The Express.
London, England, 1855-08-03 00:00:00

A FRESH SAMPLE OF RELIGIOUS
INTOLERANCE IN AUSTRIA.

BRESLAU, JULY 29.
About a year ago the Baroness von B—, after
duly fulfilling all the conditions imposed by law on a
change of religion in the dominions of Austria, ab-
jured the errors of the catholic religion from conscien-
tious motives, and. after a course of instruction and
examination in the tenets and dogmas of the protes-
tant creed, was admitted a member of the Lutheran
congregation at Znaim, in Austrian Silesia. Not
long after this event, the Baroness, a lady of inde-
pendent property, still in her best years, became the
purchaser of a small landed estate in the Prussian
village of Ratibor, near Troppau, and close to the
frontiers. A short time after taking possession of her
new purchase, she received a series of letters from
the Catholic Prince-Archbishop of Ohnutz, requir-
ing her categorically to abjure her " heresy," return
to the bosom of "the only church that leads to salva-
tion," and do penance for the past. These demands
not being complied with, the ecclesiastical authorities
ordered the Baroness to be excommunicated. But in
the meantime she had quitted Ratibor to escape the
persecutions of her enemies, and had taken refuge at
Zauditz, near Troppau, where one of her brothers
resided. Scarcely was her arrival there become
known when the reading of the sentence of excom-
munication was ordered to take place the following
Sunday, and was duly performed.
The inhabitants of the place, who bad hitherto
been kindly disposed towards the poor Baroness, now
withdrew, and, fearing to draw npoa themselves the
anger of the church, refused to hold any com-
munication with her, and declined to supply her with
provisions. In this unfortunate dilemma she claimed
the protection of the Austrian civil governor of Trop-
pan, who befriended her in a manner worthy of
public acknowledgment, and by the influence of his
rank and position saved her from the risk of receiving
personal insults and injury.
In the meantime the delicate female organisation
of the Baroness bad suffered so severely from the
coarse and brutal persecutions of her enemies that
her health was seriously impaired, and she fell a
prey to a long and harassing illness. When only
half recovered she removed to Troppau to be within
reach of the medical advice of an eminent physician
residing there, but at first had considerable difficulty
in finding a lodging, so great was the dread of the
inhabitants to incur the anger of the church by
taking in an excommunicated person. When at
length she had succeeded, the lady received a visit
from a Popish priest, who was evidently sent by his
superiors, and who, after referring to the letters from
the archbishop, recommended her to abjure pro-
testantism, do penance, and return to the Roman
catholic church, promising her absolution and forget-
fulness of the past.
As the lady remained faithful to her protestant
convictions, the visit of the priest was succeeded by
one from an agent of the secret police, from whom the
valetudinarian received a gentle hint to quit the town,
if possible the following day, as on the next Sunday
bee excommunication was to be read publicly, in all
the churches, which it was feared might lead to a
disturbance of the peace. But the Baroness, still
confined to her bed by illness, was unable to follow
this well-meant advice. Some disinterested friends
now interfered, and reporting the case to Vienna, ob-
tained from the Cardinal Primate his consent to
limit the reading of the sentence of excommunication
to:one single church, and at the early morning mass,
when but few devotees are usually present. This was
accordingly done, and, as it was not publicly known
beforehand, it went off without any demonstration.
It is understood that the lady has since quitted
Troppau and taken up her residence on the estate of
her father, an octogenarian, where she has at length
found a refuge—at least for the present—from the
persecutions she has had to endure for conscience'
sake ;" but it is added that her health has in conse-
quence become so shattered that she cannot long sur-
vive the merciless persecution she has received from
the catholic church during the last few months.