should look upon as their own. And I have rejoiced to see, especially of late, various contributions to its pages by distinguished English priests. It seems, and more's the pity, that for the present at least political union between English and Irish Catholics is unattainable. But this cannot be said with regard to Theology. Here we can all find union and common ground: and of this, as an Englishman, I must be allowed to give my own experience. For several years I have offered from time to time my humble contributions to the pages of the I. E. RECORD, and I have uniformly received at the hands of three successive Editors the greatest kindness and encouragement. Its readers must have, moreover, remarked the very striking impartiality that has been evinced in the treatment of certain subjects, wherein some national bias might have been shown. All fair and unprejudiced English and Scotch Catholics, so far from any thoughts of jealousy, must rejoice that the I. E. RECORD is published under the immediate management of the great College of St. Patrick's, Maynooth, so long eminent for Theological Science, the largest Ecclesiastical Seminary, I believe, in the world, and certainly facile princeps in these countries-and the more so, because so large a proportion both of the faithful and of the priests in England, Scotland, and the Colonies, are of Irish origin. I have offered the above remarks, because it seems to me that for the RECORD to obtain its full normal development, and to do the common good it ought, it should receive the united support of all our priests and ecclesiastics in Great Britain and Irelandand because I know that not only here but also in Ireland there is a number of them by whom it is rarely seen. I trust then that all its present subscribers, who have the interest of Theological Science at heart, will do all they can in their various neighbourhoods, to make it known, thereby to increase its circulation, and also to enlist the co-operation of such as, according to their several circumstances and opportunities, might contribute with profit to its pages. In this way the desire I expressed for its enlargement will, I hope, be realised.-Your's, THOMAS LIVIUS, C.SS.R. [We are much obliged to Father Livius for the kindly and encouraging tone of his letter. We have received within the year many similar communications, our Correspondents suggesting various means of meeting the additional expense consequent on the enlargement. Several recommended that the RECORD be increased by half its present size, and that the subscription be raised from Ten to Twelve Shillings. We are most reluctant to raise the amount of the annual subscription, and our publisher authorizes us to announce that the suggestion of enlarging the RECORD by half its present size (32 pages) will be adopted in January next to meet the wishes of our friends, the subscription remaining as hitherto at Ten Shillings per annum.-ED. I. E. R.] DOCUMENTS. CONGREGATION OF THE COUNCIL. SUMMARY. A parish priest charged with two parishes is bound to celebrate two Masses, one for each parish, on Sundays and holidays of obligation. This obligation does not per se bring with it the privilege of duplicating. S. C. Concilii, Die 3 Februarii 1884. Quum Archiepiscopus Lancianensis remitteret ad S. Cong. Concilii relationem status suae Dioecesis, sequentes etiam proposuit quaesita resolvenda : I. Utrum parochi duas aut plures regentes paroecias, ad duas vel plures Missas pro populo celebrandas diebus in festis teneantur per se aut per alios? II. Et quatenus per se teneantur, an ipsis ad tramites Constitutionis Benedicti XIV. Declarasti Nobis-binandi facultas fieri posset. III. An reditus cujusdam Canonicatus, juris patronatus laicalis et familiae, qui libellas quotannis sexaginta et octo vix attingat, quod tantummodo adhuc beneficii naturam induat, posset haberi tanquam sufficiens titulus ad sacros et majores ordines suscipiendos? IV. Quod si non sufficiat, utrum augeri queat bonis patrimonialibus vel aliunde et quousque? Quibus dubiis S. Congregatio Concilii praedicta respondit : Ad I. Parochum, prout in casu, teneri sive per se sive per alium ad tot Missas celebrandas, quot parochias regit. Ad II. Non esse locum facultati missas iterandi, nisi cum ex Cleri deficientia, alius Sacerdos non adsit, qui parochi loco celebrare et applicare possit. Ad. III. Negative. Ad IV. Affirmative usque ad taxae synodalis complementum. 1 CONGREGATION OF THE HOLY OFFICE. In parts of Canada, where there were only missions visited occasionally by a priest, and no canonically formed parishes, the priests had the custom of formally announcing to the people once a year the decree Tametsi of the Council of Trent. The Holy Office declares this to be a suficient promulgation; but adds that, as it is impossible for the priest in those new missions to assist at all the marriages, the presence of the two witnesses will suffice for validity, the contracting parties being obliged moreover to receive as soon as possible the nuptial benediction, and to enter their marriage in the marriage register of the mission. DUBIUM QUOAD PROMULGATIONEM DECRETI "TAMETSI Die 14 Novembris, 1883. IN Episcopus S. Hyacinthi in regione Canadensi S. Congregationi Inquisit. expouit, quod nunc oriuntur dubia de validitate quorumdam matrimoniorum, sine solemnitate a decreto Tametsi Concilii Tridentini requisita, contractorum in missionibus vel quasi parochiis hujusce Dioecesis. Ante enim annum 1872 multa loca Dioecesis S. Hyacinthi, Cantons nuncupata, non erant adhuc in parochias canonice divisa. His in locis aderant: 1. Missiones proprie dictae, scilicet sine sacerdote residente; sed a missionnario, ad hoc delegato, temporibus tum fixis, tum inaequalibus, per annum visitatae. 2. Quasi parochiae, per quas intelligi debet territorium quod, quoad speciem externam, plus vel minus accedebat ad similitudinem parochiae, prout habens ecclesiam, prope quam sacerdos ordinarie vel saltem principaliter residebat, et limites ab Episcopo designatos. Attamen in his missionibus et quasi parochiis, sicut et in parochiis, proprie dietis, decretum Tametsi Concilii Tridentini fuerat quotannis publicatum a sacerdotibus earum curae praepositis. Ad hunc enim finem mandaverant Episcopi Provinciae Quebecensis: quum Tridentinum per solemne decretum cap. 1, sess. 24 de ref. matrim. cujus initium Tametsi, nulla atque irrita declaraverit matrimonia, quae fiunt extra praesentiam parochi et testimoniorum, quorum numerum determinat, maximi momenti esse censemus quod parochi et missionarii certiorem reddant populum de ejusmodi salutari decreto. Quamobrem volumus ut legant idem decretum in concione primae dominicae post Epiphaniam. Opportunior ejusmodi decreti publicatio fit in paroeciis vel missionibus nuper constitutis, juxta indolem praescriptionis ejusdem decreti et responsum S- Congregationis de, Propaganda Fide ad Episcopum Quebecensem diei 16 Octobris 1824. Quum autem dubitetur utrum valide publicari possit Decretum Tridentinum extra parochias, proprie dictas, a S. Cong. humiliter petitur declarari: "An valida fuerit promulgatio Decreti Tametsi Conc. Tridentini in missionibus et quasi parochiis supra dictis ? Cui dubio Emi Patres inquisitores generales praedicta die responsum dederunt : "Juxta exposita affirmative et ad mentem: mens est quod in locis, ubi haberi nequeat parochus, validum est matrimonium celebratum coram duobus testibus; contrahentibus tamen onus inest recipiendi, quamprimum id fieri possit, benedictionem Luptialem, et curandi ut eorumdem matrimonium inscribatur in sacramentali registro missionis, vel proximior is Ecclesiae, cui subjiciuntur." In audientia ejusdem diei SS. Pater resolution em hanc ratam habuit. DECREE REGARDING MASS TO BE SAID TO GAIN INDULGENCE OF THE PRIVILEGED ALTAR. SUMMARY. The Requiem Mass need not be said on Semi-doubles or Simples in Churches where the Quarant' Ore, or other great solemnity is being held. DUBIUM QUOAD ALTARIA PRIVILEGIATA PROPOSITUM A P. GENERALI Beatissime Pater, ORDINIS PRÆMONSTRATENSIS. Sigismundus Stary Abbas Pragensis et Generalis Ordinis Præmonstratensis, ad pedes Sanctitatis Vestræ provolutus humillime expostulat: 1o Utrum, stante rubrica Missalis Præmonstratensis, quæ prohibet Missas privatas de Requie et votivas infra omnes octavas primæ classis, religiosi Præmonstratensis Ordinis, possint gaudere favore Altaris privilegiati quando infra hujusmodi octavas primæ classis, non occurente festo duplici, celebrent de octava. 2° Quatenus negative, suppliciter petit orator, ut concedatur ipsis hoc privilegium. Sacra Congregatio Indulgentiis sacrisque Reliquiis præposita die 24 Julii 1885 propositis dubiis respondit: Ad 1m Affirmative juxta exposita et detur Decretum die 11 Aprilis 1864; Ad 2m Provisum in primo. Datum Romæ ex Secretaria ejusdem Sac. Congregationis eadem die 24 Julii 1885. I. B Card. FRANZELIN, Praefectus. FRANCISCUS DELLA VOLPE, Secretarius. The Decree of the 11th April, 1884, referred to above is as follows: URBIS ET ORBIS.-Utrum sacerdos celebrans in altari privilegiato, legendo Missam de festo semiduplici, simplici, votivam, vel de feria non privilegiata, sive ratione expositionis SS. Sacramenti, sive Stationis ecclesiæ, vel alterius solemnitatis, aut ex rationabili motivo, fruatur privilegio, ac si legeret Missam de Requie per rubricas eo sic permissam? R.-Affirmative, deletis tamen verbis aut ex rationabili motivo, et facto verbo cum Sanctissimo. Sanctitas Sua EE. PP. sententiam benigne confirmavit. VOL. VI. 3 I NOTICES OF BOOKS. Some Notes on Popular Preaching: By Rev. ARTHUR RYAN. M. H. GILL & SON, Dublin. It does not pretend to THIS is a small but very useful book. be a treatise on the wide subject of Popular Preaching; it is only a collection of Notes which give the substance of a course of lectures delivered by Father Ryan to his class of Sacred Eloquence in St. Patrick's College, Thurles. As a summary, it is clear, forcible, and very suggestive, and cannot fail to be a valuable little hand-book in the class-room. Within his forty-four pages Fr. Ryan deals with the importance of Preaching, the necessity of preparation for the Sunday Sermon, and the qualities which make our Preaching instructive, attractive, and practical. Though little that is new can be expected on this topic so often and so exhaustively treated, yet Fr. Ryan has so thoroughly mastered his subject as to expound it with a vigour and freshness of expression, and a copiousness of happy illustration, that make his book delightful as well as instructive reading. Here is one example taken almost at random. He is meeting the objection raised by some priests who say that they have "no time" to prepare their instructions. "Objection No. 3.-'I have no time.' "Answer. This is the devil's favourite pretext, and is all the more apt to blind, seeing that it is woven out of the very multiplicity of priestly duties. It vanishes when preaching takes, in the sacred ministry, the place assigned it by the saints and by our Lord Himself. "If the mission of an apostle is to preach the Gospel, shall the excuse stand that he has had no time? Or would a priest say, he had no time to answer a sick call? no time to hear confessions? no time to say Mass? When he can say he has no time for these, then, and only then, may he add: 'I have no time to preach, no time to prepare my sermons.' Besides, is it the hard-worked man that pleads, I have no time?' No; this is the idler's excuse : the excuse of the man that puts off from day to day all preparation for his preaching. "The priest that regularly begins Sunday's sermons on the previous Monday: or, better still, following the advice to pastoral preachers of the eloquent and saintly Monsignor Dupanloup, that begins three weeks before, so as always to have on hand and in mind three sermons in three stages of development; that man will not plead, 'I have no time.' "It is from the hurried, God-forsaken confusion of Saturdaynight preparation that we hear the idler's cry I have no time.' It might, alas, be well if he had no eternity!" The book has the imprimatur of the Archbishops of Dublin and Cashel, and the printer's work has been well done by Messrs. Gill & Son. |