The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-07-25

49, nnM-LXUN EZ A+EHE ~ n-nA
The Rope Versus Ghe Austr1am Cow
.i tsgA4 ~
= The following is o translation of
the Papal Allocution. delivered in
the secret consistory, held on the I'D
Of June last: u LIZ
VENERABLE BRETHREN: We should
never have imagined that, after the
Convention agreed to nearly thirteen
years ago, between us and the EN-.
peror and Apostolic King Of Austria,
to the great joy of all wellminded
men, we should be obliged to lament
over the miseries and serious misfor-
tunes, which, by the machinations of
evil disposed men, now af1ict and
Catholic Church in the Empire
Of Austrias In fact, 81 the eie ne-
mics of our divine religion,
have been unceasing in their efforts
to destroy the said Convention, and
do the greatest harm to the Church,
to US, and to this Apostolic See. Or
the 21st of December last the Aus
TRAN Government passed an Odions
law, to be carried out and strictly OBJ
served in every district of the EN-
pire, even in those districts where the
Catholic religion exclusively prevails.
That law establishes free liberty of all
opiuions-liberty ofthe press, ofeYery
faith, and no matter what confession
or doctrine; it grants to the members
Of every confession the right of es-
tablishing public schools and coll
leges, and members Of every confess
sion are allowed TO be admitted
on the same footing, with the sane
ton of the State Although we felt
great grief on being informed of the
fact, and wished to raise our voice
against it, we inevertheless gave proof
of forbearance, and we deemed it adj
visable then to keep ailencc.l chiefly
supported by the hope that the Aus
trian Government. lending q docile
ear to the just complaints otronri vcn-
cradle brethren-the holy prelates of
| Austria-Would return to more whole
some ideas and adopt a sounder de-
terminatiansn But our hopes have
been frustrated. In fact, the same
| Government, on the 18th of May of
this present year, issued another law,
which extends to all the subjects,
even the Catholic ones, Of the
M4phAC 0CCAAAu2 -bndt SOuS @DOEn
of a mixed marriage must follow
daughters that of the mother. More
over, the same law s~uppresses entire
ly the validity of the promises which
the Catholic Church, With reason and
with the greatest Justice, enacts and
~preseribes absolutely before the cele-
bration of mixed marriages. It
makes apostacy itself ACQUISITION of
civil law, both as regards the Catho-
lie religion and the Christian religion
generally. 1t suppresses all authori-
ty of the Church over cemeteries, and
Catholics are bound to allow the
bodies of heretics to be buried in
their church-yard, if they have not
any of their own. Moreover, the
same Government, on the 18th of
May, of this present year, did
not hesitate to promulgate a. law
on marriages. which entirely ean-
GELS all the enactmenfs in the Con-
vention already alluded TO. This law
restores the former Austrian laws,
which are contrary to the laws Of the
Church; it admits, and even confirms
that form of marriage, absolutely con .
demnable, called civil marriage, when
the authority of any confession, what
ever, refuses the celebration of the
marriage on grounds which are not
admitted as valid by the civil aushori-
ties. By this law, the same govern
ment has suppressed all the authority
and jurisdiction of the Church on
matters relative TO marriage, as
also all competent ecclesiastical
tribunals on2iI1the subject. II
has also promulgated 8 law on edu-
cation. which suppresses all the inhu.
ence of the Church over education.
decreeing that the whole superior SUI
pervisiOn of education, literature and
science, as also the inspection of
schools, appertains TO the State, which
finally DEGREES that religious teaching
in public schools must be placed in
the hands of members of each sepa-
rate confession; that any religious
society may open private or special
schools for the youth of its faith:
that these schools shall also be SUBJ
ject to the supreme Inspection of the
State. and that the schOol-books shall
be submitted to the approval of the
civil authorities, with the exception.
however, of such books as are meant
| for religious instruction--books which.
must be submitted to the approval of
the competent authorities of each
confession. aEIsr 5lss
You see, CON equently, venerable
brethren, how necessary il is strongly
to reprove and condemn those abomi-
nable laws sanctioned by the Auseri-
an Government-laws which are in
| fragrant contradiction with the does
II frs n H. GoAl1ls1 a--sAIl
Its venerable right, its authority and
Its Divine Institution; with our pow
er and that of the Apostolic See. as
also with our concerdat, already quot
~, q with natural rights itself. In
virtue, then, ofthe care of all Churches
rnntrusteo 70 as by the Lord Jesus
DnI4 We raise our voice in your
uose liiustr1oas assembly, we reproVe
anu we byour apostolic au-
1roai.y. eue Jaws which we have emu
me1Is9u, aAu z thing, general or.
spvvlaI,L tnosS same laws or In
cal right, which has been JearaaJ
attempted unjustly, in anv u
| whatsoever, by the Austrian Gonnn-N
ment or its subordina4es. whomsoonu
4 they may be.acIn virtue Of RI" so.e
| authority which appertains to us- me
| declare those DEGREES null and power
less in themselves. and in their effect
both as regards the present and the
future. As regards the authors of
those laws, especially those who
congratulate themselves on being
Catholics, and have not fear
ed to propose, establish, ap.
prove, and carry out the above laws
and acts, we e0njures and entreat them
not to forget the eensures and spirit
ual punishments, which the ecclesias.
teal institutions and the degrees of