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ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. 240 ROMAN CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION. tlio final choice. The Ut-lay. except in extraor- dinary circumstances, is usually from three to six months, during which time an administrator is appointed by the archbishop of the province. The bishop must appoint a vicar-general, whose authority is ordinary, i.e. not dependent on re- striction of the bishop, but specified in the canon law and ecclesiastical legislation. This official represents to tlie clei-gy the episcopal authority and has certain well-defined duties, rights, and attributes that go with the office and cease when he no longer holds it. Other officials, provided for partly in the canon law, partly by the legis- lation of national councils, hold their appoint- ment from the bishop. Sucli are the clerg^'men to whom are assigned the official defense of mar- riages whose annulment is sought on canonical grounds, the prosecution of oflFenders against the Church laws, the examination of candidates for admission to the diocese, the visitation of parochial schools. Of the 'consultors' of the bis'nop, one-half are named by himself, the other half are elected by all the diocesan clergy. This council must be renominated every three years. The time and place of its meetings and the sub- jects of its deliberations depend on the bishop, who is not bound canonically to accept its opin- ions, though he is held to create it and to con- sult with it. Legislation. The particular legislation that emanates from the Roman Catholic episcojiate of the United States as a whole arises from three sources — the national, provincial, and diocesan councils. The latter are now usually called sjTiods, though the terms are interchangeable. There have been three national (plenary) coim- cils — all held at Baltimore, which see, by reason of its being the first in order of time, has a quasi- primatial character accorded to it by the Holy See. These three national councils were held in 1829, 1SG6. and 1884. After approval by the Pope, the decisions are made public, and become the highest national ecclesiastical law and norm of administration. The effective membership of a national council is restricted to the bishops — certain ecclesiastical personages have an hon- orary right of assistance, but not of vote. Pro- vincial councils are called at indefinite periods by the archbishop of each province, and the mem- bership is confined to the suffragans of the same. The diocesan synod is called by the bishop of the diocese, and is attended by the priests of the same. It presupposes all legislation that ema- nates from higher sources, both general and na- tional, and legislates for local needs. Statistics. With the exception of the popu- lation figures, the statistics of the Roman Catho- lic Church in the United States are quite accu- rate. They are collected annually by the diocesan authorities, usually through the chancellor or vicar-general of the diocese, and are furnished to two directories or almanacs. Sadlier's (New York) and Hoffman's (Milwaukee) ; now also to the Census Bureau, which includes them in its rcpoi-t. In 1900 the Roman Catholic hierarchy of the United States included one cardinal, 14 archbishops, and 77 bishops. The clergy num- bered 11.636, of which total 8660 were members of the dift'erent dioceses and 2976 belonged to re- ligious Orders. There were, in all, 12,062 places of public worship. Of these 6409 are classed as parish churches, 3930 as missionary churches, and 1723 as chapels. The reason of "the distinc- tion lies partly in the fact that all the parish cliurches have resident priests, partly in the fre- quency of use, size, and accessibility of the mis- sion churches and chapels. The education of the clergy was provided for in 30 diocesan seminaries, with 2630 students. The religious Orders had 7!) novitiates with 1998 students or candidates. The educational institutes were one pontifical uni- versity ( Wasliingtou). 170 colleges for boys, and 062 academies and convents for girls. There were 3811 parochial schools, with an attendance of 8.54. .523. The charitable institutions were 827 in number, exclusive of 251 orphan asjdums that sheltered 35.243 children of both se.xes. The Catholic population was estimated at the low figure of 10.129.077. The Catholic Indians num- bered about 90,000; 113 priests worked among them, and served 183 churches or chapels. There were 73 Catholic schools, with 24 teaching sister- hoods and 5000 pupils of both sexes. The col- ored Catholic population was estimated at about 140.000. There labored among them 48 white priests, with the charge of 40 churches. The colored Catholic schools were 81 in number, eared for by 24 sisterhoods, with an attendance of 6401 children of both se.xes. BiBLioGR.piiY. For the general history of the Church, consult the works of Alzog, Darras, Her- genrijther, Rohrbacher, and Brueck; also the biographies of the pojies and saints generally. For England, consult : Gillow. BiWiographical Dictionary of English Catholics, since the Refor- mation (London, 1885 et seq. ) ; Brady, Annals of the Catholic Hierarchy in England, l-5So-lSyG (ib., 1877); Amherst. History of Catholic Emancipation, 1771-lS.U (ib., 1886) : The Position of the Catholic Church in England and Wales During the Last Two Cen- turies (New York, 1892) ; Fitzgerald, Fifty Years of Catholic Life and Progress (London, 1900). For France, see under Gallican Church. For Spain, Gams, Die Kirehengeschichte row l^panien (Kegensburg, 1862-79). For Germany, DiJllinger, BeitrUge zur politischen, kirchlichen ■und Kuliurgeschichte der Ictzten sechs Jahrhun- derte (Regensburg, 1862-32). The history of the Church in the United States is best found in Shea. History of the Catholic Church in the United States (Xew York, 1880-92). A more compendious work is O'Gor- man. History of the Catliolic Church in America (ib., 1895).' For the lives of its bishops, Clarke, Lires of the Deceased Bishops (New York, 1888) ; Reuss, Biographical Cyclopccdia of the Catholic Hierarchy of the United States (Mil- waukee, 1898).. Consult also Shahan, "L'histoire de leglise catholique aux Etats-Unis," in Revue d'histoirc ccclcsiastiijuc (Louvain, 1900). The legislation of the three national councils is ac- cessible in Concilia Plcnaria Ballinioricnsia (3 vols.. Baltimore. 1867-86). For a liberal foreign appreciation of the general position of the Church in the United States, consult Vicomte de ileaux, L'eqlise catholique et la libcrte aux Etats-Unis (Paris, 1893). ROMAN CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION. After the Reformation, both in England and in Scotland. Roman Catholics were subjected to many penal regulations and restrictions. As late as 1780 the law of England made it felony in a foreign Roman Catholic priest and high treason in one who was a native of the kingdom to teach the doctrines or perform divine service according