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 PERIODICAL

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PERIODICAL

that have been made for many years for the sake of the Cathohc Press bear fruit, and a powerful press will be the strongest protection against the opponents of the Church in Austria.

Anton Weiman.

Belgium. — Historical Outline of the Press in Bel- gium. — Periodical literature in Belgium may be traced back to 1605, when the Archduke and Archduchess Albert and Isabella granted Abraham Verhoeven of Antwerp the privilege of publishing his newspaper "Nieuwe Tijdingen". But it is in the Dutch period of Belgian history that Catholic literature really orig- inated. At that time appeared the "Spectateur Beige" of Father de Foere, which several times pro- voked the anger of William I; the "Courrier de la Meuse", founded at Liege in 1820 by Kersten; the "Catholique des Pays-Bas" and the "Vaderland", both founded at Ghent by de Neve; the "Politique de Gand", the "Noord-Brabanter", all showing re- markable zeal in defending the Catholic Church at a time when Catholic journalists were threatened with imprisonment. A few years after the establishment of Belgian independence the "Courrier de la Meuse" was transferred from Liege to Brussels, and took the name of "Journal de Bru.xelles". Long afterwards under the editorsliip of the Baron Prosper de HauUe- ville (d. 1899) it became the leading Cathohc organ; but now it has lost its prominence.

Causes which stopped its Development. — The Revo- lution of 1830 brought Belgium the liberty of the press. The majority of the population and of the National Congress were Catholics, but the Catholic Press from 1830 to 1874 improved very slowly. The first cause of this was the disagreement between the Catholics and the Catholic Liberals; the next was the neglect of the old and the establishment of new publications. Among the new publications were "Le nouveau conserva- teur beige", an ecclesiastical and literary magazine, founded in 1830 and discontinued in 1835; the "Mes- sager des sciences historiques et des arts de la Bel- gique", founded in 1833 and discontinued in 1896; the " Revue Beige " of 1834, which lasted only a few years; the "Revue catholique de Louvain", devoted to reh- gious controversy, history, and apologetics; from 1843 till 1884 it counted among its contributors the fore- most professors of the University of Louvain. An- other obstacle to the growth of the Catholic Press is the fact that the people of Belgium consist of two races with different languages, customs, and habits. Also the competition of French journals injured the growth of the Belgian press. French periodicals and newspapers appear in Brussels almost at the same time as in Paris. Besides their intrinsic merits, they have the advantage of being fashionable. Moreover, many Belgian writers have contributed to French periodicals. As an instance we may name the "Me- langes theologiques", a review of moral theology and canon law founded by a society of Belgian ecclesiastics at Li^ge in 1847. This magazine removed to Paris in 1856, where it was styled "Revue Thdologique", and was conducted by a committee of French and Belgian priests. In 1861 it settled at Louvain, and there con- tinued many years.

Present State. — About the middle of the last cen- tury, the religious question became prominent in Belgium. Catholics felt the need of a vigorous defence against irreligion and Freemasonry. New life was infused into the Catholic Press and to-day its condi- tion is more satisfactory.

(1) Dailies. — Out of a total of 86 political daily papers 38 are Catholic. In consequence of the con- stant political activity all the important towns, even the suburbs of Brussels, have their local daily papers. Bruges has "La Patrie"; Charleroi, "Le Pays Wal- lon", a democratic journal of wide and vigorous efficiency; Liege, the "Gazette de Lifige", which

under editorship of Demarteau (1909) has reached a larger circulation than all the other Liege newspapers together. The "Bien Public", founded at Ghent in 1853 by Senator Lammens, Count de Hemptine, and others, circulates in all the provinces of Belgium, es- pecially among the clergy. Its chief editor, Count Verspeyen, who has just celebrated his fiftieth anni- versary as a journahst, has secured for it a well- deserved reputation on thoroughly Catholic lines. The most influential Catholic journal in Belgium is the "Patriote", founded in Brussels in 1883 by M. Jour- dain, which with its local issue the "National" has a circulation of 180,000. His bold and skilful attacks brought about the downfall of the Liberal Govern- ment in 1884. The "XX' Siecle", founded also in Brussels by the late Duke d'LIrsel, the present minis- ters Helleputte, de Brocqueville, and others, is more democratic. In Brussels also is published "Het Nieuws van den Dag", the most popular newspaper among the Flemings.

(2) Weeklies.— Oi the 1200 Belgian weeklies, the Catholics certainly control more than one-half. Each important locality has its political and illustrated weeklies. Many jjarishes have their "Bulletin parois- sial". Each diocese publishes its "Semaine reli- gieuse". In Mechlin the organ of the archbishopric, which is styled "La Vie diocesaine", receives contri- butions from Cardinal Mereier.

(3) Revieu's and Magazines. — About a thousand reviews and magazines are published in Belgium, many of them by Catholics.

(a) Theology and Religion. — The "Revue th6olo- gique" mentioned above was replaced in 1907 by the "Nouvelle revue theologique", edited by Father Besson. Besides this small but useful review, about 150 periodicals of various descriptions treat of theol- ogy, apologetics, missions, special devotions etc. The Jesuits have their "Missions beiges de la Compagnie de J(5sus", a well-illustrated monthly magazine, which in 1899 took the place of the old "Pri5cis historiques", founded by Father Terwecoren. The Fathers of Scheut (near Brussels) have their "Missions en Chine, au Congo et aux Philippines". Other religious con- gregations and some large monasteries issue reports of their pious works, or reviews of piety, of lituigy, hagiography, etc.

(b) Scientific Reviews. — The Catholic standard scientific review is the "Revue des questions scien- tifiques", a large quarterly to which is joined a smaller one of a more technical character. Both were founded in 1877 by Father Carbonnelle, S.J., and a Franco- Belgian committee of prominent Catholic scientists. Their motto: Nulla unquam inter fidem et rationem vera dissensio esse potest (Cone. Vatican.) found a prac- tical confirmation in the sound scientific character of the whole series. The present editors are Prof. Man- sion and Father Thirion. The "Revue n<io-scolas- tique" was founded in 1894by Cardinal Mereier, while directing his Institut de philosophic thomiste at Lou- vain, with which it is closely connected (quarterly: present editor. Prof, de Wulf). With the same institu- tion is connected the "Revue catholique de droit", of Prof. Crahay of Liege, and the "Revue sociale catho- lique", of Mgr Deploige, Prof. Thiery, Prof. Defourny, and others. At Louvain also appear some special scientific reviews, such as the "Revue medicalo" and the celebrated magazine of cytology entitled "La Cellule" of the late Canon Carnoy (present editor. Prof. Gilson). Also some philosophical reviews: "Le Mus6on" of the late Mgr de Harlez, continued by Prof. Colinet, Prof. Lefort, and others; "Le Mu.s6e beige" of Prof. CoUard and Prof. Waltzing (the latter of the Lifige University) ; the " Leucensche Bijdragen " (for Dutch philology), edited by Prof. Colinet, Lecou- tere, and others. There is also the Belgian law re- view, "Revue pratique des soci(5tfe civiles", founded by Prof. Nyssens, Minister of Labour, and continued