The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1858-12-23
The Jewish Abduction case.


A few months ago Edgar Mortara aged
six years, the son Of some Jewish pco-
pie at Bologna, in Italy was forcibly
taken from his parents BY the outhori-
ties Of the Catholic Church, on the pre-
tence that he was q subject of their ec-
olosiastical government. The circum-
stances upon which this pretense is
founded are briefly these About two
years previously, the child, then aged
four years, was supposed to be dying
and his nurse, a Catholic girl, contrived
unknown to his parents, to subject it TO
the rite Of lay baptism, so that il
might die in the bosom Of the Church
Contrary to her expectation the child
recovered, and when she made known
the fact Of his baptism, two years after
| the performance Of the ceremony, the
child was seized as a proselyto to the
Christian faith and q member Of the
Christian Church It may be proper to
state that baptism administered in criti-
cal cases by a lay member, when priest
cannot be summoned in time, is consid-
cred by the Papal Church as a valid rite
and if such person RECEIVERS, he is not
again baptised, in order to receive the
benefit of the Church
After Mortara' abduction he was plao-
ed in an institution called the Refuge
Of Catechumens; and is still forcibly
withheld from his parents, under the
express sanction Of the Pope; notwith-
standing the efforts of the young child's
friends to have him restored to his FAM
lily
The attention of the civilized world
has been called to this monstrous out
rage; and the French Government has
presented in very serious terms, to the
Pope that it is absOluteylimpOssibe that,
in the middle Of the nineteeth century,
the Roman Catholic Church can be al
lowed to kiduap an Israelitc child bap-
tiso him, and shut him up in convent
away from his parents. But his Holi-
ness has answered that the boys return
is impossible, that the law of the Church
iorbids, aud that he has no power him
self to alter it.
At the latest advices from abroad, we
learn that nothing new has transpircd
in regard to the Mortara affair. It was
said that the Pope had addressed a note
to the governments of Europe, explain
ing his position in retaining the abduct-
cd child But the Apostolic Nuncio at
Paris has contradictod this report 1t
is also said that the Pope is deeply af-
fictcd on account Of the emotion caus-
ed in Europe as well in the church as
out Of it, in regard to this affair, and
that he has promised to use his influence
8 in modifying the canons Of the Church so
far at least as they refer to the children
Of jewish Parents.
Meanwhile, believers in the jewish
faith in England and this country are
taking great interest in the abduction
Of Mortara, and an effort has been made,
. without success, to obtain the interfer-
ence of our Government. But unless
the canons Of the Church are changed,
the Kidnapping Of Mortara is an out
rage which is just as likely to be repeat
ed on the children of Protestant as of
Jewish families; aud so long as this in
tolerance toward Jews is allowed bv civ
ilizcd nations, none Of our children are
safe The Catholic Church has relaxed
10 mono of its tyranny; and had it the pow
or elsewhere, as it has in Italy, we should
daily hear of just such cases, and per-
haps Of still moro aggravated ones.
r. We ought to state that the mother and
i child, after a long and exhausting jour
noy on the part of the former had q
meeting They wept and embraced each
e other, only as mother and child can af-
u tor a cruel separation; but the grim kid.
c uappers of the Inquisition tore them
II apart again, and as the child struggled
= and cried for its mother, on the final
B glance of her face, it was a sight, writes
a foreign correspondent Of a New York
paper, to move even stone to tears
ITW. G. Advocate.