Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/310

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VANDALS

Superior General of tlie Oblate Congregation and resigned the archbishopric, 21 Sept., 1908, being appointed later titular Archbishop of Ptolemais, and since then resident at Rome. Rt. Rev. Neil McNeil, Bishop of St. George's, Newfoundland, was trans- ferred to the See of Vancouver and raised to the archiepiscopal dignity, January, 1910. Since his arrival in Vancouver, six parochial churches and five mission chapels have been erected, and the Religious of the Sacred Heart placed in charge of the higher education of girls in Vancouver. Arch- bishop McNeil was born in Hillsborough, Nova Scotia, 23 Nov., 1851. He is a son of the late Malcolm McNeil and Ellen Meagher, was educated at St. Francis Xavier College, Antigonish, and in 1873 sent to the College of Propaganda, Rome. He was ordained priest in 1879, joined the teaching staff of St. Francis Xavier College in 1880, became rector of the college in 1884, and Bishop of NilopoUs and Vicar-Apostolic of St. George's, Newfoundland, in 1891. He was consecrated at Antigonish, 20 Octo- ber, 1895.

Stalistics. — The diocesan property is by Act of the Provincial Legislature, owned by a corporation- sole: Title, "The R. C. Archbishop of Vancouver". There are in the diocese: 15 secular, and 34 religious priests; 26 churches with resident priests; 50 missions with churches; 60 chapels where Mass is said; 1 college, 40 students; 8 industrial schools for Indians, 500 students; 3 academies for girls, and 8 parochial schools, with 800 pupils; 1570 young people under Catholic care; 5 hospitals; 1 orphanage; 1 House of Refuge; and about 35,000 Catholics.

MoRiCE, History of the Catholic Church in Western Canada

(2 vols.. Toronto, 1910); Cooke, Sketches of the life of Mgr. de

Mazenod (2 vols., London, 1879); Annates des Oblats; Catholic

Directory CNew York, 1912); Catholic Year Book for B. C. (1911).

Wm. p. O'Boyle.

Vandal, Albert, French writer, b. at Paris, 7 July, 1853; d. there, 30 Aug., 1910. His father was director general of the postal service under the Second Empire. At first Albert Vandal entered the Council of State as auditor. Of moderate temperament and hberal opinions, the Government found that his family traditions prevented him from being devoted with sufficient warmth to Republican institutions and obhged him to resign. At this period Albert Sorel was professor of diplomatic history at the Ecole des Sciences Politiques. Vandal was his disciple and later his friend, prior to replacing him in his chair. His first book is entitled "En Karriole a travers la Suede et la Norvege" (1876). It was followed by an impor- tant historical work, "Louis XV et Elisabeth de Russie" (1882). Vandal subsequently published "Pacha Bonneval" (188.5), "Une ambassade fran- gaise en Orient sous Louis XV" (1SS7). But the work which permanently estabhshcd his reimtation was "Napoleon et Alexandre I". This siilcndid Ixiok twice won the Gobert grand prix and opcne( 1 1 o \'andal the door of the French Academy, which he entered without competition (1897). He afterwards pub- Ushed "Les voyage du marquis de Naointel" (1901), and a very important book, "L'avenement de Bona- parte". He was a colleague and friend of Brunetiere, and one of those Catholics who, after the passage of the law separating Church and State, wrote to the pope asking him to accept the associations culludlcs. George.s Bertrin.

Vandals, a Germanic people belonging to the family of East- Germans. According to Pliny and Tacitus, they were originally settled between the Elbe and Vistula. At the time of the War of the Marcomanni (IWKSl) they lived in what is now Silesia, and in about 271 the Roman Emperor Aure- lian was obliged to protect the middle course of the Danube against them. C'onstantine the Great (about 330) granted them lands in Pannonia on the

right bank of the Danube. Through the Emperor Valens (364-78) they accepted Arian Christianity, yet there were also some scattered orthodox Vandals, among whom was Stilicho the minister of the Emperor Honorius. In 406 the Vandals advanced from Pannonia by way of Gaul, which they devastated terribly, into Spain, where they settled in 411. From 427 their king was Genseric (Gaiseric), who in 429 landed in North Africa with about 80,000 of his followers. It is a disputed point whether or not he was called to Africa by the Roman governor Boniface on account of the intrigues of Aetius. Peace was made between the Romans and Vandals in 435 but it was broken by Genseric in 439, who made Carthage his capital after he had thoroughly plun- dered it. During the next thirty-five years with a large fleet he ravaged the coasts of the Eastern and Western Empires. In 455 he plundered Rome itself during two weeks. It is asserted that the Empress Eudoxia had asked him to free her from her hated marriage with the Emperor Petronius Maximus, the murderer of her husband Valentiuian III. This story, however, is probably a fable. It is said that on 2 June, 455, Leo the Great received Genseric and implored him to abstain from murder and destruction by fire, and to be satisfied with pillage. Whether the po])e's influence saved Rome is, however, ques- tioned; moreover, the Vandals had only booty in mind, nor was the plundering as extreme as later tradition and the expression "Vandalism" would imply. From 462 the Vandal kingdom included Africa and the islands of the Mediterranean, that is Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and the Balearic Islands, but like the other Germanic kingdoms on Roman soil the kingdom of the Vandals in Africa began to decay from the lack of unity of religion and of race among the two populations.

The Vandals treated the Cathohcs more harshly than other German peoples. Catholic bishops were punished b}' Genseric with deposition, exile, or death, and laymen were excluded from office and frequently suffered confiscation of their property. It is said of Genseric himself that he was originally a Catholic and had changed to Arianism about 428; this, however, is probably an invention. He protected his Cathohc subjects when his relations with Rome and Constantinople were friendly, as during the years 454-57,when the Catholic community at Carthage, being without a head, elected Deogra- tias bishop. The same was also the case during the years 476-77 when Bishop Victor of Cartenna sent him, during a period of peace, a sharp refutation of Arianism and suffered no punishment. Genseric was one of the most powerful personalities of the era of the Migrations, and was the terror of the seas. He died at a great age on 25 January, 477. According to the law of succession which he had promulgated, not the son but the oldest male member of the royal house was to succeed to the throne (law of seniority). He was succeeded by his incompetent son Hunerich (477-484), who at first protected the Catholics, owing to his fear of Constantinople, but from 482 he per- secuted them in the most terrible manner. King Guntamund (484-96), his cousin and successor, protected them once more, and while Thrasamund (496-523), owing to his religious fanaticism, was hostile to Catholics, still he contented himself with bloodless persecutions. Hilderich (523-30) favoured the Catholics :uul granted religious freedom; con- sequently C:itholic synods were once more held in Nortli Africa. Ililderich's policy was opposed by his cousin Gelimer, who raised the banner of national Arianism. Hilderich was deposed and murdered in 533. This was taken as an excus(> for interference by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. Gelimer was defeated in 533 ;iny Belisarius, the commander of the armies of the Eastern Empire, and North