The San Francisco call., 1908-12-20

NEW YORK, Dec. IA Dattle
against socialism was begun at the re-
cent convention of the German Cathol-
les central veresn in Cleveland. Ii ap-
propriated $4,000 to be used to prepare
young men to direct the German Cath
olics Of America in a ceaseless fight
against socialism and other forms OF
modern error. The new school will
afford an opportunity to its students for
full investigation of sociological ques-
tions. The Central verein has 100000
members.
1t is stated that i25 socialist organ
izers are constantly on the road
Sending itemized reports weekly to the
Chicago headquarters: every nieht in
the year between 5000 and 1000 meet
ings are being harargued by socialist
agitators; and II is estimated that the
periodicals of the party now reach be-
tween 100000 and 100000 readers.
Hence the timeliness OF the action
taken by the Central verein is apparent.
On Christmas owe the bells were rung;
On Christmas eve the mass was sung
That only night in all the year.
Saw the stoled priest the chalice rear.
Thus Sir Walter Scott refers to the
ancient and present custom in the Cath
olic church of celebrating midnight
mass in honor of Christ's birth; the
mas, as the etymology of the word it
self-"Christ mass''--plainiy indicates
From time immemorial the Latin
church has celebrated the birth of
Christ on December 20, though ancient
authorities are not agreed as to
whether this is the actual date Of this
great event. According to st. Clement
OF Alexandria some placed IL on April
20, others on May 90. st. Epiphanius
nd Sefa faf that in E,RVnf Ian
uary was believed to be the day
The Greeks for long time had no
special feast corresponding to Christ
mas day. for st. Chrysostom, in SER
mon delivered in A. D. $50 at Antioch,
says that 'it is not 10 years since this
day was clearly known to US, but 1t has
been familiar from the beginning to
those who dwell in the west"
The great missionary congress in
Chicago was attended by about o1
archbishops and bishops and 1000 del
egates from all parts of the union. On
the opening Sunday sermon on The
! Missionary Spirit" was preached in
sc churches in Chicago by some abbot,
bishop, monsignor, archbishop or dis
| tinguished priest.
Archbishops Palconio, Quigley. Mess
mer, BIenk, Christie and Moeller were
among the participants. At the hrst
session there We're seated on the stage
about So bishops and monsignori.
In the elaborate musical program
prepared for the solemn pontifical mass
! in the Holy Name Cathedral on Sun
day, the jubilee hymn of Plus \, en-
titled Long Live the Pope. was sung
az the recessional by the boys choir OF
Cathedral college. 1t was also fea-
ture at the opening of the first session
OF the congress on Monday in the First
regiment armory-
At the closing session on Wednes-
day Father Kelly. president of the Ex-
tension society, announced tnat ne mao
received over S20000 within "a hours,
Including a donation from the A. y.
H.. SIS. 900 from Richard Dean, general
manager OF the Pullman company
81 600 from Mr.. Lynch Of the National
Rank of the Republic, $1,000 from Will
! liam H. Hynes of Chicago and $1,000
| from Archbishop OConneil OF Boston
T, Recouereps discovery OF radio activ-
! ity led directly to the sensational dis,
coyery OF radium by Professor and
| Madame Curie.
| The actual crib or manger in whicn
! Christ was born was, according TO an
old tradition, brought from Bethiehem
| IN the seventh century, and is now pre-
served in st. Mary Major in Rome.
/ The DreSenI CuSlOlh OA CiONtAtS
! stable and crib in churches at Christ
raastime. with figures representing the
| blessed Virgin, st. Joseph and the In
| fant Jesus, was first introduced by st
| francis of Assist in the Franciscan or
der in the thirteenth century
| The French and Italian papers have
been circulating thefollowing striking
sayings among others, credited to the
first Napoleon:
To see me people would come 9
league: 10 see the pope they would
TN The pope keeps for himself minds
one should treat with the pope as
thonch he had two hundred thousand
bsyoaets at his disposal.
| The pope should not be either at Vi
emma or at Madrid or at Paris: he
I should be in Rome. free and 1ndepend-
| ent OF all sovereigns.
In the recent international congress
on moral education, held in London
| Catholic and non-Catholic educators
! took an active part At the very
| threshold of the discussion there
| emerged the old antagonism between
religion and secularisrn. which forms
so large a part OF the difficulty In
volved in the controversy on public
elementary schools
Father Sydney Smith. the Jesuit
pointed out that the two sy1labuses
! are different and opposed in essential
matters; the secular system casting
out altogether one whole tract of moral
duties which Catholic parents regard as
the most important and as affecting the
character of all the rest, viz. the duties
| to God
| DIR. Wilson n-Catholic), canon
OF worcester, declared that the two
systems are not alternative, not nlu-
tually exclusive. The theory Of the re-
ligious educator includes that of tho