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Show L0NDONS'CATliEDRAL Soon To Be Consecrated. The announcement that the consecration of the Westminster Cathedral, London, England, is to take place on the 23th of June this year, and that June 29 is destined to witness a magnificent celebration celebra-tion in honor of the great event, is one of universal univer-sal interest for the Catholics of Great Britain and Ireland, and for English-speaking Catholics throughout the world. That the commemoration of the golden jubilee of the re-establishment by Pius IX, of glorious and happy memory, of the hierarchy of England is to coincide with the consecration con-secration festivities is a fact which emphasizes the historic importance of the event, and identifies it with the wonderful progress which, under God, the Catholic Church in England has made since the days when English Catholics were outlaws, and worshipped their God under the stress and strain of constant fear of pains and penalties. Truly, the night is passed and the dawn of June 23, 1910, is to see the seal of their liberation set upon its greatest great-est and grandest material monument. The universal character of the work of erecting erect-ing this wondrous church ha3 been marked since its commencement. When, after the preparatory-work preparatory-work of Cardinal Manning, whose desires for a great Metropolitan Cathedral found expression in his securing land for its erection, his eminent successor, suc-cessor, Cardinal Vaughan, threw into the project the whole force of his strenuous character, the ultimate ul-timate realization of many desires was assured. Whatever he laid his hand to he did with all his strength, and almost before the Catholic body had time to reflect upon the enormous importance of the event, the day of the laying of the foundation founda-tion stone of the Westminster Church was announced. an-nounced. That day afforded the first demonstration demonstra-tion of the universal character of the work. It was no local work surely which brought Cardinal Logue from Catholic Ireland to stand beside his eminent brother, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster. West-minster. He was there as the representative of a great Catholic people, whose hearts were rejoicing rejoic-ing in sympathy with their Catholic brethren in England, witnessing the beginning of the restora-tio restora-tio of some of the external glory of their religion, of which they themselves had tasted the bitterness of deprivation. It was no matter of merely local interest which gathered the Catholic bishops of Great Britain round 'heir Metropolitan. The clergy and laity of ah every diocese in England and Scotland and Waies Avere represented by their Bishops, and rejoiced with them in the commencement of the Cathedral, where the primate of Catholic England should Inwe his chair. None who witnessed it can ever forget the thrill of religious joy which rushed through the Catholic hearts, as Cardinals Vaughan and Logue placed their hands simultaneously on the mighty foundation stone and declared it well and truly laid, to the honor of God, of His Immaculate Im-maculate Mother, of Blessed Peter, of St. Joseph, and of St. Edward, King and Confessor. This was on June 29, 1895. With wonderful rapidity the work went on. Presently the marvelous marvel-ous domes roofed in the great building, and again a testimony, sad indeed, in all of its circumstances, was given to the universal character of the work undertaken by Cardinal Vaughan. In June, 1903, the Cathedral was temporarily opened, and the first religious rites, the first solemn Mass, were celebrated in presence of the mortal remains of the great founder. Once again the venerable Bishops of the English province assembled .in a twofold capacity. They were there to offer their suffrages for their eminent Metropolitan and to represent the clergy and faithful of their respective respec-tive dioceses. It is true that this would have happened hap-pened if the obsequies of Cardinal Vaughan had been elsewhere than within the walls of the new Cathedral, but the fact that the occasion was the virtual opening, and that no other special opening open-ing ceremony was ever held, marks the event as one engaging the interest of the whole English-speaking community throughout the world. English Catholics are approaching the day when the crowning testimony will be given, which the laying of the foundation stone and the informal opening of the Cathedral foreshadowed. The solemn sol-emn rite, by which the Cathedral is to be consecrated conse-crated to God, and dedicated to His-service forever, for-ever, is to have place on June 28. On that occasion occa-sion the Archbishop of Westminster will be surrounded sur-rounded by his brother Bishops, and with all the glories of the Church's ritual, the sacred chrism will flow upon the walls and the altars of the Cathedral, Ca-thedral, and God .will receive His own, in perpetual per-petual dedication. It will be the act, not merely of the local body, but that of the whole, scattered though they be, throughout Great Britain and Ireland, on the continent and over the seas, in the colonies, and in the two Americas; all will share in the interest, all will have a portion of the joy and the glory. The ritual to be observed at the consecration will be of -a most elaborate and impressive character, char-acter, and, it is of interest to recall, will be almost identical with that followed at the consecration of Westminster Abbey on Holy Innocents' day, 1065. An authoritative account of the ceremonial for such occasions has been-issued in order that the ordinary spectacle may follow with interest and a true comprehension of its meaning, a service which in many respects dates back to the earliest days of Christianity. Catholic Sun. ' TO EXPEL PRIESTS. Rome The Freemasons have bought the Palazzo Giustiniani for 2,000,000 lire, or about $400,000. They intend to expel the priests occupying apartments apart-ments in the palace and use the building as the headquarters head-quarters of Freemasonry in Italy. ft |