Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 17.djvu/93

 BAGDAD

77

BAHAMA ISLANDS

ber, 1870, elected 25 July, 1906, consecrated at Knechtseden and made vicar apostolic of Baga- moyo 6 December following.

Bagdad, Abchdiocesb of (Babtlonbnbis-Lati- NORUM, Babylonbnbis-Stbobum; cf. C. E,^ II-202b), is a metropolitan see for both the Latin and the Syrian Rites. It is situated in Mesopotamia, Asiatic Turkey, and for the Latin Rite comprises the missions of Bagdad or Babylon, Mardin and Mossul. The Latin see is directly subject to the Holy See and has its episcopal residence at Mossul. Most Rev. Francis Berr6, a Dominican, and sui)erior of the mission at Mossul, was appointed Archbishop of this see 9 August, 1921. Archbishop Berr6, who has been in the Orient for over thirty years, wm taken prisoner by the Txu'ks during the World War and saw the destruction of a great part of the work which he had accomplished. Li 1919 he accom- panied Cardinal Dubois on a trip through the Orient and rendered such great service by his knowledge of Oriental people and affairs that the French Government conferred upon him the Cross of the Legion of Honor. Upon his return to Mossul he be^an rebuilding the rums left by the war, giv- ing his attention particularly to the schools and gyro-Chaldgan seminary, which had played such an important part in the religious progress of the territory, and he was occupied in tnis work when his appointment came. By ^922 statistics there are in all about 60,000 Catholics of different rites under the jurisdiction of this see.

For the Syrian Rite this archdiocese comprises Bagdad and Bassorah and (1920 statistics) has a

5opulation of 1,300 Syrian Catholics, besides 55,000 ews, 2,000,000 Mussulmans, and 000 Christians. There are 5 priests, 2 churches, and a few Carmelite misnonaries of the Latin Rite. The present in- cumbent is Most Rev. Athanasius Georae Dallal, b. in Lebanon, 1877, studied at the College of Propa|^da in Rome, ordained 1900, and appointed Arcnbishop of Bagdad 14 September, 1912, succeed- ing Archbishop Noury, who had retired.

The present Visitor Apostolic and Regent of the Apostolic Delegation of Bagdad for Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, and Armenia Minor is Mgr. Adrian Smets. The city of Bagdad, called at the time of its foimdation Medinet'ea-Selam, or City of Peace, is now the capital of the kingdom of Irak. The Christians number about 13,500, divided as follows: Chaldsans, 9,000; Armenians, 3,000, of whom about 1,200 are Catholics; Greeks, 100, of whom 40 are Catholics; Syrian Catholics, 000; Latin, 800.

The Armenian dioceses of the delegation were destroyed during the war, and it is not vet known how many of the faithful are left. All that remain of the Syrian diocese of Gezireh are four priests and a handful of Catholics. Of the nine Chaldsean dioceses, Akra had ceased to exist before the war; Gesireh and Sees were destroyed during it, while Diaibekir and Mardin are reduced to their re- spective bishops, a few priests and several hundred Catholics.

The charitable works include 2 orphanages for boys, one founded and maintained by the pope in the house of the Delegation, with 50 inmates; the other in Amarah in charge of the Carmelite Fathers, with 35 inmates; 3 orphanages for girls, 1 in Bagdad under the Sisters of the Presentation, inmates 70; 1 in Basrah under the same sisters, inmates 25; 1 in Mossul in charge of the Dominican Fathers, inmates 30. There are 35 students in the seminary of the Chaldsan Patriarchate. The ap- proximate Catholic population of the Delegation is S5J000,

Bagnorea, Diocese of (Balnbobeghenbib: cf. C. E., II-203b), in the province of Rome. Italy, is directly subject to the Holy See. After the promo- tion of Bi^op Rousset, who filled this see from 1906 until 14 September, 1909, the see was left vacant until the appointment of Rt. Rev. Emilio Poletti. 28 August, 1912. Bishop Poletti died 17 December, 1918, and was succeeded by Rt. Rev. Giovanni Battista-Lodovico Antomelli, O.F.M., b. in Mezzano, 1863, appointed titular Bishop of Leptis Magna 23 February, 1913, and vicar apostolic of Lybia, and transferred to this see 10 Marcn, 1919.

During the World War the diocesan seminary was used as a shelter for refugees, and manv priests of the diocese distinguished themselves at the front. The 1922 statistics give the population as 35,000, and credit the diocese with 28 parishes,. 110 churches, 50 secular and 20 regular clergy, 3 monas- teries for women, 3 convents for men and 6 for women, 16 brothers, 100 religious women, 1 semi- nary, and 20 seminarians. Among the institutions are 2 elementary schools with 8 teachers and 80 pupils, all other schools being dependent on the State; 3 homes, 3 asylums, and 2 hospitals. An important event in the recent progress of the diocese was the foimding of an mdustrial school for dressmaking and tailoring by Rev. Don Enrico Bartoloni. One clerical and four la^ societies are organized, and a Catholic periodical is published in the diocese.

Babama Islands (cf. C. E., II-204b)r-The fol- lowing are the principal islands, their area and their population, according to the latest available census:

Abaco and Cays

Acklins Island

Andros Island

Berxy Islands

Bimmis

Crooked Island

Eleuthera

Exuma and Cays

Grand Bahama

Inagua

Long Cay

Long Island

Mayaguana

New Providence

Ragged Island and Cays

Rum Cay

San Salvador

Watlings Island

Area

Population

Kj. miles

Males

Females

776

2,234

2,229

120

725

1,008

1,600

3,875

3,670

14

279

208

8%

224

252

76

596

945

164

2352

8,681

100

1,406

2,059

430

784

1,040

560

589

754

8

140

236

130

1,765

2,394

96

148

210

85

5399

7,655

5

165

188

29

171

259

160

2,090

2,982

60

261

356

24,213

35,126

Of these about 85% are colored. The estimated population on 1 Januaiy, 1921, was 56,385. In 1919 the birthrate was 34.4 and the deathrate 21.6.

Economic Situation.— In 1919 the total imports into the Bahamas were valued at $2,630,455, 81% of which came from the United States; the ex- ports, valued at $1,864,096, went mostly to that country. In 1920 there were 255 grants of Crown land made during the year, the area being 1,327 acres. Approximately a total of 372,204 acres in the colony have been sold by the Crown to private persons, and 242,795,000 remain ungranted.

Education.— In 1919 the teaching staff employed by the Board of Education consisted of 50 principal teachers, 4 assistant teachers, 4 pupil teacners, 190 monitors, 8 sewing teachers, 4 students in training.