The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-11-21
Pastoral Of the Catholic Bishops.

The prelates and ecclesiastics who com
posed the second Plenary Council of the
Catholic Church, lately in session in Balti
more, have issued a pastoral letter, under
date of October 81 We find in our ex.
changes synopsis of the leading points,
which we subjoin:
CHURCH AND STATE.
IN treating of the relations Of the church
TO the state, the pastoral claims that the
church is the great support of the temporal
mower, while it complains that State law
assume to regulate the manner by which
church property shall be held, contrary to
the canons and discipline of the Catholic
church. 1t reciues: "These laws, how
ever, are for the most part based on princi-
pies which the church cannot accept with
out departing from her practice from the
beginning, as soon as she was permitted to
enjoy liberty of worship. They are the
expression of distrust of ecclesiastical
power as such; and are the fruits of the
Misrepresentation which have been made
of the action of the church in past ages.
AS well might the civil power prescribe to
her the doctrines she is to teach and the
worship with which she is to honor God, as
to impose on her system Of holding her
temporalities which is alien to her princi-
ples, and which IS borrowed from those
who have rejected her authority. Instead
of seeking to disprove the various reasons
alleged for this denial of the church's rights
in some of the States, We content ourselves
with the formal protest we hereby enter
against it, and briefly remark that, even in
the supposition, which we by no means
admit, that such denial was the result of
legitimate motives, the denial itself is
incompatible with the full measure of
ecclesiastical or religious liberty which we
are supposed to enjoy"
The pastoral directs that contribution
in aid Of the Pope be taken up annually in
all the congregations.
ITALY.
The political changes in italy are referred
to as trials and humiliations to the holy
father, while the fortitude Of the Pope,
under these circumstances, is alluded to
with profound interest. The pastoral de-
votes considerable space to the sacrament
of matrilnony, and urges that marriage be
contracted before the altar Of God:
THE FREEDMEN.
In regard to the freedmen, the pastoral
holds the following language: "We must
all feel that in some manner new and
most extensive field ofcharity and devoted
ness has been opened to us by the emanci-
patton of the immense slave population of
the South. We could have wished that in
accordance with the action of the Catholic
Church in past ages, in regard to the serfs
of Europe, more gradual system of eman-
cipation could have been in some measure
prepared to make a better use of their free
dom than they are likely to do now.
Still the evils which much necessarily
ensue upon the sudden liberation of so
large multitude with their peculiar dis
positions and habits, only make the appeal
to our Christian charity andzeal, presented
by their forlorn condition, the more forei-
BILE and imperative. We urge upon the
clergy and people of our charge, the most
generous cooperation with the plans which
may be adopted by the bishops of the
diocese, in which they are to extend to
them that Christian education and moral
restraint which they so much stand in need
Of Our only regret in regard to this
matter is, that our means and opportunity
of spreading over them the protection and
salutary influences ofour holy religion are
SO restrained.