The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-05-26
Some Interesting Facts for the
Cardinal Of England.
BRITISH CIVILIZATION IN The WAY
This Information of Interest ia
Archbishop Ireland.

Last week I happened to see letter
of Cardinal Vaughan to the English
people regarding the present war with
the Beers, says an Indian Missionary
Father in the Irish Catholic of Dublin.
cannot account for his bold saying
that the English government grants us
| full liberty in the exercise of our holy
religion and that it prospers under this
rule. He says: Counties millions in
the Dark Continent depend for their
temporal and eternal salvation upon the
establishment of that reign of law which
| usually follows British supremacy"
This statement is an exaggeration to
the highest degree. The general con-
census of all the Catholic missionaries
in the country and the colonies is to
the contrary.
Such praise is not due to the Eng
lish but to others. OF all the European
powers, the. first and foremost to propa-
gate, defend, and protect our holy re-
ligion were the Spaniards and their CO.
| nationalists, the Portuguese. In the
present century the French Catholics
are the only ones who literally contrib
ute for the propagation of the Catholic
religion in these lands. The work of
the glorious Portuguese is standing
monument even to the present day.
They conquered countries for the honor
and glory of God, and established their
converts on a firm footing, and made
them what we call palska Christians
Their converts extend from Goa to
Cape Comorin, and even beyond India,
all along the southern and eastern
| shores of Asia. Their converts in India
having been made at the beginning of
their conversion to free themselves from
the bondage of caste, are elevated ma
| terially and spiritually from the Sur
| rounding heathens. Thus they we're
made to participate to the full in the
blessings Christianity had brought
| them. They, being far away from the
heathens and free from the heather
| practices, have become Catholic ma
tion-shining lights in the ecclesiastical
| and political states of life.
The other caste Christians-though
belong to them-of the English prov
inces, who were converted in thousands
during the time of those holy apostolic
men such as Father De Nobili, Blessed
John dc Boito Leynez, ETC., with the
English arrival have dwindled away,
and many are falling away into hea-
thenism. The few who stood firm in
the faith having been entangled in the
meshes of the caste system, are not
progressing mucl, towards the real civ
ilization and freedom of action so nec-
| essary for the betterment of their condi-
ton. With the advent of the English
and their missionaries the name of
Christian" has become term of re-
proach, for Christian means a pariah-
menial, and this has frightened the
high caste Hindoos away from hearing
It's, and no amount of persuasion and
good example on the part of Jealous
and pious missionaries can give them
confidence up to the present day. am
native, and have a caste cook to serve
me; my own caste men and far relatives
are afraid to hear me, and when begin
to talk about our religion, they all go
away-a sad spectacle for the mission
ary. I don't say that there are no con-
versions now and then, since none can
withstand the grace of God, but only
of individual cases, and as long as the
English are in this country, we can nev-
er get good harvest OF souls. This is
true, and is proved by an experience
which no one will gainsay in this land
Had the reign of the Portuguese
lasted century longer all India would
have been converted, and to-day our re-
ligion would shine gloriously and the
people would be Catholic nation; but,
alas! the European revolution aroused
:" A'oih al "huetSlo oOiS anu iaslhS III
jury to the propagation of our holy
faith. By the decree of Pombal, all
the Portuguese Jesuits were driven out
of the land, and il is through the great
perseverance and zeal OF native Goancse
priests that the Catholic religion was
protected and kept from dying out.
From the statistics published at
Madras through the Catholic Direc-
tory" find that majority OF the
Catholics are the descendants Of those