The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-02-23

Peter, the mission to feed the sheep aud the
lambs
Encyclical Letter of Our Holy Father, Pope PiussH
To all -Patriarchs, Primates, ArchLishops, and
Bishops Of the Catholic world, in acceptance and
in communion ,cith the apostolic See:
Plus TX, POPE,
Venerable Brethren, Health and apostolic Blessing:
Cast your eyes around, venerable brethren
and you will see, and with us you will deplore
the denominations which affiict unhappy Italy
For our part, We adore the inscrutable judg-
ments of God, who hath been pleased that we
should live in these sad times, when, by the ac-
ton of men, and especially OF those who rule
and administer public affairs in Italy, the COM
mandments of God and the laws OF the Holy
Church are utterly despised, and impiety, un-
checked lifts up its head and triumphs. Hence
flow all the crimes, evils, and misfortu,es which
we see. Hence arise all those bands of men Who
Taik in in,piety and fight under the standard of
Satan, on whose face is written Lie Called
by tho name of rcbes, and sef!;aj their mouths
against Hearcn, they blaspheme God, thcX7Ilefe
. and contemn everything sacred, tranple on all
laws, human and divine. Like ravcnous wolves,
they pant after their prey; they are shedders of
blood; they are iestroyers OF souls by their
scandal; they seek the stipend of their service
by every injustice. They are robbers; they af-
fict the weak and the poor; they add to the
number of Widows and orphans they deny JUS
tice to the just, and brides spare the .eiched.
Thoroughly corrupted, they aim at gratifying
every passion, at whatever damage to society
itself.
BY abandoned men of this sort we are now
surrounded. Animated by II spirit utterly dia-
bolical, they long to plant their standard of
lies in this our fair city, by the chair of Peter,
the centre of Catholic truth and unity. The
Subalpine government, which ought to: pun
ish them, is not ashamed to cherish them to
furnish them with arms and provisions, and to
afford them access to this city. But let all such
tremble even of the Iii CHEST rank and station,
for they are mourning additional ecclesiastical
penalties and censure In the humility of our
hearts we earnestly pray God who is rich i'll
mercies, to lead all these unhappy men back to
saving repentance and to the path of justice,
religion, aud piety: but we cannot keep silence
on the grave perils to which In this hour of
darkness exposed We await calmly
every event, though brought about by wicked
frauds, calumnies, conspraces, and falsehoods
for we place our hope and trust in God, our
Saviour, who is our help and strength in all
tribulations, who never suffers those who
hope in Him to be cOnfouhded, who confounds
the designs of the impious and breaks the necks
of sinners. Still, we are bound to announce to
you, venerable brethren, and to all the faithful
committed to your care, the affection and the
great danger in which eve find ourselves, prin-
cipally owing to the conduct of the Subapine
government; for, though are defended by
the valor and devotion of our faithful army,
which by its gallant exploits has displayed a
courage almost heroic, it is clear that it is not
able long to resist tho far superior numbers of
its unjust assailants. And although we are
much consoled by the filial piety shown to us
number as they are by wicked usurpers, we
have still to lamens that they must needs incur
great danger from the savage bands ofIcrimin-
= ais who continually menace them,/ plumber
them, and Cypress them in thousand ways.
Aud we have to deplore other evils, venerable.
brethren evils which we gan never sufficiently
Evered on October %, 1T year, and from the
narrative and documentA we printed and pub
lished, you know with what affection the Catho-
lie Church and her children in the Russian
pire and in the kingdomof Poland are oppressed
and tortured, Catholic bishops and ecclesiastics
and laymen have been banished imprisoned,
persecuted, robbed of their property, and made
to suffer most cruel punishment, while the ca
mons and laws of the Church have been trampled
under foot. And, nafpontent- with this, the
Russian governmeH continues, axuf old, TO
violate the discipline of the Church, to sever
the bonds of union and communion hetween
the faithful and ourselves and the Holy See,
and to plot and strive in q thousand ways ut
terly to destroy the Catholic religion in its
dominons, to tear the Faithful from the bosom
of the Catholic Church, and TO drag them into
fatal schisnl. We inform you, with deep sor-
row, that two DEGREES have lately been issued
by that government, since our last $llocution+
above mentioned. By the decree isaG&d the
the kingdom of Poland, its college of canons, its
general consistory, and its diocesan seminary
Have been suppressed, while the bishop himself
has been torn from his flock, and compelled at
once to quit the diocese. And this decree is
similar to that which was published on June 81
last year, which We were unable to mention,
not being aware of its existence. BY this decree
the government, by its authority sup
pressed the Diocese of Kameniez, dispersed its
college, of ~canons, its consstory, and its semi
nary, and removed the bishop by main force
AS every means of communicating with the
faithful is DISTRACTED, and in order not to eX-
posaAny- one to imprisonment, exile, or other
penalty, we have been obliged to insero in our
official journal the document by which We had
to provide for the exercise of Legitimate juris-
diction in those vast dioceses, in order that, by
aid of the press, notice of our decision might
reach thither Every one sees at glance in
in what spirit and foF what object the Russian
government issues these DEGREES. To the alb
sence of many bishops it now adds the suppress
sion of dioceses.
But, our affection is yet increased by another
t4thls of the same government, promulgated
1ictat 22d of last May, by which college WIS