OCR Text |
Show To American Catholics, Greeting. Baltimore, February 8, 1886. Archbishop Arch-bishop Gibbons has received a circular letter from the archbishops and bishops of Australia, addressed to the archbishops arch-bishops and bishops of the "United States, saying: The archbishops and bishops of the church in Australia avail themselves on this occasion of their being assembled for holding their first plenary council to send their congratulations to the illustrious illustri-ous Episcopate of the United States. The youngest daughter of the church cannot allow this occasion Of so much joy to her to pass without communicating communicat-ing her gladness to her elder sister. Of all national churches in communion with the Holy See, there is none to which the church of Australia bears so close a resemblance re-semblance as that of the United States. THE CHILDREN OF BOTH CHURCHES Are offspring of,' the same races, they speak a common language, their laws, customs and manners are akin. They are spread over regions of vast extent, abounding in every form f of material prosperity, the full development of whose unlimited resources must raise both people peo-ple to a foremost . place among the- nations na-tions of the earth. The density of the population widely differs, but their terrw torial extension is nearly the same. In both countries the foundations of the faith were laid amid many and grave difficulties. difficul-ties. Those causes from which serious dangers to the faith have sprung, and may continue to spring for some time longer, were common to both. The faithful faith-ful of both countries have had to contend against AN ANTI-CATHOLIC TRADITION IN LITERA- ' " TCRE, . In poiiJcal and social life; against deep-seated deep-seated prejudices, sometimes breaking out into open violence; against systems of education ; against governments which if not hostile, gave but little encourao-e-ment to the spread of our holy faith Our children were not amongst the most favored, wealthiest or most learned of the land; yet both have laid the foundations of the faith deep and solid. As in America, so here!"in Australia, the grain of mustard seed planted in a grateful soil has grown into a goodly tree, and for both, in the providence of God, a grand future is in store. You will rejoice to learn that our . plenary council, in the labors of which we are "now engaged request re-quest the Holy See to enrich with three new metropolitan sees, with six new suffragan seeswith four additional addi-tional bishops, some vicars apostolic for the native races, and with a. national seminary, which will be the means of developing de-veloping the manifest vocations of our native youth. A cardinal, archbishop one procurator of.? the metropolitan see' fifteen bishops, one vicar apostolic, with' fifty-two of our clergy, constitute our FIRST NATIONAL SYNOD OF SUCCESS. Your colleges, now happily crowned by your national university, are a matter of deep interest to us, and will, we trust encourage " our j; people to second our efforts. imitating your noble example JVIay the decrees of your great council amongst the first in history of the church' for its members and the extent of its' territory, and for the importance of its deliberations, be fruitful in countW,' Dressings for the extirpation of error, for ! the diffusion of truth, for the happiness of your flocks, for the salvation of soul by giving increased energy to apostolic zeal, greater uniformity to discipline, and a more extended sphere to . the normal action of the church. ,i-W t0rema.m yur most loving and devoted brothers in Christ. Mohan, Archbishop of Svdney otheerstPSt0li? deIegate antI seventeen |