Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-04-21
CATHOLICS WILL
HOLD CONGRESS.
Conference Will Meet on Is
land of Malta To-
morrow.
FOURTH OF THE SERIES
Two Thousand Pilgrims Including
Many From America, Will Witness
Imposing Ceremonies.

Rome, April 21.-Cardlnal Ferrata,
papal delegate 20 the twenty-fourth
international Eucharistic Congress of
the Catholic Church, sailed from SYRIA
cuse, on the southern coast of Sicily,
for the historic island of Malta, where
the Congress will formally open to-
morrow. The cardinal sailed on a
British man-of-war, which had been
placed at his disposal by the Eng
lish government, to whom the island
of Malta belongs. With his eminence,
on board, was also his personal suite,
thirty of the leading archbisnops and
bishops of Italy, score of prominent
Vatican prelates, end several hundred
pilgrims.
simultaneously with the sailing OF
the war vessel, three ordinary steam
ships also sailed having on board
nearly 1000 other pilgrims. Still
other steamers will sail tomorrow,
while two immense pilgrimages one
from America and one from England,
will arrive in York and London. All
in all, the formal opening of the con-
gress tomorrow is expected to be
made in the presence of not less than
5000 pilgrims from all parts of the
world, probably the greatest number
of foreigners that have been on the
little island since the Middle Ages.
The Congress which will last until
next Monday, will be the fourth in
the series which Pope Plus Inaugural
ted several years ago. The first OF
these was held at Montreal, Canada,
to which His Holiness sent as the pa
pal delegate Cardinal Vannutelli, one
of the most distinguished members Of
the Sacred Collage. At the second OF
the series held a: Madrid the King
of Spain took a prominent part while
last years congress at Vienna was
personally participated in by every
member Of the royal family, from
Emperor Franz Josef down, and the
papal legate. Cardinal Van Rossum,
was lodged in the royal palace
TO the Congress which begins to-
morrow at Mata a special note of in
terest of an entirely different character
has been added. This is due to the
fact that the island has been given
serious consideration as a possible So
luton for the Vatican-Quirinal ques-
ton.
Several years ago when relations at
Rome because seriously strained the
English government was even ap-
preached on the subject of turning
over the island to the Pope as the flu
ture seat of the Vatican and as an
independent temporal kingdom under
the sovereignty of the Popes.
While the matter was dropped at
that time, it has been been revived the
past year and it is freely admitted in
Vatican circles Ghat Pope Plus may
have had such solution in mind when
the rather out-of-the-way place was
selected by him for this years con-
gress.
Although Cardinal Ferrata will ar
rive at Malta late this afternoon, he
will not go ashore until tomorrow. He
will first be met on board the man-of
war by the dignitaries of the islanc
headed by Auxiliary Bishop of Nal
ia Monsignor Portelli, on behalf Of the
church, and Sir Joseph Carbone, on be
half of the English government. Wher
the landing is finally made, the entire
garrison of the island will line the ave
nue. from the wharf to the episcopa
palace. and through this double linz
of troops his eminence will pass.
For the Congress the English gov
eminent has placed at the disposal O
the church the. entire governmental
and military machinery of the islant
and by those at Rome who believ
Pope Plus still entertains the idea o
! finding in Malta a solution of the Vat
ican-Quirinal question this attitude o
the English government is considered
most favorable.
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