ing been sequestrated to replenish the treasury of a bankrupt government, or rather to fill the pockets of its unprincipled managers. Some of her beautiful andent churches levelled to the ground; others converted to secular uses; all stripped of their sacred garniture. But instead of yielding to the mournful feelings to which the contemplation of such scenes naturally gives rise, let us rather indulge the hope that God has been pleased to listen to the prayers of the Universal Church, so lately offered up throughout the Catholic world, on behalf of this afflicted portion of Christ's mystical body; and that the nefarious design of consummating all the above mentioned evils, by separating Spain from the centre of Catholic unity has been abandoned or defeated; so that when the storm shall have passed, this now withered branch of the tree which His own right hand has planted, may continue, as of old, to be invigorated from the parent trunk, and once more bear the rich fruit of heroic christian virtue. That this is something more than the expression of a mere wish, appears certain from the noble stand which many of the Spanish clergy have made in defence of the violated rights of religion, as well as from many indications, not to be mistaken, which prove that the people of Spain are catholic in heart and soul, as well as by character and education. We could cite many instances in support of this assertion; but this would be inconsistent with our present purpose, which is not so much to enter into local details as take a rapid glance at the actual state and condition of Catholicism throughout the globe. The population of Spain is reckoned at 13,000,000, and although we cannot flatter ourselves that all deserve the name of Catholic, we believe that the number of professed infidels, (for in Spain there is no third class,) is too small, when compared with the overwhelming majority of the nation, to prevent its people being still regarded as Catholic.*

The Church in Portugal has also had, for the last few years, severe trials to undergo; although these have not been of so painful a nature as those which have been permitted to befall her Spanish sister. This is principally owing, we believe, to the circumstance, that the contest between the two aspirants to the crown of Portugal was not so long in duration, or so sanguinary in its character, as that which has lately terminated in Spain. Notwithstanding this difference, the probability of a separation of the Portuguese nation from Rome was full as great, a few years since, as was the approach of a similar misfortune last year in Spain. That this danger has been avoided does not appear the result of any signal change of disposition in the advisers of Donna Maria, the present Queen of Portugal, but appears to have been forced on them by the discovery that Portugal could not at once be decatholicized. We will add that

the kindness and condescension of the Holy See, in facilitating the restoration of amicable relations with this government have been extreme; and owing to this circumstance, as well as to the distinguished abilities, inexhaustible patience and unwavering firmness of Monsignore Cappacini, the Pope's representative

"It is, however, a great consolation to observe, that the heart of the 'Catholic' nation is sound, and that the great mass of the population take every opportunity of applauding the resisting clergy, and of assisting, in greater numbers than ever, at the public functions of the Church. Never were the ceremonies of Holy Week, and the great festival of Corpus Christi, conducted in all parts of Spain with more pomp and splendor; never were the processions usual upon those occasions attended by greater numbers of the faithful; never were the rails of the sanctuaries more crowded by communicants, than during the present year. The result of the present conflict between the temporal power and the Church, must eventually be the failure of the former to accomplish its most wanton, unprovoked and criminal designs, and the complete restoration to religion of all its just and lawful authority."-[Dublin Review, Nov. 1842. Art. Spain and her Resources.]

to the court of Donna Maria, this gratifying end has been at length attained.— The population of Portugal is 3,000,000.

We have designedly deferred to speak of France until we should have glanced at the afflicting state of the Church in the Spanish Peninsula. We wished to show, that, distressing as is the state of things in this latter country, it would not be reasonable to abandon the hope of witnessing a speedy amelioration.— Who, that knows what France was at the close of the last, and commencement of the present century, and beholds its present religious character, can avoid exclaiming, "This is the change of the right hand of the Most High?" At the former period, the French people were scarcely recovered from a paroxysm of irreligion, cruelty and folly, that has had no comparison in the history of the past, and which, we hope, will never find a parallel in the future.To all human appearances, the cause of religion seemed hopeless, and yet such has been the favorable change which has since been effected, that no part of the catholic world offers more subjects of consolation to the reflecting christian, than that very land which, a few years ago, seemed to have identified itself with infidelity. Not to speak of its hierarchy, which a very impartial judge has declared to be "a college of apostles ;"* or of its respectable and most edifying clergy; or of its numerous religious communities, which have repeatedly extorted the homage of unwilling praise; or of its almost innumerable establishments wherein religion developes her resources for well-doing with almost miraculous success ;-not to speak of these and of other similar subjects worthy of observation, we beg to draw special attention to one of the many instances in which the church of France manifests a spirit so apostolic and so catholic as to be absolutely above all eulogy. We allude to her most effective co-operation in the glorious work of propagating the faith, in countries where either its light had not before dawned; or where, as in our own, its professors are few and scattered, destitute of spiritual aid, and surrounded by dangers from which nothing but the heroism of apostolic zeal can preserve them. We do not speak so much of the pecuniary aid rendered by the Oeuvre de la propagation de la Foi to all foreign missions, as of the number of apostolic men whom France has sent out in these latter days, and the blessed results of whose edifying labors are to be seen in every country which they have visited. It is true that she has not been alone in this glorious work; but it is no less true that she has been unequalled. Our present object is not to enter into the details of these efforts, or of the success which has crowned them: at a future period, we may, perchance, devote an article to the subject; we have only alluded to it, as an indication that cannot be mistaken, of the favorable attitude in which Catholicism appears in France. We must not be supposed to say, that religion has no remaining evils to endure in that country; that her reign is universal and undisputed, or that impiety is not still without its representatives there. We know the contrary to be the case; but the facts we have stated, show that these evils are not so general as might be supposed by those who sojourn for a while in Paris or any of the great cities of France, and who, for the most part, come only into contact with the irreligious portion of the community. Much of evil as yet remains, it is but little when compared with what was to be found at the commencement of the present century. It is no longer the fashion to attack religion with that cynic licentiousness that characterized the school of Voltaire. There is even a very discoverable inclination in some of those who, unfortunately, do not yet range themselves on the side of Catholi

• See Introduction to Theiner's History of Ecclesiastical Seminaries.

cism, to treat it with respect, and to escape its condemnation; and there can be little doubt, that, when the absurd and unjust monopoly of education which the Universite at present enjoys shall be modified or abolished, one, at least, of the sources whence whatever infidelity marks la jeune France has been derived, will be closed, and its unhealthy waters be succeeeed by those of a purer and more invigorating character.

The religious affairs of Switzerland, as far as its Catholic population is concerned, have been, of late years, very much embarrassed, by various encroachments on ecclesiastical rights attempted by the civil power in various cantons of the Union. What, however, has excited most attention, is the secularization of some of the convents in Argau, in consequence of encouragement or approval, pretended to have been afforded by their inmates to some insurrectionary movements in that portion of the Confederation. That this was but a shallow pretext for the exercise of persecution, has been clearly established; and that, even in the supposition of this charge being founded on fact, the government of the Canton might punish the delinquents, but had no power to violate rights guaranteed by the terms of confederation, is also certain. Several appeals from the aggrieved party were made to the Vorort, or assembly of the deputies from the different cantons, who meet yearly for the transaction of the general affairs of the Confederation; but without effect, until the meeting of that body in January last, when the cause of justice triumphed, and the civil authorities of Argau were required to restore the secularized convents, and rescind such other of their acts as were in violation of the federal compact, by which the cantons are united.

A Protestant clergyman-M. Hurter, the distinguished author of the Life and Times of Innocent III.-has very nobly come forward to expose the artifices and annoyances by which the Catholic Church has been, of late years, assailed in the land of Helvetic Independence. Thus, injustice is likely to result in good; and the public attention, once properly directed to the subject, there can be no doubt of the ultimate triumph of Catholicism* Among the symptoms of a favorable change, which have already manifested themselves, may be reckoned the return of the Papal Nunzio to Lucerne, which, in consequence of the annoyances alluded to, he had been obliged to leave, a few years back, but to which he now returns, at the urgent solicitation of the people of that Canton.

The small canton of Geneva, and city of that name, was the stronghold of Calvinism, ever since the residence of Čalvin there, in the middle of the 16th century, up to a comparatively recent period. But things have wonderfully changed of late; and there is, perhaps, at the present day, no city so remarkable for the rationalistic tendency, or rather character, of its theological teaching as Geneva. What, however, is more to our purpose, is the extraordinary increase of Catholicism in a place from which it was so jealously excluded.The Catholic population of Geneva is rapidly approaching an equality with the nominal adherents to Calvinism. Indeed, the return of Geneva to Catholic truth, and this, at no very distant day, has been inferred by a zealous Calvinist writer, L'Esperance, from the gradual, but continued, increase of the number of its professors in that canton.

The devoted attachment of Belgium to Catholicity, is only equalled by the enthusiasm of its people for civil liberty, of which they have conquered for themselves a larger share than is enjoyed by any other nation of the European

Mr. Laing (a Protestant) says: "The influence of religion is at its minimum in Protestant, and at its maximum nearly in Catholic Switzerland."[Notes of a traveller.]

Continent. Its small territory is the most densely peopled of any country of Europe; and the general prosperity which rewards the industry and enterprise of its inhabitants-4,000,000 in number-enables them to contribute more liberally towards the promotion of religious and charitable enterprises than, perhaps, any other people of Europe at the present day. Since the revolution of 1830, by which Belgium separated herself from Holland, in consequence of the anti-Catholic proceedings of its late king, we have been told by one well acquainted with the country, that above 300 religious and charitable institutions have been erected in different parts of the kingdom; while the amount of money expended in church-building, may be estimated from the fact, that in one diocese alone the number of churches built, or considerably repaired, during the same interval, is no less than forty.

In no part of Europe is the progress of Catholicism more rapid than in Holland, a country of all others, where, judging by its former history, we should least expect to find such to be the case. The present king is very favorable to the Catholic portion of his subjects,-in which respect he differs much from his royal father, the late monarch. The incorporation of the provinces of Limbourgh and Luxembourgh with Holland, together with numerous accessions to the Church by conversions, has so far increased the number of Catholics in that country, that they are now regarded as composing one-half of the entire population.

In the northern kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, the number of Catholics is inconsiderable, although the faith is not without its representatives even in those countries, notwithstanding the intolerance of the laws.

Most of our readers must be already aware of the severe trials to which the members of our communion have been, of late years, subjected in the Russian empire. The gigantic ambition of the Czar aims at nothing less than the extinction of all religious differences in his vast dominions, for the purpose of securing some powerful principle of union among his numerous subjects.That part of what was once the kingdom of Poland, and which now, under the shadow of its former name, forms part of the Russian empire, presents the greatest obstacle to him in the prosecution of his vast design; not only on account of the distinct character of the Polish people, from that of their Russian fellow-subjects, but especially from the difference in the religious principles of the two races. The great majority of the Russian population is of the Greek communion, of which church the Czar is, to all intents and purposes the head, and which has become in his hands a mighty instrument of State polity-the Russian church being little more than the faithful interpreter of the Autocrat's will. It would be an instructive, although not a very agreeable, subject of investigation, to trace the workings of this worst system of church

*

The Union Catholique gives some curious details on the deplorable condition of the Russian Church. The Emperor is its absolute master, and his vicar is Count Protasow, a young colonel of Hussars, and PROCUREUR of a synod which dares to call itself "MOST HOLY." In this synod there is the most complete anarchy. Of the three metropolitans belonging to it-the prelates of Petersburgh, Moscow, and Kiow-only the first, SERAPHIME, a foolish old man, 90 years of age, remains. The other two, both named PHILARETES, are "exiled" to their own dioceses, having quarreled with the aforesaid colonel of Hussars. It seems that a priest at St. Petersburgh gave a course of theology, closely bordering on Protestantism.The opinions of the members of the Synod were asked singly about this affair. They of Moscow and Kiow were for administering a private reprimand; he of St. Petersburgh was for making the affair as solemn as possible; and though this opinion stood alone, it was immediately adopted by the Emperor, to the great and openly-expressed discontent of the two Philaretes. In the written opinion given by Seraphime on this matter, he pretends to exalt the glory of the Russian Church; but declares, in so many words, that "it is based only on the PROCUREUR-GENERAL of the Synod, Count Protasow, and subsists only by him."

and state union, through the later periods of Russian history; but, in a rapid sketch like the present, we can do no more than point out the principle, which is one of the most menacing, as it is certainly one of the most odious, features of Russian policy. We have been forced to allude to this painful subject, by reason of the melancholy results which it has produced within the boundaries of Catholicity. From an allocution of our Holy Father, Gregory XVI., addressed by him to the Cardinals in public consistory during the course of the past year, as well as from a collection of authentic documents published by the Roman Secretary of State, in connection with the above allocution, we learn, that every artifice has been used, and where artifice failed, actual violence employed, by the Emperor of Russia, for the purpose of de-Catholicising his Polish dominions, although he is bound, by solemn obligations, to respect the religion as well as the nationality of that unhappy people.* Owing to this harassing persecution,-which more resembles that to which the Church was exposed from the philosophic fanaticism of the apostate Julian, than any other fact in ecclesiastical history,-it is calculated that no less than two millions of Catholics have, by fraud and violence, been separated from the communion of the Holy See! The Russian Catholics are obstructed and impeded, in every possible way, in the practice of their religious duties; so that what with the disgust occasioned by these petty artifices of tyranny, and what with the rich rewards held out to encourage conformity with the religion of the State, nothing short of an extraordinary interposition of Divine Providence in behalf of the "little flock," can prevent the speedy extinction of Catholicism in the Russian empire. The effect of the Pope's allocution is yet to be seen. Never, we believe, for the last three hundred years, has any document emanating from the Holy See, gained more unqualified approbation than this intrepid remonstrance of the Venerable Pontiff, against a tyrant of the gigantic power and atrocious wickedness of the Autocrat. The English and French press have been loud in the expression of their admiration at this step, which appears to many as the initiative of a struggle, which may save the civilized world from the evils so justly apprehended from the colossal power and insatiable ambition of Russia.

In Prussia the actual state and prospects of Catholicism are most encouraging. The late King may be looked upon as a benefactor to the Church, although nothing was farther from his intentions than to shew special favor to his Catholic subjects. On the other hand, he may be regarded as the enemy of those whom he designed to favour, as he is accused by Mr. Laing, a very intelligent and straight-forward Protestant tourist, of having effected the destruction of Protestantism in Germany, by his successful efforts to amalgamate its various denominations into the Evangelical Church of Prussia, of which his late Majesty, with the assistance of one Chevalier Bunsen, a very able, although not a very honest diplomatist, may be regarded as the founder. Like the Emperor of Russia, with whom he had family connections, the Prus

.

Take the following as an instance of the persecuting violence, employed by the Emperor Nicholas, in decatholicising his Polish subjects:-it is copied from the True Tablet of Dec. 3, 1842.

"The design of expatriating all the Catholic proprietors of Podolia assumes a more definite shape. The governor of this province has received instructions to value all the property of the Catholics, and to take on the spot the most minute estimate of their liabilities, &c. The great land-owners are to receive compensation in the interior of the country; the smaller ones will be compelled to colonize the borders of the Kouban or Southern Siberia, and will receive lands in exchange to the same amount. The estates thus confiscated will be sold to any one who can legally hold seris-Jew, Mussulman, &c.-to any one but a Catholic. The clergy, secular and regular, monks and nuns, will be expatriated in like manner."