The San Francisco call., 1910-10-16
Protest Against Public Address in Rome
Sent to the Cardinal Vicar
Especial Dispatch to The Call

refusing to allow novices or postulants
to be received, has succeeded in kill
ing them off, Hence the growth of the
church is brought almost to a stand
still
Sometimes officials indulge in posi-
tive persecution of Catholics and their
clergy. contrary to the intent of the
law. Fortunately, this is not happen
ing SO frequently as formerly.
The government will not allow any
new dioceses to be formed. The do
cese of Mohilev is as big in area as
three-quarters Of the whole United
States. Finally. there are numberless
petty restrictions and difficulties placed
in the way of the clergy and laity.
The church is regarded by the Rus
sian government as alien and anti
Russian. Consequently it does not fit
In with the governmental scheme to
have everything Russian and Slavonic.
Lately. however, many apologists have
sprung up to demonstrate that the
Catholic church and Russian patriot
ism and love of country are not incom-
patible.
The conservation of ST, Patrick s
cathedral marks another milestone in
the history of Catholicity, not only In
New York, but in the whole United
States. 1t is a faithful index of what
is occurring in proportionate degree in
every other city in the union.
While st. Patricks cathedral has
been many years in building. has cost
upward of S4,000,000, and is largely
the result of many Widows mites yet
the generosity of Erin's sons and
daughters, who have profited by Amer
lean prosperity, has not been wanting.
Thus Archbishop Hughes collected in
one day 100000 from 102 donors, the
extra two being non-Catholics. So,
also, Archbishop Farley collected $780,
600 in six weeks, largely from the well
to do Catholics of New York.
The ceremonies attending the con-
alton services were akin, in splen-
dor and magnificence. to those of the
Eucharistic congress. There is no
other organization, outside of the
Catholic church, that can clothe any
public event with such elaborate cere-
monial, such splendid ritual and such
gorgeous pageantry Moreover. all
this pomp and ceremony appeals, not
only to the senses. but to the greatest
intellects. Thus the splendid func-
tions just witnessed in New York COM
bined all that is noble and grand in
art, literature. music and the science
of government.
The liturgy of the conservation serv-
ice is mine of biblical lore and erudi-
ton, as suggested by the cross formed
on the floor from the letters of the
Greek and Latin alphabets.
The ideal music of divine worship
was illustrated by 5000 children of all
nationalities. singing in unison an an
cient Gregorian '.Credo" that has come
down through the centuries, hallowed
by the use of their forefathers in
Christendom for countless generations.
Finally, the natchless organization
and government of the church was
seen in the presence Of numerous pre-
lates, ahbots, bishops. archbishops and
three princes of the church. The pres
ence of only one more parsonage was
needed to complete the ascending ranks
of the hierarchy, namely, Pope Plus
X; and he was sufficiently represented
by Cardinal Vincenzo Vannutelli, the
papal legate at the recent Eucharistic
congress.