The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-04-22

these Ministries do not receive their
portfolios from King or President, but
from the heads of the powerful secret
organization which has got half Eu-
rope in its grasp, and is stretching
out towards those countries such as
Austria, Germany and Switzerland,
which are as yet free.
Changes in the Holy City.
Meanwhile their influence is felt in
Rome itself. The succession of mur-
ders of sordid nature which have re-
Gently been perpetrated in the Eternal
City have been a shock to those, Ital-
ians and foreigners, who have resided
there for years, and old inhabitants
speak of the change which has come
over the city within the last fifty
years. It is a change which is, alas,
affecting her very buildings. For the
Rome which is the treasure of the
world, which contains all the greatest
monuments of antiquity and is as dear
to the pagan as to the Catholic is be-
ing gradually swept away. Hideous
new buildings are springing up, along
the Corso, and where once old pal
held treasures of art, and beauty and
sanctity untold The rooms once oc-
cupied by the Saints are not safe from
the hands of the modern jerry builder,
and many place of pilgrimage has
been swept away particularly to make
room for the meretricious and gigan-
tic monument to Victor Emanuel
which dominates the vista of the
Corso, and with it's Grecian style and
frightful newness is out of all har-
mony with it's surroundings. There is
one corner of Rome, however, that is
yet unspoiled. 1t lies at the back of
the Aldobrandini Palace gardens and
is centred in the ancient Church of
st. Agatha, neighbour to which is the
Irish College where Blessed Oliver
Plunkett studied, and where the great
Irish Franciscan, Father Luke Wad-
ding, surrounded himself with bands
of young Irish students in the dark
days of the penal laws in ireland and.
Great Britain, who qualified there for
the almost certain death which await
ed their landing to preach the gospel
on the shores of their native land.
st. Agatha's is the centre of attrac-
ton in Rome on st. Patrick's day, but
now the old Church will have to retire,
for last Friday the new Church of ST.
Patrick which is to be the gift of the
Irish all over the world was solemnly
opened and the first Mass was sung
at it's High Altar by Cardinal Martin
elli. The Church is of noble proper
tions, but is as yet bare of interior
decoration. 1t is proposed to cover
it's wall with mosaics of the life of the
Apostle of Ireland as funds become
available. The first preacher was the
well known Irish Franciscan, Father
David Fleming, one of the Commis-
sioners on Anglican Orders under Leo
XIII. Another distinguished British
preacher was heard in Rome on St.
Patrick's day in the person of FIR. R.
H. Benson, son of the late Archbisop
of Canterbury and one of a trio of
gifted brothers all of whom are writ
ers of no mean ability. Father Benson,
who introduces Catholicism into all
his work of fiction is preaching the
) Lenten course of sermons at the Eng
lish Church of San Silvestro in Capite,
but on Friday he was the guest of St.
Isidore's the Irish Franciscan Church,
and preached noble panegyric on ST.
Patrick after the High Mass. 1t was,
too, tribute to the race whom st.
Patrick came to convert, to their rev.
erence for the Priesthood their devo-
ton to the Blessed Sacrament, their
fidelity to their faith, and finally plea
that Irish and English would now join
hands in fellowship and peace under
, the brightness of a new day.
, New Papal Document Expected.
Before we leave Rome it is inter
esting to note that another important
document is shortly to be expected
from the Vatican concerning, this
time, the Hierarchy Steadfastly and
quietly the Holy Father pursues his
, work of restoring all things in
Christ" and bringing back institu-
: tions of the Church to their primi.
tive simplicity. 1t is said that the
diminishing numbers of the Cardinals
whose ranks, thinned by death, are
not filled by new creations, is due to
t an intention to confine the Sacred
College as originally formed to the
r members of the Roman Curia. AT
4 present the great rank of Cardinal
: of the Church is recognized even now
4 by countries which have departed
: from the faith. When Archbishop
. Bourne dined with the King few
v days since in London, he was giyeI
( the precedence taken by the Arch
/ bishop of York, who comes after the
f Archbishop of Canterbury. But tt
this day the seat of the Cardinal LIE
y gate remains in the English House
/. ~ TnrdS ond If ir ohnuo fhof nf fh<