The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-02-25

still 'in darkness and in the shadow of
death outside the narrow boundaries of
Christendom." The interior of Africa
was closed book to the European, and
within 1t millions groaned in slavery,
under despotic rulers. Buddha and
Vishnu held a great part OF the human
race captive. Savage hordes wandered
over the steppes of Asia, through the
forests of America, and peopled the in
Vulnerable islands of the Pacific with
races almost entirely destitute of the
knowledge of God. When scmi-civil-
ization created caste prejudice, as in
India, or refined materialism, as in Chi
ma, mankind in it's masses descended in
to the depths of degradation still lower
the wild tribes in savage life. Islam
had extended its raNages over the
Christian states. which extended from
the Atlantic to the Red Sea, and thence
through Syria to the waters of the Bos
phorus. 1t was supreme in Persia, and
spread its crescent over all the land
from the crests of the ranges of Thbet
to the Chersonesus 1t had fixed its seat
in the city of Constantine and its sway
was undisputed throughout the Balkan
Peninsula and the isles of Greece and
the Levant.
The activity of the propaganda has
brought about a change for the better
The Armenians. the Maronites. the
MelcEites, the Copts, abandoned in Il
body their errors and schisms and pass
ed individually over TO the communion
Of the Holy See. In consequence of
this we have a Catholic archbishop at
Athens, another at Nasos, and Catholic
bishops, priests and congregations in
Scio, Rinos, Andros, Santora, and Lyria
and other places in schismatical modern
Greece. In the Turkish empire In
Europe and Asia there are now about 20
dioceses, not including those in forma-
ton. The propaganda has taken in
credible pains to spread the faith in
Egypt, Nubia, and the old Christian
state of Abyssinia, and it's influence in
Algeria and Tunis promises to renew the
faith of the great st. Augustine in the
once fertile Christian province.
Further to the East the sacred congre-
cation, during the period which has
passed from the opening efforts Of st.
Francis Xavier in India and Japan, to
our own days, has spread the missionary
enterprise of the Church. Under its
care Jesuits, Dominicans and Francis
cans penetrated to China and worked
the wonders Of which we read during the
Keen-lung. Innume-able and bloody
long reign of Kang-he and later on of
were the prosecutions it's missionaries
had to suffer there, as we'll as in Corea,
Thibet, Cochin-China, and other coun-
tries bordering on the Celestial empire
The propaganda looked with ceaseless
solicitude upon the changing fortunes
of the missions III India, and nourished
them amidst the wars and diplomatic ar
rangements which transferred the power
from Portugal and France to Great Brit
ain, or to her East india company. In
America it never ceased to follow the
tracks of the red man in his forest and
those of the poor negro in his slavery
The history of the Indian tribes from
Canada to Patagonia is the history of its
missionaries, of their labors. travels and
martyrdom. With equal zeal ii sent it's
apostolic men to the islands of the
southern seas, as these became known
from the exertions of successive eXplor-
ers. In all countries it spread the
knowledge Of Christ, and orphanages
hospitals, schools and other pious insti-
tutiols, conducted by Catholic orders,
and congregations of various forms, now
give the pagan knowledge of the earnest
zeal and devotion of genuine Christian
ity. II the faith has again penetrated
into Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland
and those northern regions where it was
long banished by vigilant and persc-
cutting heresy, it is owing entirely to tho
zeal of the propaganda, and we have
only to recall the history of the church
in England, Ireland and Scotland to
know how unceasing was its care dur
ing the long prosecutions in the three
kingdoms.