neither the one, nor other, entrenching on his prerogatives, or usurping his power. The development of this most wise and essential institution for the Church's well-being, was in the nature of the case gradual. The strength, properties, and usefulness of a plant, can only be developed as time permits its growth, and natural influences elicit its generic or specific characters. Every added inch, and expanding leaf, and swelling bud, leads the beholder to infer these. Thus, it was not to be expected, that in the second and third centuries there would be found, even had there been fuller documents, that clear perception of the designed succession to St. Peter, which the ninth and tenth centuries present; because, in a degree, its continuance was the development of the perpetuity of the design, and its use, power, and prerogatives were tested by the circumstances of the Church. But there is a very clear and ample recognition of it in the early Fathers; and most decisive confirmation of the fact of the existence of the primacy of the chair of St. Peter, and of its universal estimation as the centre of unity to the kingdom of the Church. Nor can any one, I conceive, impartially review the history of the world, and not perceive the real value of the institution. Has it operated perfectly, and to unmingled good? By no means. The corruption of man has greatly marred the wise design of God. But, nevertheless, it has operated most beneficially, as far as the Church, and the condition of society, and social order, and practical benevolence, and the best interests of mankind, are concerned. It has failed to hold together the whole Christian family in holy harmony and discipline, such as angels might admire, only because all the members of that family have not been what they were called of God to be. Still, like some pilot sent from Heaven, it has guided the vessel of the Catholic Church over the agitated seas and heaving billows of eighteen hundred years of strife, and tumult, and warfare, and tribulations of every kind, presenting her yet a goodly vessel, unwrecked, and cheerily pursuing her onward appointed course. It has maintained holy order and discipline among her motley crew, assimilating them, though gathered from every tribe under heaven, in duties hopes, trials, and joys; it has kept them one, whom nature had divided, but grace again had united. How fearfully different is the fate of those who are separated from the see of Rome! Do they form an united band? Is there communion, or even mutual intercourse among them? Is there harmonious discipline, or holy order? Surely they are rather like the floating remnants of some disastrous wreck, driving here and there on the restless waves of private opinion and individual interpretation of Scripture. A few indeed, in some little bark, seem waiting, to hail the vessel of the Church, as she steers more in sight, and to seek on board of her a security they scarcely dare reckon on at present; but the most part-some on boards, and some on broken fragments, and some in solitary effort, struggling for life-present a sad spectacle of the distress, danger, and ruin, which men bring on themselves by contempt of that order and rule, which God himself has sanctioned.”—pp. 16-21.

The want of a centre of unity for the Church has been acknow

The

ledged by many Protestants; and Bishop Horsley is said to have remarked: "We want a patriarch of the west." But, as Mr. Sibthorp well observes, "if of the west, why not of the whole Church? reasons that demand the one, call for the other with manifold greater urgency." In the possession of this essential of the Church, as of every living body, and well-regulated kingdom-a centre of unity-the Catholic Church stands alone: and in this particular she appeared to Mr. Sibthorp to have a well-founded right to be regarded as that which she claims to be the one true Church. "And it is," he continues, "the recognition of this claim, arising from due consideration of the principle which it involves, which must be a first step towards the restoration of unity, and to any effectual measures for remedying the disasters of the sixteenth century, and placing the Christian family once more in the position in which Christ left, and desires to find it. The severed limbs, if such they be, must reunite with the trunk, through recognition of, and union with the head."

ECCLESIASTICAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
INTELLIGENCE.

ITALY.

Rome, Jan. 11th, 1842.

Dec. 18th.-At half-past ten o'clock this morning, his Eminence Cardinal Joseph Della Porta Rodiani, Vicar of the diocese of Rome, departed this life at his palace in the Via Condotti. His Eminence was born in Rome on the 5th of September, 1773, was appointed Archbishop of Damascus in partibus, and afterwards was raised to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Previous to his exaltation to the sacred purple, he was Vicegerent of the Diocese of Rome, and afterwards to be Uditore della Camera, when he was raised by His Holiness Gregory XVI to the dignity of Cardinal, on the 6th of April, 1835, with the title of St. Susanna. His Eminence succeeded Cardinal Odescalchi in the office of Vicar of Rome in the beginning of December, 1838, which office he held until his death. His Eminence Cardinal Patrizii succeeded him in the arduous duties of Vicar of His Holiness.

On this day also the Vicegerent, Mgr. Vespignani, held an ordination at St. John Lateran's, at which twenty-three priests, thirty deacons, and about forty sub-deacons, received orders. The Rev. Bartholomew Woodlock, of Dublin, was in the number of the priests.

22.-The funeral of His Eminence Cardinal Della Porta took place at his titular Church of St. Susanna on the Quirinal; Cardinal Barberini sang the mass, at which the rest of the Sacred College assisted in cappa.

23. A dirge was performed for the repose of the soul of his Eminence

Della Porta, at the church of St. Appollinaris, attached to the Seminary of the Diocese of Rome. Mgr. Vespignani sang the mass, at which all the professors and students belonging to the establishment, amounting to little short of six hundred, with a great number of the examiners of the clergy and advocates of the vicar's court, attended. The Abbate Castellini read a panegyric on his late Eminence after the Gospel.

The Right Rev. Dr. Morris arrived in Rome on this day from England. His Lordship has taken up his residence at the Benedictine Convent of St. Callixtus in Trastevere.

The Right Reverend Dr. Polding and the Rev. Mr. Gregory are also residing in the same convent. His Lordship arrived in Rome on Christmas Eve in good health.

Dec. 25, Christmas Day.-His Holiness sang pontifical high-mass in St. Peter's on this day. We observed the crowd of strangers was by no means so great this year as we have seen it on former occasions. We observed the Right Rev. Dr. Brown of Lancashire among the bishops present at the function.

Dec. 26, St. Stephen's Day.-His Holiness held the annual Capella Papale on this day, in the Sistine chapel. The sermon was preached, according to custom on this festival, by the Rev. Thomas Grant, D.D. of the English College in this city. Moroni, in his Ecclesiastical Dictionary, a work of exceeding great merit and value, speaking of the privilege of preaching on this day, says:—“ The privilege of preaching on this day in the Pontifical Chapel, was granted to an alumnus of the English College by the venerable founder of that establishment, Gregory XIII, or rather by his immediate successor, Sixtus V. In a collection of MSS. in the archives of that College are found the following discourses delivered in the Papal Chapel on this festival: Oratio habita in capella coram S. Pontifice et Cardinalibus in die S. Stephani, 1590: Oratio habita in capella coram Pontifice et Cardinalibus in die Circumcisionis Domini 1593 a p. Eduardo Coffino Collegii Anglicani alumno." During the Credo His Holiness was pleased to invite the Right Rev. Dr. Brown to take his seat among the bishops assistant at the throne.

Dec. 28.-His Holiness granted the Right Rev. G. Brown, D.D. an audience in his palace at the Vatican.

Dec. 29, St. Thomas of Canterbury's Day.-This day was celebrated with the usual splendour at the English College in this city. His Eminence Cardinal Giustiniani, protector of the college, gave communion to the members of the establishment. Mgr. Acton said mass at the altar of the saint. At the Capella Cardinalizia” there was a good attendance of cardinals and prelates. The motett, Hic est vere martyr, composed by Palestrina, and sung by the papal choir, was the theme of universal praise. In the afternoon a sermon was delivered by Mgr. Baggs, rector of the College, on the Church. There was a very good attendance of both Catholic and Protestant visitors then in Rome.

Dec. 31.-His Holiness attended the annual Te Deum sung at the Gesù on this day, and at the conclusion gave the benediction of the blessed sacrament. We were happy to observe a decided improvement in the disposition of the accommodation for the congregation assembled in this large church. On a former year, on account of the kindness of the fathers, there was so much space near the altar reserved to strangers, to the exclusion of the lower orders, that the responses in the Te Deum, which produce such a wonderful effect when sung in unison by the thousands always assembled on such occasions, were exceedingly weak and feeble.

Jan. 1.-His Eminence Cardinal Patrizii, the newly-appointed vicar of Rome, took possession of the seminary. He was received by the superiors and

students with all the solemnity peculiar to such occasions. The interior of the seminary was brilliantly illuminated; and the students, before his departure, recited various poetical compositions expressive of their joy on the auspicious

event.

Jan. 6, Epiphany.-This festival was celebrated with great magnificence in the church of the College of the Propaganda. During the morning, from an early hour, the holy sacrifice was offered up in all the rites of the Church. At half-past ten o'clock high pontifical mass was sung by the Right Rev. G. Brown, D D., first Vespers having been sung on the eve by the Right Rev. Dr. Polding. Second Vespers were sung by the Right Rev. Dr. O'Connor.

Sunday, Jan. 9.-The students of the College De Propaganda Fide held their annual academy of languages on this day. The exhibition lasted nearly two hours, during which time no less than forty different languages were spoken. Sunday, Jan. 9-His Eminence Cardinal Fransoni, at the church of St. Mary in ara Cæli, conferred the sacrament of baptism on a Jewish family from Ancona, consisting of father and mother and four children. He then administered the sacrament of matrimony to the parents, confirmed them all, and, in conclusion, they made their first communion.

During this octave, the annual devotions for the propagation of the Faith instituted by the Abbate Palotta took place this year at the Church of St. Andrea della Valle. High mass is sung every day in one or other of the ancient rites of the Church, besides the daily high mass according to the Latin rite, sung by members of the religious orders. So many sermons are delivered each day, in different languages. The preachers in the English language are Mgr. Baggs, and the Rev. Messrs. Reily, and O'Sullivan. Benediction of the blessed sacrament is given each evening by a Cardinal. A collection is made after each service in aid of the funds for building a Church of Switzerland.

In a consistory to be held by his Holiness, on the 24th of this month, the following Cardinals will receive the hat. Mons. Corsi, Dean of the Rota :Acton, Alditore della Reverenda Camera :--Vannicelli Casoni, Governor of Rome-Massimo Maggiordomo :-De Schwarzenburg, Archbishop of Salzburg. Mgr. Corsi will be succeeded as dean of the rota, by Mgr. Bofondi; Mgr. Acton, by Mgr. Mangelli; it is said Mgr. Massimo, by Mgr. Pallavicini. Cardinal Belli will be appointed to the bishopric of Jesi, vacant by the resignation of Cardinal Ostini. Mgr. Mattei will be translated from Camerino to Orvieto, vacant by the resignation of Cardinal Orioli. Giampedi, canon of St. Mary's, Trastevere, will be appointed Bishop of Alatri.

The weather, for the last fortnight, has been exceedingly rainy and cold, and on Sunday last we witnessed the novelty of a fall of snow.

PORTUGAL.

The Gazette of Augsburg announces, on the authority of a letter from Rome, that the bishops of Braganza, Elvas, and Angra, who were consecrated during the reign of Dom Miguel, have been recognized by the Portuguese governIn the event of the absence of the bishops, the dioceses will be administered by vicars-general. An arrangement is to be made by which the government will nominate to the vacant bishopricks.

ment.

RICHARDS, PRINTER, ST MARTIN'S LANE, CHARING CROSS.

THE

CATHOLIC MAGAZINE.

VOL. VI.

MARCH 1842.

No. LXII.

THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE PROSPECTS AND BEARING OF THE CATHOLICS IN ENGLAND.

IN discussing the general hopes and wants of the Catholic body of the two kingdoms, we should be very sorry to think that this should be all our aim, and that we should allow all to evaporate on generalities, leaving individual hopes and wants untouched. But what touches all, has, we fear, very often this tendency, namely, to make us overlook local and individual wants; like many modern philanthropists, so called, who are weak enough to introduce the science of political economy to morality; who, while they moralize wholesale, overlook themselves, and forgetting that where there is no similarity of form, there can be no parallel nor proportion, mystify themselves in general principles, and produce results which would be fair enough were their premises as solid, as their conclusions are, by necessity, erroneous.

Fortunately for Catholic principles, we require no scheme of philosophy, like these modern word-sowers, or any premises to build on, farther than what the faith supplies. Founded on that, our code stands secure; unlike those that stumble in the dark, we can afford to work in a straightforward, open course; and that course is called practical good,springing from the motives of glory to God on high and peace to men of good will. All virtue, collectively, is but an integration of individual virtuous acts,—a body to be virtuous, and good, and just, must be composed of men that are virtuous, and good, and just, as much as one bread is composed of many grains of wheat. Thus every individual Catholic may, we would rather say must, be to the advantage of the whole body, and when we consider the consoling doctrine of our creed, the communion of saints,-we should all rejoice at 9

VOL. VI.