Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1908-09-09
.CONCLAVE OF CATHOLICS
Nineteenth Annual Eucharistic Con-
gress Opened In London Today.
Will Continue Four Days.
Special to the Herald.

Special to the Herald.
London, Sept. 9.-No event in the
history of the Roman Catholic church
In England has ever brought together
such a gathering of eminent dignita-
ries of the church as the nineteenth
annual Eucharistic Congress, which
was opened this evening with SOL
emn pontifical mass in the great
Westminster cathedral. The congress
will continue four days.
The Pope, by a special letter, has
commended the spirit of the congress,
and the message will be delivered to
the delegates, consisting of more
than one thousand priests, a score of
archbishops, more than one hundred
bishops, eight cardinals and numer-
Gus monsignores and others of higher
orders, by Cardinal Vincent Vannutel-
Ii, cardinal bishop of the papal
curl in Rome and the personal repre-
sentative of the pontiff.
The Eucharistic Congress is one Of
the most important societies of the
Catholic church. The central idea of
the church is in the eucharist-the
living presence of Christ in the bread
and wine on the altar. The eucharist
is one of the seven sacraments of the
church and the most important. Out
of it have grown the ritual, music,
architecture of the church, and many
among Catholics.
The Eucharistic Congress was or
sanized seventeen years ago for the
purpose of spreading devotion to the
Blessed Sacrament. The delegates to
the, present congress come from the
United States, Canada, France, Bel
GUM, Holland, Germany, Spain, Aus
tria, Italy, Australia and New Zea-
land and various countries of Asia,
Africa and South America.
Ceremonies Of a most brilliant and
interesting character attended the
celebration of the opening mass to-
day. Hundreds of waxen tapers illu-
minated the great marble altar. To
the right throne and canopy of rich
purple silk was erected for the apos-
tolic delegates. Ranged about the
altar and within the chancel rails
were the cardinals, conspicuous
among whom was his eminence, Car
dinal Gibbons of Baltimore The other
members of the Sacred College in at
tendance were Cardinal Mathin, from
the papal curl Of Rome; Cardinal
y, llll bishop Of Armagh; Cardi-
nal Lecot, archbishop Of Bordeaux;
Cardinal Fischer, archbishop of Co
logne; Cardinal Moran, archbishop of
Sydney; Cardinal Ferrari, archbishop
of Milan, and Cardinal Mercier, arch
bishop of Mechlin. In addition to Car
dinal Gibbons the American prelates
who attracted attention included
Archbishop Farley of New York and
Archbishop Bruchesi of Montreal.
The archbishops and bishops wore
their purple robes and berrettas,
which, with the crimson robes of the
cardinals and the darker purple of
the papal delegates surroundings,
made most impressive spectacle.
In front of the altar and extending
far back in the body of the church
sat the delegates to the congress, in
GLIDING hundreds of priests in white
linen robes. They filled both sides of
the middle aisles of pews. Along the
side aisIes were seated seminarians
and divinity students in black robes
So large was the number of delegates
that they practically filled the ca
thedral, spacious though it is, and left
scant accommodation for the great
throng of spectators who sought ad-
mittance.
Scarcely less notable than the dis
tinguished prelates in attendance was