Catholic Church will find herself without civil embargo upon her efforts, free to work out the divine mission for the salvation of souls in the next life, and the remedy of social evils and disorders in this. This liberty, therefore, is a precious talent which must be turned to its account before it be taken away.

The activity with which the episcopate set themselves to embrace the opportunity thus afforded them by the constitution of their country, of proving the inherent power of the Catholic Faith to maintain and propagate itself, has been judged so creditable to their own zeal and to that of their people, as to have merited to be set forth as an example worthy of being followed by the prelates of Ireland in the rescript of the present reigning Pontiff, which was last year addressed to the archbishops of that country.

It will not be necessary to extend our account beyond the mere recapitulation of the steps taken by the bishops of Belgium for the re-establishment of a Catholic university, these being but matters in the ordinary way of ecclesiastical business. The sterling importance of the event is the example contained in it of energy and wisdom in the heart of the Catholic body, seizing the favourable occasion to put the internal resources of the Catholic religion into play for the wants and needs of its own members. It is the example of a Catholic people acting, whilst others talk and jar with each other, who, instead of being buried in divisions and mutual suspicions, or in lukewarm timidity and vague apprehensions of creating unnecessary labour, set to work to provide an excellent instruction for themselves, and to exhibit the instructive fact to other states, that the Catholic religion has not only charms for men of learning and genius; but, possessing such men, knows how to employ their gifts for the social benefits of the whole body. How much have we Catholics of her majesty's dominions to learn from the study of such an example!

In 1833, in answer to an application to Rome, the bishops received a brief from Gregory XVI. empowering them to erect an university. This was followed in February, 1834, by a circular of the archbishops and bishops to the clergy and people, setting forth the advantages that would accrue from possessing a Catholic university, now that general freedom of instruction was secured by the constitution, and requiring them to make collections in their parishes for its foundation. And on the 10th of June,

1834, the decree for its erection was published, signed by all the bishops of Belgium.

The following account of the inauguration of the new university, which for a short time had its seat at Mechlin, is taken from the "Acta Academica."

"The 4th of November 1834, the bells rang early in the morning, as they had done the evening before, to announce the solemnity. At half-past nine the Rector* Magnificus and the professors, went in a body to the palace of the Archbishop. About ten o'clock the most illustrious prelate, the Archbishop, accompanied on the right by the Rector, and followed by the Vice Rector and other professors, walked to the Cathedral, in which were already assembled the Canons, the Clergy, and the Magistracy of the town, and other distinguished persons. The most illustrious and reverend Archbishop, vested in full pontificals, entoned the hymn Veni Creator; and when this was sung, he gave from his throne, to the Venerable Canon Gennerè, his secretary, the decree for the restoration of the University, that it might be read aloud, and after its being read he committed it, accompanied with a short address, to the Rector. The Pontifical Mass then began, and after the Gospel had been sung the Rector preached. The Mass being terminated, the Te Deum was sung, and the Archbishop having spent the usual time in prayer, returned to his own palace about half-past twelve."

The day after the professors commenced their courses, which comprised in the beginning only the two faculties of theology and philosophy. In April, 1835, a third joint circular was addressed by all the bishops to their clergy, to obtain collections for the support of the university.

On December the first, 1835, a pontifical high mass was celebrated by the archbishop, in the collegiate church of St. Peter in Louvain, on the occasion of the installation of the university in Louvain, its ancient seat, the authorities of the town having entered into a compact with the university to cede to them four of the ancient colleges, the halls, and various other privileges.

Thus was the Catholic university of Louvain, after a period of thirty-eight years of suppression, restored, to the great joy of the few survivors who were spared to witness the fulfilment of hopes so long delayed. And through the zeal of the exemplary prelates, the university, by the time of its removal to Louvain, had obtained the two additional faculties of medicine and jurisprudence.

*The ancient title of the Rector of Louvain.

The university has now a body of between 700 and 800 students, and numbers the ablest and most distinguished men of Belgium among its professors. There are four colleges where students are received, and where they are under a salutary discipline: 1st, for the faculty of theology, 2nd, for medicine, 3rd, philosophy, and the fourth for the earlier branches of education. Those students who live in the town in lodgings, are strictly forbidden to keep late hours, and to be absent from their homes after ten o'clock; and the whole body of students presents a striking contrast to the lawless aspect of things in a German university, a result due to the maintenance of a vigilant and salutary discipline. The statutes of the old university have been revived, with such modifications as were found necessary for an altered state of society; and the old and significant ceremonial for the conferring of degrees, together with many other noble customs of the olden time, are still in vigour.

M. Casimir Ubaghs, the President of the college of theology, has become eminent as a writer on philosophy, and the faculty of theology possesses in all its branches, men remarkable for their learning and ability as instructors. Where all is so excellent it would be invidious to particularize; nevertheless, the course of Professor Tits as the work of an original mind and a keen reasoner, and from its eminently practical bearing upon living principles of error, as current in Germany and elsewhere, could not be passed by without a notice. This course, which will be published when it has received its author's finishing revision, occupies nearly seven years, and consists of four parts.

I. Part. Philosophical, (or, an introduction to the study of general dogmatic theology.)

1 section. A historical review of the principal systems of modern philosophy.

2 section. An exposition of the principles of a true christian philosophy.

II. Part. Treats of the doctrines of natural religion, for two similar sections.

III. Part. Treats of the Christian Religion.

1 section.

Historical. The books of the New and Old Testament, and the fragments of the true tradition subsisting in the pagan literature, &c.

2 section. Philosophical. The reasonableness and fitness of the Christian Religion.

IV. Part. Catholic Demonstration.

Historical section takes a view of the substance of the doctrine of the principal Fathers and modern Catholic Apologists, and gives a history of the developement of the Protestant principle into the Rationalism of Germany.

Philosophical section. An exposition of the principles of Catholic belief and knowledge, and their reasonableness; or, the doctrine of the institution of the Church explained.

The students of the faculty of theology are principally composed of such as are chosen from the episcopal seminaries, on account of their distinguished abilities, to pursue in the higher branches of theology, a deeper course of study than what is taught in the seminaries. Consequently, according to Solomon's maxim, " cum sapiente graderis et sapiens eris," the Theological College of Louvain in the society of its members, as well as in the. kindness of its professors, and the vicinity of a most extensive library, offers every advantage that the theological student ought to desire; to which may be added, that the necessary expenses of a student are exceedingly moderate, and the habits of the students themselves highly frugal and exemplary.

Would that we could look forward to the time when the zeal of the Catholics of Great Britain shall become such as to bring forth fruit similar to this. However, a good university is the work of time and grace, and cannot be called into being by any human fiat. It would be an idle dream to expect any such thing at once; yet at least this one eminently practical lesson may be learned-that when the Church obtains perfect freedom from the temporal power, to put forth her resources for the work of instruction, which is her proper work by a divine charter, she is bound to seize the favourable moment and set to work. whatever way or form it may present itself, her work is ever one of active unceasing instruction, and active unceasing labour to put to rights the disorders of society, and to remedy the evils to which it is subject, and from which it suffers. England, at this moment in particular, is crying in every part of the kingdom for persons qualified and able

In

to instruct and to lead a well disposed and enquiring population to the knowledge of the Catholic Faith; to teach them to abhor those vices, to which for want of instruction and warning they fall an easy prey. In a word, our need on all hands, is for an exemplary clergy to win and to teach the people. But this clergy, we need not say, will not fall from the skies; they must be gathered from the ranks of the people placed in seminaries, patiently and vigilantly taught. And to this end our seminaries are not fully adequate. Now at least if we are not in a condition at once to follow the example of Belgium, let us all embrace with one heart and soul the principle from which it has flowed, viz. that the propagation and maintenance of the Catholic Faith, in an age that clamours for universal civil liberty, looks to the zeal and activity of her own children, and depends upon her own internal resources, and her own inherent powers. Oppression and contempt has not been our lot so long without leaving its baneful effects behind. But now the day of favour and mercy is coming, and it is our bounden duty not to let it pass by. Education, in all its forms, is now our great work. External peace and freedom of action is ours: we have the divine word saying, "Go ye and teach." What then do we want? An increase of zeal and of the love of God.

ART. III. 1. Oestreich's Befreiungstage! oder der 13, 14, und 15 März, 1848 in Wien. (The Liberation Days of Austria, or the 13th, 14th, and 15th of March in Vienna.) Vienna, 1848.

2.- Wider Seine Schein-heiligkeit Papst Pius den IX., und fur das Verheirathen der Katholischen Geistlichen. (Against his seeming Holiness Pope Pius IX., and for the Marriage of the Catholic Clergy.) Vienna, 1848.

3. Die Pressfreiheit und das Pressgesetz, Von Dr. J. U. BERger. (The Liberty of the Press, and a Law for the Press, by Dr. J. U. BERGER.) Vienna, 1848.

4.-Ueber Pressfreiheit und Pressgesetze fur Oesterreich, von J. G. NEUMANN. (The Liberty of, and Laws affecting the Press in Austria, by J. G. NEUMANN.) Vienna, 1848.

5.--Unsere Gegenwart, von CAMEO. (Our Present Position, by CAMEO.) Vienna, 1848.