The Irish standard., 1914-05-30
THE IRISH STANDARD, SATURDAY, MAY 30. 1914.

STANDARD, SATURDAY, MA,
MISUNDERSTANDING MISSIONERs
NEEDED IN THE FAR EAST.
(Fr. Hofgartner, the writer, is a
Mill Hill missionary, who is now
passing through this country on his
return from Europe to his mission
in Borneo.)
The English language-there is no
use denying the fact-has rapidly
become the commercial language of
the East. From Singapore on the
Maylay Peninsula as far as the Beh-
ring Strait. all along the Chinese
coast, in Japan, and in the Philip
pines since they have passed under
the dominion of the Stars and
Stripes.
English is the language of the
merchant, the traveller and the col
lege teacher. 1t goes along with
commerce and education. The lead
ing newspapers of Singapore, Hong
kong and Shanghai appear in Eng
lish. China is fast opening her sea
ports to the worlds commerce, and
the medium Of, communication is the
English tongue. In colleges aspir-
ing to give higher education, Eng
lish is taught, and it is taken up by
the japanese and Chinese students in
preference to any other foreign
tongue. for they fully realize it's ad-
vantage in their lives.
The English-speaking countries,
England and America. are, in the
eyes of the Chinese and Japanese,
the most enterprising and prosperous
nations in the world. What makes
a deep impression on the Eastern
people is the show of political power
the cruisers crossing their seas,
the large fleets of commercial YES
vessels, the grand depots and ware
houses in their seaports. All these
things weigh heavily in the scales
of materialistic, worldly-minded pa
gans.
Now England, America and Ger
many are considered by the Far East
earners to be essentially Protestant
coutries, where the Catholic religion
has gained no footing and has few
adherents. Working among the
Chinese immigrants of Borneo, 1 had
ample opportunity to testify to the
truth of this statement. My neigh
Dor. the Protestant minister, used to
tell our Catholics that l was a
Frenchman. Now the mere fact OF
being Frenchman would be nc
slight on my character, nor would
be ashamed of being one if that
were the case, for no one can choose
his own birthplace. But when I told
them that was a German, they
argued. well, then you are not a
Catholic priest" They disbelieved
me until they were informed by
higher authority that I was a Cath
Ollie priest in spite of being Ger
man into the bargain.
How this preposterous idea came
to take root I do not know, but there
it is. The common denomination OF
our Catholic religion is 1.-The French
religion" No doubt the noble sons
of France didtand still do most fol
the spread of the Faith in Eastern
Asia. And it is of no use to tell
our people that there are twenty-four
million Catholics in Germany, two
and half million in England and
nearly sixteen million in the United
States. They ask, Where are they?"
And certain it is that these countries
are not represented in the Far East
according to their numerical strength
at home. The missioners from Eng
land or the States you can almost
count on your fingers.
Some will answer: I'VE want
every man in his own country; the
shirt is nearer the skin than the
coat" But our Lord said: "Give and
it shall be given unto you," and this
maxim holds good also in regard
to vacations to the priesthood. Omnia
co-operantur. Catholic missions will
be a success only if all cooperate.
AS the state takes a lively interest
In its colonies, in like manner we
should be interested in the Catholic
MISSION colonies across the seas.
Catholic foreign missions are no
mere appendage. to our parish and
home missions but part and parcel of
the life of the Catholic Church, which
is true to the command of her Divine
Founder: Go forth into the whole
world" AS the light must shine in
order to make the seed grow and de-
velop into plant and flower, so the
Church must extend and develop the
wide world over. This happy result
will only be brought about if the Uni
ted Catholic forces at home stand be.
hind the foreign missions, praying,
helping, and making sacrifices for
them.
Now. thanks be to God, better