pap.il decriT of 20 Febniarj'. 1920, under the title of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin. It cotii- prisca the Abbeys of Maredaoua and Lou vain. separated from the CoDgregation of Beuron. the Abbey of St. Andrew near Bruges, separated from the Brazilian Congregation, and the Prefecture Apostolic of Katanga. The abbot president ia Dom Robert de Kerchoye, Abbot of Louvain. Dur- ii^ the invasion of Belgium the monks of Maredsous under the present abbot, Doia Columbia Marmion, opened a house at Edermine, Ireland, nhich was HOandoned after the war.
Present Work of the Order. — The Benedictines continue to direct their activities to parochial, mis- sionary, educational, and literary work. Recent important literary work is that of the Pontifical Commission for the revision and correction of the ^'(ilgate, instituted by Pius X and reorganised in 1914 by Motu Poprio of Benedict XV. The head- guartera of this Commission is at the palace of St. Callistus in Transtevere. The president is Dom Aidan Gasquct and the vice-president is Dom Ambrogio Amelh.
All of the Congregations have parochial or mis- sionary duties, as muy be judged by the following table, giving the diocesan, incorporated, and non- incorporated parishes, and the laisaion under the care of Benedictines, with the number of filial churches, public oratories, secular priests, extern clerics, and souls in each:
BENEDIOTIKE
!|
1
ll
i
li
li
rt
SduIi
Eiigliih
e";srr,.:::: 1;= .:::::
Bel.™
ToUl
n
'is
SJ
uo
J3
i
IS 29
4W
"i
n
3
••«
i
"a
S7 Ml
IK
m
141
2
!!7
177,187
si '^■'^
1QB.74J
li
IDiOflO
S'.^-:
"»ii.ie«
^n™j.™i.j.c™«p.™.::
CotP oi at.
ToUd ...
AoKtel
'j! .S ,
! I
3Mi
The Bened ctines have charge of the Greek Pon-
tifical College of St. Athanasius. 33 seminaries. 47
colleges, 1 commercial college, 35 gymnasia, 1 pro-
gymnasium, 22 schools. 2 schools of ablates, and 20
other educational institutes, making a total of 162
Echoola with an alumni of 19,603 distributed among
ingreuationa a s follows:
1
5
~ 1
1
7
S
n
7W
°S;"!.»^"":
ImnuKuUw Con-
»"cdi.„::::
Total
Anwrican-Caui-
1 22*
6iri"-Aiiieric«n ..
IM
,S5
Recent Recclationb.— The Benedictine Order ia
affected by the recent codification of Canon Law
as follows (Canons 501, 574, and 964): According
to Canon 501 superiors are strictly forbidden to in-
terfere in matters pertaining to the Holy Offici'.
An abbot primate and the superior of a monastic
congregation do not enjoy all the powers and juris-
diction conferred by common law on higher su-
periors; their power and jurisdiction is as set forth
in their own constitutions and in special decrees of
the Holy See. [However, the moderator of a mon-
astic congregation with his council or chapter of
at least four religious is competent to diemias pro-
fessed religious. The supreme moderator of a
monastic congregation is the judge of appeal from
decisions rendered by local abbots.] Canon 574
provides that at the end of the novitiate there must
be a profession with temporary vows for three yeare
at least before perpetual profession. According to
Canon 964, in the matter of the ordination of re-
ligious, a regular abbot de regimine, even if he has
no territory, can confer first tonsure and minor
orders, provided the candidate to be promoted is
subject to him in virtue at least of simple profcs-
Bion, and provided the abbot himself is a priest
and has legitimately received the abbatial blessing.
Outside these limits, any ordination conferred by
the abbot ia null and void, any privilege to the
contrary being revoked, unless the abbot ordinary
has received episcopal consecration.
DiSTiNoviSHED Benedictines, — Among Benedic- tines of note living at the present time arc: Aidan Gasquct (b'. 1846), former Abbot President of the English Congregation, created cardinal 1914. Ray- mund Netzhammer (b, 1S62), monk of Einaiedeln of the Swiss Congregation. Archbishop of Bukerest 1905. Ansclm Pecci (b. 1868),of theCaBsiDeae Con-
