinions from eminent
sources are here presented. In the
Roman Catholic world the Goth cen
fury begins at midnight Dec. 81. 1899,
according to the text of the decree of
the congregation of rites solemn1y ded-
icating the year 1900 as the holy year.
THE decree permits the celebration
of midnight mass in all the churches
of Christendom upon the night of Dec.
81 next. This is q privilege of unusual
interest. Never before in the history
of the church has any priest of the
church except the Roman pontiff been
permitted to celebrate mass al mid
night on the eve of the new year.
"Al1 Roman Catholics who desire to
participate solemnly in this ceremony
are permitted to receive communion at
this mass in their parish churches eth
er during the mass itself or Immediate
ly afterward. This favor is also
unique, and goes to show how much
tervor the pope desires to infuse
throughout the Catholic world in the
welcome of the new century.
There is another feature of inter-
est In the new decree. It settles posi-
lively that. so far as the Catholic
church is concerned, the goth century
will begin with Jan. l. 1900. The Ian
guage of the decree is too plain to
admit of dispute as to whether. for Ro-
man Catholics at least, the Goth CEN
fury would begin on this day or on
Jan. /. 1901. Mgr. Martinelli himself
drew attention to this feature of the
decree.
The pope's decree concludes as fol-
lows: Therefore, in order that the
year 1900, which is about to begin, and
which it is to be devoutly hoped will
usher in a far more happy century.
may, by the aid of God and of His
only begotten son. our Savior. have
an suspicious opening and may close
after a prosperous course his holiness,
Pope Leo Kill, graciously grants that
on the 31st of December, both of the
year which is now ending and of the
year about to begin, at midnight, in
churches and chapels where the most
holy eucharist is kept, according to
the prudent Judgment of the ordinary,
the most august sacrament may be eN
posed for alteration, and he grants
also the permission to say or to sing
in the presence of the eucharist thus
exposed and at that hour only one
mass of the feast of the circumcision
and the octave of Christmas. More
over, he grants to the faithful the spe-
cial privilege of receiving holy COM
munion at the same time, either dur
ing or outside the celebration of the
mass
Edward Box argues that the century
will begin on Jan. l. 1901, but admits
that to a certain extent the advocates
Of the other date are right. He says
Exactly when the Goth century will
actually begin has been discussed by
so many people that naturally every
periodical is inundated with letters on
the now popular and throbbing ques-
tion. 1t is curious that this should be
SO. except for the fact that your true
American likes few things better than
he does his riddle, and a good arith-
metical problem, even though it isn't