The Irish standard., 1904-12-10
A NOTABLE CELEBRATION.

A NOTABLE CELEBRATION.
At noon last Thursday there took
place celebration of particular inter-
est to American Catholics: the celebra-
ton of the fiftieth anniversary of the
PRONUNCIATION of the doctrine of the
Immaculate Conception. Outside of
the purely religious Importance of this
celebration, it recalls matters of con-
siderable historical Importance. On
December s, in the year 1854, Plus the
Ninth, in the presence of more than
forty thousand people announced to the
world, or, at least, to the Catholic
world, the doctrine which has since
been an article of faith. At that time,
as on last Thursday, there assembled
in Rome many hundreds of ecclesiasts
from all parts of the world. At that
time the Pope was the temporal ruler
Of Rome, and, consequently, the nature
Of the celebration and the scale on
which it was held was very much
greater than the one held last Thurs
day. Then Plus the Ninth went about
the city free and had at his disposal
all the instruments of power belong
ing to temporal rulers. His successor,
Plus the Tenth, on last Thursday was
confined to the buildings constituting
the vatican and st. Peters, and had
none of the great sources Of power
which belongs to temporal rulers.
Nevertheless, we believe it will be gen.
orally admitted that Plus the Tenth
exercises a greater infunce in the
world than did his illustrous predeces-
sor fifty years ago. In Rome ON De-
cembcr 8, 1854, there appeared large
delegation Of American prelates at
whose head was the distinguished
Archbishop Hughes, of New York. Of
all those then present not one is alive
today, except the Rev. DR.. Burtsell,
Of New York. He is alive and was
present OH last Thursday. All the
cardinals, patriarchs and bishops then
present are now dead. The only liv-
ing Eng.ish-speaking bishop in the
whole world who wore a mitre at the
time Of the ceremony in 1854 is the
Most Rev. Daniel Murphy, archbishop
Of Hobart, Tasmania. He is ninety
years old and has been bishop for
tifty-eight years. Great changes have
taken place in the church in America
since that time. Catholics have in
creased in numbers four fold. Arch
bishop Hughes, before starting to
Rome at that time, held in New York
city the first provincial council and is
sued PASTORAL letter to American
Catholics in which he said: "Should
any portion of the community assail
you as if you were unworthy to be
members Of this free and enlightened
republican government let your refuta-
ton of their calumnies be less in writ
ings and words than in deeds and ac
tons. Your first duty is supreme 10y
atty to God and your holy faith. Your
second, subordinate, but in its own
sphere equally supreme, loyalty to
your country in all her vicissitudes of
prosperity or adversely, If God should
so permit her to be tried. Next to
your country in this secondary order,
your families, your friends and ene-
mics, your countrymen and all man.
kind" The archbishop referred, no
doubt, to the acute fanaticism which
was going around in this country at
that time known rs "Knownothing-
ism" or the Native American Propa-
ganda, with it's attendant church
burnings and its murders of
priests and other acts Of vio-
lence. 1t was about this time
that representative Of the Pope to
Brazil CHANGED on his way home to
visit some Of the cities Of this coun-
try, and there met with mobs and
riots. A great change, fortunately,
has taken place in this respect. Com
pare the reception given to Cardinal
Satolli last summer with that of Arch
bishop Bedini fifty years ago and we
can scarcely believe that we live in
the same country with the same peo-
pie. We are growing better, notwith-
standing the pessimists and those with
out faith in human nature. We are
learning to live in this country in
peace, Protestants and Catholics to-
gether, without burning one another,
without hating one another, without
despising one another. In these days
we live, and really and truly respect
our neighbors, Notwithstanding re-
ligfous differences. This is great
gain for fifty years. So great that we
can hardly conceive of what the world
is to gain in the next fifty years. Let