The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-01-01

schools follow the program of the
state schools. Each church has it's own
school, kept by nun or by a priest;
for freedom of education is complete
in that country. The state inspecticl
of schools is in no way troublesome,
and the children are merely required
to present certificate from their pas
tor attesting that they have received
sufficient religious instruction. The
Catholics pay no state school tax, 81
the state schools are essentially Luth-
eran, being under the direction of the
Lutheran bishops. Catholics living in
country places which have no church,
experience some difficulty in this mat
ter, but many of them send their chill
dren to boarding schools at Christiania
and Hammerfest.
The Catholics of Norway maintain
journal, the saint Olaf" edited
by Catholics, though intended also
for circulation among. Protestants
The press of st. Olaf has also begun
the publication of standard Catholic
works.
The Catholic Church is less free
in Sweden than in the other Scan
dinavian countries. This very aristo-
cratic and conservative nation has re-
mained profoundly attached to Luth-
eranism, whose ministers are actual
functionaries of the state, and who
permit no infltrations from any other
than the official religion. The num-
ber of priests is too small and their
resources too limited to afford them
any important means of action. The
press, public speaking, and all meth
DDS of reaching the public are in the
hands of the Danish and Norwegian
clergy. The least movement on the
part of Catholics becomes a cause for
suspicion. Canon Kirchberger men,
Der of the Cathedral Chapter of Mu-
mich, and Able Friesenegger, pastor
Of st. Udrich's at Augsburg, together
with Mgr. Won Euch,vicar- apostolic of
Denmark, and Mgr. Bitter, vicar-apos-
tolic of Sweden, Were some years ago,
making tour through, Sweden. Canon
Kirchberger, well known for his works
on Scandinavian antiquities, was par
ticularly interested in the. country. But
they had hardly begun tkgif Tourney
thap IL hooo Mo rooortna a,,or1,i,t,aro
that they had come to Sweden to hold
conclave for the purpose Of advanc-
ing the interests of the Catholic Church
in Scandinavia. BY the ordinary peo-
pie they were regarded with open aver
sion; by the upper classes, with de-
fiance. They were, however, warmly
welcomed by King Oscar, when he met
them at Marstrand, and clearly showed
that he did not consider theft presence
a menace to the nation.
Sweden with its great population
of over five millions has only 1888
Catholics. These are attended by f1f-
teen priests in twelve churches, five
chapels and five stations The first
Catholic Church erected in Sweden
since the Reformation was built in 1897.
In 1860 the government abolished tho
penalties touching Lutherans who re-
turned to the Catholic faith. At pres
ent the head of the Catholic Church in
Sweden is Mgr. John Baptist Bitter,
vicar apostolic and titular bishop Of
Dolischen. Mgr. Bitter was born at
Melle in Hanover in 1S4s; he was made
bishop and vicar-apostolic June Is,
1893.
! The Catholics are obliged to pay not
only for the state schools, but also for
the maintenance Of the Lutheran re.
ligion. The law permits free schools
which must submit to regular inspec-
tion. The free schools may not give
religious instruction, but the children
are obliged to present to the official in
spector a certificate of religious in
struction signed by the pastor.
| ACIS are SdILOllC dl
Stockholm, at Malmo, and at Gothem
burg The Josephine Asylum for the
aid Of needy Catholic women was
founded by Queen Josephine, Princess
de Beauharnaise and wife of Oscar I
That Catholic queen was benefactrees
of her co-religionists both in Norwa,
and Sweden. At Malmo the nuns have
been established since 1874, and mum.
ber fourteen at present. The associa
ton of Workmen has been in iexis
tence for more than thirty years ant
has capital on hand of 12,752 crowns
: The sick fund amounts to 1905 crowns
Among the noted Catholics of swe
den might be mentioned Princess Mari:
Won Waldemar, a lady of great Chris
tian charity, as also Madame Nyblom
, wife of the dean of the University o
Upsala, convert.