The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-04-29
LETTER FROM OUR SPECIAL COR
RESPONDENT.
Belgian Churches-cathoIicit and
Prosperity-NeW Educational
Bilt-Language Question.
London April 10. 1911.

London April 10. 1911.
1 suppose there is no more Catholic
country in the Western hemisphere
than Belgium, if we exclude the favor
ed Isle of St. Patrick. Any one who
has been awakened on his first morn
ing in Bruges, or for that matter, in
any other of the dear and quaint old
Flemish cities which still abound un-
spoiled, and has listened to those
dreamy carillons of bells for which
they are celebrated or heard the my
riads of wooden sabots Gathering over
the cobbles to the first Mass sung at
half past four, would certainly agree
that this is the case. If, being also
blessed with the possession of the
Faith, he were to rise from his bed
and follow the sound of those foot
steps to the nearest church. he would
be convinced of the fact. Take an or
binary parish church in Bruges for
instance, St. Giles, beneath whose
shadow the writer once spent happy
fortnight the size, the richness, and
splendor of such church would as
tonish the traveller from missionary
country. And from four a. m. on
wards, every morning that church is
thronged with an ever changing con-
gregation of worshippers. First come
the laborers in the field, then, the milk
carriers with their FURNISHED brass
cans which they leave at the great
porch, and the fruit sellers and the
fish women; and so on till it dwindles
down, to the school children and the
more leisured classes who frequent the
later Masses And before and after
every Mass, that is, every half hour,
Holy Communion is given to the peo-
ple The bright loveliness of their
Faith seems to be reflected in the
graceful and gracious statues with
which the glorious churches of Flan-
ders are adorned. In an extended
tour in the country l never came
across a representation of Our Lord,
or our Blessed Lady, or the Saints
which was in the slightest degree
unworthy or repellant, as some, of
the modern statues are-the male
Saints very often by reason OF
their effeminacy of appearance, and
the female Saints by their ex-
pressionless visages or their SIM
per. The statues which adorn a
Flemish church are simply innumer,
able, and all are sanely beautiful, if
one may be allowed the expression.
cathoIicity and Prosperity.
1t is a common axiom amongst non
Catholics that the Faith of the cen
turies initiates against worldly pros
perity, and that Catholic peoples are
always degenerate and generally far
behind the times. A better refutation
of such a statement could not be found
than this little corner of Europe. Bel
gium is the most densely populated
of any European country, yet for hel
size and population she is financially
the most prosperous. Every inch OF
her soil is under cultivation and yields
a wonderful harvest, her industries
prosper, and her gracious old Cathe
drals and Churches, never having los1
their soul, the Blessed Sacrament, are
still living edifices and not merely pic
turesque ruins. And yet, with all this
Catholic Belgium has her troubles, ant
here again the Socialist element is en-
deavoring to rise and overwhelm the
Faith of the people.
Socialist Clique in Belgium ParIia
ment.
Possibly their long security ha'
lulled the Catholics into the belief tha
their position is unassailable, but, b.
this the reason or no, the Socialist
secured a much coveted advantage il
the Chamber the other day. They hat
waited their opportunity and seein,
that the majority of the Catholic Part.
were absent, they introduced and car
ried by the rush method now used 81
frequently in the British Parliament,
resolution conveying to the King o
Italy the congratulations of the Cham
ber on the jubilee of Italian unity, ez
pressed in the name of the Belgium
nation. But short while since tn
Belgian members of the Internationa
Peace Society which is to meet i
Rome this year declared their inter
ton of refraining from attending tn
conference in token of their loyalt
to the Holy See and their desire t
show their want of sympathy wit
the celebrations of which Rome ha
been made the center. AS many {
these are members of the Chambe
this alone is proof that the resolutio
of the Socialists is that of a cliqu,
and not of the Belgian nation.
New Education Bill.
The object of special interest in th