The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-04-23
down with sigh of relief and beaming faces, and
kissed the nriasts; hande

down with sigh of relief and beaming faces, and
kissed the priests hands.
Imagine the JOY of the missionaries at the dis
covery that the work was not all to be done over
that among these people who had not seen priest
Tor two hundred years, the faith had fingered hand
ed down from father to son. They had been proud
OF 1t and loyal to 1t sacred mystery. Even bap-
tlsm had been continuously Observed care was TAX
en- that in each community one man. at least should
know the necessary formula and administer the
sacrament TO the children as they came into the
world.
This does not mean, however, that Mgr. Chatron
and his fellow workers have converted the entire
population since those days. Buddhism and Shinto-
ism still hold the feld their adherens in the prefec
ture OF Osaka (Which is the second city of the
plre) number over million and quarter, while
the Catholic population is returned at little more
than five thousand. But Mgr. Chatron is different
from many other missionary bishops. His talk was
not of statistics and success in the modern sense
of the word. With an intense conviction of the
sacredness of his cause went a compelling sense
Of duty when he talked of his work YOU felt that
he was homesic1 for it, that he would not be happy
till he could get back to his catechiss and his sis
ters and his family of orphans-a family constant
ly increasing, the sisters open their doors
ing after morning to find a queer little japanese
baby in basket, left there the chance of its
being taken In.
Fortunately, he did not have to face as many
hardships and pers, when he went home, as did his
Jesuit and Dominican and Franciscan predecessors
m the sixteenth century. There are few episodes
in the richly colored history of that age more full
OF picturesque suggestion to any one with proper
sort OF imagination than the narrative (Which may
be found IN Charlevoix by those who know where
to look for it) of the embassy by some of the
lesser japanese kings to convey their homage as
Christians to the Holy See in 1882. It may easily
be conceived that the journey to Rome was no light
undertaking in those days; indeed, they would prob
ably never have ventured on it if Father Alessan-
dro Malignant the "visitor of all the Oriental mis-
slons, had not been ready to see them on their
way.
The King of Bungo named his grand-nephew
Mancium Ito, who, though he was only is, is des-
crlbed as wise beyond his years; Michael Cingina,
an accomplished cavalier also of royal connections,
represented the King of Arima and the Prince of
Omura; and two other native Christians of high
rank, Martin famari and Julian Nacaura, accom-
panied them. They embarked at Nagasaki on the
22d of February, 1852. 1t was to be eight years
before they returned but the voyage to Goa they
probably abandoned all hope of ever coming back
Their sentiments seasckness laid hold of them
are described with realism which almost intro
iuces modern note into the narrative At Goa they
stayed several months, magnifcently feted by the
lceroy; and when they set said again. early in 1884
hey had more peaceful voyage, reaching Lisbon
n August The most fattering attentions were
avished upon them here, and when they visited
Madrid, by Philip IL. So slow was their progress
mid these civlities that by the following spring
hey were only far Tuscany, where, as guests L
the Grand Duke Piero de Medici, they witnessed C
he festivities of the carnival and no doubt marvel
intensely at them. g
On the boundaries of the States of the Church 0
ley were met by guard of honor of five hundred e
rquesbuslers. Gregory XIII, feeling his end APP I
reaching, sent to hasten them, and they soon . P
ached Rome where they went at once to the house 20
the Jesuits-still incognito, however, as their of
nal entry was not till three days later This was 81
most gorgeous affair. if we may Judge from the d
or1-oH of 4ao Il
sslon which conducted them to the Papa pres IL
ce. The Sala Regia of the Vatican was so ! bl
ronged that the Swiss had to use their weapons fa
clear passage to the throne for the Pope him
If. III
Two weeks later Gregory was dead: but his suc al
ssOr. Sixtus v, continued the same lavish kind II
IS 10 the strangers Space forbds lingering over III
many functions recorded by the leisurely his CT
nan; but we must at least go with them to the ii,
pltol TO see them made patricians by the senate an
the people, There if you like is the fulness sit
the dramatic contrast. Think what the letters HI
T. O. k. have always meant TO our western world by
bring these wondering children of the Orient stl
Ter them for one brief moments what more would fe
have for pictures tw
The return voyage was through the same en- toc
slasm lit up here and there with vivid details as CHI
an at Mantua the duke was to have stood sponsor ere
the day OF their arrival the baptism of Jew tai
rabbi, and politely begged the Japanese princes AM
AXE his place at the font So in the end in the the
inner OF i95o, they came home again TO Nagasaki
My to find chill wind of persecution ALREADY me
wing up to enter the Jesuit novtiate and in all to
babllity to give their lives for their faith dor
Inns remarkable episode acquires an additional aft
rest from the fact that one account of it. bear wit
the title DE Mjssione Legatorum Japonensium'' two
the date Macao $780, was long supposed to sto
2 been the first book printed by Europeans in pli,
I'd. rev DOCKS have been the of more rise
lographlcal myth and error. 1t is now known chr
ave Oeen composed by a Portuguese Jesuit Du- wa!
de Sande, professedly from the Journals of the wit
assadors, and to have no right to the primacy
claimed for II. But no earlier rival seems tn pla
: ana ts IS at least very rare, only four copies att1
kno~n' OF which one Is IN the British Mu- CHI
l. ne whole story with ITS wealth of pictur- Lou
e detail, is delightful change from the pro- wha
sSineness OF modern life. the
bau