The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-03-16
OLD WORLD NEWS

Roman Fast.-In 1903 a strict fast
was vowed by the Church in Rome,
when the city was saved from an
earthquake. This vow Rome keeps
every year on February /.
Size of Holy Land.-In the days of
Christ, our Lord, Palestine had prob
ably a population of 100000. Today
the population may not be one-half a
million. The Holy Land, which our
Saviour traVersed when on earth is
comprised within 200X60 miles.
Jerusalem DeIivered.-On the occa-
sion of the investment of the Holy
City Jerusalem, General Allenby is
sued his proclamation in four Ian
guages. A Franciscan friar read the
Allied Staff, at the entrance to the
citadel.
English Catholic Admiral.-The
present admiral Of the English fleet is
Lord Walter Kerr, who is so distin-
guished a Catholic that he was chosen
unanimously to succeed the late Duke
of Norfolk as head of the most effec-
tive Catholic bodies amongst English
speaking Catholics.
Chaplain Prisoner.-The Rev. Ber-
tram Pike, o. p, c. F., one of the
English chaplains, was recently re-
| ported to be wounded and prisoner
| in Germany. Later news, however, is
to the effect that Father Pike is not
wounded. He is in prison in Karls-
ruhe.
French Catholic Press.-Even in
times of gravest moment, when the
nation is in peril, France recognizes
the necessity of far-reaching Catho-
! lie press. She is now establishing in
Paris Bureau of the Catholic Press .
with Cardinal Annette at the head
This Bureau will create paper to be
called Religious News" which will
contain the documents and news col
| lected by the Bureau throughout the
world.
Missionary Bishop Catholic
| Missions records the death of
another African Bishop, of the White
Fathers, Mgr. Lechaptois, Vicar-Apos-
tolic of Tanganyika. Mgr Lechaptois
was a noted ethnologist, who wrote
extensively on the tribes among whom
he labOred. He was the founder of
the fourishing Nyassa Mission.
Pope Rejoices With FinIand.-Pope
Benedict, surrounded by the papal
court, received in the throne room a
delegation from Finland, which pre-
scented an address announcing the con-
stitution of the republic of Finland.
The Pope thanked the delegation and
expressed joy at the satisfaction felt
by Finlanders for having gained their
independence, and bestowed the apos-
tolic beneGiction upon them.
Still Defies Notwithstanding to
advices from Amsterdam, Cardinal
MERCER still is maintaining his strug-
gle against the measures of the Ger
man invaders of Belgium. The Car
dinal for some time past has refused
to correspond with the minister of
public worship. All letters from the
latter to the Cardinal have been left
unanswered, and the authorities are
now threatening to stop the salaries
of the clergy in consequence.
League of Natiors.-An appeal for
the establishment of League of Ma
tions to insure permanent peace and
to safeguard international right has
just been issued in London by distin-
guished clergymen of all denomina-
tions. The document refers to the
support which Pope Benedict XIV gave
the proposal in his appeal to the
/ belligerent nations last summer.
Among the signatories of the appeal
we find the name of Rev. Charles
Platter, S, j., the noted Catholic so
biologist 81 England.