THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITIES OF BELGIUM AND OF IRELAND.
The Catholic University of Louvain has just been deprived by death of its first Rector, Mgr. Peter Francis Xavier de Ram. This illustrious prelate was called to the reward of his useful life on Sunday, the 14th of May, and his demise has caused a vacancy, not only in the University over which he presided with so much prudence and energy for over thirty years, but also in several other learned bodies, of which he was a most distinguished member. His death has been a severe loss to his native land and to the Catholic Church in Belgium. Let us hope the great work for which he lived will long continue to be a prolific source of every blessing to Catholic Belgium.
On hearing of the death of Mgr. de Ram, our Catholic University, which, in obedience to the advice of the Sovereign Pontiff, has ever looked on that of Louvain as its model and elder sister, hastened to hold a meeting of the Academic Senate, at which the following letter of condolence was unanimously agreed to:—
Illustrissimo et adm. Rdo. Dno. Vice Rectori; Illmis. D.D. Facultatum Decanis; et perillustribus D.D. in Universitate Cath. Lovaniensi Professoribus ornatissimis,
Universitas in Hibernia Catholica S. D.
Paucis abhinc diebus pervenit ad nos tristissima notitia mortis Illmi. et Rmi. D.D. Francisci Xaverii de Ram, istius Universitatis in Belgio Catholicae Magnifici Rectoris. Haud certe sine maximo cordium nostrorum dolore nuntium istum accepimus. Siquidem et inclytam Universitatem Vestram praecipuo lumine et ornamento destitutam conspicimus, et Supremo Capite et primo Rectore orbatam, qui res nascentis, imo potius renascentis Academiae summa humanitate, ornatissimus homo, est moderatus: qui miro ordine ita omnia paravit et instituit, ut antiquae illius in vestra civitate Universitatis decus et in scientiis laudem nova aemularetur, imo et superaret.
Ad consolandum igitur vos in casu isto, quo est gravissime afflicta Academia Vestra, Universitatem hanc nostram urget et communis fides, et praecipua dilectio qua nos complecti dignati estis, et nomen ipsum Universitatis Catholicae. Nam et inclytam vestram Academiam haec nostra haud passibus aequis insequi conatur, et vester proinde dolor, aerumnae vestrae nobis vobiscum sunt communes. Itaque et inter hos dies nostrum erit clarissimi viri, vestri quondam Rectoris Magnifici animae piaculari Sacrificio opitulari, publicisque Ecclesiae officiis, et illi requiem et ipsius Operi, Universitati scilicet Vestrae incolumitatem et in dies provectus adprecari.
Ex aedib. Univers. in Hib. Cath.
Datum Dublinii V. Kal. Junias, 1865.
Barth. Woodlock, Rector Univer. Cath.
Thomas Scratton, A.B. a Secretis Universit.
The Vice-Rector of the University of Louvain has returned the following answer:—
Louvain, de l'Université Catholique, le 9 Juin, 1865.
Magnifice Rector,
Perquam gratae nobis fuere literae tuae plenissimae illa humanitate, proximis hisce diebus ad nos datae, in quibus Dublinensis Academiae nomine moerorem nostrum de obitu Viri illustrissimi Petri Francisci Xaverii de Ram, tuae doloris participatione levare voluisti, unàque significasti Dublinensem Academiam jam nunc hoc quoque curare, ut brevi, in suo coetu, oblato peculiari Sacrificio, publicis votis precibusque aeterna requies animae illustrissimi Viri a Deo expectatur.
Itaque facere non possum, Magnifice Rector, quin nostrae Academiae nomine tibi gratias quam maximas agam tam ob hoc germanae caritatis indicium quam ob illam doloris officiosam significationem.
Immanem profecto jacturam facimus in amissione Viri qui, ut recte dicis, Magnifice Rector, renascentis Lovaniensis Academiae quodam modo pater fuit, et diuturno tempore gubernator prudentissimus, et praecipuum ejus lumen et decus et ornamentum; quem nos quidem eodem desiderio lugemus quo filii parentem.
Reliquum est, ut Dublinensi Academiae, quam tu, Magnifice Rector, sapientissime moderaris et nos praecipuo quodam amore complectimur, prospera quaevis exoptemus; quod magnam certe partem praestiterimus, si, quod enixe facimus, Deum precamur ut te illi Academiae quam diutissime servet.
Vice Rector Universitatis.
T. A. Nameche.
Viro Eximio ac Reverendissimo Bartholomaeo Woodlock, Magnifico Rectori Universitatis Catholicae in Hibernia.