The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-04-23
CONGRESS OPENED
At VALETTA TODAY
Address Made BY Mgr. Hey
len, President of the Per-
manent Committee.
FERRATA MAKES TALK
Various Dignitaries Will
Speak-United States Is
Well Represented.
FERRATA MAKES TALK
National News Association)

(National News Association)
MALTA, April 23.-The fourteenth
International Eucharist Congress was
inaugurated today at the Rotunda
Musta, the third largest cathedral in
the world, situated in the city of Val
eta, on the island of Malta. The
congress was opened with an address
by Mrs Heylen, Bishop of Namur and
president of the permanent committee
of the congress. Following the ad
dress of Mrs. Heylen, a letter from
the Maltese people to the Pope, was
read publicly to Cardinal Ferrata,
whom the Pope appointed as Papal
Legate to the congress. The Cardinal
in turn addressed the assemblage and
Marquis Alfred Mattel, chamberlain
to the Pope and former member of
the legislative and executive commit
tee of the government spoke in the
name of the Maltese people. Several
other addresses followed and the
business session closed with an ex-
PLANTATION of the work of the congress
by the Very Rev. Father Sammut, s.
]. The religious ceremonies will be-
verious churches and close with the
benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
The program for the following days
of the congress is practically the same
as that of today, consisting of address
es from various dignitaries and relig-
ious ceremonies. The closing day
will be marked by pilgrimage to the
Garden of st. Paul and a nocturnal
alteration of the Blessed Sacrament
lasting from 10 o'clock in the evening
until o'clock in the morning.
A large delegation of priests and
1aymen from the United States are in
attendance at the congress. Cardinal
Ferrata, the Papal Legate, arrived
yesterday on board British warship,
sent especially by the English govern
ment, to convey the Cardinal from the
city of Syracuse, Sicil to Malta. The
Cardinal was received on board the
warship by the Auxiliary Bishop, Mgr.
F. A. Portelli, o. P. and Chief Justice
Sir Giuseppe Carbone, commander of
st. Gregory the Great. They accom-
panied the Cardinal to the Sarria
Church where the party was met by
Archbishop Pace and Judge Pullicino,
with other ecclesiastical and civic Off
Gals.
The Island of Malta is particularly
adapted for the holding of the Euchar-
list Congress, for it has occupied a
prominent part in the history of the
Catholic church for centuries. 1t is
said that st. Pau, the apostle, was
n1> fv~,~ %Io FL itc
captors. when on his way to Rome to
be tried before the Roman Tribunal.
1t was also on this little island that
the knights of st. John, the fore
runners of the present Knights Temp
lars, accomplished their greatest
work. The grand master La Valette,
for whom the city of Valetta is named
in 1905 saved the city, after an eight
months siege by the Turks, and COM
pletely routed the enemy with only
a small complement of men. Had the
Turks succeeded in capturing the city
the entire Mediterranean would have
been controlled by the Ottoman EN-
pire and their rule might have extend
ed to the present time.
The city and Island were held by
the knights until the time of Napol-
con, whence they were conquered by
the French. However, in 1914 with
the aid of George Ill, of England, the
people of Malta, succeeded in Kidding
themselves of both the French and
the knights and gave their ALLEGIANCE
to the British crown and have since
remained British subjects. Although
they changed their political utilization
they remained steadfast to their re-
ligious faith and, it is said. there are
no Maltese Professionals. the entire
population adhering to the Catholic
faith.
The people of the island are a fus-
ion of many races. They are pre-
dominently Italian, with a mixture of
English, Arab and Greek. They are