The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-07
Dv. Dsllinger and the Religious Agitation In
Germany.

pluly mas brought forth fruit. Wnat ecoMou
to some not very long ago a little spark has
kindled what now seems to many great fire.
| DR.. Dollinger is an old man, but he Is not the
! crazy old man which some are disposed to
regard him. His manifesto has not, like that
of Father Hyacinthe, fallen still-born. The
old man evidently has abundance Of strength
and wants neither for wisdom nor will. He
has spoken out with q clearness and force
which leave no room for misapprehension,
and he maintains his ground with courage
which seems invincible. Catholic Germany
has not, since Martin Luther nailed his i'm
mortal thesis to the door of the Schloss Kirche
at Wittenberg, experienced an excitement
similar to that which she is experiencing to-day,
and, old as DR.. Dollinger is, he would be
bold man who, looking all the facts of the
hour in the face, would say that the Bavarian
Professor may not prove another Luther.
The movement now fairly commenced has
many points of resemblance to the religious
revolution Of the sixteenth century.
That our readers may be able to understand
this case and intelligently appreciate the
gravity of the situation, it is necessary that
we should enter somewhat fully into de-
tails. Nor will it be forgotten that DR..
D0linger, although not member of the
Ecumenical Council, was the life and soul OF
the anti-infallibilist party. Janus" one
of the most scholarly works of the
age, work which at one time frightened the
Ultramontanes nearly out of their wits, was the
fruit of his brain, and he is generally believed
to have been the principal inspirer of the now
celebrated Letters of Qairnus." While the
Council was in session DR.. Dollinger made
good use of his time and talents to open the
eyes of his countrymen to the designs of the
Ultramontane party in the Council. 1t was
not to be expected that such man would
abandon the ground he had taken because the
majority in the Council thought fit to invest
the Holy Father with the attributes of Deity.
Still, he remained for a time silent after the
PRONUNCIATION of the Vatican degrees by the
Archbishop of Munich, his spiritual superior.
1t was not until he had received two separate
letters from his Archbishop, asking him to ex-
plain bis position, that he ventured to speak out
On the 2Sth Of March he handed the Archbishop
his answer in the form of q solemn manifesto,
and had the same published Immediately in
the ARgeaaeine Zeitung. The manifesto has
already appeared in these columns, and no
one who read it requires to be told that the
document is characterized by clearness
strength and determination. After making a
hot ho CHI hox,a hoe horo
the Ass emily of Bishops, about to be held at
Fulda, or before commission named aud pre-
sided over by the Archbishop himself, he
pointedly aludes to the new powers with
which the Council had invested the Holy
Father, and says:-
This system bears its Romish origin on its FORE
head and Will never be able to penetrate In Ger
manic countries. AS a rstian. as q theologian,
as historian, as a citizen cannot accept this doc
trine. Not rs Christian. for 1t is irreconcilable
with the spirit OF the Gospel AMI with the plan
words OF christ and o. the apostles purposes just
which Christ reected 1t claims that rule over all
communions which Peter forblds to all and to him.
self. Not theologan. Tor the whole tradition OF
the Church Is an irreconcilabc opposition to It, Not
as historian can accept II, for as such know
that the persistent endeavor TO realize this theory
OF Kingdom OF the world has cost Europe rivers OF
blood, has confounded and degraded whole coun-
tries has shaken the beautiful organic architecture
OF the elder Church. and has begOtten fed and sus.
tanned the worst abuses in the Church.
Finally, as a citizen. must put 1t away from me,
because by the claims on the submission OF States
and monarchs, and OF the whole political order
under the Papal Power, and by the exceptional
foundation Of endless, ruinous dispute between
State and Church, between clergy and laity. For
results Of which were the ruin OF the old German
empire, would, II governing the Catholic part OF
the German nation, at once lay the seed OF ncura.
bic decay In the new empire which mas just been
built up.
To this the Archbishop replied by threat
'sto cut the Doctor off from the Catholic
Church if he persisted in his opposition.
Meanwhile telegraphic messages were sent to
Rome for instructions in the circumstances.
Rome replied that the matter must remain in
the hands of the Archbishop, and that he
must act according to his judgment. The
threat to cut him off from the Church was
issued on Palm Sunday the I'd day of April.
Nothing further had been done except to for
bid the Seminarists to attend the Doctors
lectures On the Tuesday after Palm Sunday
an address was presented to him, signed,
with three exceptions, by the whole body
of his colleagues the professors in
the University. The address concludes
with these ringing words:-''Persevere right
reverend sir, in the struggle, armed with the
trusty and brilliant shield of science, and may
it be as Medusa shield for all the corruption
of Christendom! AT this turning point in the
fate of Christianity we recall the question of
the brave Crafty, Does God need your lie p
Dob xiii, y and we, and thousaI d Of true
hearts with u.s. answer like you, right reverend
sir, with clear and emphatic mo-"
The Doctor did not discontinue his minis
trations. On Holy Thursday we find him cele-
brating pontfcal high mass in the chapel
royal, the King attending in state. On Easter
Day we find him again 'pontiicating," as they
have it, the King being present. On the 10th
Of April special meeting Of Catholic laymen
wac hold in Munich whom IL woa raeoIvad N