The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-05-16
The Relations of Church and State-Catno-
lie Questions i'm Germany.

He Questions in Germany.
A very extraordinary circular, if the cable
speaks truly, has been issued by the Bavarian
government to the governments Of France,
Austria, Prussia, Baden and Nuremberg
This circular, according to our information
invites the governments above named to agree
to and take part in conference having for Its
object the preservation of the rights OF the
State against the encroachments of the Church.
We have called the circular extraordinary be-
cause it is somewhat unexampled and because
1t reveals state Of things which we hardly
expected to find existing in one Of the most
Catholic States of Germany. Catholic Ger
many, however, is In peculiar condition. Or
all existing Catholics, not even excepting those
of the United States, German Catholics 60 in
most keenly for liberty. For three hundred
years and more they have lived side by side
with a powerfully expressive Professionalism,
but have never given up their special tenets
nor in any way shown weakness OF attach
ment to the Church of Rome.
Welive, however, In fast age. Conserva-
tive minds have great difficulty in keeping
themselves in harmony with the times. The
Ecumenical Council has put Catholic Germany
into little bit of fever. If there is any
paper entitled to be spoken Of as German
newspaper, that newspaper Is the ANgemesne
Zeitung. It is significant fact that the
Zestung for the present is burdened with ques-
tons that are supposed to be the principal
causes of the approaching Council at Rome,
and that the Zeitung is furious because it be-
leves that the Council will rob Germany OF the
rights which she claims as peculiarly her own
The Zeitung is at war with an Italian paper
called the CioiSitd. The Cioilitd, which is not
only a Catholic paper, but by special
brief of the Pope constituted the organ OF the
Holy See itself, has of late been making some
strange utterances. The CiuiIitd has expressed
the hope that the Ecumenical Council will
promulgate afirmatively the doctrines the
denial of which ia condemned in the Syllabus,
and has declared that all true Catholics will
receive with delight the doctrine OF Papai
infallibility" 1t hopes, further, that 'the
Council will raise the Assumption Of the Vir-
gin into dogma" In dealing with the ques-
ton of Papal infallibility the CScilitd says ct
is not enough for men to know that the Pope
is head of the Church. They must understand
that their own faith and religious life must
flow out of the Pope; that in him lies the
bond which links Catholics to one another and
the power which strengthens them; that he is
the dispenser of the gifts Of the Spirit and of all
the benefits of religion, the upholder Of right
eousness, the protector of the oppressed, and
that in him we live and move and have our
being" At all this the A1genaeine Ze5tung
kicks. It will not have 1t 80. When we say
that the anti Catholic articles in the Zestung
are written by Catholic divines, men In high
position in the Catholic Church, but Germans
by birth and training, 1t will be understood
that the Catholic world is by no means a unit
in regard to the great questions to come be-
fore the Council In December Of this year.
Bavaria is just now in the agony of great
reform movement. Education, hitherto, has
been miserably inadequate to the wants of the
population. The Prime Minister of Bavaria,
Hohenlohe, initiating the example Of Beust in
Austria, seeks to make improvements. The
Church stands in his way. The Church is
strengthened by the presence Of the Papal
Nuncio, who has q permanent position in
Munich. Annoyed by opposition, encouraged
by example, strengthened by the general SEN
timent of Catholic Germany, and looking for
ward with dread to the approaching Council,
Bavaria calls upon the various Powers we
mentioned above to agree to and take part in q
conference the real object Of which will be to
enable the Catholic world to remain Catholic
and yet have some show Of freedom and con-
sistency. This Bavarian call is a bad omen
for the Ecumenical Council. 1t checks rather
than inspires hope.