sity. The hopefulness that was expressed when The Work of the the new Rector assumed the reins of office Catholic Univerlast spring is attaining some measure of realization in the spirit of earnest work, as well as of concord, that pervades the staff of professors. One cannot pass through the University halls without being impressed with the fact that this choice centre of intellectual culture and religious devotion is sure to secure the best results, under the wise direction of the present Rector and his staff of able assistants. The internal growth is assured, but what is useful besides the internal growth is the demonstration by the faculty that the University has a practical bearing on the religious life of present-day Catholics. The average Catholic is apt to look on the University with the present investment of $2,000,000 as something of a luxury, especially in view of the fact that struggling primary schools are barely able to cope with the difficulties that beset them, to say nothing of the care of the dependents and defectives with which every diocese is burdened. If any one so judges, it is because he does not see the practical side of the University work. To spill the ointment on the head of the Saviour was a waste in the eyes of one of the Apostles, but it was a manifestation of the spirit of love, devotion, and penance destined to awaken a similar spirit in the hearts of many millions in the religious history of the world. But apart from this view there is a very pronounced utilitarian side to the University. It can reach out into the practical religious lives of the Catholic people. It can and it will bring itself more in touch with the throbbing humanity that is outside its gates. One sign of an existing desire to do this is the practical way in which the Sociological faculty is taking hold of the exhibit of Catholic Social work at the St. Louis Fair. The Catholic Church is doing better social work than any other organization in the country, but Catholics do not realize it and the philistines do not know of it. To place an exhibit of this work under the eyes of the vast throngs that will visit the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition is a very evident demonstra tion as applied to the question of man's origin. He Rassegna Nazionale (1 Oct.): G. Morando, writing on Pope (Nov.): X. gives an interesting description of the history of Catholic Scripture study during the reign of Leo XIII., showing the various steps in the great change of views, and declaring that the initiative given by the late Pontiff to historical studies will find complete recognition only when that method is extended to the study of the Bible. Civiltà Cattolica (Oct.): In view of the difficulties raised by modern investigators, and the liberal concessions made by certain Catholic scholars as to the authorship of the Fourth Gospel, the writer reproduces the traditional proofs of the Johannine authorship, and declares that this thesis is of irrefragable historical certainty. The hopefulness that was expressed when The Work of the the new Rector assumed the reins of office sity. Catholic Univer- last spring is attaining some measure of realization in the spirit of earnest work, as well as of concord, that pervades the staff of professors. One cannot pass through the University halls without being impressed with the fact that this choice centre of intellectual culture and religious devotion is sure to secure the best results, under the wise direction of the present Rector and his staff of able assistants. The internal growth is assured, but what is useful besides the internal growth is the demonstration by the faculty that the University has a practical bearing on the religious life of present-day Catholics. The average Catholic is apt to look on the University with the present investment of $2,000,000 as something of a luxury, especially in view of the fact that struggling primary schools are barely able to cope with the difficulties that beset them, to say nothing of the care of the dependents and defectives with which every diocese is burdened. If any one so judges, it is because he does not see the practical side of the University work. To spill the ointment on the head of the Saviour was a waste in the eyes of one of the Apostles, but it was a manifestation of the spirit of love, devotion, and penance destined to awaken a similar spirit in the hearts of many millions in the religious history of the world. But apart from this view there is a very pronounced utilitarian side to the University. It can reach out into the practical religious lives of the Catholic people. It can and it will bring itself more in touch with the throbbing humanity that is outside its gates. One sign of an existing desire to do this is the practical way in which the Sociological faculty is taking hold of the exhibit of Catholic Social work at the St. Louis Fair. The Catholic Church is doing better social work than any other organization in the country, but Catholics do not realize it and the philistines do not know of it. To place an exhibit of this work under the eyes of the vast throngs that will visit the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition is a very evident demonstra some evidences of the practical usefulness may be found in the character of the work that will be done by the gentlemen who have recently been appointed to the chairs of Moral Theology, Archæology, and Church History. These gentlemen, Drs. Melody, Hassett, and Healy, received their training and development under the Catholic University system and are some of the ablest sons of Alma Mater. Then again word has come that Dr. Shahan's work on The Beginnings of Christianity, Dr. Grannan's articles on Scripture, and Dr. Aiken's treatise on Buddhism, are being translated into French, indicating that the European intellectual world is watching with interest the work that is being done on this side of the water. Still another sign of the purpose of the present Rector to bring the University into closer relations with the Catholic body is the desire expressed by him to have a great gathering of the Knights of Columbus present on the occasion of the presentation of the $50,000 that has been gathered to establish the Chair of Secular History. No man can go to Washington and see that wonderful grouping of buildings without being a better Catholic and having a profounder belief in the glorious future there is before the church in this country. The meeting of the representatives of CathoCatholic Educa- lic colleges and parish schools held lately tional Conference. in Philadelphia ought to be productive of much good. The main purpose of the conference was to promote unification in educational work both among the colleges themselves and between the colleges and the parish schools. Many representative Catholic educators were present. The executive committee was instructed to confer with the school conference on the matter of unification, and St. Louis was chosen for the meeting-place of the conference next year. This was a particularly happy choice in view of the Catholic Sociological Exhibit which is to be held at the St. Louis Fair. At the school conference it was resolved that the conference, now representing twenty-five dioceses, should endeavor to extend its field to every diocese; that careful study be made of the best means for the complete organization of the parish schools; that all teachers should secure certificates from There are some who believe in the "Branch The Episcopal Con- Theory" with regard to the Episcopal ference and the Catholic Church Church and the Catholic; who still claim the former is not Protestant but Catholic; speak of corporate reunion as if it were a proximate probability; and, with zeal that is certainly ardent if not wise, sound these arguments far and wide. These have prided themselves, time and again, that they were fast bringing their church as a whole to their way of thinking. A Pan-American Conference of Episcopal Bishops was held but lately in Washington. It included the representative bishops of that church. Bishop Gailor, of Tennessee, addressed it on the attitude of the Episcopal Church toward Protestant communions. He maintained that the Episcopal Church was founded on the Protestant principle, as he termed it, that the 'corporate life of Christianity grows out of and depends on the life and experience of the individual Christian." "I do not believe," he continues, "that America is in any danger of lapsing into Romanism. When it comes to religion (italics are the Bishop's), this country, I believe, is unceasingly non- Roman." The remainder of Bishop Gailor's speech is devoted to seeking means whereby the Episcopal Church may be brought into closer union with other bodies and they with it, but separated from the Roman Catholic Church; for "Catholicity does not mean Romanism, and this Episcopal Church is not the church of the middle ages, nor the Church of England, but an American Church." The Bishop of Porto Rico re-echoed most heartily these sentiments of his reverend brother in the episcopate, and went further into detail, and lamented that "our peerless liturgy should ever in any way suggest the materialistic theory of the sacrifice of the Mass"; denied the Immaculate Conception and condemned celibacy and fasting. After the discussion resolutions were adopted by the conference—that is, by sixty bishops of the Episcopal Churchand among the resolutions was one which ordered that this subject of union be presented for consideration to the Protestant communions, "with the view to arriving at intercommunion and possibly union of them and us." We suppose that we may take the utterances of this repre |