Year: 1871

| pope, Plus IN, as the supreme earthly hea


of the Catholic Church, took place in Ney
| Orleans on Sunday. 1t was undoubtedl
the most magnificent manifestation of an


kind, for any occasion, that ever occurre,


in the country.


To the Catholic Church it was time O


unalloyed triumph, for it showed forth tha


the revered Church, powerful as it is from


its unity of doctrine and formula through


out the world, has by no means reached it


acme of religious influence over the heart


of men; but that it is, notwithstanding al


that has been brought against it, a


powerful, religiously considered, as ever i


was when the mighty kings of the eartl


were weak to contend with it, or to offer i


wrong or violence. Those who will lool


back at the progress of the Catholic Churcl


on this continent during the last forty year,


must acknowledge that this mighty hier


archy is not overrated by Macauley:


The Catholic Church is still sending fortl


to the further ends of the world missionaries


as jealous as those who landed in Kent will


Augustin. The number of heI


children is greater than in any former age.


Her spiritual ascendency extends


over the vast countries which lie between


the plains of the Missouri and Cape Horn


countries which, a century hence, may not


improbably contain population as large as


that which inhabits Europe. She


saw the commencement of all the govern


ments, and of all the ecclesiastical estab


lishments that now exist in the world, and


we feel no assurance that she is rot des-


tined to see the end of them all She was


great and respected before the Saxon had


set foot in Great Britain, before the Frank


had passed the Rhine. She may


still exist in undiminished vigor when some


traveller from New Zealand shall, in the
midst of vast solitude, take his stand
upon a broken arch of London bridge to
sketch the ruins of st. Paufs.


This was written more than thirty years
ago, by one who was from education and
surrounding influences opposed to the
Catholic Church, which he elsewhere char
acterizes as gorgeous superstition;" yet
such is his tribute to her strength, her
greatness, and her durability.


In fact, among a large number of Pro
testants, who have not given the matter
deserved consideration, a very superficial
idea obtains in regard to what catholicism
and the papaey really is. Among these the
only notion of the Catholic Church
is an edifce always respectable, but
more frequently combining ecclesiastical
gravity of effect with splendor of archi-
lecture. Combined with this are the deep,
holy sounds of the solemn organ, the uprais-
ing of the soul thrilling chant, the superb
priestly vesture, the tapers dimly showing
the crucifix that surmounts the altar, the
incense difusing its odor through every
fretted aisle, the elevation of the Host,
when, at the sound of the bell, every true
SON or daughter of the Church bends in
meek and earnest devotion. This, and
nothing more, constitutes in the minds of
a large number the idea of the Catholic
Church. And yet, imposing as is the Catho-
ic ritual, great as is its effect upon the
mind or the Imagination, but a small part
If the Catholic power and influence lies
here. The true secret of the extended in
luence of the Catholic Church is its i'm
nense missionary system pervading every
portion of the civilized world, nay, almost
invariably step at LEAST in advance of
utilization itself. And the efficiency of
his system, and the profound wisdom that
hapes and guides it, has everywhere pro-
luced, is now producing, and will continue
o produce an effect which calculates not to
top short of catholicizing the whole civil
zed world.


We write in no disparagement of the
Missionary efforts of other sects, but can
or compels the admission that in perfect
daptabiiity to the purpose intended the
Missionary system of the Catholic Church
Whenever certain object is
D be attained, whenever the cross is to be
lanted in a certain spot, whatever pecu-
ar ability the undertaking requires is Sc
,cted. the right man is selected and goes
OF unrepiningly but joyfully to do the
ork for which the Church has destined |
i'm, nor does he delay a moment for any |
srthly consideration. He has vowed him
If to the Church, he is hers BODY
1d soul; he is part and parcel
her wherever his station on earth NAV
2, and whether amid arctic ice or snow or
neither encOuntering the fever or miasma
the tropics, the promotion and growth of
le Church is the one object. To this he
ends himself with all his might and with
l his soul and strength, for he is freed
ON all family ties, and the Church sup
les to him the place of father, mother and
| earthly kin. Hence, it is difficult to find
spot in Europe or America that does not
We some evidence that the missionary
lest of the Catholic Church has labored
ere. Nor, in the desire to extend its do
inions by missions, does the Church
,glect whatever lies at the threshold, the
Drk required at home. Hence, travel in
hat direction you will. you are greeted
it'll sight of the cross surmounting some
lilding, however humble the building may
J., in evidence that the missionary priest of
e Catholic Church has found his work
ere.
To show the antiquity of the Catholic
lurch, no researches into the dimness of
e far past are necessary. An acute
'iter, whom we have already quoted, says
at the proudest royal houses are but of
sterday compared with the supreme
ntiffs, and that far beyond the time of
pin the august dynasty extends till it is
It in the twilight of fable. We except to |
is last statement. There is evidence s
satisfactory that the first bishop


Rome was St. Peter, and we be- {
We that more modern scholars, {
otestant as well as Catholic, agree in this, 1
ing the date of the foundation of his t
, at Rome, in the forty second year after G
, birth of Christ. Indeed, however much j
otestants may differ from Catholics in /
tain doctrinal points, the reformers r
lid gain little by cOntending against the T
eived tradition, strengthened as it is by c
lateral proofs. And this point once t
wed, it would not, we apprehend, mill e
e against the papal chronology or apos- S
ical succession, were it found that the t
Onicles of some of the earliest nones | a