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'Right to build churches'
THE building of churches was defended by Archbishop Cardinale, the Apostolic Delegate, when he preached at the consecration last week of the Church of Ss. Peter and Paul at Lincoln. He said that some people believed that it was unnecessary, even wrongful, to set buildings apart for the exclusive use of religion, and they sought to justify their position by recalling that private houses were used for liturgical prayer until after the apostolic age. The truth of the matter is that Christian gatherings were held in private houses only because of peculiar circumstances. As soon as the situation allowed, the faithful assembled in buildings erected for the purpose.
"Thus, as far back as the first part of the third century the Roman Emperor Alexander Severus (222-235) confirmed the Christians in possession of a place of worship.
"The sight of Christian churches had become so familiar to all that in 302 the Emperor Diocletian ordered their complete destruction. "As soon as this last persecution was over and the place of the Church in social life was made safe by the Emperor Constantine (306-337), Christians began to erect churches on a magnificent scale, in order to give outward expression to that respect of God and His House which is characteristic of Catholics of all times and places."
Irish educating over 2 million
IRISH missionaries in 57 -A countries are educating over 2,000,000 students in 9,000 primary and post-primary schools, it was disclosed at St. Nissi's College in County Antrim. The 7,085 Irish missionaries are working in Africa, Asia and Latin America.