The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-01-08
LIC MESSENGER, SUNDAY. JANUARY 3. le71
Young 1lort.ra.

/ Young Kers.ra.
Few Catholics will have forgotten the
Morfara case, which some years ago ex-
Gleed SO much angry feeling against the
aoiy Father, and seemed for a while to
Irighten little even the leaden intellects
OF Exeter Hall. The child of Jewish pa
rents, this boy, at the point Of death, was
baptized by Catholic nurse, and thus OBJ
tained right to all the privileges of Chris
tianity. He unexpectedly recovered. and
was removed by the authorities from the
mouse OF his parents, 30 that during the
years of his helplessness he might be secured
from the danger of perversion. It would
Dc difficult for US to exaggerate the CRY of
rage which arose from every part of Pro-
testant and infidel Europe Mt this act of
Fius TX. 1t was even made a case for
| olpiomatic interference. The Pontiff was
denounced as remorseless child stealer.
as the destroyer of the happiness of the
domestic hearth, as the ruthless violator of
the most sacred laws of our common nature.
'Ihe bereaved parents were described as
wandering from place to place, and finding
no rest, bewailing their loss and calling
upon Heaven to avenge them on their pitt :
less despoiler. Need we say that as usual
iG was mere clever stroke of Protestant
Dusiness-a sensational scene got up by the
British reformation Society to elicit the
tears and (what was much more to the
Polnt) the back notes of wealthy soft
hearted old duwagersf 1t is the law of the
Roman States chat Jews are forbidden to
nave Christian servants this law is for the
express purpose of preventing the posi-
oiiity of tue Jewish children being tam
pered with. Mortara, the father, broke
Ems law at his own peril, aud had to stand
the Consequences. To all who believe in
the immortality of the soul aud in the obi
gations OF Christianity, it is evident that q
child once baptized caua0t be left in Jewish
hands; cannot, in a word, have it's eternal
interests Imperfect to- humor any amount
OF sentimentality. Bnt again, was it true
that the parents of young Mortara felt and
acted as was SO pOeticnlly Described by
more than some half dozen of our English
journals Not in the least. More than
this, not one of the $4,000 IBolognese, in
the midst of whom this happened, expressed
the slightest interest in the affair. Our
readers will of course also understand that
the parents Of the child could always sec
him, and that all the pathetic passages
about paternal and maternal love, ETC.,
We're very pretty, but perfectly untrue
Why do we alfude to this case at the pres
ent moment Z Simply on account of the
audacity of that press which is sworn to
connected with the Church and its supreme
head: The Iiglioramento is one of the
revolutionary journals of Rome, and there
fore, as may be supposed, is utterly reck-
less of the claims of truth and honor and !
decency. In a late number it renewed all
the old calu mny about him whom it plain |
lively calls "the child Mortara." Now it
happens that the object of its compassion,
though once boy, has been growing older !
every day, and at present is in his twenty !
first year. He is also Canon of the Late
ran Chapter, and is, in fact, as much a man
The other day this child Mortara" pub
lished Il protestation against the calumui-
GUS assertions of the revolutionary journal. |
Let our readers judge for themselves Oh
which side is to be found truth and honesty,
after thsy have heard the indignant lam
guage OF this "victim Of priestly tyranny"
tave," says the Canon Mortara, the |
right to defend myself, for am of age.
have;a right to say that the Catholic Church
has been falthfuI to her divine mission in
my 1sesard. Liberty is the word which the
!" liberators" of Italy have ever on their
lips, but it is evident it is only liberty for !
themselves and not for others. / have
chosen of my own free will tho religious
state, and my father has written to me in
these terms: Il do not oppose the determine
ton yom haze taken, and hope you aciU be
contented and happy Your so.called TIA
with hearts harder than stone. You can
not understand my love for my family,
especially for my dear parents. But they
know it we'll, and will never deny it. 1
affirm that they who have watched over my
at Rome have always inculcated
this flial love as the command of God.
They have encouraged my correspondence
with my parents, they have always re-
'eiyed them with the greatest kindness; they
''ave left us alone together, in fine, they
save interfered in no way between as. I
the anthor of the present article,
declare that if in the future any other
journal shall repeat the falsehoods printed
by the Miglioramento, shall be ready with
a reply to confound the calumniator.
D. PIUs MoRTARA.
Brussels, Nou. 1S7U."
If it We're possible for an italian editor
to blush or to be ashamed, we might have
some hopes that this simple but powerful
protest would succeed as a good lesson with
the men who at the present moment are ,
busy destroying faith and morality through !,
out the States. AS for the bigots at home,
we put it TO them, what have they to say
now with regard to this, their most
piece, "The Mortara Tragedy 2" 1.
London CnircrSe.
THE VILLAGE OF BErHLEHEM.-The viii
,,fn tl,l 20 ,llr | -