B. ROMAN CATHOLIC FOREIGN MISSIONS. (1) CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION. (a) The Congrega tion of the Propaganda.—In n general way the direction of all Roman Catholic missions is vested by the Holy See in the Roman Congrega tion De Propaganda Fide, established in 1(122 for Roman Catholic• missions by Gregory XV. It consists to-day of twenty-five cardinals, with a cardinal prefect as their head, and a number of prelates and consultors in charge of the various details of administration. The Congregation has it Rome its own palace or bureaux, a college. a library and museum, a polyglot printing-press, and certain fixed revenues, chiefly from domestic or Italian sources. The various missions are distributed by it according to the character of its subjects and the nature of the religious orders to which they belong. It settles finally all putes between missionaries, whether they regard territorial jurisdiction or the conduct of the missionary work. The regular reports made by missionary bishops or superiors to the Holy See pass through the Congregation, and in general it acts as agent fur missionaries in all matters that regularly pertain to other Roman Congregations ; e.g. questions of Tridentine law, marriage and divorce, criminal questions, and the like. Its principal meeting is on the first of every month. A weekly meeting is regularly held for minor matters. Anning the most important at tributes of this Congregation is the selection of bishops. Where there is a regularly established hierarchy, a list of three names is submitted to the Propaganda with all the documents pertain ing thereto. Tliese eandidates are discussed in the regular monthly assembly of ;ill the resident cardinals, and he who seems the most worthy is proposed to the Pope. This privilege of recom mendation, in whatever way it be exercised, dif fers entirely from the election of a bishop, which belongs to eathedral churches by virtue of the regular canon law. In some countries, as in Canada, and formerly in the United States. the provincial bishops alone recommend the three candidates. in other countries, as in England. Scotland. and Ireland, the clergy or the chapter (i.e. the canons of the cathedral), as the superior mart of the clergy, draw up a list which the bishops of the province confirm with their appro bation or reject with animadversion OD one or the other, or all, of the eandidates. Elsewhere, as in the United States since 1884. and in Aus tralia, the clergy or representative part of the clergy recommend three names to the bishops of the province, who in tnrn recommend these or others to the Holy Sec. When there is no regular hierarchy, vicars apostolic are appointed, with episcopal character. from a list of three names drawn up by the superiors of the religious in stitute or Order to which the care of the faithful ' has been already committed. In the absence of such action the Pope appoints a viear apostolic on recommendation of the Propaganda. On account of the rapid growth of Catholicism. chiefly in English-speaking countries. the .dliee of Cardinal Prefect of the Propaganda has become one of the most important and responsible of the great curial offices; he is often called the 'lied Pope.'
The College of the Propaganda is an institution attached to the Congregation for the purpose of training its missionaries from their very youth. It owes its first beginnings to the Spaniard John Baptist Viv0s, who bequeathed to it his palace at Rome and made it his heir. Since 1622 the original foundation has been greatly enlarged. Urban VIII, was a notable benefactor of the work (1641) ; hence it bears the of co_ legiunt Urbanum. Some canons of the Lateran Church were the first teachers of the young mis sionaries, but the college soon passed into the complete control of the new Congregation. It was endowed with many privileges by the popes. They exempted it from all ordinary ecclesiastical and civil jurisdiction. and several special distinc tions oere granted it : among others. the right of giving degrees in theology and philos.ophy. Its present quarters were designed by Bernini, and the chapel is the work of Borromini. Seven months after their entrance the candidates for the missions are required to take an oath of obedienee to the Congregation: among other things. they promise to go directly to their re spective missi s after ordination. Those who as missionaries in Europe (e.g. in the Rritish Isles. the northern kingdoms, Switzer landl are required to report annually to the Prefect of the Congregation; those whose mis sions are elsewhere must write to him biennially. Not a few candidates. especially from the Orient. conic at a very early age. Such youths do not take the 'missionary oath' until after they have reached their fmirteenth year. In this college the training is the usual seminary training. Only. for the beginners, (:reek and Latin, and especially the suitable Oriental language,. make up the curriculum. The college owns near Ronne its own country-seat or villegiature. whither the students go during the heated season. On Pente cost one of the students of the college preaches the Pope and the cardinals. Its students at the end of the eighteenth century were about 140: at present they do not exceed 120. The French Revolution caused it to close its doors; but since iS09-1' it has been opened for its former work. and many distinguished men have graduated from its classes. From 1Sf:36 to 1848 the teaching and discipline were under the con trol of the Jesuits. Since then they are provided for directly by the Congregation itself. which names a rector and vice-rector with other offi cials. and provides for the programme of studies. Several national colleges attend the lectures of its professors—thus, the North American, Cana dian. Irish. (frock. Ruthenian. and other national eeC14--ilatiettl schools frequent its Yearly nn nth/ Polyalot to is held on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Discourses. poems. and addresses are then read in a great variety of chiefly Oriental, and the ceremony is graced by the presence of ninny dignitaries of the Roman Court. Lately new and POIllr11(1411MIS have been secured for the academic needs of the college.