The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-03-22

| for the events which have taken place
since November 8. This is regarded
| by some as declaration of loyalty
| to the kaiser; and already the Social
lists are representing the Catholics as
| enemies of the state, because they
are in opposition to many of the eX-
IRENE policies and theories of the
radicals.
Deserted Seminaries.-The income
for the foreign missions has dwin-
| died away under the war strain till
only pittance is sent to the mis-
sionaries each month How long.
many of the missions will be able to
survive is predetermined. A supreme
loss which the war inflicted upon the
Church is the grave interruption in
| the training of young men for the
| priesthood. In many parts of Europe,
especially in France, the seminaries
are silent and deserted. How will
the succession of priests be kept up
only Providence can know. France has
supplied three-fourths of the young
men sent to the foreign missions, and
| France is sorely crippled in youths
and means. Truly the war toll upon
the Catholics has been grievous in the
| extreme.
Bishop For Congo.-Last year the
Holy Father erected the Prefecture
of Kasia, Belgian Congo, into an
Apostolic Vicariate. with episcopal
| nc,s1 nf 7 h@ In hoe
| provided the new See with Bishop in
| the person Of Mgr. August Declercu Of
the Missions of Scheut. The new Bel
gian Bishop was born in 1870 at Ave
capelle-les-Furnes and has passed
fourteen years in the Belgian Congo,
first as a missionary and then as Pro-
vincial Superior. When the declara-
| ton of war was made he was filling
the function of Rector of the Semi
nary of Louvain, which then had more
| than seventy students in theology.
He is member of the Colonial COun-
Gil of Belgium and was charged with
the course of the language of the Con
go at the university of Louvain. He
is also the author of several linguistic
anu elHuOlOSlCdl WOCkS OH the Congo.
Those Terrible Jesuits.-The cap
| ture of Beirut. the "Catholic Herald
Of India" tells us. has released one of
| the foremost centers of Oriental learn
ing in the East, a position it chiefly
owes to St. Joseph's Catholic Univer-
sity, conducted by the French Jesuits.
The University included a seminary
for natives Of all rites: a faculty of
philosophy and theology; faculty of
Oriental languages and sciences
teaching the literary and converse.
tional use of Arabic. Hebrew, Syriac
Coptic, EthiOpic. etc. Attached to the
| University was a classical and modern
tuition college with 400 pupils, besides
three primary schools with 600 pupils
The Jesuits, it seems, also manage a
press now famous as the foremost
Arabic printing house. Since 1871
they have published "All-Bashir,' a
weekly Arabic newspaper, and since
1898 fortnight1y Arabic review, cal
Mashriq," the editors of which took
rank at once among the best Orien
talists.
Religious Freedom in PortuaaI.-The
situation in Portugal is obscure, and
such reports of revolutionary activi
ties as are allowed to percoate abroad
must be received with caution In
the North the monarchists, who have
risen in arms, appear to be holding
their own They are stated to be in
favor of freedom of conscience and oil
allowing liberty OF worship. Thus. a
special correspondent Of the London
morning Post recently wrote as fol
lows from Madrid: "The monarch
lists have proclaimed religious liberty
For eight years the army was not al
lowed to attend Mass in Portugal, but
on a garrison of 600 being informed
by their officers that any man who
chose would have leave to go to Mass
last Sunday. the whole battalion
formed up without orders and Wen
straight to the church, where the!
: were received with tears and bless
ings by the crowded congregation
Stories of outrages by the monarch
: ist troops are rife, but are pure inven
: tons"
A Solemn Funeral.-The body O
Pierce McCann Sim Fein member O.
parliament for East Tipperary, who
died Of influenza in the prison at Glou
cester, England, reached Dublin or
March s. A public funeral was con
Quoted. attended by all the recent!
released Sim Fem leaders and abou
10000 members of that organization
The procession marched through the
principal streets to kingsbridge sta
ton, whence the body was taken tt
i. Thurles, Tipperary A public funera
was conducted from the Thurles
Cathedral on Sunday, March g. Pierce
McCann, while in prison, was elected
, to parliament last December by {
, large majority.
To Honor Cardinal Mercier-Thert
is movement in Belgium to render
homage to Cardinal MERCER by offer
ing him medal Among the promot
ers are men of all parties, including
Mons. Solvay, Baron Lambert Jadot
Baron Jansen, l.. Bertrand and Baro1
Goffinet This project was started
even during the occupation, but The
Germans prevented any Roadway be
ing made with it during the war. Nov