The Irish standard., 1913-09-20

Inc AODoL DOm FRANCIS Ga8Q0et,
president Of the English Benedictine
monks and chairman of the commits
sion appointed by Pope Plus x to re-
wise the Latin Bible. Abbot Gasquet
will remain in this country for six
months and will lecture throughout
the United States and Canada, in or
der to obtain funds to carry out his
work in the revision Of the Latin Bible.
His lecture tour will be made under
the auspices Of the knights Of Colum-
bus. A delegation Of the officers of
this organization met the abbot at the
pier and escorted him to st. Mary's
Benedictine Convent, in Newark.
In speaking with a reporter Abbot
Gasquet freely discussed his aims. He
said the revision Of tho vulgate was
4 much needed work, as the present
C1ementine Version, made in 1892,
contains many errors. He said the
commission Of which he is the head,
has been at work on the st. Jerome
Version since 1907.
The abbot also discussed the state
Of religion in England. He asserted
the Church Of Rome was gaining
many converts from the intellectual
and aristocratic classes, but that the
Church had been unable to reach the
ps1AAA1A anI 1oun~ ny.7aro
Pope Plus appointed the commits
sion OF which am the head in 1907"
said Abbot Gasquet, land we, have
been working steadily ever since in
Rome. Our labors have been enor.
mous; as We have made diligent search
for Ill old. copies Of the vulgate, and
among other things have taken 10000
photographs Of these works.
THE revision of the Latin Bible was
advocated as long ago as the thir-
teenth century when Roger Bacon
called Pope Clements attention to the
errors that had crept in by bad trans
lations and misunderstandings. The
present Clementine Version Is far from
satisfactory, and a revision would have
been made years ago If it had not been
for the expense.
I'VE are striving, by comparing all
existing versions, to obtain the YER
sion used by st. Jerome, which we feel
was the one Of the greatest purity.
This work will take US probably many
and one In which the whole Church
and the world is interested.
1.-The condition Of religion in Eng
land today, outside Of the Catholic
Church, is deplorable. Oxford and
Cambridge are becoming more and
more atheistical. The Anglican bish-
ops have lost all authority over their
clergy and are quite frankly free
thinkers. The middle classes no long
er throng the dissenting churches, and
the lower classes are absolutely with
out religious impulse. D
unmoved, and the intellectuals are
drifting to it in large numbers each
year. Within generation firmly be-
Neve England will be divided between
Catholics and free thinkers, as Prot
estantism is becoming more and more
q negligible force.
Il myself happen to know many new
Catholics Of the intellectual GLASS. as
an a member Of the Athenaeum club,
In London, and can see conclusively
that those who are not drifting away
from all religion are drifting toward
Catholicism.
"G. K. Chesterton, the famous critic,
author and philosopher, is one Of the
English literary men who are fast ap-
preaching the fold of the Catholic
Church. Mr.. Chesterton has not az
yet become formally a Catholic, but
his belief is nearly complete and many
expect his final conversion within a
very short time.
IF we could only reach the middle
classes. England would soon be again
Q Catholic country"
Abbot Gasquet was born in London.
His father, DR.. Raymond Gasquet, was
Q prominent physician in England. The
future abbot was educated at Down.
side College. Bath, and at eighteen en-
tered the Benedictine Order. When
thirty-two years old he was elected
superior Of the Monastery and College
Of st. Gregory. Downside.
In the six years he held this posi-