Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 7.djvu/450

 HOLMES

396

HOLOCAUST

toria, 1891): VAN DEN Brokk, Reize naar NooTd-Amerika (Amsterdam, 1847); Wilde, Studim, XXXI (Utrecht, 1888), 1.

W. J. De Vries.

Holmes, .John, Catholic educator and priest; b. at Windsor, Vermont, in 1799; d. at Lorette, near Que- bec, Canada, in 1852. After a few years' scliooling at Dartmouth College, he left home for Canada, bent on prosecuting his studies and converting Catholics. HLs own eyes were opened to the true Faith, which he embraced at Yamachiche, Province of Quebec, in 1817, where the pastor, Abbe Lecuycr, had housed and instructed him. He studied philosophy at Montreal Seminary, and theology at Nicolet College. Shortly after his ordination in 1823 he was appointed pastor of Drummondville, the centre during the four year.s of his ministry ( if a field of labour extending over a district now comprising fifteen or twenty parishes. He then went as professor to Quebec Seminary, which was to reap such benefit from his talents and devotedness. Abb6 Holmes, a born pedagogue, infused new life into the antiquated curriculum, introducing Greek, Eng- ILsh, and all the branches of experimental science. Plis inventive genius and winning style lent a charm to all his teachuig, especially that of geography. His " Traits de Gfographie", first published in 1832, many times re-edited and even translatetl into English and German, is a model text-book. He first conceived the plan of a Catholic University, since realized in Laval, the charter of which was signed .sliortly after his death. His zeal for education was not limited to the seminary. In 183, when the Legislature of Lower Canada voted grants for the first normal schools, the task of organ- izing and equipping these institutions was entrusted to \\>h(i Hdltnes. No patriot was more devoted to the country of his adoption. HLs experience in the ea.stern townships inspired him to promote coloniza- tion in that direction, so as to stem the tide of French Canadian emigration beyond the border-line. He also foresaw the possibility of a commercial union of all the British provinces in North America, a plan after- wards more completely realized by the confederation in 187. Abb;"' Holmes was an orator in the full sense of the word. His deep and varieci knowledge, expres- sive mien and gesture, sonorous voice, and perfect mastery of the French tongue all combined to charm antl convince the audiences that crowded the vast cathedral to overflowing, and produced on his hearers a life-long impression. His "Conferences de Notre- Dame" were first published in 18.50. His friendly re- lations with his family soon reconciled them to his conversion. A brother and all his six sisters followed him into the Church.

Ch.\uveau. L'ahbc Jean Holmes (Quebec, 1876); Decelles, Vahhi-. Jean Holme.i {Quebec, 1S75); Gosselin, L'ahbe Holmes et I'instruction puhlique (Ottawa, 1908).

Lionel Li.vdsay.

Holocaust. — As suggested by its Greek origin (iiXos "whole", and Kavarbs "burnt") the word desig- nates an offering entirely consumed 1)V fire, in use among the ,Jews and some pagan nations of antiquity. As employed in the Vulgate, it corresponds to two Hebrew terms: (I) to 'olah. hterally: "that which goes up", either to the altar to be sacrificed, or to heaven in the sacrificial flame; (2) Kdlil. literally: "entire", "perfect", which, as a sacrificial term, is usuallv a descriptive .synonym of 'nl^ih, and denotes an offering consumed 'wholly on the altar. At whatever time and by whomsoever offered, holocausts were naturally regarded as the highest, because the most complete, outward expression of man's reverence to God. It is, indeed, true that certain passages of the prophets of Israel have been construed by modern critics into an utter rejection of the offering of sacrifices, the holo- causts included: but this position is the outcome of a partial view of the evidence, of the misconception of an attack on abuses as an attack on the institution

which they had infected. For details concerning this point, and for a discussion of the place which the same scholars assign to the 'olah (holocaust) in their theory of the development. of the sacrificial system among the Hebrews, .see S-\chifice. The following is a concise statement of the Mosaic Law a,s containetl chiefly in what critics commonl\- call the Priests' Code, con- cerning whole burnt-offerings.

I. Viciiins for Iloloniiists. — (3nly animals could be offered in holocaust; for luunan victims, which were sacrificed by the Chanaaniles and by other peoples, were positively excluded from the legitimate worship of Yahweh (cf. Lev., .xviii, 21 ; xx, 2-.5; Deut., xii, .'Jl ; etc.). In general, the victims had to be taken either from the herd (young bullocks) or from the flock (sheep or goats) ; and, to be acceptable, the animal was required to be a male, as the more v.'ihiable, anil with- out blemish, as only then worthy of God (Lev., i, 2, .3, 5, 10; xxii, 17 sqq.). In certain ca.ses, however, birds (only turtle-doves or young pigeons) were offered in holocaust (Lev., i, 14; etc.); the.se birds were usually allowed to the poor as a substitute for the larger and more expensive animals (Lev., v, 7: xii, 8; xiv, 22), and were even directly prescribed in some cases of ceremonial iincleanness (Lev., xv, 14, 1.'), 29, .30). Game and fishes, which were sacrificed in some pagan worships of Western Asia, were not objects of sacrifice in the Mosaic Law.

II. Hituiil oj lloloransts. — The principal rites to be carried out in the offering of holocausts, were (1) on the part of the offerer, that he should bring the animal to the door of the tabernacle, impose his hands on its head, slay it to the north of the altar, flay and cut up its carcass, and wash its entrails and legs; (2) on the part of the priest, that he should receive the blood of the victim, sprinkle it about the altar, and burn the offering. In the case of an offering of birds, it was the priest who killed the victims and flung aside as vmsuit- able their crop and feathers (Lev., i). In public sacrifices, it was also the priest's duty to slay the victims, being assisted on occasions by the Levites. The inspection of the entrails, which played a mo.st important part in the sacrifices of several ancient peoples, notably of the Phoenicians, had no place in the Mosaic ritual.

III. Clanxci nj Hnlornusts. — Among the Hebrews, holocausts were of two general kinds, according as their offering was prescribed by the Law or the result of private vow or devotion. The obligatory holo- causts were (1 ) the dniti/ burnt-olTering of a lamb; this holocau.st was made twice a day (at the third and ninth hour), and accompanied by a cereal oblation and a libation of wine (Kx.. xxix, .3,8-42; N>mi., xxviii, .3-8); (2) the siihhiith burnt-offering, which included the double anioimt of all the elements of the ordinary daily holocaust (Num., xxviii, 9, 10); (3) the fcalal burnt-offering, celebrated at the New Moon, the Pasch, on the Fe.ast of Trumpets, the day of Atone- ment, and the I'^east of Tabernacles, on which occasions the number of the victims and the quantity of the other offerings were considerably increased; (4) the holocausts prescribed for the con.secration of a priest (Ex., xxix, I!) sqi|.; Lev., viii, IS; ix, 12), at the puri- fication of women (Lev., xii, fi-8), at the cleansing of lepers (Lev., xiv, 19, 20). at the purgation of ceremo- nial uncleamiess (Lev.,xv. 1.5, 30), and finally in con- nection with the Nazarite vow (Num., vi, 1 1, Hi). In the voluntary burnt-offerings the number of the victims was left to the liberality or to the wealth of the offerer (cf. Ill Kings, iii, 4; I'Par., xxix, 21, etc., for very large voluntary holocausts), and the victims might be supplied by the Gentiles, a permission of which .Augustus actually availed himself, according to Philo (Legatio ad Caium, xl).

IX. Chief purposeti oj Iloloriiusls. — The following are the principal pumoses of the whole burnt-offerings prescribed by the Mosaic Law: (1) l?y the total sur-